Introduction
In a suitably configured DPE system, you can launch the audio editors from ContentManager’s menu and send audio or projects to the editor. A small program named “BrowserBridge” which must be running on the workstation PC translates the actions which you make in the web browser’s user interface into commands sent to the editor. BrowserBridge is available from DAVID Systems on request.
The editor will be aware that it was launched by by ContentManager via BrowserBridge. While it is working on local files which it downloads as required, all “save database” operations are executed via web uploads right into the DPE ContentService. DBM and DigaSQL, which are the heart of the “desktop only” working environment, are out of the equation and need not even exist on the workstation.
When the editor is launched by ContentManager via BrowserBridge, no file-level access to the media storage or to parameter files is required. This is the ideal setup for remote working situations.
Supplying Metadata when Saving
When running the audio editor with DBM and DigaSQL, DBM displays the metadata mask every time you save a take. When saving into ContentService, where DBM doesn’t play a role, this is obviously not possible. In this case, we offer two possibilities:
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Use a “custom mask” which is displayed before data is sent to ContentService. DAVID supplies a custom mask into which you can type just a few basic metadata. Of course you can create your own, but this requires programming.
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Use the “shadow entry” feature of DPE versions xxx and higher. This creates a workflow similar to what you know from DBM: After rendering and uploading the audio files, ContentManager is opened with basic metadata of the new entry loaded into the details pane. You can alter or amend this data and then click the “Create” button. It is only after clicking “Create” that the new entry is actually created in the database. There is also a “Cancel” button which you can use if you change your mind and want to do some more editing.
We recommend that you always use “shadow entries” when available because it offers a much broader field of options, and because it feels familiar if you are used to working with ContentManager.
Parameters
A few parameters should be set up, prior to using the editor with ContentManager. As usual, these parameters are stored in MultiTrack\Settings, EasyTrack\Settings, and/or SingleTrack\Settings, depending on which application(s) you want to use. They can be defined globally, per workstation, or per user.
CheckDirectFileAccess: Sometimes media files are directly accessible via a network drive. If you set CheckDirectFileAccess to 1, the editor will try to use file access if possible. If not possible, it falls back to downloading through DPE ContentService as if CheckDirectFileAccess was set to 0.
CustomMaskAssembly: If you do not use “shadow entries,” then this parameters contains the path (drive or network share, directory, name, and extension) of the .NET assembly which contains the custom mask. If you want to create your own mask, please refer to the interface documentation that is separately available.
DefaultCreateTableDpe: Other than when running with DBM, the audio editor cannot query ContentManager for its current table. The “DefaultCreateTableDpe” defines which table is selected by default when the user wants to save a take to the database. Please refer to paramdb for details.
SuppressDialog_SavedToDatabase and SuppressDialog_SavedToDatabase_Shadow: After data is saved to the ContentService, the audio editor displays a message indicating that the operation is finished, because otherwise there is no feedback to the user. However, some users find this message disrupting their workflow. This parameter, when set to 1, turns these message off. The “SuppressDialog_SavedToDatabase_Shadow” parameter is used when “shadow entries” are used, and the “SuppressDialog_SavedToDatabase” parameter otherwise. (The reason we have separate parameters is because workflows differ a little.)
UseDpePartialUpload: When set to 1 (which is the default), Enables uploading data files in big chunks. This is reduces overhead when uploading files of roughly more than 10 MB and enables usage of files above 2 GB. The only reason to set this to 0 is if you want to diagnose network issues, or if your DPE system dates back to before 2019.
UseShadowEntries: Set to 1 if you want to use “shadow entries.” The parameter is ignored if your DPE system doesn’t support this feature.