ProppFrexx ONAIR User-Forum

I've been learning to use the Scheduler but still don't understand some things.

PROBLEM 1
For example I was testing putting 2 programs one right after the other.

I expected for "Prueba 1" to play for 1 minute and then to fade out as "Prueba 2" started playing automatically.
What happened is that "Prueba 1" did the fade out and closed, but "Prueba 2" did not open. This happened with the scheduler enabled.

These are my scheduler settings:


How could I achieve the desired behavior? What am I doing wrong?

PROBLEM 2
I would like to create 2 user commands:

PROPPFREXX PAUSE
- Disables the Scheduler
- Disables autoplay (so a new track doesn't start playing automatically)
- Pauses the current track with a fade out
- Ejects the current track and loads the next track after the fade out finishes

ASYNC
PROGRAM_SCHEDULER_OFF
PLS_CURRENT_AUTOPLAY_OFF
PLS_CURRENT_PAUSE_CURRENT
SLEEP 5000
PLS_CURRENT_EJECTNOFADE_CURRENT
SLEEP 1000
PLS_CURRENT_LOAD_NEXT

PROPPFREXX RESUME
- Re-enables the Scheduler
- Enables autoplay
- Plays the track that it's ready to play (no necesarily the one we loaded on PROPPFREXX PAUSE because we can have 2 players)

ASYNC
PLS_CURRENT_AUTOPLAY_ON
SLEEP 100
PROGRAM_SCHEDULER_ON

The problem is that when PROPPFREXX RESUME is executed the song starts playing but immediatly fades out and a new Playlist gets created. I think this is related to the Scheduler being re-enabled. Is there a way to avoid this from happening?
I do think it is good that Proppfrexx creates a playlist if it was supposed to, but didn't because the scheduler was paused, but not if we already have a playlist created for that program (eg: the playlist was created before PROPPFREXX PAUSE gets executed).

I recorded a video showing both problems: https://youtu.be/RmMX5d-MkDk

to P1)
This is just a timing issue.
As you have set the program to 'Show' 70 seconds in advance, this triggers the actual start of that program. For the 1st program this is fine. But not for the 2nd one.
At that time, the previous program (which only lasts for 60sec.) has not started yet!
As such, ProppFrexx can not start 2 programs at the same time. So only the first one is started and the 2nd program is ignored.
(also see the Program Scheduler Log for details, see the Tools ribbon tab)

To solve this, set the 'Show in advance' time of your 2nd program to e.g. only 30sec. This should the work.

However, such very short programs might be better solved using the overlay scheduler! - as overlays are especially designed for short things like adverts, news, announcements, ToTH etc.


to P2)
When you stop the Scheduler (PROGRAM_SCHEDULER_OFF) the current playlist loses the connection to the scheduler, as the associated script is also stopped. The already generated playlist however stays open.

To overcome your issue you can set the Scheduler Start Option "StartCurrentProgramInCurrentPlaylist" (in the general settings).
So then you turn on the Scheduler again (PROGRAM_SCHEDULER_ON) the 'new' program will be started in the current playlist. I.e. the related script is associated to that playlist.
However, already existing tracks (the old ones) in that playlist will first be played, before new tracks of that new script are executed.

Note, that there is no need to turn AutoPlay On (PLS_CURRENT_AUTOPLAY_ON), as this is automatically done when you start the Scheduler.
This is btw also the reason, of the behavior you experienced. As in your command sequence the 'old' playlist is first turned on (AutoPlay), and the you start the scheduler, which opens a new playlist and starts it; which then in turn must stop the 'old' playlist.
Just simulate this by clicking the ribbon tab button respectively - then you will notice it.

Thank you so much for your quick response.
P1) What you explained makes total sense and I didn't think of that. I won't have such short programs, it was just a test and made them short to avoid waiting. Thanks for the tip about the Program Scheduler Log, I didn't know it existed. I edited the "Show in advanced" to 30 seconds and it worked as expected.

P2)

However, already existing tracks (the old ones) in that playlist will first be played, before new tracks of that new script are executed.

That would be fine for my use case, the only important thing is that although we are playing the "old" playlist it should stop playing and close it when the "new" program ends, instead of forcefully playing all the "old" playlist. I did a test and think this is the case.

I did some tests and saw that once the playlist is opened (by the "Show x seconds in adanced setting"), it will start at the time set as the program start, regardless of the Scheduler on/off state. That would mean that if the PROPPFREXX PAUSE command is executed after the playlist was opened, but before it starts, it won't stop the playlist from starting. To avoid this scenario a workaround awould be to decrease the "Show x seconds in advanced" to a few seconds.