RapidPlayX, hereafter referred to as RPX, is Crispin's automation client software. From this application an operator can monitor running lists, as well as make changes to them. The lists are being run on the Crispin DeviceServer, and each instance of RPX is merely a client connecting to the server to view/edit the running playlist.
Main Screen
The main screen of Crispin has three primary areas: the list controls at the top, the running list below that, and the File Cabinet on the right. To switch which lists is being displayed use the tabs at the bottom of the running lists. The controls at the top will only be active for the currently displayed list.
List Controls
For each playlist there is a Cue, Play Next, and a Stop button. To the right of each button, there is a display box that indicates which event will be affected by pressing that button.
Cue will display the list event that is currently selected, Play Next the event that is currently cued, and Stop the event currently playing.
The list controls also shows if the playlist is currently on its primary or backup ChannelPort. If playing on the primary, the status 'online' will be given under the playlist name. If the backup is being used, the list will show up as being in Bump mode. The P and B in the list controls display the status of the primary and backup EventServers. The current device server in use will have a bold outline around it.
The NX box counts down to the next event in the playlist, BR displays the length of the break between programs, and DV will display Deviations before the next program start. Overages will turn the box pink an dunderages will make it teal.
Event Color Coding
RPX uses a color coding scheme to display information about events in the running lists. For primary events, the following color coding applies:
Background Color (entire event) | Meaning |
Green | Event is currently playing |
Yellow | Event is cued up and ready to play next |
Background Color (event start time) | Meaning |
Orange | Manual Start Event |
Pink | Clock Start Event with overage prior to event start |
Teal | Clock Start Event with underage prior to event start |
Blue | Clock Start Event with no overage or underage |
Dark Blue | Clock Start Event that hasn’t been rippled |
Black with White text | Follow Start that hasn’t been rippled |
White with Black text | Follow Start that has been rippled and updated start time |
For secondary events, the following color codes apply:
Background Color | Meaning |
Green (full event) | Event is playing |
Yellow (status column) | Event is cued for playback |
Manipulating a Playlist
To edit an event in a playlist, double click on it. changes made to the event in Crispin will override any sourcing changes coming from Protrack.
To move an event, select it by pressing the mouse button, then drag the item to the new poition in the playlist and release the mouse button. To copy an event, hold down the control key before dragging. To move or copy multiple events select the first event, hold down the shift key, and then select the final event. To select multiple events that aren't adjacent to one another in the playlist, hold down the ctrl key while clicking on the events. A bar will appear s you drag event(s) showing where they will be placed.
To delete an event, click on it to highlight it, then press the delete key. To insert a new event, press the insert key.
Editing an Event in a Playlist
Double-clicking on an event in the playlist will open the Event Properties window. From here, the event can be edited. A thorough description of the fields in the event properties window can be found here.
Within this window, there are three tabs: Traffic, Playback, and Record. The Traffic tab will display the information on the event as it arrives from ProTrack. The playback tab will display the fields that control how the events will be played back. The record tab will display the fields that control how a record event occurs.
File Cabinet
The file cabinet has a tab for each playlist that you can switch between, allowing for you to have different items for different lists. Items that are in the cabinet can be dragged into any playlist, but they will retain any sources that existed in the original event. If a primary event from one playlist is dragged into another without updating the source, it will control the original playlist's player.
To delte an item from the file cabinet, right click on the entry and select 'delete selcted cabinet item.' If you press delete after selecting a file cabinet item, you will remove whatever event is highlighted in the current list, not the file cabinet entry.
To move an event to file cabinet, drag it over from the playlist. To copy the event to the file cabinet, hold down the Ctrl key while dragging the event.
To move multiple events to the file cabinet, select them in the list as you would to manipulate a playlist.