Playlist option: "Keep Selected in Graphics Memory"

[Terry Payman]

To get smooth Playlist scene transitions I often need to use the Folder option to "Keep Selected in Graphics Memory". I may then wish to free the graphics memory of (just) those specific scenes.

This would be greatly facilitated if "Keep Selected in Graphics Memory" was also available in the Playlist menu, which could subsequently be unticked to free the memory used by those scenes.

Use case:
Keeping Playlist entries (say 20) in memory, after selecting live from a project containing very many (say 200), then repeating the process with a different selection of scenes.

I use live video as an input when providing visuals for live performances. I make the final selection of my video processing scenes during a gig, as any advance selection generally needs to be revised due to the many variables in event staging. The playlist will probably also change for each successive performer. In the case of a DJ event there's no pause in the music when DJs change over.

I run two instances of Magic into a video mixer so I can crossfade between them enabling me to change project or playlist in either instance whilst faded to the other.

[Eric]

That option is really a scene setting. The playlist is just a numerical list for ordering scenes, and it's a little bit tricky because, for example, you could have two playlist entries that point to the same scene, and what happens if you set one entry to "on", and another to "off"? Doesn't really make sense because the last thing you set would always overwrite the previous.

[Terry Payman]

Thanks for your explanation of the "Keep Selected in Graphics Memory" option Eric.
With respect, I don't see how the scenario you describe is problematic:

As I understand it

The "Keep Selected in Memory" option is an attribute of a scene.

A playlist entry for a particular scene points to that scene [and could "see" its current Graphics Memory keep state].

Likewise duplicate and/or disabled playlist entries for the same scene would see that same current Graphics Memory state.

The playlist "Keep Selected in Graphics Memory" menu would be ticked or unticked using the same logic as if the same scenes were selected in the folder, and the Graphics Memory keep state would likewise be toggled in the same manner if that menu option was clicked.

Accordingly all instances of a scene in the playlist (whether or not enabled) would have the "Keep in Memory" state that I most recently requested for that scene via the playlist even if some of those instances were not selected. That would be perfect!

All that said, in my use case example there would be only one instance of each scene.

[Eric]

What I’m saying is that a user might turn it off for a playlist entry but not realize it’s now been turned off for the scene entirely. That scene might be used elsewhere. So while your request may work for your use case, it doesn’t work for all use cases.

Further, as I said above, the memory setting is a scene setting. If you look at the context menu for the playlist, there aren’t any scene settings in there. I.e., you can’t rename a scene from the playlist. This is intentional.

For your workflow I would suggest emptying the playlist, then going to the folder view to select the new scenes to be added to the playlist, and then also toggling the memory option on those selected scenes.

Perhaps a useful new feature would be a menu option somewhere to disable the memory option for all currently enabled scenes, so that you don’t have to click on each one.

[Terry Payman]

OK, thanks again Eric. In the light of your comments I fully accept that the memory control belongs on the folder panel. The addition of a folder panel menu (as already used in the Playlist and Input Sources windows) offers a much cleaner solution.

I believe all the basic functionality that I requested can be achieved with the addition of two folder panel menu options. I've left these verbose for clarity, but I'm certain you can refine them.

Folder Panel> "Select only those scenes kept in graphics memory"
Folder Panel> "Select only those scenes with playlist entries"

Newly facilitated graphics memory operations (clearing all, setting/clearing playlist entries) are then available by right-clicking on any of the selected scenes and then using the existing and familiar scene menu option "Keep Scene In Graphics Memory".

EDIT:
If a user has a scene that they wish to keep in memory regardless of whether it has a playlist entry, they presumably would not wish the scene to be inadvertently "unkept" as a consequence of any multi-selection of scenes in the folder panel that happens to include it.

A safeguard could be an additional folder scene menu option, "Pin scene in graphics memory". This option would be greyed out if multiple scenes were selected, thus the scene would be kept in memory unless the user singly and specifically requested its "unkeeping" via the "pin scene" option.

[Eric]

Those all seem a bit complicated together. I still like my idea better. Most of the time, you would only want to select the kept scenes in order to clear them.

[Terry Payman]

Agreed that all together it's a bit complicated, and I too would prefer something simpler.

...Most of the time, you would only want to select the kept scenes in order to clear them.

Yes. A folder menu option to select the kept scenes will be very useful.
I simply request one further folder menu option, select the playlist scenes.

This would additionally facilitate saving a playlist to project.

[Eric]

No, what I meant is that the menu option would be “Remove all scenes from graphics memory” or something like that. And it would be in the main menu somewhere, not the folder panel, maybe with a keyboard shortcut.

[Terry Payman]

Please may we also have something like "Keep playlist scenes in graphics memory"?

[Eric]

I’ll think about all these things Terry.

[Terry Payman]

Many thanks Eric