Taking Action

In the introduction, we have already seen that getting a template on air is a three step process:

• A template is selected and cued.
• The template's values are modified.
• The template is taken on air.

We'll now take a closer look at the last step while discussing modification of values in the next chapter.

Take

The primary action after cueing a template is to Take it. This confirms that the operator has finished doing all required modifications and/or that the time has come to bring the cued content on air. To take a cued content, press F1. The Ventuz Template Engine will calculate the best animation to get from the old to the new content and perform it. Depending on how the templates have been designed, this can either mean the old template moves out before the new template comes in or some specialized transition. Regardless of the animation, the cue becomes empty, ready for the next template.

Some templates have multiple points along their animation that can be interesting to the audience. Such templates are called multi-takes and the number of takes required is shown in the Show Control (see below). When it's time for the next step in the in-animation, just press Take again.

Take Out / Clear

A similar operation is the Take Out, done by pressing F3. This moves out the current on-air template but does not move in the cued one. If the cue is empty, doing a Take will automatically result in a Take Out.

In case of an emergency, the Clear can be used to get a template off air without performing any animations. This is done by pressing Ctrl +  F3.

Update

Where the operator needs to fix some error in the on-air content, he can perform an immediate update without animations: First, press Ctrl +  F2 to go into on-air mode. The Property Editor will switch to the current on-air content and show a bright red box in the top right corner that says "On Air".

The operator can now perform changes and once complete press F2 to update the on-air content. To leave the on-air editing mode, press Ctrl +  F2.

Recueing

It is surprisingly often that one needs a copy of what is already cued or on-air. For example, an operator might take a template on air and then decide to add a sub-template a few seconds later. The hard way would be to cue the exact same template as before, change the values again and then add the sub-template. However, there is also an easy way: Recueing.

• Shift +  F1 takes the currently cued template on air and automatically cues an exact copy.
• Shift +  F2 cues a copy of what is already on air.
• Shift +  F3 takes out the template currently on air and cues a copy.

Show Control

Since take, update, take out and clear are so important, they also have dedicated buttons in the user interface. Regardless of the window layout, the Show Control is always present underneath the render windows. It contains the four buttons for take, update, take out and clear as well as some status information about the cued template. In the right corner of the Show Control is the Log Message Icon that flashes red/yellow if an error/warning has occurred. Press it to open the Messages Window. Next to it is the Topology Icon which uses similar color codes when a warning/error in the topology occurs. Press it to open the Topology Editor.

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