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Switcher Manual Evaluations

4 replies [Last post]
Ken Schumacher
User offline. Last seen 14 years 20 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 30 Sep 2005

For the last five years I have been the lead technical writer for Grass Valley switchers. It's been quite a challenge, but also great fun. I am transitioning to work on a different Grass Valley product line and am now training my replacement for switcher documentation.

I would like to hear what working TDs think of the Grass Valley switcher documentation. This could be very useful information for the new writer. So if have a few moments free and have used any of the following manuals:

Kalypso Manuals
(User, Installation and Service, Reference, Installation Planning Guide, Release Notes, and RN Addendum)

Zodiak Manuals
(User, Installation and Service, Installation Planning Guide, Release Notes, and RN Addendum)

KayakDD Manuals
(User, Planning and Installation, Installation Planning Guide, Quick Reference Guide, Release Notes)

I have a few specific questions about each product's documentation:
-Do you use the manuals? Which ones?
-Is the information you need included? If not, what is missing?
-Is it easy to find the information you need?
-What form of manual do you prefer (.pdf download, hard copy, CD)?

If you care to respond, please specify to which product/manual your comments apply.

You can reply directly to my email address (kenneth.schumacher@thomson.net) if you would rather not clutter up this forum with survey results. But if you want to share your observations with your fellow TDs on the forum, have at it!

I would also like to hear your opinions of how the Grass Valley manual sets for each of the above products compare to other switcher manufacturer's documentation you may be familiar with.

Thanks for your input.

Ken Schumacher
Senior Technical Writer
Thomson Grass Valley

offshaw
User offline. Last seen 5 years 29 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 4 Sep 2005
Ken, What a great, but difficult job you have! I wish your successor the best of luck keeping us TD's happy! Something I've found over the years is when it comes to manuals, good or bad, it often comes down to the personality and aptitude of the reader of the manual that dictates the manuals effectiveness. How often do you hear people say "I can't learn from a manual, I need someone to demonstrate principles" I love learning from manuals, I learnt the Sony MVS-8000 almost entirely from the manual (and a bit of technical advice thanks Dave P & Mike C), and, BTW, usually read the PDF of the manual that was accessed straight from the Sony GUI in the Diagnostics menu. My one gripe about it was that it didn't have URL links in it so you had to scroll to the end of the manual for the index, then scroll back to the page you were looking for - a bit on the tedious side, but I digress. I am currently trying to soak up the Kalypso manual because I have a big job in a couple of weeks and I am by no means a seasoned pro when it comes to the Kalypso. So far I have found the maual to be pretty good. One thing I would say is to remember that operators, more than likely, will be expert on some switchers but not on yours (and this goes for all manufacturers) so little notes to explain functions that are common on most switchers but have been given a trade mark name would be helpful. I suppose it would be poor form to list what other manufacturers call their function. A very simple example, which everyone knows anyway, but just for the example, a note that explains Kalypso's E-mems = Sony's/Phillip's Snapshots or Kalypso's Still Store = Sony's Frame Memory = Phillip's Video Store (I say Phillips but I mean GVG!) I know there's often subtle differences in the way some functions operate from switcher to switcher but as an operator it gets your mind in the right place instead of getting half way through the topic and then having this realisation of what a particular function actually does. I like examples, mini tutorials if you like, and the Kalypso (and Sony) manual have them all the way through the manual. The best way to learn is to apply the theory, and the best way to do that is to be able to follow a step by step process. I love the tutorials at the end of the manual, the more the better. Perhaps you could get someone who regularly operates to consult on what are common tasks for the TD, for example how to set up a replay effect using an animated transition, you could even supply a disk with some animation files that could be loaded into the still store for such tutorials. Some of the diagrams in the Kalypso manual are little bit too technical, they help if you are little more engineering inclined but a lot of operators I come across, who are learning from the manual, ask what the diagrams are trying to explain. For example, with timelines, I had someone ask me where on the switcher do they find the interpolator! I guess the real test will be how I actually handle this job in a couple of weeks time. If I get through it successfully, then you've done a great job on the manual!! Brian F.
Bill D
User offline. Last seen 9 years 50 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 18 Aug 2005
[quote="Bob Ennis"]What I believe is necessary is that the manual should be part of the software installation process - the manual should show up on the menu as a PDF file. As the software is updated, the release notes should be included and avalable via the menu - any operator who sits down at the switcher and sees that there is unfamiliar software could immediately begin learning about the new features and known bugs. By doing this via the menu, the operator could be reading the manual without announcing it to everyone else in the booth.[/quote] I like this idea a lot, should be easy to do. As long as it doesn't crash the switcher calling up a 200 page manual.. Bill
Bob Ennis
User offline. Last seen 4 years 32 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Ken & I have had long discussions about what goes into the manuals, so he knows my opinions.What I find lacking is not what is IN the manuals as much as WHERE the manuals are located. If you work at a facility, you may have more access to the manuals and the release notes - although this may often be difficult, as I know of many facilities where the manuals and notes end up in the hands of one person (often in the Maintenance or Operations Department), and not in the hands of the perople who actually have to use the equipment. In the trucks, access to the manuals and release notes is often even tougher for operators to come by. And as a freelancer, the LAST thing that you want to do is break out a manual during pre-production or setup. That is very much like waving a flag that is considered by everyone else in the booth as a sign that you don't know what you're doing. What I believe is necessary is that the manual should be part of the software installation process - the manual should show up on the menu as a PDF file. As the software is updated, the release notes should be included and avalable via the menu - any operator who sits down at the switcher and sees that there is unfamiliar software could immediately begin learning about the new features and known bugs. By doing this via the menu, the operator could be reading the manual without announcing it to everyone else in the booth.

Bob Ennis

mikeS
User offline. Last seen 14 years 20 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 5 Oct 2005
Let me start by saying I have no idea how much work goes into writing a technical manual, and I know it must be difficult to fully cover the entire scope of functions and capabilities of a switcher. That being said, I find technical manuals to be generally poor. GVG manuals do not stand out in my mind as any better or worse than other manuals. I am not going to be able to pull 10 great examples out of my hat, and maybe if I did you'd be able to quote chapter and verse that would perfectly explain my every question. I can only say that in my experience as a TD over the last 10 years, I have found retrieving information from the manuals to be a frustrating, time consuming, and sometimes pointless exercise. For your reference, I have spent a decent amount of time perusing Kalypso manuals, and a bit of time in Zodiac manuals. As a TD I go straight for the users guide, and maybe the reference guide as a backup. I find release notes useless because there is usually a stack of them next to the manual on whatever remote truck I'm on, and their layout is very cluttered. I don't use any other manuals. I like storing the pdf version of the manuals on my computer, and I love the fact that I can download the latest manual whenever I want. Currently, I've got version 9.1 on the laptop and have not found a need to go get an update yet. If I could recommend one fix, I would say the indexes should be more exhaustive. Most TDs do not sit down and read tech manuals like a book, we head straight for the index when we hit a wall. I cannot tell you how many times I have wandered the index trying to figure out where you might have listed something. Second, I would argue that the manuals are a kind of engineering/sales brochure hybrid. As a TD, I want to know how to make it work. I recognize that perhaps it is beyond the scope of the manual, but then perhaps you guys should write an operations manual. For that, just sit in on a training session and listen to the questions TDs ask, and put the answers in a book. Maybe "An Idiots Guide to the Kalypso." OK, so I recognize that I'm long on criticism and short on examples. And maybe I'll be hammered in the forum by guys who love and easily use the manuals. I can only say that this has been my personal experience, and I work almost exclusively with GVG switchers. I do live sports and would rate my switcher knowledge as very good to excellent. If you'd like me to put more thought into it and perhaps come up with some specifics, feel free to contact me directly. Mike