[QLab] Wish list

[Christopher Ashworth]

On Fri, October 13, 2006 10:12 am, Steve Waddicor wrote:
> Hi,
>
> If were doing wishes, I'd like a Stop All cue type.  I want to put it
> at the beginning of any group of cues where I know that there should
> be nothing still playing from previous cues.  The reason is that when
> setting up the cues, or when using QLab in rehearsals and skipping
> around a bit, you can end up in situations where you have one set of
> cues playing over the top of another than haven't finished playing
> yet.  I end up having to hit the stop all button all the time.

Hi Steve, you can actually use a normal Stop Cue to stop everything if you
wish.  Just have the Stop Cue target the entire Cue List.  (Or, you can
have it target a particular group if you like.)

> Also, I do most of my cues as cue groups, and run the show from the
> main window, with the groups collapsed, so there is one line per
> script cue.  I'd like the green indicator that shows progress through
> the cue to be displayed for groups.  I know the length of the entire
> group is known to the application, because the Playback Controls
> window does manage to display progress for the entire group at once.

As it turns out, this is not as simple as you'd think.  For the new Sound
Group Cue that is in beta, I am able to display the entire length of the
group alongside the group.  However for general group cues there is no
valid definition of how far the group cue has "progressed".  One example
of a scenario that is ambiguous is when there are multiple sequences in
one group cue.


> Finally, I presume the Plaback Controls window is what's intended to
> be used during performance.

Possibly, although I actually imagined it would be more useful in
rehearsals when you need to be able to jump around in a sequence.  For
performance I had intended that you simply use the main GO button in the
workspace window or the space bar.  i.e. the workspace window is intended
to be the "main" control window.   This is why I display the notes for the
cue in the workspace window, rather than near the playback controls. 
Naturally this also allows you to see all the cues in context.

So I think that typically people are using the workspace window as the
main control window because it does offer those things you requested, and
the playback controls as a secondary way to do particular things like
pausing during rehearsals, or fast-forwarding during rehearsal to skip to
the end of a cue.

But, as you mentioned, the playback controls can use a lot of improvement,
so I will certainly keep these comments in mind while working on them. 
Feature requests are also welcome on the tracker (in addition to bug
reports).

> There's always a danger when doing wish lists that it looks like
> criticism.  So just to add that even as it currently is I think QLab
> is fantastic and very much what I need.

No worries--I welcome constructive criticism whole-heartedly.  As long as
there is some discussion about what you find lacking, and the problem
you're trying to solve, there is some hope I can do something about it. 
General expressions of dissatisfaction are helpful in as much as I want to
know when people get frustrated--but it's always better to help me
understand specifically what is wrong.  So thanks for the detailed
discussion!

Best,
Chris