Macros!? How about 1050 macros? One for each button on the board. :-)

[quote="Rick Paulson"]My policy (call me paranoid) is that a public forum is not the place for us to provide details about future product plans. If you'd like to contact me directly I'll be happy to discuss some of our plans in more detail, and possibly include you in future research exercizes (after the NDAs are signed) :-) We're in a competitive business and surprising the industry with unique and useful features has contributed to our success.[/quote] Rick I don't think it is paranoid, makes sense, figured I would ask :) Maybe I will try dropping you an email when I get a chance. Thanks for the response Bill

[quote="Bill D"]Rick, If the Kalypso is indeed still going to continue with new features what are some of the planned release dates and features, beyond ver 15? I understand you don't want to throw all of your ideas out there, but for over a year now it has been rumored that the Kalypso was winding down in order to get ready for a newer model of switcher (not the kayak obviously).[/quote] My policy (call me paranoid) is that a public forum is not the place for us to provide details about future product plans. If you'd like to contact me directly I'll be happy to discuss some of our plans in more detail, and possibly include you in future research exercizes (after the NDAs are signed) :-) We're in a competitive business and surprising the industry with unique and useful features has contributed to our success. I agree, we've been late on features that we wish were there already, but as with anything, it's a matter of priorities and resources. [quote="Bill D"]I will say I am not suprised to hear GVG didn't realize macros would be so popular. This is disapponting that GVG didn't think it was such a necessity.[/quote] [quote="Rick Paulson"]Macros have turned out to be even more popular than expected,[/quote] We knew they would be popular, but did think that 100 would be enough. We were wrong. We get lots of good feedback from this forum and are happy to discuss specific questions, issues, concerns, recommendations, and ideas for new features. It's part of my job description, and a part I enjoy, so please feel free to email or call: richard.paulson@thomson.net office: 530-478-3319 cell: 530-263-0458

Bill D, a lot of these suggestions were there before the functions were implemented (such as macros and macro editing). The response always was "how many more switchers will that sell?" Now the excuse is "we never knew it was going to be such a hit?" Face it, unless you're the one signing purchase orders they don't want to listen to you. I feel like they throw us a bone every once in a while (like keyframeable PBus recalls) but in the long run they really pander to the check signers. If you want a feature to be implemented, get a large company that's about to buy a few switchers to make it a condition of their purchase. Only sure fire way that I have seen over the years.

Rick, If the Kalypso is indeed still going to continue with new features what are some of the planned release dates and features, beyond ver 15? I understand you don't want to throw all of your ideas out there, but for over a year now it has been rumored that the Kalypso was winding down in order to get ready for a newer model of switcher (not the kayak obviously). The still store change was suppose to be out last fall, then April 07, and now still nothing. So it's easy to see where operators may think the end is near. The still store update is obviously a huge undertaking I am sure, so not gonna dwell on the fact that it is not out yet, it has been an operator fustration for quite some time though. There are many of us that are huge Kalypso supporters, I really know of no one that is an anti Kalypso user. So I am sure it will please plenty of people to hear that it is going to continue on with new features. But there are also certain hardware limitations (like dve's) that could be helped with a newer model even if based on the same panel and software, so I can understand if change is near. There are and have been plenty of ideas on what users what like to see, not only in this forum but the new product idea thread, even though it may be an older thread a lot of it is still true. I am certain at the top of most lists would be macro editing. I will say I am not suprised to hear GVG didn't realize macros would be so popular. This is disapponting that GVG didn't think it was such a necessity. Operators have been asking for macros since the first year the switcher was released (back when there were like 10 buttons labeled macros 1-10). I am sure 99 is not even enough can't imagine someone thought 10 would be fine. We use macros to not only make things easier and to happen with one button press but to get around the limitations of timelines that are still present. I still can't build a timeline that doesn't care about the state of the other keyers. I do not think you have enough TD's that understand news in your development team. This problem dates back to the 4K, where GPI loopbacks were the only way around this. I want to be able to build a timeline where I can not care about the state of 3 keyers and be able to go with or clean of whatever keys. I asked this back when I first saw the switcher in Philly the first year it came out. Now you can use macros in a timeline which is great but where was the forward thinking back then? If you are looking for ideas look in house first. Even though everyone hates the Kayak and the older Xtend software, you basically have a lot of great ideas in that switcher's software in your company. I know it is made to work on a different switcher but the ideas are there if they are added to the Kalypso software it would be nice. Unlimited macros (b/c you can create a macro then delete it, yet the switcher remembers it) Assignable parameters within the ME on the timeline, (Bob talked about this in his partial keyframe info above) Just to name a few. If you would like more ideas I am sure we can start a new thread 'New Kalypso features wanted/bugs to be fixed', etc. I have many other ideas to make the Kalypso an even more powerful switcher then it already is. Also it will not even cost you a development team :) thanks Bill

To answer JP's original question, no, you can't attach macros to any of the buttons in the row that contains the Key Add and Key Drop buttons. The philosophy behind this exclusion was essentially that there's a ton of buttons that you can attach macros to, and buttons that are not leading to specific actions (such as take a crosspoint) but are used to alter the panel delegation or configuration are the least likely that would used with a macro. That said, we recognize that attachments are chosen by the operators, so allowing macros to be attached to virtually any button is not so much building in functionality that will bag the user, but more of giving the user the ability to bag him or herself. Macros have turned out to be even more popular than expected, so some of the yet unused buttons are naturals for this, I would agree. Don't count these buttons out yet though. Kalypso development continues, with version 15 right around the corner. This release has seen an extensive rewrite of the Still Store software, in particular with file management. It will give the ability to access network and USB drives with the SS browser menus. You'll be able to build SS "environments" specific to each production, and save this media meta-data along with other Show File data like E-MEM and Macro registers. Also in version 15, Output Recursives for the Spektra option. Be sure to read the Release Notes for Version 15 when posted to be ready to take advantage of the new feature set, particularly the new Still Store. There are more releases planned, and the input we receive on this forum is valuable to this process. Feel free to shoot me an email with your suggestions, concerns and questions.

There is a Key Drop, and it can be set differently for each M/E - that's been there for a while (Suite Prefs/Key Drop), but it drops the key(s) ANYTIME a hot-cut is done on the A bus, so it's not the same as the Key Add/Key Drop, which was supposed to turn keyers (as well as recall still stores) on & off as specific sources were taken. That part of the project was shelved a few years back.

Bob, If I recall the key add key drop function is active (i am not in front of the board now but I bbelieve is is somewhere in the menu). But I believe it will only work for a specific keyer not the source. For instance when you take a remote it can be set up to drop the key, however it will drop the key on every take. I've played with this a little and found it more cumbersome than helpful. Not a big deal, like you said this can be done using macros. greg

Thanks Bob, Again these are great infos. I agree with you , Mike and Big O, that we TD should be able to decide how we deal with danger or risk or whatever in our operation mode. Once my switcher is set-up, I usually don?t have to use those Shift-Unshift , Near side-Far side etc buttons, so I would like to use them otherwise, same with the buttons that are useless (Key add-Key drop). And too bad that we will never see partial keyframe on Kalypso, I would at least like to see something like ?Key status hold? implemented, without having to use the double-take method. And Big O, you are right, editing macros would be great. Hopefully, from what we read in another thread, there will be a new software version that will correct still store issues. JP

Are these the same engineers that decided I don't need to be able to pause a macro? Or the ability to edit it? If they're so worried about me screwing up, why don't they just put a padlock on the program bus, in case I lean on it. Or give me an "Are you sure?" dialog box every time I punch something, keep me from taking the wrong source. Or disable PGM/PST from being Master E-Mem controllable, that's just a recipe for disaster. And what's this Primary/Secondary ME, that's just stupid, you can't control what you can't see, how can you even think about all that, that's just playing mind games with people. Oh, and the whole thing about being able to make changes from any PC running Menu On PC anywhere on the network, that's just an accident waiting to happen. I have visions of the Hindenburg (not the TD) going down in flames. Tell you what, if they just stop the thing from crashing I'll be happy. Maybe they can speed up the menu while they're at it, God forbid it should follow in real time like those other pesky switchers do. Engineers design great stuff in the lab, Auto Take comes to mind. Unfortunately real world conditions dictate otherwise. If they didn't, we'd all be driving nuclear cars.

[quote="Bob Ennis"]because the engineers decided that you could bag yourself if every time you went to slect a shifted source that you were firing off a macro[/quote] Thanks big brother. Maybe they can at least get rid of all the grayed out menus in the kalypso like "Partial KF", "User Wipes" "Mark", etc.... or is that too hard too? [quote="Bob Ennis"]but what would happen to the Still Store Output if you PRESET Cam 2 to do a dissolve? Whoops![/quote] Wouldn't apply to the Kentucky Derby. :-)

The Key Add & Key Drop were originally designed so that you could attach one or more keyers to each source...every time you took that source, the assigned keys would automatically activate, and each time you chose a different source, the keys would turn off and/or activate for that new source. The idea was to have you build a "lookup table" and assign whatever keyers (and Still Store pages, if desired) you want to each source. It was a great idea, but when the software guys took a closer look at the complexities of making it work, it was abandoned. For example, you could have Cam 1 with Key 1 (using still store page 101) assigned, and then have Cam 2 with Key 1 (using still store page 205)...you could hot-cut between these sources all day & the auto key would follow; but what would happen to the Still Store Output if you PRESET Cam 2 to do a dissolve? Whoops! In any case, the Key Add would be used if you were going from a source that HAD keys to a source that did not have keys (such as going from a news remote that has CG 1 with the telephone number of a pet adoption place to a studio camera that was programmed to be clean); if you wanted to cut to the clean source but keep the existing keys, you'd hold down KEY ADD as you take the source). Alternatively, if you were going from a clean source to a source that had keys pre-programmed with it, you'd hold down KEY DROP as you took the source & it would override the pre-programmed keyer association. It was a good theory, but it proved too much to implement. By the way, we found that you could accomplish the equivalent of the Key ADD function with the use of macros attached to a source button. As for partial keyframing, I'm not no longer in touch with the folks who put that stuff on the release schedule, but I know that pretty much everyone who was associated with developing the software for the Krystal (which was the 1st [and only] GV Broadcast product to have partial keyframing) is no longer there, the the ability to go back to the legacy products to borrow the code is pretty much not going to happen. The Kayak uses the DD-Series timEMEMo system, which lets you turn specific parts of the system on & off on each keyframe (just the the current SONY switchers), but that's not true partial keyframing (where keyframes are only added when you make a change to a specific parameter or function), and even if they ported this philosophy over to Kalypso, it's not really a solution to partial keyframing. To actually implement true partial keyframing on Kalypso would be a HUGE undertaking, requiring a complete re-write of the E-MEM/Keyframing architecture - something that's not likely to happen with a product that's at the sunset of its lifespan. I don't think I would be going out on a limb if I suggested that you probably will not be seeing either partial keyframing or Key Add/Key Drop on Kalypso. And unless they changed the software, I didn't think that you were able to use any of the Source Select Modifiers (Key Add/Key Drop, Split Key, Shift, Unshift, Near Side, Far Side) to attach macros to because the engineers decided that you could bag yourself if every time you went to slect a shifted source that you were firing off a macro - we had asked for the ability to do this on the justification that every user should be able to make their own decision as to whether they want to set up a "dangerous" condition, but I don't know if the engineers ever relented on this or not, and thus I've never even tried to attach macros to these buttons in a real-world scenario - if you can do the attachments, that would be great.