Automation¶

Makalu Automation is the user interface for manually controlling the Makalu playout automation. Depending on the number of playout channels, it includes one or more individually controllable players, running on playout instances.

Each player seamlessly plays the video content of a linear playout channel based on a rundown, that consists of playlists, shows, clips. The playlists are created via the Makalu Traffic planning component.

Accessing Makalu Automation¶

1. Open Makalu Automation via https://automation.customer-identifier.makalu.live.

   The channel status overview is opened.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Channel status overview

2. In the Channels sidebar on the left select a channel.

   Notice

   You can only select channels that are online. Online channels are highlighted with a green circle icon. Offline channels are highlighted with a red circle icon.

   The Makalu Automation user interface for the selected channel is opened.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation user interface

   Tip

   From the Makalu Automation user interface, you can go back to the channel status overview, by clicking the white Makalu logo in the top left corner.

Starting and stopping a channel¶

In Makalu Automation each playout instance can individually be started or stopped. To do this, open the channel status overview like described in section Accessing Makalu Automation and proceed as follows:

To start a playout instance, in the status list click Start for the channel to be started.

To stop a playout instance, in the status list click Stop for the channel to be stopped.

Makalu Automation user interface overview¶

The main user interface consists of the following elements:

Figure: Makalu Automation user interface

1. Channel rundown

2. Channel health indicators

3. User account settings

4. Navigation tabs for accessing the "Home" area, media assets, playlists, graphics, recordings, stream targets, file transfers, Asset Uploader and playlist import

5. Channel information (channel name, resolution, framerate, and number of currently displayed graphics)

6. Restart player trigger

7. Channel preview including player controls and peak audio meter

8. Time-related rundown information

9. Information about the current clip

10. Information about the next clip

11. Media asset list (content varies depending on the selected navigation tab)

12. Rundown and player controls

Channel health¶

Figure: Channel health indicators

The health indicators display the current operating status of the most important internal system components (e.g. connection to backend components and player status).

To display the name of the corresponding component, hover over one of the indicators.

A green indicator means that the component runs normally, while a red indicator means that there was an error.

Channel rundown¶

Figure: Makalu Automation - Channel rundown

This area contains the rundown of the current channel. The rundown list contains all playlists, shows, and clips that are scheduled for playout. In this list each playlist and show can be expanded and collapsed. If a clip has assigned secondary events (e.g. graphics), it can also be expanded and closed, and the corresponding secondary events are listed.

Depending on the type of the currently selected element in the rundown, the toolbar at the top contains the following elements:

Icon/Element	Description
Operational mode switch	Switch between automatic and manual rundown operating mode
	Reload the rundown
	Automatically expand the rundown and jump to the current on air element every 15s (click to deactivate)
	Group the selected clips
	Ungroup the selected clips
	Move the selected clip to the top (set it as first clip of the show)
	Move the selected clip one position up
	Move the selected clip one position down
	Move the selected clip to the bottom (set it as last clip of the show)
	Remove the fixed scheduled start time from the selected element
	Add the default graphic to the selected playlist, show or clip
	Delete the default graphic from the selected playlist, show or clip
	Add splicing event for selected clip
	Delete from splicing event for selected clip
	Delete the selected playlist or clip

The actual rundown list includes the following information:

Secondary events assigned to a clip are listed with the following information:

Home¶

The Home tab includes the following areas:

• Channel information (channel name, resolution, framerate, and number of currently displayed graphics)
• Restart player trigger
• Channel preview
• Peak audio meter
• Time-related rundown information
• Clip information
• Media
• Playlist
• Graphics
• Stream targets

Channel preview¶

Figure: Makalu Automation - Channel preview

The channel preview displays a low-res version of the current player output in real-time. It also provides the following controls for preview, rundown, and player:

Icons	Name	Functions (from left to right)
	Preview control	Toggle preview player on/off - enable/disable preview player Restart preview - restart preview mechanism Manually restarting the preview is only necessary in case of an audio or video error. Delete graphics - remove all currently displayed graphics secondary events Manually deleting graphics is only necessary if graphics are not automatically removed as expected.
	Rundown control	Cue previous clip - prepare the previous clip for playback Stop - stop the playback of the currently playing clip Next (play) - start the playback of the currently prepared/cued clip Cue next clip - either prepare the first clip in the rundown for playback (if no clip is currently cued) or prepare the next clip after the currently cued clip for playback
	Player control	Sync player Eject player The player control is only to be used in case of an error, if the player is not working as expected.

Peak audio meter¶

Figure: Makalu Automation - Peak audio meter

The Peak audio meter indicates the current audio signal level of the channel preview.

Time-related rundown information¶

Figure: Makalu Automation - Time-related rundown information

This area provides the following information:

Clip information¶

Figure: Makalu Automation - Clip information

This area includes the following information of the currently playing clip and the next clip:

• clip thumbnail image

• clip name

• clip remaining time

• clip mark in

• clip mark out

• clip flags

Media¶

Figure: Makalu Automation - Asset list and preview

The Media tab contains the following elements:

1. Media asset preview

2. Media asset metadata

3. Media asset list

The preview player provides the following controls:

Icon	Description
	Fast rewind
	Previous frame
	Jump to mark in
	Set mark in
	Stop
	Play
	Set mark out
	Jump to mark out
	Next frame
	Fast forward

Below the player controls the following time-related information is displayed:

Figure: Makalu Automation - Preview (time-related information)

• Position (current playback timecode)
• Remaining (remaining duration)
• Mark In (mark in timecode)
• Duration (total duration)
• Mark Out (mark out timecode)
• Reset (reset mark in and mark out)
• Thumbnail with file name (draggable element for adding the clip to a show in the rundown including the mark in and mark out timecodes)

To the right of the player window, the metadata of the currently previewed file is listed. This section is divided into Common, Video and Audio metadata.

Figure: Makalu Automation - File metadata

Below the preview player and the time-related information the media asset list is displayed. Depending on the selected entry in the Source dropdown menu, this section either lists all files available on the ingest storage or on the playout instances that are assigned to the currently selected channel.

Figure: Makalu Automation - Media asset list

The toolbar of the media asset list contains the following elements:

Icon/Element	Name	Description
	Select source	The source of the media assets to be displayed in the media asset list Available options are: ingest storage (e.g. "Playoutdata") playout instance storage (e.g. "Player_Main")
	Title filter	Search media assets in the currently selected folder based on their title
	Live source filter	Filter the available live sources based on their type (only available if asset type Live is selected) Available options are: All Backchannel Live sources
	Time filter	Filter the displayed media assets based on the date they were imported into the system Available options are: No filter Today Yesterday Last week Last month
	Resolution filter	Filter the displayed media assets based on their resolution Available options are: All resolutions SD HD UHD
	View switch	Switch between table view (default) and grid view
	Reload assets	Refresh the media asset list
	Upload assets	Trigger a file transfer from the ingest storage to a playout instance storage (only available if the ingest storage is selected as source), see section File transfer for more information
	Upload assets again	Re-trigger a file transfer from the ingest storage to a playout instance storage (only available if the playout storage is selected as source), see section File transfer for more information
	Delete assets	Delete selected assets (only available if a playout instance storage is selected as source)

Playlist¶

Figure: Makalu Automation - Playlist

The Playlist tab contains all available playlists of the current channel. Each playlist can be expanded to list all included components (shows, clips, secondary events, and metadata). See section Schedule for information about how to create playlists.

The toolbar at the top contains the following elements:

Icon	Description
Search	Search a playlist by title
	Add the selected playlist to the rundown The position/time where the playlist is added to the rundown depends on the following: if the playlist does not have a fixed start time, it is appended to the rundown as last element (directly after the previously last playlist, without creating gaps) if the playlist does have a fixed start time but you leave the "Timed" checkbox unchecked, it is appended to the rundown as last element (directly after the previously last playlist, without creating gaps) ignoring the fixed start time if the playlist does have a fixed start time and you activate the "Timed" checkbox, it is appended to the rundown corresponding to the fixed start time
	Delete the selected playlist
	Reload the list of available playlists

Graphics¶

Figure: Makalu Automation - Singular.Live graphics dashboard

The Graphics tab includes an embedded version of the Singular.Live composition dashboard, allowing you to manually trigger Singular.Live graphics for the current channel directly from within Makalu Automation.

For more information about how to use graphics, see the Graphics section.

Recordings¶

Figure: Makalu Automation - Recordings

In the Recordings tab you can record available (live) sources by using available encoders. For more information about how to create recordings, see section Recording.

The tab contains the following areas:

1. Preview - Preview and controls of the currently selected encoder

2. Encoder list - List of available encoders

3. Preferences - Preferences for creating a new recording job for the currently selected encoder

4. Recordings - List of existing recording jobs

The Preview area provides the following controls and information:

Element	Description
	Prepare a recording
	Start a recording
	Stop a recording
	Split a recording
	Cancel a recording
	Delete a recording job
Current	Current recording duration of the selected recording job
Total	Total recording time of the selected recording job
Next	Time until the next scheduled recording job starts on the selected encoder
Source	Source of the selected recording job
Input	Input format of the selected source
Profile	Profile of the selected recording job
Status	Status of the selected encoder or recording job
Name	Title of the selected recording job

In the Encoder list area all available encoders are listed. Depending on their current status, encoders are highlighted in one of the following colors:

• Gray: Encoder is offline or has no active recording jobs
• Green: A recording job is currently prepared
• Red: A recording job is currently running

The Preferences area provides the following input options:

The Recordings list contains all current recording jobs and the following information:

Stream targets¶

Figure: Makalu Automation - Stream targets

The Stream Targets tab lists existing streaming jobs/events. It also allows you to create new streaming jobs/events and to trigger them manually.

The list of Predefined Targets contains all available stream targets and the following information:

Column/element	Description
Target Name	Icon representing the target platform/type and name of the stream target
Account	Internal name of the corresponding target platform-specific account to be used by the stream target (if applicable)
Source	Name of the source stream
	Save the selected source
Platform	Target platform
Description	Short description of the stream target
	Create a new streaming job for the corresponding stream target

The Joblist contains all scheduled streaming jobs/events of the current channel and the following information:

For more information about streaming, see the Streaming section.

Transfer¶

In the Transfer tab all file transfers from ingest storage to playout instances are listed, that are currently running or were recently finished.

Figure: Makalu Automation - File transfer list

The number in brackets beside the playout instance name indicates how many file transfers are currently running. The columns of the list provide details about each file and the transfer progress.

The action column provides the following elements:

Icon/Element	Description
	Pause file transfer
	Cancel file transfer
	Retry/re-trigger file transfer

Below the transfer list in the Disk space area the available storage space of the selected playout instance is displayed.

At the bottom of the Transfer tab the media asset list is displayed. This is the same list and provides the same functionality as in the Media tab. For information about how to trigger a file transfer, see section File transfer.

Asset Uploader¶

The Asset Uploader tab integrates the functionality of the Asset Uploader into the Makalu Automation user interface.

Figure: Makalu Automation - Asset Uploader

For information about how to use the Asset Uploader see section Ingest.

Playlist Import¶

The Playlist Import tab enables you to import playlists from third-party traffic systems.

Figure: Makalu Automation - Playlist import

The list of imported playlists provides the following information:

Previewing file-based and live media¶

To preview media, proceed as follows:

1. On the right side, select the Media tab.

2. In the media list select the media type (live or clips).

3. (Optional) To filter the displayed media files, either use the Search field (to filter by file name) or the dropdown menus (to filter by modification date or by resolution).

   The media list is filtered based on your filter settings.

4. To preview a file, click the Play icon at the right side of the corresponding list item or drag the item onto the preview player.

   The file is loaded by the preview player.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - File preview

5. Use the preview player controls to play the file.

   Notice

   If you preview a live source:

   • the player controls are disabled, except the stop button
   • you can copy the stream URL to the clipboard by clicking the corresponding Path icon in the Common metadata section

Rundown operating modes¶

Makalu Automation provides the following rundown operating modes:

• manual
• automatic

Manual mode provides full manual control over the rundown. You must add and delete playlists manually as well as triggering cue and play for clips.

Automatic mode automates adding playlists to the rundown and triggering cue and play. Playlists created with a future start time in Makalu Traffic are automatically added to the rundown. The first clip of the playlist is automatically cued. When the start time is reached, play is automatically triggered. When the playlist is finished, it is automatically removed from the rundown (depending on how the playlist properties "Protected" and "Do not use" are set).

To change the rundown operating mode, use the Operational mode toggle switch in the toolbar at the top of the rundown. If the switch is activated, manual mode is enabled. If the switch is deactivated, automatic mode is enabled.

Figure: Makalu Automation - Rundown operating mode toggle switch

Adding elements to a rundown¶

Adding a playlist to a rundown¶

To add a playlist to a rundown, proceed as follows:

1. On the right side, select the Playlist tab.

   All available playlists for the current channel are listed.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Available playlists

2. To add a playlist to a rundown, you can either:

   1. drag a playlist and drop it onto the DropZone area on the bottom left, or

   2. select a playlist by clicking the corresponding row in the Playlist tab (the row will be highlighted in blue) and click the Plus icon (Add playlist to rundown) at the top right.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Adding a playlist to the rundown

   The playlist is added to the rundown as last element and the start date/time are dynamically calculated without creating gaps.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Playlist added to the rundown

   Tip

   To add a playlist to a rundown at a specified start date/time, activate the checkbox in the Sched (Scheduled) column before you drag the playlist onto the DropZone area or click the Add playlist to rundown button.

   If the playlist already has a specified start date/time, this will be applied. If the playlist has no specified start date/time, a dialog is displayed where you can select the start date/time.

   Notice

   You cannot add a playlist with a specific scheduled start date/time to a rundown if there is already a playlist in the rundown scheduled for the same date/time.

   Notice

   Playlists with a fixed start date/time can only be added to a rundown if the start date/time is in the future.

   Notice

   If the added playlist includes files that are not available on the channel's playout instances, file transfers are automatically started. As a result all corresponding files are copied from the ingest storage to all playout instances that are assigned to the channel. See section File transfer for more information.

Adding media to a rundown¶

In addition to playlists you can also add media assets (video files, secondary events, live sources, or placeholders) to a rundown, by adding them to a show in a playlist.

To do this, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown select the playlist to which you want to add media.

   The playlist is expanded, and all included shows are listed.

2. On the right side, either select the Home or Media tab.

   All available media is listed in the media list.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Playlist expanded, and home tab opened

3. Select one or more video files, live sources, or placeholders from the media list on the right side and drop them onto a show in a playlist in the rundown on the left side.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Adding video files to a show

   The selected video file, live source, or placeholder is added to the rundown as last clip of the selected show.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Video files added to a show

   Tip

   Instead of adding a clip at the end of a show you can also replace an individual clip in a show by dragging and dropping the new media asset directly on the clip to be replaced while holding [Shift]. In this case a confirmation dialog is displayed that also informs you if the rundown duration will be shortened or extended by this replacement. For more information see section Replacing a clip.

   Notice

   If the added file is not available on the channel's playout instances, file transfers are automatically started. As a result the corresponding file is copied from the ingest storage to all playout instances that are assigned to the channel.

4. (Optional) Change the show’s clip list order to move the added clip to a specific position within the selected show.

Adding trimmed media to a rundown¶

To add only a specific subsection of a video file to a rundown, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown select the playlist to which you want to add trimmed media.

   The playlist is expanded, and all included shows are listed.

2. On the right side, select the Media tab.

   All available media is listed in the media list.

3. In the media list select the media asset to be trimmed and click the Play icon on the right side.

   Tip

   You can also open a media asset in the preview player by dragging it from the media list and dropping it onto the preview player.

   The media asset is opened in the preview player.

4. Use the preview player controls to select the timecode for the mark in.

5. To set the selected timecode as mark in, click the Set Mark In icon.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Trimmed media - Mark in set

6. Use the preview player controls to select the timecode for the mark out.

7. To set the selected timecode as mark out, click the Set Mark Out icon.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Trimmed media - Mark out set

8. Use the draggable element below the preview player (consisting of thumbnail and file name, located between "Position", and "Remaining") and drag it onto the show to which you want to add it.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Adding trimmed media to a show

   The selected video file is added to the rundown as last clip of the selected show.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Trimmed media added to a show

   Tip

   Instead of adding a trimmed clip at the end of a show you can also replace an individual clip in a show by dropping the draggable element directly on the clip to be replaced while holding [Shift]. In this case a confirmation dialog is displayed that also informs you if the rundown duration will be shortened or extended by this replacement. For more information see section Replacing a clip.

   Notice

   Trimmed files in the rundown are recognizable by their color. The scheduled duration (displayed in the "Scheduled dur" column) of trimmed files is highlighted in yellow.

   Notice

   If the added file is not available on the channel's playout instances, file transfers are automatically started. As a result the corresponding file is copied from the ingest storage to all playout instances that are assigned to the channel.

9. (Optional) Change the show’s clip list order to move the added clip to a specific position within the selected show.

Adding secondary events to a rundown¶

To add a secondary event to a rundown, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown select the show that includes the clip to which you want to assign the secondary event.

   The show is expanded, and all included clips are listed.

2. On the right side, select the Home or Media tab.

   All available media is listed in the media list.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Show expanded, and media tab opened

3. In the media list click Secondary Events and select the type of secondary event you want to add.

4. Select one or more secondary events and drag them onto a clip in the rundown.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Secondary event selected

   The selected secondary event is added to the clip.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Secondary event added to a clip

Editing the rundown¶

Editing the start time or duration of a clip¶

To edit the start time of a clip, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown click on a playlist to expand it.

2. Click on a show in the selected playlist to expand it.

3. To edit the scheduled start time of a clip, click on the Scheduled Time field of the corresponding clip.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Editing a clip start time

   A dialog is displayed where you can enter the start date and time.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Entering a clip start time

4. Enter the start date and time (format hh:mm:ss:ff).

   Notice

   You can only enter a start time that lies in the future.

5. To confirm the new value, click Apply.

   The edited scheduled start time is applied and highlighted in green.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Scheduled clip start time edited

   Notice

   If you change the scheduled start time of a clip, the scheduled start times of all following clips are updated accordingly.

   Notice

   If changing the scheduled start time of a clip causes a gap in the rundown, it is highlighted by warning symbols that are displayed for the corresponding playlist, show, and clip.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Rundown gap

To edit the duration of a clip, proceed as follows:

1. To edit the duration of a clip, in the selected show, click on the Scheduled Dur (Duration) field to be edited.

   

   A dialog is displayed where you can enter the duration.

   

2. Enter the new duration (format hh:mm:ss:ff).

   Notice

   If you enter a scheduled duration that is longer than the original duration, the clip playback is looped. When the original duration ends, the clip playback starts from the beginning and plays until the entered scheduled duration is reached.

   If you enter a scheduled duration that is shorter than the original duration, the clip playback stops when the entered scheduled duration is reached.

3. To confirm the new value, click Apply.

   The edited duration is highlighted in yellow.

   

Editing the start time or duration of a secondary event¶

To edit the start time or duration of a secondary event, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown click on a playlist to expand it.

2. Click on a show in the selected playlist to expand it.

3. Click on a clip that has an assigned secondary event (which is recognizable by a plus icon on the left side) to expand it.

4. Depending on what property you want to edit, either click on the Start-Offset or Duration field of the corresponding secondary event.

   

   Edit the start-offset of a secondary event

5. Enter the new duration (format hh:mm:ss:ff).

6. Press [Enter].

   The entered value is applied.

   

   Start-offset of a secondary event edited

Using groups¶

The group feature allows you to assign multiple clips within a show to a group. Each group is highlighted in a different color to facilitate the differentiation of groups.

To add clips to a group, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown click on a playlist to expand it.

2. Click on a show in the selected playlist to expand it.

3. In the selected show, select multiple consecutive clips to be grouped.

4. In the top right corner of the rundown, click the Create group icon.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Rundown - Create group

   The selected clips are assigned to a new group and are highlighted in the same color (orange in the example below).

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Rundown - Group created

To remove clips from a group, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown click on a playlist to expand it.

2. Click on a show in the selected playlist to expand it.

3. In the selected show, select the clips to be removed from the group.

4. In the top right corner of the rundown, click the Delete group icon.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Remove clips from group

   The selected clips are removed from the group. If all clips are removed from a group, the group is removed.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Clips removed from group

Moving clips¶

To change the clip order in a show, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown click on a playlist to expand it.

2. Click on a show in the selected playlist to expand it.

3. In the selected show, select one or more clips to be moved.

4. Depending on where you want to move the clips, select the corresponding function:

   1. To move the clips one position up in the list, click the File up icon.

   2. To move the clips one position down in the list, click the File down icon.

   3. To move the clips to the beginning of the selected show’s clip list, click the First file icon.

   4. To move the clips to the end of the selected show’s clip list, click the Last file icon.

      The clips are moved to the selected position.

Replacing a clip¶

To replace a clip in a rundown, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown click on a playlist to expand it.

2. Click on a show in the selected playlist to expand it.

3. On the right side select the Home or Media tab.

4. In the media list select the type of the media asset (video file, live source, or placeholder).

5. Hold [Shift] and drag an item from the media list on the right side and drop it onto the clip to be replaced in the rundown on the left side.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Replace clip

   A confirmation dialog is displayed that also informs you if the rundown duration will be shortened or extended by this replacement.

6. To confirm the replacement, click Yes in the confirmation dialog.

   Notice

   If the new item is a live source, you additionally must select the duration of the live clip and click Apply.

   The original rundown item is replaced by the new item.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Clip replaced

   Notice

   If the new file is not available on the channel's playout instances, file transfers are automatically started. As a result the corresponding file is copied from the ingest storage to all playout instances that are assigned to the channel.

Assigning or deleting a default graphic¶

To assign a default graphic to a playlist, show, or clip, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown select a playlist, show, or clip.

2. Click the Add default graphic icon.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Assign default graphic

   The default graphic is assigned to the selected element(s), which is recognizable by the corresponding icon in the SE (Secondary events) column.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Default graphic assigned

To delete a default graphic from a playlist, show, or clip, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown select a playlist, show, or clip.

2. Click the Delete default graphic icon.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Delete default graphic

   The default graphic is deleted from the selected element(s).

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Default graphic deleted

Adding or deleting a splicing event¶

For information about how to use splicing events, see section Ad triggering:

• Adding a splicing event via Makalu Automation

• Removing a splicing event from the rundown

Deleting a clip or a playlist¶

To delete a clip from the rundown, proceed as follows:

1. Select the clip to be deleted and in the toolbar at the top of the rundown click the Delete icon.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Delete a clip

2. Confirm the displayed dialog by clicking Yes.

   The clip is deleted.

To delete a playlist from the rundown, proceed as follows:

1. Select the playlist to be deleted and in the toolbar at the top of the rundown click the Delete icon.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Delete a playlist

2. Confirm the displayed dialog by clicking Yes.

   The playlist is deleted.

Deleting a fix start time¶

To delete a fix start time from an element in a rundown, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown either select a playlist, show, or clip with a fixed start time.

2. Click the Delete fix start time icon.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Delete fix start time

   The fix start time is removed from the selected element.

Reloading the rundown¶

To manually reload the rundown, click the Reload rundown icon in the top left corner of the rundown.

Controlling the rundown playback¶

The rundown playback can either be triggered automatically (based on the scheduled playlist start time) or manually by using the rundown control either below the channel preview or via the big buttons at the bottom left of the screen.

To manually start the playback, proceed as follows:

1. In the rundown cue a clip to prepare it for playback, by either:

   1. clicking the Cue next clip/Cue next icon in the rundown control, or

   2. by clicking on the clip status of a clip that is in "Ready" status.

   Notice

   If you use the first method, this either cues the first clip in the rundown (if previously no clip was cued) or the next clip after the previously cued clip.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Cueing a clip

   The clips status changes to "Cue".

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Cued clip

2. To start playback, click the Next / Take next icon.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Playing a clip

   The clip is played. The clips status changes to "On Air".

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Clip is playing

3. To manually stop playback, click the Stop icon.

4. Confirm the confirmation dialog by clicking Yes.

   The playback is stopped. The clips status changes to "Ready".

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Playback stopped

   Notice

   If you manually stop playback, the previously cued clip remains cued. To completely reset the player and clip status (setting all available clips to status "Ready"), click the Eject player icon below the channel preview and confirm the following dialog by clicking Yes.

File transfer¶

As described in section Ingest, all files are initially uploaded to the ingest storage. Afterwards each file, that is used in a rundown, must be copied to all playout instances (e.g. main and backup playout instance) that are assigned to the corresponding channel. The file transfer between ingest and playout storage can be triggered in the following ways:

• add a new playlist to the rundown, which automatically triggers transfers for all used files that are not yet available on the playout instances
• add a file to an existing show in a playlist in the rundown, which automatically triggers transfers for all used files that are not yet available on the playout instances
• trigger a file transfer manually via the media asset list (either via the Media tab or Transfer tab)

The file transfer status (that indicates if a file is already available on all related playout instances) is recognizable by colored bars in the media asset list:

Figure: Makalu Automation - File transfer status

1. Green bar - the file transfer is completed, the file is already available on the playout instances
2. Black bar - the file is not available on the playout instances

A list of all currently running and recent file transfers is available in the Transfer tab.

Triggering a file transfer manually¶

To trigger a file transfer from ingest storage to playout instances manually, proceed as follows:

1. Select the Media tab or the Transfer tab.

2. In the Source dropdown menu select the ingest storage (e.g. "Playoutdata").

3. Select a folder that contains files that are not available on playout instances (indicated by a black bar to the left of the file import date).

4. Select one or more files to be transferred.

5. In the toolbar at the top right of the media asset list click the Upload assets icon .

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Start file transfer

6. Confirm the dialog by clicking Yes.

   The transfer of the selected file(s) starts.

7. Select the Transfer tab to view the file transfer progress.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - File transfer started

   The file transfer to the playout instances is completed. This is also indicated by a green bar to the left of the file import date.

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - File transfer completed

Deleting transferred files manually¶

To manually delete files from a playout instance, proceed as follows:

1. Select the Media tab or the Transfer tab.

2. In the Source dropdown menu select the playout instance (e.g. "Player_Master").

3. Select the folder that contains the files to be deleted.

4. Select one or more files to be deleted.

5. In the toolbar at the top right of the media asset list click the Delete assets icon .

   

   Figure: Makalu Automation - Delete files

6. Confirm the dialog by clicking Yes.

   The selected files are deleted from the playout instance storage. This is also indicated by a black bar to the left of the file import date.

Importing a playlist¶

To import a playlist, proceed as follows:

1. Select the Playlist Import tab.

2. To add a playlist, either:

   1. drag the playlist file on the drop zone area, or

   2. click select and select the playlist file.

3. Select the target channel to which the playlist should be assigned.

4. To confirm your selection, click Apply.

5. Click Process.

   The content of the playlist file is checked and processed.

6. Click Import.

   The playlist is imported.

Exporting a missing file list¶

To export a missing file list, proceed as follows:

1. Select the Playlist Import tab.

2. Click the plus icon of an imported playlist that has missing files.

   The missing file list expands, and all missing files are listed.

3. Click Export.

   

   The missing file list is downloaded.

   Notice

   Missing file lists are exported as CSV files.

Restarting the player¶

To manually restart the player, proceed as follows:

1. Select the Home tab.

2. At the top right click the Restart player icon.

   A confirmation dialog is displayed.

3. Confirm the dialog, by clicking Yes.

   The player is restarted.