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Suggestions for Sequence Editor Features


roknjohn

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Just a few ideas for new features:

  • Enable drag and drop between two sequences opened in the sequence editor. Dragging a channel button from one sequence to another would copy all events from the source channel to the target channel of the other sequence. Ctrl+drag would actually add a new channel to the target file having the same properties.

  • Provide an indicator for "empty" channels having no events so that they are easily distinguishable without having to scroll thru the entire sequence.

  • Provide a "feather" or "soften" feature that applies a fade in or fade out to exiting "ON" events. For example, if a selection of channels and cells has a number of ON cells, this feature could prefix the events with a ramp up (for a specified number of cells or time interval), or append a ramp down, without altering the timing of the ON event.

  • Provide a way to stretch or compress an existing chase over a different number of channels. This would be helpful when converting sequences that were designed for a different number of arch segments or mini trees, etc. Mapping a 9ch arch to a 7ch arch requires a re-interpolation of channels 2-6 so that the timing remains intact. E.g., a chase from ch1 to ch9 back to ch1 should result in a chase from ch1 to ch7 to ch1 within the same time.

  • Provide a tool to easily remap purchased, borrowed, or otherwise foreign sequences to your own channel layout. I've built a utility that takes two sequence files (one of my own and one with a foreign layout) and allows me to match the channels from one to the other by drag/drop. After all channels have been mapped, a .lcc file is produced that can be imported into the foreign sequence that will remap to my layout. This same file can be used for other sequences from the same vendor.

  • Provide a method to sort channels by name, color, unit/circuit, or by one of several new channel attributes/properties such as Display Element name (Arch 1, Bush 8) or channel ID (see below)

  • Add a "Channel ID" property to the channels which will serve as a better method of indexing channels rather than the "saved Index" method. This would eliminate many headaches with having to preserve track one in order to maintain compatibility with other sequences.

  • Provide a method to "mute" a channel without destroying the events in that channel or its assignment.

  • Provide a validation routine that detects channels having the same unit/circuit assignment in order to identify unintended conflicts.

Edited by roknjohn
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That's a long list. For your last item, are you aware of the Light-O-Rama Verifier? Once the sequences are in a scheduled show it will check for duplicate assignmements (even in background sequences) along with various other issues.

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For your last item, are you aware of the Light-O-Rama Verifier? Once the sequences are in a scheduled show it will check for duplicate assignmements (even in background sequences) along with various other issues.

I wasn't aware of that. I've always been very careful about checking for duplicate assignments so I haven't run into that issue personally. I'm glad to know that this is available.

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For your first item, Copy and Paste works just fine between sequences.

Yes it does, and I use that a lot. But currently you have to select the entire row then copy paste. I use a little trick of creating a freeform timing grid without any timings to make it easier to select the entire row.

You'll have to excuse me, I'm a veteran software engineer so I am always looking for ways to improve efficiency. I am in the habit of tracking ideas for new features.

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Your fourth item is what the "stretch to fit" paste option already does exceptionally well.

Item number six - have you tried using Groups? They much allow you to easily sort and resort channels in almost any way you want.

To expand on what Reg described, in 3.9 the Verifier can be used on single sequences - doesn't have to be a complete show any longer.

IMHO, a more thorough knowledge of and examination of the existing features in the LOR software would help the OP, and many others, a great deal. I have long advocated that folks should explore EVERY item in EVERY menu to thoroughly familiarize themselves with ALL that the software. offers. Seems a shame to waste time working around a solution, or wishing for one that already exists. Just saying...

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I use a little trick of creating a freeform timing grid without any timings to make it easier to select the entire row.

To do that same thing a lot quicker, I use a little trick too - I select a cell in the row I want to copy and right-click and choose "select row".

Edited by George Simmons
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I'm sorry if I inferred that the things that I requested aren't already possible to do in LOR, they are. I merely suggested ways on how to do them easier. User interfaces are something that I have a bit of knowledge about, I'm a software engineer with 30 yrs experience and 10,000 users. I just something that I do every day. :)

@George, I'm not sure the "Stretch to fit" does what am looking for. It appears that function does a horizontal stretch, where I am talking about a vertical stretch. The example that I described (mapping a sequence written for a 9 channel arch to a 7 channel arch) currently requires you to "re chase" channels 2-6. In most cases ch1=ch1 and ch7=ch9 of the original sequence. Take a look at this picture:

VerticalStretch.png

I want to paste the 9ch sequence for Arch 2 to Arch 3 (except Arch 3 only has 7 channels). This picture shows the desired result.

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To do that same thing a lot quicker, I use a little trick too - I select a cell in the row I want to copy and right-click and choose "select row".

My way is faster :P click on row, ctrl+C vs. click on row, right click, scroll to select row, click, ctrl+c

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My way is faster :P click on row, ctrl+C vs. click on row, right click, scroll to select row, click, ctrl+c

Since you a blank timing grid for that, aren't there two or three extra clicks to choose the blank grid when you want to copy a channel?

Also, ctrl+end will select from the current place to the end of the channel.

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Item number six - have you tried using Groups? They much allow you to easily sort and resort channels in almost any way you want.

Yes I use groups and tracks to manage multiple "Views" of my layout. For example, I have a track that shows my layout by color and another that shows them by element. You still have to manually sort the channels by dragging them which gets tedious when you need to drag more than a screen-full away.

You also have to be careful with groups that appear in more than one track. If you rearrange channels within a group in one track, they also move around in the other tracks.

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Vertical stretch to fit is a big one.

Drag and drop rows would be a cool and much easier way to copy rows.

I also think a "feather" feature would be great rather than always having to create custom fades. For me to select cells and hit a key and the software to take the adjacent effect and fade up/down would be cool.

I find a couple of your other points to be covered in groups and tracks.

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Since you a blank timing grid for that, aren't there two or three extra clicks to choose the blank grid when you want to copy a channel?

Also, ctrl+end will select from the current place to the end of the channel.

I'm sorry, I was talking about pasting many channels from one sequence to another, where the operation is going to be repeated many times. I choose the blank grid on both files. Then, the copy/pasting goes a lot easier. Certainly, if I'm only going to perform one or two operations, select row (or Alt+ESR) is what I use.

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Yes I use groups and tracks to manage multiple "Views" of my layout. For example, I have a track that shows my layout by color and another that shows them by element. You still have to manually sort the channels by dragging them which gets tedious when you need to drag more than a screen-full away.

You also have to be careful with groups that appear in more than one track. If you rearrange channels within a group in one track, they also move around in the other tracks.

I think the idea of setting element id's and being able to put all Id= 2 track 2, etc would save time, but not sure on execution of that.

One thing you mention is page scrolling. I really wish the sequence editor would scroll up/down when I'm dragging a channel!

As for groups...what if you degroup them and then regroup them on that track?

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WOW, not really the responses that I expected. I guess I'll just chalk this one up PTSD after everyone getting their show up. Otherwise, I guess this is not really the community that I thought it was. I'm sorry if everyone took my suggestions as some sort of criticism. User feedback is crucial in software evolution. Take it or leave it.

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Thread locked, and some responses removed.

roknjohn - You should send your ideas to wishlist@lightorama.com. While LOR staff does read the forum, it's easy for something to get lost. Sending it to the email address listed helps LOR better track software feature requests.

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