Drag and Drop for adding multiple cues

[TFitch]

This would probably only make sense as a feature once you've got a good renumbering scheme worked out.

Basically, most of my shows have the bulk of their cues added at one time and it can take a while to add the files individually. It would be great if you could drag a bunch of multiply selected files from explorer and drop them onto scs (in edit mode of course). Then you'd get a window letting you:

• duplicate a sound file so you get more than one instance in the cue list
• move around the file order
• set some default options like:
  • whether each cue should be followed by a matching stop/fade cue
  • setting each new file as a crossfade of the previous (i.e. putting a cue to start the new sound and a subcue to fade the previous).
  • setting a fade in and fade out time (which would be put on all the cues)
  • whether they should be numbered by 1s, 10s, or some other number.

Ideally, it would be great if the numbering scheme could support some specific variation for the optional fade/stop cues. E.G. I tend to number my sound files 1, 2, 3, . . . and my fades 1.9, 2.9, 3.9.

This same functionality could be useful for building playlist cues (minus, of course, the numbering functions).

btw, apologies for the silly bulleted list format, but when I wrote it all out in paragraph form it was really hard to follow.

[Mike Daniell]

Some good suggestions here which I'll look into.

One thing that is available now (and you may already know this, TFitch) is that you can drag multiple files from explorer into the SCS cue list. Just drag them into the 'tree' at the point you want them included. If you drag more than one file then SCS will ask you if you want to create separate audio files cues or a single playlist cue. The files will be added in the order explorer presents them, which of course may not be the order you want, so you may then have to move them around.

Your suggestion for including crossfades seems like you want a playlist. If you drag your files to create a playlist cue you can then set a crossfade en masse by setting the transition type and time for a file and then clicking the 'apply this transition to all files' button.

[TFitch]

really? I could have sworn I tried this and dragging in multiple files at once it did nothing. hmmmm... perhaps I wasn't in edit mode at the time or something. Oh well, -- the other stuff could be useful though.

In this case though, I don't mean a playlist when I'm talking about crossfades. A playlist would give me an automated crossfade placement based on the length of a cue. I'm talking more like -- well, let me give an example:

working with an improvisational dancer who wants two pieces of music to go back and forth (starting fresh each time) several times based on movement that will be different every night and then has an ending piece.

Therefore the sequence you want is

1. Play File A
2. Play File B + Fade Out/Stop A
3. Play File A + Fade Out/Stop B
4. Play File B + Fade Out/Stop A
5. Play File C + Fade/Stop B

[Mike Daniell]

Here's a solution to the cross-fade requirement that requires just a little bit extra when you run the program:

Set up your cues as follows:

• Q1 Audio File Cue - File A - Activation: Hot Key A; fade-in and fade-out times as required
• Q2 Audio File Cue - File B - Activation: Hot Key B; fade-in and fade-out times as required
• Q3 Audio File Cue - File C - Activation: Hot Key C; fade-in and fade-out times as required
• Q4 SFR Cue - fade-out all earlier cues - Activation: Hot Key F12

To start the performance, press 'A'. To play File B, press 'F12' followed by 'B'. To re-play file A, press F12 followed by 'A'. You can continue with this as often as necessary. When you are ready for the final file, press 'F12' followed by 'C'.

I'll consider extending the SFR cue facility to provide for stopping or fading out all running cues, not just earlier cues, but the above solution will work in the existing program.

Regards,
Mike