Feature Requests

[visionmill]

Hi

I've just stumbled across arraysync and its just what i've been looking for a sync project i'm working on at the moment. I'm used to working with Dataton watchout for multiple destination sync (the current project I am working on has 36 screens) and whilst I realise arraysync is never going to be a replacement for watchout could I suggest a couple of things that would make my life even easier!

1. Transport controls on server.
Rather than having the server start playing the file and then have no control over it, I would love to be able to pause, rewind, fast forward as you would in QT using JKL keys. If you could also use the QT markers in the file then presumably it would be possible to manipulate a QT file (like those exported from keynote) and jump around the QT like a slideshow. It would also be nice to have a timebar so you could click/scrub around the file. Ideally this would also scrub around the clients but I'd be more than happy with a local scrub and on release of the mouse the clients jumped to that frame.

2. Remote uploading of files
On the server machine instead of showing the two local displays, could it show the connected clients windows (like the server does for local monitors before you start it playing)? Content could then be dragged from the server HDD to these windows and the file be transferred to a local cache on the display machines over the network? Particularly useful where some of the display machines are on the other side of the hotel/venue and the client makes last minute changes (and my feet hurt!)

3. Playlists / server user control panel
Instead of having the server as a display machine could it be used to load locally cached clips in to the remote display machines. In a more show operated environment it would be really useful to be able to select a clip and have it loop, or join to the next clip. Also some basic start and end point trimming would be lovely. It would be great if the server machine could use one display for the system operator and the other as a confidence monitor for what is being played.

4. Auto load of clients
Clients automatically load and connect to server. I know this is in the pipeline from reading other posts, but given points 2 and 3 the server could "push" the file to load on the client when it is detected. Would be useful for permenant installs when a client hardware dies and needs to be replaced. A non-tech user could swap the computer hardware and install the arraysync client. The server would re-detect the client, realise it didn't have the content and push the new content out.

5. Dissolve between clips
Not massively high on my list but would be a nice feature in conjunction with playlists to be able to cross fade between clips either when it gets to the end of a clip in a playlist that is set to play next clip or on a manual trigger of the next clip.

Anyway that's just a couple of thoughts for what appears to be an already great product. My test setup is currently running a bunch of files that i've created a reference movie off and I'm leaving it running for the next 3 days or so to check it doesn't break before I announce to the client that this is the way forward!