The next version of CDGFix codenamed “Sarpsborg”.Note: “Sarpsborg” has been (temporarily) halted in development. The reason is that we have to reveiw various options on how to handle the large legacy code base. To keep up with newer Windows platforms and at the same time ensuring a stable build we have run into problems with older code. We are facing either a complete rewrite of CDGFix, alternatively we will have to keep running the application in WinXP compatibility mode and let go of newer Windows features. We have yet to decide what solution to choose.
You can click on each thumbnail below to view the full-size image.
New visual appearance– The next version of CDGFix has a brand new visual look. All menu and toolbar icons are replaced with fresh ones, and the windows can be skinned to create the look you want.
Change skin and color scheme – Using the Settings page Skin you can modify the color scheme of the current skin, or select a different skin altoghether. It is also possible to choose no skin at all, i.e. use the default Windows appearance. You can add your own skins by creating the required definition files.
Dockable menus and toolbars– All menus and toolbars can be rearranged and docked/undocked to create the most suitable workspace for a given task. The arrangement and docking status are saved with each layout under the Windows menu.
New features in the Project window– The Project window has got a face lift as well, using a new grid. One of the enhancements include individual row heights to accomodate full texts – no more cut off texts in columns.
Another major enhancement is the ability to group the list by any column or columns. Simply drag the column you want to group by onto the grouping area at the top. The list will then reorder to display each row in the appriate group. You can drag as many columns as you like to the grouping area.
New tool windows– Two new tool windows will ease and enhance the show experience for both you and your audience. When you drag the Player window on to your external display (video projector), you may have a difficult time monitoring what the singer and audience see. Here the new Monitor window lets you see, on your own display, exactly what is displayed on the external display.
Above you can also see the new Camera window, streaming the image from a (web) camera connected to your computer’s USB port. The image or video displayed in the Camera window can be underlayed the running song’s lyrics, or displayed alone on the external display during breaks. This way you can use the camera to display a “fly-over” of your audience, or show yourself during announcements. You can ofcourse also show your singers before or after their appearance.
Shows and singers history- “Sarpsborg” includes a full history database of all your shows and singers. You can choose to create a new show entry for each of your gigs, or you can use the default show each time just by clearing the singers list. It is all up to you whether you want full history or not. If you select the full history option you can later go back to any show and see who sang and what songs where used.
Songs database– There will of course be a songs database to keep track of all your discs and songs. Using the existing Project window to prepare songs, ensuring artists and titles etc. are correct, songs are easily added to the database. It will also be possible to easily switch between different databases if you like to separate various song categories for different show locations.
The songs database list supports the same grouping functionality as described for the Project window. Another feature of the songs database is that – unless you want to – you do not have to copy all your discs to a hard drive. It is fully possible to have all the songs on their original discs only (CD+G, SuperCDG, NEO+G), and you will be promted to insert the correct disc when required. You may of course also have a mix of songs on both hard drive and removable media.
The Show Presenter– This is the heart of “Sarpsborg”, the main control panel from where you run your shows. The window is divided into panels for easy access to key features. Many of the features in the Show Presenter has underlying configurations (delay between songs, sound effects files, etc.) that is available in the Settings dialog.
This is the first preview version of the Show Presenter. It is not final, and may still be subject to changes depending on your feedback. If there are features you think should be available directly in this window, or if you have other suggestions, now is the time to let us know. Please use the forum threads in the “Sarpsborg” section, or email us at sales or support.
The following describes briefly each panel in the Show Presenter.
This panel controls playback of the current song (play, pause, stop, restart). These controls can be used interchangeably with the play controls on the main toolbar (if visible).
You can also change both the speed and the pitch at which the song is played. Finally, the multiplex buttons is used to control the backing vocal on tracks that have this feature.
In “Sarpsborg” the Player window allows for banners at the top and bottom (above and below the graphics). These areas can be used for advertising (refreshments, closing hours, next singer, etc.) both during and between songs. The Banners panel controls this behaviour. The banners can be predefined texts that you have entered using the Settings dialog, or you can enter text ad hoc during a show. You can run the banners continuosly and on demand using the buttons.
When a song finishes and before the next song is started (or starts automatically, depending on configuration), you can have various events happen automatically. This includes running the top and/or bottom banners, and displaying the singers queue on the singer’s screen. It is also possible to have background music fade in and out between the singers.
The Sound Effects panel allows you to play short sound files during and between performances. Up to eight sounds can be predefined and assigned to separate buttons. Sound effects can be anything you want, like applause, jingles, advertisements, etc.
The Singers Queue panel shows the singers currently waiting for their song. The list displays the singer names, song titles, and approximate time for each performance. The queue can be rearranged simply by drag and drop of the entries. Singers are removed by using the DEL key. It will also be possible to select a singer and change the name and/or song. In this panel you can also select whether the next song should start automatically when the previous has finished (after a predefined amount of time, configured using the Settings dialog).
No surprise, the Add Singer panel is used to enter new singers into the queue. Start by entering the singer’s name, or select the singer from your Singers Database. The Singers Database contains all singers that frequently visit your shows, and for which it is convenient to maintain a history of songs performed. Next select the song, either by typing the songbook number of the song, or by starting to type the song title. In both cases a list of matching songs (only one if you enter the song number) will be displayed for selection. You can also drag the song in from the Songs Database window or from the Project window.
Another way of picking the song is to use one of the Kamikaze buttons. This will draw a random song from your library, matching the rating of the selected button. The question mark button will draw from any rating randomly.
When the singer’s name and song selection is in place, simply click the Add button to enter the singer into the queue. Depending on configuration (as usual, selected using the Settings dialog) the singer will be appended to the end of the queue, or inserted somewhere between the other singers already in the queue. If you want, a new singer who has not been on stage earlier during this show, can enter higher up in the queue if all the other singers in the queue already has performed one or more songs (during this show). It will be possible to select various parameters to control when and how far up the queue new singers will be entered.
Finally there is one panel to control the sound levels output from the computer. First you have the Master out slider, that controls the overall volume level. This slider is equivalent to the volume control slider available on the main toolbar. Below you find three sliders that control the relative volume level between the songs, the pause background music, and the sound effects.
Using the floating windows of CDGFix you can assemble your workspace exactly as it fits your needs best. Select which windows you need during a show, and arrange them as appropriate. Assuming the Player window (the singer’s screen) is positioned on a second monitor, below is one example of how your workspace can look like on your monitor.
