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Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

  • 1.  Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

    Posted 03-25-2024 09:56

    I have some graphics I'm putting together, and some of them have been slow to Take Online, saying "Preparing." The graphic that I have seen this happen the most to is a batting order graphic. I'm using Dashboard to select the players in the batting order, and then in Xpression I have each player's image (66kb .jpg), name, and number linked through Datalinq. I predesigned everything in Photoshop. A good amount of the elements, such as the background graphic, the name title bars, and the actual masks for the player photos are quads that use a material that I exported from Photoshop. I exported these as .PSD files in HD, so I don't have to fiddle with positioning it. I figure my issue is either with using too many Datalinq connections or these .PSD files, but I'm just asking here to get an idea of what to do differently. On the other hand, is there a way to "pre-load" my graphics according to my rundown so I can trigger the animation I have made and it fires at the exact time I call for it? If anybody knows, please help. Thanks.



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    Roger Heyward
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  • 2.  RE: Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

    Posted 03-25-2024 10:06

    Hey Roger,

    Are you sure all of your datalinq connects to dashboard are good?

    I have the above issue when is XPression is trying to resolve something it cannot and it keeps trying until it eventually gives up and takes it on air. 



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    Simon Redmile
    Senior Graphic Programmer & Designer
    Ross Video
    Bristol United Kingdom
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  • 3.  RE: Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

    Posted 04-01-2024 09:51

    My datalinq connections seem ok. I mean the data is correct and I can change that data as needed. I did make the Scene in Layout mode by linking some data, such as the images and player Names/Numbers to an Excel file, that I later decided to not use, so in the actual Take Item in my Take List/Sequencer I just changed those data objects in the Template Data to my correct source, which is the xml file via Dashboard. Does that sound ok? Is there another way to test my Datalinq connections?



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    Roger Heyward
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  • 4.  RE: Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

    Posted 04-01-2024 16:30

    After looking a little more closely, I found that my objects had erroneous column names in Datalinq. Thanks. I think you really saved me from making a slow loading graphic here.



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    Roger Heyward
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  • 5.  RE: Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

    Posted 03-26-2024 08:39

    I've noticed quite a delay within XPression when the Excel file (I presume this is where your info is coming from) is still open. So be sure to have the file closed when on air. Then there is the option to prepare/cue a scene by pressing the "." (dot) on the numerical keypad. Perhaps this solves your problem also?



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    Rob van Rooyen
    Senior Graphics Specialis
    NEP The Netherlands
    Hilversum Netherlands
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  • 6.  RE: Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

    Posted 04-01-2024 09:45

    Actually, all my data is coming from XML file via Dashboard. Anyway, it might be that I need to use that prepare/cue technique. Do you know how to trigger this from the switcher? Is there a Rosstalk command for that?



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    Roger Heyward
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  • 7.  RE: Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

    Posted 04-01-2024 11:17

    How many Datalinq'd text objects are in the scene? 

    Here's the RossTalk Command: 

    CUE takeid:buffer:layer

    Prepares take item takeid to go to air next in framebuffer number buffer on layer number layer. The take item is not taken to air, but is prepared to be taken to air without any frame delay. For example, CUE 3:2:-5 prepares to load the take item 3 into the framebuffer 3 and onto layer -5.




  • 8.  RE: Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

    Posted 04-01-2024 14:42

    I can't seem to find Cue in RossTalk in my switcher commands. I am using a Vision switcher. The options I have are: SeqIn, Take, SeqOut, ClearFB, ClearLayer, ResumeLayer, ResumeFB, ClearAllFB, Read, Next, Up, Down, Focus, GPI, Trigger, TypeInCmd.  

    27 objects, bc there are 9 local urls for player pics, 9 for player names, and 9 for player numbers.



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    Roger Heyward
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  • 9.  RE: Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

    Posted 04-01-2024 17:45

    You can use the TypeInCmd to type in RossTalk commands that aren't included in the listed set. 

    What happens if you remove all your PSD files from scene? Does it go online faster? 




  • 10.  RE: Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

    Posted 04-15-2024 09:43

    I still can't get the CUE command to work. I used the TypeInCmd function as you advised, but it does not work.   

    Anyway, we have made a workaround, by having the graphics op manually cue things by hitting "." on the numpad, but I'd like to add it to the switcher macros. Nonetheless, I'm super thankful for everyone's help, because we got this graphic to a usable state.   

    Ended up there were a plethora of mistakes. When I made the XPression graphic I forgot that the Scene's Datalinq connections were made to reference an Excel file that I later scrapped, so I had to change all of those links. I also never realized that the graphic designer here, for reasons unbeknownst to me, created the .psd files at 8K, so there were numerous enormous files in the scene. I also went back and changed all of the .psd files to .png files.   

    Although we still have a slight delay sometimes, we can at least use the graphic in our show. The delay is typically the first time we Take/Cue the graphic or after a long time of not using it. I think it must be because it has to load it into the PC's cache. Even though we are dealing with 9 players' pictures (all small .png files), 1 background image (another .png at 1920x1080), and 9 player names and 9 player number Datalinq connections, it seems that XPression should be able to handle this without any delay, so maybe there is still some troubleshooting I need to do. There is also Visual Logic on each of the 9 players' info (names/numbers), concatenating them into the corresponding player's text field. Hopefully, I find the problem in one of these components. 



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    Roger Heyward
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  • 11.  RE: Xpression says Preparing and there is a delay before my graphics Take Online

    Posted 04-01-2024 15:50

    I've found a few times when I had this issue it was as simple as I had exported my elements in photoshop at 4k. Once I reduced to 1920 byt 1080, the issue wetn away and as not come back. Hope this helps :)



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    JP Lemieux
    Producer
    YourTV
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