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Mass Import Carts In To A Song Or Link Catgory (ATv3 and ATPv3)

Liam Burke — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:07:50 GMT

You can mass import Carts from your Myriad system in to a specific Song or Link Category in both AutoTrack v3 and AutoTrack Pro v3 using the following steps.

In AT or ATP, click on Carts menu and select 'Display Audio (Browser)' to access the Audio Browser (used to be called cart browser in v2).

Make sure you are in 'List Cart' mode (see box above) and you should see a list of the Carts on your Audio Wall. Use the <Shift> or <Ctlr> keys and mouse to select the Carts that you want to import. Tip: Hold down <Ctrl> and click on Carts to select or deselect them.

When you are happy, click on the 'Import Carts' button on the tool bar.

You will then be asked what Category you want to import the Carts in to.

Select either Song or Link Category options depending on what you are importing and use the drop down list to select the Song or Link Category you want to import in to.

Finally, you have the option to review each Song / Link as it is added to AutoTrack. Untick this option if you just want Autotrack to add the Carts to the Song / Link Category (this is recommended unless you want to review and edit each Song / Link as it is added). when you are happy, click on OK.

AutoTrack will then import all of the selected Carts as Songs or Links in to the selected Song or Link Category. When it is importing the Carts, you will see windows open and close rapidly. This is normal and shows it is doing something.

There are a couple of things you should keep in mind.

If there is already a Song / Link that is using the Cart Number you are trying to import, it will NOT re-import the Cart again. This means that you avoid duplicates but also means you can not use this method to add Carts to the system several times in different Categories.
If you are 'reviewing' each Cart as it is imported then there is a limit to how many Carts you can import in one go.

Super Tip: To avoid importing Carts that are already in the system, you can use the Advanced option on the Song Category Filter to restrict the Carts listed in the Audio Browser to only include Carts that are NOT in the database. To do this, select the Advanced option on the Song Category Filter drop down.

The when the 'Limit Cart Display' window appears, select the 'Only List Carts Not In Database' option.

You will then have to click on the Refresh button on the Audio Browser (left most button on tool bar) but the Audio Browser will then only display Carts on your Myriad Audio Wall that are not linked to Songs or Links in AutoTrack. Perfect for working through a whole bunch of Carts and mass importing them in to the appropriate Song or Link Categories.

Can I Export My 'A List' As Transport Files?

Liam Burke — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:02:29 GMT

This guide walks you through exporting the Carts linked to Songs in a specific Category, as Transport Files to allow them to be imported into another remote Myriad system.

Although we are dealing with Songs in the A-List Category in this example, the procedure applies to Links as well.

Please note that this facility is available in both AutoTrack and AutoTrack Pro.

1. Open AutoTrack and select the Carts Menu > Display Audio Browser option.

2. Once the Audio Browser has opened, make sure you are in 'list' mode and then use the Song Category Selector tool to select the 'A List' Category.

3. Click on the 'Find' button to list all the Songs in the selected Category.

4. Next, highlight the Carts you want to export (in this case all of them), then use the 'Edit' drop down menu to select 'Export To Transport Files' (see screen shot above).

5. Select the folder that you want AutoTrack to put the Transport Files in. Remember you can use the 'Make New Folder' button to create a folder if you wish.

6. When you have selected the correct files, click on OK to begin the export process.

7. AutoTrack will create a Transport File (zip file that contains audio, picture and data for Cart) for each of the Carts that were highlighted. These can now be put on to a removable drive and imported directly in to another Myriad system.

How can I use Multiple Configurations with AutoTrack v3

Peter Jarrett — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 13:15:06 GMT

CAUTION: The procedure detailed below modifies your Computer's Registry which is a very dangerous thing to do if you aren't familiar with the details. ALWAYS TAKE A FULL SYSTEM BACKUP BEFORE USING THIS PROCEDURE. This information is supplied without warranty, and if you decide to use this procedure and your computer does not work afterwards, we CANNOT assist you in recovering your data.

Many users are finding that they need to use AutoTrack with several different data locations - for instance, multiple diverse stations in one building, or on a laptop that is used at different locations, therefore needing to connect to different data servers.

If you have Myriad v2 installed, you can just use the "Allow Multiple Configurations" option on the Options Menu in Myriad Configuration, but if you are using Myriad v3 then this option doesn't work in the same way.

In this situation, download the attached Zip file and unpack the contents onto your desktop. You will then see AutoTrack3MultiConfig.REG file which contains the settings needed to get AutoTrack to use Multi-Configs.

This file already contains 2 configurations - Myriad and MyriadLocal, but if you need to add more this can be done by editing the file. If you only need 2, then just double click the downloaded file and follow the instructions to import the details.

If instead you need to add more configurations then follow these instructions:

Download the file and then right click on it. Select Edit from the menu and you will see a line that says "ConfigFiles"="myriad.ini MyriadLocal.ini"
Edit this line to add in additional Configurations separated by spaces. They MUST end with .INI

For example:
"ConfigFiles"="myriad.ini MyriadLocal.ini MYOTHERPROFILE.INI"

Save these changes and close the editor.
Double click on the file as above to import the new settings.

\"Removing From Playout\" vs \"Unscheduling\&

Peter Jarrett — Fri, 03 Sep 2004 09:08:37 GMT

One question often asked is what (and why) there is a difference between Removing and Unscheduling.Overall, the Scheduling system has 4 parts to it:Schedule:Autotrack schedules songs and jingles into the clock/running order templates. This finished Log is then Stored in AutoTrack's logs. At the end of this process, you may have set Autotrack to automatically then....Send to Playout:AutoTrack opens up it's logfiles and then writes a copy of the information into the playout system - usually Myriad, but of course v3 supports many playout systems.Remove From Playout:If you decide that you aren't happy with the Log you send to your playout for some reason, you can Remove it. This doesn't affect AutoTrack's Logs - if you then re-send, you will get exactly the same info sent through as last time.UnscheduleThis is where AutoTrack removes the logfiles and erases the Schedule Histories for the date range so you can re-schedule it to get a totally new play list for the same period. Where it can get a little odd is if you don't \"Remove\" after an unschedule, then you can have the odd situation where your playout (say Q-NXT) has a log but AutoTrack has no record of it.This of course can be very usefull if you need to leave a log in a database \"just in-case\" (or perhaps for training) while you do some more work on the schedule before removing and then re-sending the 'new' log.Hope that explains that one :-)

Date Specific Clocks For Xmas Scheduling (AutoTrackPro Only)

Liam Burke — Wed, 16 Jun 2004 13:57:24 GMT

You can use the Active From option in the Clock Assignment Grids in AutoTrack Pro to create a Clock Assignment Grid that will automatically be used for a specific date range before AutoTrack Pro switches back to the default Clock Assignments Grid or the next date specific one.For details, check out this thread:Topic287-21-1.aspx

I want to find a list of Carts that aren't in my v3 Database

Peter Jarrett — Tue, 11 May 2004 15:26:18 GMT

Under AutoTrack v2 you are presented with a window when you run a cart report that allows you to say whether the carts that are shown should be all carts, only those in the database, or those that aren't in the database.Under ATv3 you can now do this by bringing up the Audio Browser and then on the toolbar click the little drop down arrow next to the Music symbol. On the menu that drop down choose Advanced and then you can choose from the options about whether carts are in the database already or not.

Mass imports Carts in to a Song / Jingle category (AT v2)

Liam Burke — Mon, 23 Feb 2004 11:26:05 GMT

Mass imports Carts in to a Song / Jingle category (AT v2)If you have a number of Carts in a partincular Cart Range on the Audio Wall, that you want to mass import in to a Song or Jingle category in AutoTrack v2 then follw these simple steps.Run AutoTrack v2Click on the Carts menu/b] option (at the top of the screen) and select [b]Run A General Cart Report.Select Only Report Carts That Are NOT In The Database - This will then only include Carts that you have not added to AutoTrack previously, avoiding duplicates hopefully.Hit OKType in the Cart Range of the Carts that you want to import and then click on OK.The Carts will then be litsed in the Cart Reports window.Select the Carts that you want to import using either the <Shift>, and left mouse button, or the <Ctrl> and left mouse button (for selecting or deselecting multiple Carts) or the <Ctrl> + <A> buttons on the keyboard to select all the Carts in the selected range.Click on the Mass Import Carts In To A Song Or Jingle Category icon which is the icon at the far right with the AutoTrack logo on it.Select whether you want to Import the Carts in to a Song or Jingle Category using the by clicking on the text for each. Then select the Song or Jingle category you want to import in to using the drop down list.Decide whether you want to review each Cart as it is imported to check that the details are correct and add additional information, or whether you just want to import them all in and check them later. Check the Review Each Card Before Saving It option accordingly.Click on OK.That is it. This process is a quick way of getting AutoTrack running. For more details, check the AutoTrack documentation.Key word search: Auto import, rip, songs, jingles categories, quick start.

I want to import data from AutoTrack in to MS Excel

Liam Burke — Mon, 02 Feb 2004 16:40:22 GMT

I want to import data from AutoTrack in to MS ExcelUnfortunately, AutoTrack v2 does not have a facility for generating a information in a file format the spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel™ can understand (although the new AutoTrack Pro v3 does have this facility), but there is a very quick and simple way around the problem by adding a Generic Text printer to your system and ‘printing to file’ using that printer. To generate a file that Excel™ can understand, follow these steps.1. The first thing you need to do is add a Generic Text Only printer to Windows™. To do this, click on the Start button, select Settings and finally Printers (based on Windows 2000, other OS’s may be slightly different).2. Double click on Add Printer and click on the Next button when the printer wizard appears.3. Select Local Printer and hit Next.4. Scroll down to the bottom of the ‘Use the following port’ list and select File: Print To File. Press Next.5. Select Generic from the Manufacturers list and Generic / Text Only from the Printers list. Then press Next.6. Give your text only printer a name but do not set the printer as default (unless you do not have another printer in which case you can if you like).7. Do not share the printer unless you want to. Press Next.8. Do not bother to print a test page. Press Next.9. The printer is now set up, click on Finish to close the wizard.You now have a text only printer that can be used in AutoTrack (and AutoTrack Pro) to save any lists of information as a text file. To test this, try the following.1. Fire up AutoTrack v2, and click on the Search Songs button to perform a basic Song search.2. Hit OK to list all Songs, you should then have a list of all the Songs on the system in the Search Results window.3. Click on the File menu and select Printer Set-up.4. Select the Generic Text Only printer we just set-up.5. Select Print from the File menu (or click on the Print button).6. You will then need to put the full path and name that you want to print to (e.g. c:\\songs.txt)7. You file will now be there waiting for you. Excel™ and other similar packages should be able to import this file without too many difficulties.Search key words: Export, Excel, CSV, text file, print to file.

Alternative 'News Cart' automated News method (recommended)

Liam Burke — Mon, 02 Feb 2004 16:37:13 GMT

Alternative 'News Cart' automated News method (recommended)

As well as the timing method described elsewhere, you can also use hardware attached to a Cart to switch IRN (and other external services) on and off. To do this, you need to record a Cart that consists of an introduction and then either a 'bed' or silence for the duration of the news. You can also have a 'news out' section on the Cart if you wish. You then set the Hook section to cover the period that the news covers. Finally you set the News Hardware Line to be 'set' at the beginning of the Hook and then 'clear' at the end of the Hook. So the Cart may be something like this:

The first thing we need to do is create this News Cart similar to the example below (see News Cart Example Image).

If you are starting from scratch then you will need to find a blank Cart Slot and record the audio in the normal way setting the Description and Extro as usual. If you have already recorded the Cart on to the Audio Wall then highlight that Cart and click on the Edit button (Myriad v3).

Once you are in SmoothEdit Screen, set the Hook Start and End to be at the start and end of the 'bed' section as appropriate.

Then switch to the Hardware tab and set the appropriate hardware line to switch on at the Hook Start and off again at the Hook End.

Make sure that the Hardware Event at the Hook Start is set to Set (switch on) the appropriate Hardware Channel and that the Hardware Event at the Hook End point is set to Clear (switch off) the news hardware line.

Alternatively, if you are using Myruad v2, highlight the Cart you want to use and then click on Edit Cart (or use the right click menu option).

In here, you can type in the start and end position for the Hook, which should be the part of the Cart that will be playing during the News (this could be silence). Alternatively, you can click on the Set button beside the Hook Start and Hook Ends to set them accordingly.

Next, use the drop down Hardware (H/W) lists to the right of the Hook Start and Hook End to select the Hardware Line that is used to switch your News service on and off, set the Hook Start HW to 'Set' and the Hook End HW to 'Clear'.

Now, whenever this Cart is played in Myriad, it will automatically switch on the selected Hardware Line (which is the news switch in this example) at XX seconds in, and then switch it off again after 3 minutes and XX seconds. This will happen regardless of whether it is played manually or as part of scheduled automation.

Now that we have this Cart, all that remains is to schedule it to play at the right time. In AutoTrack, this is done very easily by adding the following sequence to the end of any Running Orders / Clocks (in AutoTrack v3) that you want to automatically play the news.

Make sure the Running Order is set to Run To Time as an Automation hour, then add the following entries to the end of the hour.

Absolute Time 59:40.00 - In our example, the news in is exactly 20 seconds.

Cart XXXX - Select the News Cart we set up earlier.

And that is it! The news Cart will start at exactly 20 seconds to the top of the hour, after 20 seconds, the News Hardware Line will be switched on and the Cart continues for another 3 minutes at which point the News Hardware Line is switched off and the Cart continues on to the Extro. In this way, the News Out can also be included in this Cart (but after the Hook section) meaning your entire automated news is handled by this one Cart.

WARNING - Playing this Cart will automatically open the news feed so you must make sure that it is well labeled and that your presenters are aware of what it does. Also, you should be aware that if you eject the Cart during the Hook section (i.e. when the news is switched on) then the News will not be automatically switched off (as the end of the Hook is never reached). If this does happen, simply play the Cart again and the News will be switched off in the normal way.

Search key words: IRN, INN, Sky News, automation, news, harwdare, external source, absolute time, back timed, top of hour.

I want to switch on the news at the right time in automation

Liam Burke — Mon, 02 Feb 2004 16:29:33 GMT

I want to switch on the news at the right time in automationFor more details on setting up running orders, you should consult the AutoTrack documentation, the latest version of which can be downloaded from [url]http://www.psquared.net/support[/url]In simple terms, taking news at the top of an hour is done in two phases. Firstly the end of the Running Order / Clock for the hour that is coming to the end is responsible for backtiming to the correct time, playing the news in jingle and switching on the IRN hardware control. The example below assumes that the news is at the top of the hour and that hardware line 17 turns IRN on and off.Item Type: CartAction: 10Description: News In JingleItem Type: Ab TimeAction: 59:59:50Description: Time MarkerItem Type: Hrdw 17Action: SetDescription: Set News Hardware SwicthThis will then backtime Cart number 10 such that the Extro occurs at 59min, 59 seconds and 50 hundredths of a second in to the hour (the end in other words). Finally, it will 'set' hardware line 17 which is wired in to the IRN audio switcher which will in turn switch the news on.The second section of the overall job is done by the start of the Running Order / Clock of the next hour in the Schedule. It's job is to wait for the duration of the News, then turn it off and carry on with the audio in the hour. To do that, the start of the next Running Order should look something like this:Item Type: Ab TimeAction: 02:00:00Description: Time MarkerItem Type: Hrdw 17Action: ClearDescription: Clear News Hardware SwicthItem Type: SongAction: A-ListDescription: First Song In HourThis will make the system wait for 2 minutes exactly before clearing hardware line 17 to turn off IRN before playing the first song or jingle in the hour (in this case a Song from the A-List).The above example is designed as a guide on how you should set out your Running Order only. For specific information on how to do this in AutoTrack, please refer to the AutoTrack documentation. You can also use a Cart on the Audio Wall that has harwdare marks attached to specific points in the Cart to switch the news on and off. See Alternative News Cart method in this FAQ.Search key words: IRN, INN, Sky News, automation, news, harwdare, external source, absolute time, back timed, top of hour.

I want to send my AutoTrack Database to P Squared

Liam Burke — Mon, 02 Feb 2004 16:14:26 GMT

I want to send my AutoTrack Database to P SquaredIf you find the Myriad System folder (check Data Locations under File Locations in Myriad Configuration if you are not sure) and you should see a sub folder called Autotrck in there. Ideally, we would like this entire folder as it includes schedule history etc, but in practical terms you can also just send us the Database.mdb file located within this folder. This file is often large but can be zipped to a reasonable size using Winzip or something similar. If you are still not sure, contact support@psquared.net and they will be able to walk you through the process.Search key words: database, support file, export.

I have a lot of 'Unscheduled AutoTracks' in my schedule

Liam Burke — Mon, 02 Feb 2004 16:10:17 GMT

I have a lot of 'Unscheduled AutoTracks' in my scheduleUnfortunately, there is not a simple answer as it could be one of a hundred things but what we can do is help you narrow it down. Run AutoTrack and go to the Auto Schedule tab. Next click on the View button, select an hour that you have been having problems with and click on the View button, this will display the scheduled hour in AutoTrack. Scrolling through the hour should reveal the Unscheduled Autotracks highlighted in red. Beside the unscheduled auto tracks are the category and types that the system failed to schedule them from, this usually offers some indication as to what the problem may be.If this still does not help then the best thing to do is to send your AutoTrack Database to P Squared for our engineers to look at.Search key words: unscheduled, songs, autotrack, scheduling.

I have scheduled in AutoTrack but nothing appears in Q-NXT

Liam Burke — Mon, 02 Feb 2004 16:02:32 GMT

I have scheduled in AutoTrack but nothing appears in Q-NXTThe first thing to check is that AutoTrack is pointing at the correct Q-NXT database. To do this, click on the Settings menu, select Database Settings and General Settings from the menu. Next go to the Database Settings tab. There are actually two Q-NXT settings that both need to be correct for this to work (confusing we know but it has to be this way for the time being for backward compatibility). The top Database Name is for the Myriad v2 Q-NXT Database, click on the Change Q-NXT Database button if you need to change it. The second Database Name setting (under Q-NXT v2.6 Database) is the Myriad v2.6 Q-NXT Database and can be changed by clicking on the Change button. If you are not sure what these settings should be set to, fire up Myriad Configuration and click on the Q-NXT Settings button. This will show you which Q-NXT v2.6 Database you are using and clicking on the Settings button will allow you to check which Q-NXT v2 Database it is expecting to connect to. Both of these settings must be the same in Myriad and AutoTrack for scheduling to work. This information will be automatically configured when AutoTrack sets itself up so you should only have to worry about this sort of thing if somebody has a fiddle with the settings. Please note that for the majority of Myriad users, the Myriad v2 database will be left blank as it is only used when scheduling in to a Myriad v2 system and is not used by Myriad v2.5 or above.Search key words: blank Q-NXT, send, playout, missing log, Q-NXT database, v2.5, v2, v2.6.