So, this means that we have decided to give
redesign
suggestions and to change complete ideology of the software, although
the
CampCaster concept is still unfinished, and we are only on ½ of the way
of the
whole project. This is not the first time  I hear the word "concept
redesign" that is always suggested whenever there is lack of
understanding of general concept and idea. Mailing list of users and
their questions only confirm my impressions.                          
  

 Paul, do you have
some real reason why you have started this issue on which you already
have
several reactions? I think that some of your suggestions are fine, but
it seems
to me that you haven’t completely understood how CampCaster really
works. Maybe that is my mistake also, although it looks to me that my
previous instructions and descriptions weren't read and  implemented
into general project concept, as some sort of instructions for the
programmers to lead on.

For the last three years, I have described in
details how
things work in one radio station, and how the software should work, and
giving suggestions
about its graphical and system design. All of them have been considered
as
possible to implement (more or less), but most of them haven’t been
activated yet,
so that the software in its current condition doesn’t work very
logical. When we
activate all those features in one of the next releases, then we can
talk about
having some graphical and functional repairs, and minor redesign in
order for
the software to work properly. Entering additional features whose role
is to do the bypass of the system in order for the patient to walk,
brings only short term joy, but long term problems. Generally, by doing
that, we will endanger the first idea and vision of the whole platform
and we will reduce the list of all the goodies that made us far ahead
of the best versions of Windows radio softwares. As I can see here, we
are returning to the Winamp concept,and then I ask myself-what is our
general goal afterall.

I hope that developers won’t understand my English
as too demanding
and angry, but as one constructive perception, that we all want at the
end. I
have deep respect for our whole team, and I am very happy and pleased
that our
system is finally stable (well done guys!!))). But, on the other
hand,
there is
some serious campaign going on in the public about our software. Radio
B92 is
expecting final advanced version of CC since May `06, so that they can
try
it live
in radio program, and also many radio stations since September look for
the
answers for many  issues.
I myself am not too happy about the screen design on the
real,
some windows
size, buttons appearance, popups etc in our current version, but I
really think
we should stick to the course now and not doing the redesigning. There
will be
plenty of time for that later. Let`s go boys, future is waiting for
us...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
So I will head for the comments of Ferenc’s
suggestions he
sent….
Before that, I would agree with Paul
about one major
redesign issue -
that the concept of too many not-grouped windows on the desktop is not
much
practical and for me, visually very exhausting.
My first idea was that we see only CC on our screen ( full screen
please !)  as
one  main window for which I know what it
is working, and not to see desktop icons somewhere in the background
that are
not usable at all.   This full screen software (only CC across
the whole
screen)
is something I recommended since the beginning, and personally, I would
be very
happy if we can come back to that idea again.  But if there is an
option
for CC
to ‘remember’ what windows user opened last ( it works on my test
machine), maybe we could forget this
feature
for a while, although I am sure that this issue about ‘full screen
software’
will have its turn in the future release.
 About the use case scenario:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“1. The audio technician
opens a file
browser to a USB stick or a network drive, selects the files prepared
by the
journalists, and drops them on a desktop shortcut for the Mass Import
script. “ 
 Journalist (after recording and
editing audio
material),
uploads the report in the system. He can do that either from the
studio, or outside
of it. Journalist uploads audio files one by one into the system, and
enters
important info containing informations about date and time of the
material into
voice ID tags. After finishing transfer, he shuts down all windows, or
decides
to import next audio report.
Mass import function can be useful only once
during the
whole work of CC, on the very beginning – when big database containing
50.000 audio
mp3 files (or more) have to be imported 
into the CC, so that it can be used. After first few days of CC
working
and living, this Mass import function will become less and less useful
in the
regular daily use of CC.
The disadvantages of Mass import for later usage
is that
Mass import script doesn’t know what we upload, and it can’t do the
sorting out
by categories (music, jingles, journalist reports, commercials,
effects...).  Mass import is necessary evil that we have in order to
help the radio stations that already work, to transfer to our system
more easily, and not having to import 50.000 tracks one by one. After
that, our advice would be to use ID tag for editing metadata.        
  In the interest of the radio station is to have necessary ID for
every
audio
journalist report, that can later make the search by topic, mentioned
word,
place or time, much easier. And also music, with its music ID tags, has
its
additional categories of evaluation (beat, tempo, mood, bpm…), that
also have major
role in advanced search, which is important for us for later random or
shuffle
play as part of the future features.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“ 2. He starts
up Studio,
which opens the sub-windows to the
configuration in which he left them the previous day.”
(I have
tried it and it works),  ok. But I will repeat again, full screen
software,
without desktop image and desktop icons visible behind it, would be
permanent
and best solution.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


“3a. The Search window has
an option for searching for files added
recently.  He finds the files he just added, and drags them over to the
Live Mode window.”
I agree, it won't do us no harm. Of
course,
major function is search by determined criteria. (like ‘recently added
features’)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“3b. Optionally: searches
for some
more files, and adds these to the Live Mode window as well. 
 
3c. He adds some jingles from the Scratchpad to the Live Mode Window. “

Drag and drop of audio file directly into LiveMode
playlist
window is the feature that has been asked before, but it seems that it
didn’t
take place anywhere.
I vote again for drag’n’drop function, in all
windows
where audio file can be seen.
I need to comment ScratchPad as well. As the
end-user I can
hardly understand its general use, except when creating a show as an
author. 
Its frustrating popping up and its constant presence during the entire
work
really depresses me. I would rather add the possibility to turn the
Scratchpad
off, ( as Sava already said:  to
be less central to the concept.),  or  -   to give it some higher
and more useful role instead. 
Since it is never the right time, I will now dare
to suggest
something, and developers, please, don’t throw tons of bricks on me
right away.

So, Scratchpad should collect only jingles, announcements,
instrumentals, and
other most used audio background for radio shows. In radio world I
call this-
‘specific audio equipment’, that is in relation with certain radio
shows determined
by day and hour, and not in relation with users that are working in
shifts. Consider this
ScratchPad not
as the complete jingle database, but as the specific list of mostly
used
jingles for certain shows, broadcasted in determined time.
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“4. He rearranges the files
in the
Live Mode window to the correct order; marks some of them as "beds",
ie, background sounds which will loop continuously when played.”
I agree .  That is how CampCaster should work, (except that this
‘beds’ function-where
certain audio files should go to loop as background sounds, can’t be
solved
properly right now like it was determined in advanced version) .
For now,
simple
switching on the repeat function on audio file, should do the job and
save the
situation – but of course, only in Live Assistant mode.
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“* Grey out instead of
remove played items in the Live Mode window, and allow the contents to
be saved
as a playlist metafile.”
I hope I understood you well, but
I am afraid that for common users in radio program, this will be a
visual problem.
Tracks that have been broadcasted, won’t be broadcasted again in the
near
future – that is the principle. The exceptions are only news, that can
be
played again hour by hour. I don’t understand, why the audio slot have
to be
grayed out
, if it has already been played, and won’t be played again.
If you thought of an idea of having "list what has been broadcasted",
like some kind of log history, I vote for that! This history list
should be visible in some other window outside broadcast studio,
visible from the outside and printable.

--------------------------------------------------------------

 
I hope this mail wasn’t too long for you.
 
Robert