ProppFrexx ONAIR User-Forum

Hello, I'm a newbie trying to figure out something that I thought would be very basic. I've thought about two ways to do it, but neither are very eloquent, so I thought I'd ask for advice here. I'm running v4.2.0.8.

If one has built a playlist with the songs, etc. that they want to play out at a later date/time, how do we get that into the Program Scheduler? The Playlist is created by simply clicking on New in the Main menu and then manually choosing the songs, etc. to be played.

From my few days of experience, the Program Scheduler and the works off of scripts, not playlists. So I've tried to work around this two ways.

Method 1: I built a one-line script that imports the Playlist file and puts that file into the Program Scheduler, however, this requires that the Playlist being imported always have the same name, as the path & filename is coded into the script.

Method 2: Use the Playlist Template Wizard to create the program in Program Scheduler with an empty playlist file that can be filled in by the host. The closest thing I seem to be able to create to an empty file is one that has a Placeholder scheduled every 30 minutes or so; the longest time allowed between placeholders is 59:59 minutes. The host can then remove the placeholders as he/she begins to create his/her show.

I'd rather use a method similar to Method 1; create a new Playlist, save it and then somehow import or convert it to the Program Scheduler time slot where it belongs, that way the Playlist file can be created on an off-line PC and then simply moved over to the on-air PC.

I hope I'm missing something very easy and obvious as to how to do this. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The best way is either Method 1:
If it is a one off Playlist, you can directly in your script reference (via the LoadPlaylist).
Dynamic filename are possible thru using macros, eg. ${start_dd}. See the appendix of the user manual.

Method 2:
Any script would work. The template or base script is mainly needed to be used in case your manual playlist is to short in time.

Method 3:
You create a playlist manually and save it.
Then you create a new program scheduler item (or modify an existing) and select „>FILE“ from the ‚Script’ combobox.
This now let’s you select the playlist file you just created and saved to be used.

I assume method 3 is the closest you where looking for?!

Method 3 doesn't work well; I had tried that before, but didn't mention it. By loading a playlist "File" in the script, it simply plays the playlist songs back-to-back in a single player (no ACPD, no fading/mixing between tracks, etc.), much like one would get if using Windows Media Player.

I think I'll end up refining the methodology of Method 1. I'll have to look at dynamic macros to see what they are and how they work (thanks for the suggestion).

Yes, method 3 plays the playlist exactly as it was prepared before, without any additional tweaking.
That is by design. I might look to also add a >PLS mode, which adds the referenced playlist entry one by one instead on as an embedded playlist like with the >FILE mode.