Path problems with Beyond 2.1

J

jb0815

Active Member
Hy guys (from pangolin),

since version 21 is installed by default in c:\BEYOND21
paths of shows in playlists and paths of media files are no longer valid when I move my stuff to C:\BEYOND21.

More generally spoken (and this is not a problem of version 21, that's the same with the old verison) when someone moves his stuff to another location or hard disk partition, he has a similiar problem.

The only way to manage this is currently to work with symbolic links which is possible since Windows 7. But that's not very nice because any file open process seems to return the real path instead of the link (as in unix systems)

This behaviour results in the fact that when I insert a media file in a show using a link

C:\BEYOND\MusikForShows -> C:\BEYOND21\MusikForShows

Beyond stores the last directory, not the first one. That means when I share the show with someone else who has his stuff in another dir, he has to edit the show.

I would appreciate if Beyond would have something like a customizable base path for shows and music which will be searched for when one openes a show file to get the media file(s) , and for opening a playlist to find the shows. Maybe as an option only...

Please think about it :-)

Best Regards
jb0815
 
Last edited by a moderator:
BEYOND do not copy audio & video files into local folder. QuickShow - yes, BEYOND now. The file may be large and normally, BEYOND use absolute path to the media file.

Timeline has menu "Save show and copy media files". This operation save the show, copy media AND adjust the path to media files (in saved timeline). Original timeline stay as it. Main idea - one operation that prepare a show for moving to another computer.

Why it done this way? Media files may be placed at different disks, and relative path can not be used for such cases. So, there may be unexpected results - some path is relative, some absolute. If BEYOND copy media files into known path then no problem all part are known.

BEYOND use its folder (where application located) as a base folder.

Play list. Yes, correct point. It is not prepared for relative path, we will work on it.

Let us know if there are any questions.

Regards,
Alexey
 
Yes. We like to run a backup machine, using the show saved on the master PC.
A tool to copy all settings; show, zones, projectors etc would be great.
 
For any event I have I make a new folder.
In that folder I save the event workspace the event shows the event frames projector settings projection zones and media file.
Than all you have to do is copy that folder and pot it on the backup PC.
On site once I did all the settings again I save all the above in the event folder and copy the folder again to the backup PC.
 
Save show and copy ALL files, Hot backup PC

Hi Alexey,
>>Timeline has menu "Save show and copy media files". Main idea - one operation that prepare a show for moving to another computer. >>

An extended version of this would be great, that saves/zips the files, and then a Load button on the backup or location machine that loads everything into the right place.

It is too easy to miss one save of the many different file types in many places.
Especially when you have finished rehearsals and have to be ready for the show quickly, then a quicker way to make a backup machine would be great.

BTW as an aside, we have been testing the FB4 backup method. The master PC is online and the backup machine is lock synced with MTC/Artnet TC.
If the main machine fails, pull the network cable and the backup machine takes over the FB4's in seconds.
 
Hey Alexey,
some people (like me :-) like to store multimedia stuff (including laser shows) generally on a separate volume. My example above was only a simplyfied version of what I really do.
The reason for that, in my case, is that i want to separate OS volume, which is a smaller SSD and fast, from data volume, which is normally bigger. I guess I'nm not the only one who is doing that.

Therfore it would be great to have the freedom to choose the directory/volume for the stuff to store and not to be forced to produce frequently copies to fullfill the path requirements of Beyond. I have multiple copies anyway on different PCs but each copy more lead's to more confusion when I've made changes and have to organize all the files.

Best Regards JB
 
An idea ..

I'd like to add a proposal for a possible improvement regarding the path problem:

Let's imagine Beyond had 2 optional settings:

UserShowDir=D':'\LaserShows
UserMusicDir=D':'\Music\LaserShowMusic

If Beyond would recognize if a show or playlist has an

1. absolute path: e.g. C':'\BEYOND21\MusikForShows\music.mp3'
-> use exactly this path

2. relative path, or just the filename, e.g. music.mp3
-> append this to "UserMusicDir"

and use:

D':'\Music\LaserShowMusic\music.mp3

Similiar method for Playlists and show files

This would provide the freedom to have an own directory structure and is backward compatible to old stuff.

Don't be confused by the Quotes around the ':' !
Without them we would get emoticons: C:\SomeDir
(Is there something like a code tag ?)

Best Regards
 
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Thanks for ideas. This part definitely need to be improved. We will work on this as soon as time will allow. Please do not hesitate to post more ideas related to path related problems. I will check it once again before making changes.

Best Regards,
Alexey
 
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