Changes & Improvements in MediaShout 7.6.4
- NEW FEATURE - Add Previous/Next verse to an existing Bible cue in the script
In an earlier release we added the ability to add another existing stanza to a Lyric cue, and now we have done the same type of thing for Bible cues! If you right-click on a page of a Bible cue, you will see a new 'Add' option, and you can then select the Previous or Next verses (if it exists in the same chapter and is not already in the cue). [Notes: This new feature only works on cues created by this or newer releases, and for some pretty complex technical reasons this feature does not work on cues which use 'One Verse per Paragraph' or 'Wrap Text' splitting modes -- but it works well with the other two more popular modes.]
- NEW FEATURE - AutoSync the Main text to the Stage when a Lyric or Bible cue is created
- In an effort to reduce the number of steps required to create cues pre-formatted the way you like them, we have added an optional new feature for Lyric and Bible cues which will automatically Sync all of the Main display text to the Stage when the Lyric or Bible passage is inserted into the script and the cue is created. [Notes: This option is enabled by default, but you can turn it off on the General Settings page if you prefer a manual workflow. Also, this is a one-time sync, and any further edits to either screen will remain isolated as normal.]
- In an effort to reduce the number of steps required to create cues pre-formatted the way you like them, we have added an optional new feature for Lyric and Bible cues which will automatically Sync all of the Main display text to the Stage when the Lyric or Bible passage is inserted into the script and the cue is created. [Notes: This option is enabled by default, but you can turn it off on the General Settings page if you prefer a manual workflow. Also, this is a one-time sync, and any further edits to either screen will remain isolated as normal.]
- NEW FEATURE - Apply the default Stage template when a Lyric or Bible cue is created
- To further reduce repetitive steps in Lyric and Bible cue creation, whenever AutoSync (see above) is enabled, the default Stage template will also be applied automatically when the cue is inserted into your script. In most cases, this will produce cues that can be used right away with no additional formatting steps for the Stage display! [Note: This feature is disabled along with AutoSync using the control in General Settings.]
- To further reduce repetitive steps in Lyric and Bible cue creation, whenever AutoSync (see above) is enabled, the default Stage template will also be applied automatically when the cue is inserted into your script. In most cases, this will produce cues that can be used right away with no additional formatting steps for the Stage display! [Note: This feature is disabled along with AutoSync using the control in General Settings.]
- NEW FEATURE - Text alignment options for Stage data objects
- Many of our users have requested the ability to apply text alignment to objects on the Stage display so they have more formatting options. So here you go!
- Many of our users have requested the ability to apply text alignment to objects on the Stage display so they have more formatting options. So here you go!
- NEW FEATURE - 'Recently Used' file list added to the '+' (new script) button
It is really handy to have quick access to scripts that you recently used, so we have added another way to access that list with an arrow button next to the New Script '+' button.
- NEW FEATURE - Toolbar button for 'Apply Format to All Pages'
For a long time we've have had the ability to right-click on an object and select 'Apply Formatting to All Pages', but we wanted to make the feature easier to use, so we added a toolbar button which does the same thing. [V6 users might recognize that icon!]
- NEW FEATURE - CCLI Auto-Report confirmation window
After a CCLI Auto-Report has taken place, a window will now pop up to show you that it happened, and what the results of that report were. [Note: Titles of songs which are not located in the Lyric library will not be displayed in this window, but they will still be reported correctly. This can occur if you import your script from another system.]
- IMPROVEMENT - CCLI 'Preferred Auto-Reporting time' replaced to perform reporting more reliably
- We found that there were several situations where CCLI Auto-Reports were not happening, so we changed the way that reports are triggered. It has some pretty complex logic, but the basic summary is this:
- We try to avoid sending a report on Sundays or during a scheduled service time if at all possible. (We know that most of you are busy then, and we don't want anything to interfere with your normal use.)
- If there is any information to report, it will be attempted the first time you open or create a script after Sunday. When the report happens, you will be shown a window that displays the results.
- If you only open or create a script during a scheduled service window or on Sunday for a few weeks in a row, the above rules will be ignored and we'll do an auto-report anyway to make sure that you still get your usage reported within the time frame required.
- If all else fails, or you simply want to send a report right away, there is a new button in the settings for you to 'Send Report Now'.
- We found that there were several situations where CCLI Auto-Reports were not happening, so we changed the way that reports are triggered. It has some pretty complex logic, but the basic summary is this:
- IMPROVEMENT - Prompt user to log into CCLI if Auto-Reporting fails due to expired login
- If you are not logged into CCLI within MediaShout when a report needs to be sent, you will be prompted to log in so we can complete that process. (Not being logged-in has been silently preventing reports from occurring, so we're trying to avoid that situation.)
- If you are not logged into CCLI within MediaShout when a report needs to be sent, you will be prompted to log in so we can complete that process. (Not being logged-in has been silently preventing reports from occurring, so we're trying to avoid that situation.)
- IMPROVEMENT - Start in current script path when doing 'Save As...'
- Instead of always opening the Save As... dialog to the path which is defined in your settings to save scripts, it will now open to the same location where the script you are saving is currently located. This will make it easier to save additional versions of a script in the same location that you opened it from.
- Instead of always opening the Save As... dialog to the path which is defined in your settings to save scripts, it will now open to the same location where the script you are saving is currently located. This will make it easier to save additional versions of a script in the same location that you opened it from.
- IMPROVEMENT - Strip TAB characters when performing 'Paste' action
- Some applications utilize TAB characters (Word for example), and when you paste formatted text from those into MediaShout, the TABs can cause strange formatting issues. We now strip out those TAB characters to prevent those formatting issues.
- Some applications utilize TAB characters (Word for example), and when you paste formatted text from those into MediaShout, the TABs can cause strange formatting issues. We now strip out those TAB characters to prevent those formatting issues.
- IMPROVEMENT - Modify media file names which exceed Windows' pathname limits
- The Windows operating system generally limits the number of characters in the file path to 260. In cases where a user has a lot of nested folders and/or a very long filename, it is easier than you might think to exceed this limit, and when that happens errors will occur with those files. We occasionally have had users attempt to use files with names that were so long that this limit was exceeded, and it resulted in a crash or a script which could not be re-opened. We now automatically rename files which are inserted into scripts which will exceed the path length to prevent these issues. The best practice which we would recommend, however, is to rename files which have excessively long filenames to begin with. [Example: "C:\Users\Public\My Shout\Media\Images\Blue Fizz Still.jpg" has a pathname length of 57 characters. Using very long User names, folder names and file names can cause this total to add up very quickly!]
- The Windows operating system generally limits the number of characters in the file path to 260. In cases where a user has a lot of nested folders and/or a very long filename, it is easier than you might think to exceed this limit, and when that happens errors will occur with those files. We occasionally have had users attempt to use files with names that were so long that this limit was exceeded, and it resulted in a crash or a script which could not be re-opened. We now automatically rename files which are inserted into scripts which will exceed the path length to prevent these issues. The best practice which we would recommend, however, is to rename files which have excessively long filenames to begin with. [Example: "C:\Users\Public\My Shout\Media\Images\Blue Fizz Still.jpg" has a pathname length of 57 characters. Using very long User names, folder names and file names can cause this total to add up very quickly!]
- IMPROVEMENT - UI changes to make the 'toggle' switch control colors more consistent
- It recently came to our attention that some of our 'toggle' controls appeared to be ON when they were OFF. In those cases, the brighter color was being used on the button in both positions -- even when in the OFF position. We have now updated those to show a darker or neutral color on the button when OFF to make it easier to recognize the state of the control. [Note: Some toggle controls switch between two different 'active' states, so those controls have been left unchanged as that is a logical configuration.]
Before:After:
- It recently came to our attention that some of our 'toggle' controls appeared to be ON when they were OFF. In those cases, the brighter color was being used on the button in both positions -- even when in the OFF position. We have now updated those to show a darker or neutral color on the button when OFF to make it easier to recognize the state of the control. [Note: Some toggle controls switch between two different 'active' states, so those controls have been left unchanged as that is a logical configuration.]
- FIXED - Extra blank line added when inserting a page break at beginning of a line
- When you inserted a Page Break at the beginning of line, the result would be that the page where you added that break would have a blank line at the bottom if the previous line ended in a carriage return (paragraph break). That is not inconsistent with other applications (like Word) which would do the same thing, but this was confusing and problematic for users who wanted to put their page breaks at the beginning of lines, so we have modified that behavior. Those instances should no longer leave an empty line at the bottom of the text block.
- When you inserted a Page Break at the beginning of line, the result would be that the page where you added that break would have a blank line at the bottom if the previous line ended in a carriage return (paragraph break). That is not inconsistent with other applications (like Word) which would do the same thing, but this was confusing and problematic for users who wanted to put their page breaks at the beginning of lines, so we have modified that behavior. Those instances should no longer leave an empty line at the bottom of the text block.
- FIXED - Page Breaks are sometimes lost after later edits
- An issue that usually was seen in lyrics which contained Page Breaks in the Lyrics database was that adding additional Page Breaks later in the song would cause previous breaks to be removed. This should no longer be an issue, and all of the page breaks should be retained when editing cues.
- An issue that usually was seen in lyrics which contained Page Breaks in the Lyrics database was that adding additional Page Breaks later in the song would cause previous breaks to be removed. This should no longer be an issue, and all of the page breaks should be retained when editing cues.
- FIXED - Using Rewind then Play controls plays a 'blip' of paused audio
- This is somewhat difficult to describe, but if you've ever experienced it, you'll recognize this. If you used the Pause control in the top right corner while audio was playing, and you then pressed Rewind and Play again to restart the sound, a very short segment (blip) of the audio at the point where it was paused would be played before the beginning of the track. This is now fixed and works correctly!
- This is somewhat difficult to describe, but if you've ever experienced it, you'll recognize this. If you used the Pause control in the top right corner while audio was playing, and you then pressed Rewind and Play again to restart the sound, a very short segment (blip) of the audio at the point where it was paused would be played before the beginning of the track. This is now fixed and works correctly!
- FIXED - Quick Cues do not display unique content on the Stage display
- In a previous release we converted the Quick Cues to use an actual script format so that they could contain multiple objects just like any other cue, but we discovered late in that process that the Stage display was not working correctly. That is now fixed, and Stage content in Quick Cues should display correctly when those are fired.
- In a previous release we converted the Quick Cues to use an actual script format so that they could contain multiple objects just like any other cue, but we discovered late in that process that the Stage display was not working correctly. That is now fixed, and Stage content in Quick Cues should display correctly when those are fired.
- FIXED - Can't change the assigned text font in certain rare cases
- We have had a couple users (that we know of) experience a situation where the font assignment of text could not be changed. It looked like it should be working, but it didn't actually change the font. We were able to identify what was causing that problem and the changes made should prevent this issue in the future.
- We have had a couple users (that we know of) experience a situation where the font assignment of text could not be changed. It looked like it should be working, but it didn't actually change the font. We were able to identify what was causing that problem and the changes made should prevent this issue in the future.
Hopefully this has helped you get started with the new fixes and features in MediaShout 7. If you have any questions about these, or anything else with the software, please reach out to our support team and they would be glad to assist!
(2024-09-16, DF)