Hey thanks! I'll email you if I run into any snags.

I was aware that you can run a sidepanel on any PC, in fact it crossed my mind to try and run it on the CG, which is right next to the switcher, until I regained my sanity. But anyway, none of us have laptops, so we might as well spring for a proper sidepanel. The confusing bit is that the Kayak itself has a little menu built into it, so it seems completely unintuitive that you have to buy another menu panel when it seemingly already has one. Nathan, that is the right file. It will take up 45 MB on your hard disk after you unzip it. The sidepanel software is under OperatingSoftware/ds0204/ds0204.672/ds0203.471/Disk1, run setup.exe. Things to watch out for: Make sure you install the "Demo" version that doesn't require a panel to be hooked up if you just want to explore the menus. Don't check "desktop picture" unless you want a picture of a DD35 on your desktop. The installer will put sidepanel in your windows startup folder, and you'll have to manually remove it unless you want sidepanel to start up every time you turn on your computer. And lastly, hitting "shutdown" under the startup menu in sidepanel will turn off your computer. If you want to quit either X out of it or use "close" under the startup menu. Here's a biggie: By default your Demo sidepanel will think it's a DD35. To change that, go to the personality menu, under the sidepanel tab and change "Switcher Type for Demo-Mode" to whatever you want. Have fun.

Speaking of side panel software, I've seen several guys mention downloading the GUI software to a switcher they might not be as familiar with so they can dig through the menus on the plane trip out to the gig (or as mentioned above to hook directly into the switcher). I was wondering if someone could tell me if I am headed in the right direction. Specifically, I'm looking for the GUI app for the Kayak and the Sony 9k. Do I just download the files from the URLs below? Anything I should know before unzipping and installing? About how much hard disk space should I be expecting to use? I just want to familiarize myself with the menus, as I'll need to be comfortable with them in the near future. (the ZIP file?) (the EXE file?) Thanks in advance for the help, Nathan

Actually, if you have a PC you can get the side panel software: plug your PC into the Kayak (like you'd do with a Kalypso or Zodiak) and you've got your side panel. But it WOULD be best to have a "real" side panel so that all users of the system can benefit from it.

Argh, I'm so stupid, I just realized that I'm not seeing all these functions because we don't have a sidepanel. Thanks for the help, I'll need to convince the higher ups to spend some money now.

The technique Nathan described does work on the Kayak. Mobile TV Groups HDX7 uses the Kayak for Dual feeds and I have used the technique described on that truck. Scott

I'm not sure if the software carries over to the KayakDD, but on the Xten you can put a pause in a macro or in a timeline. On the Xten, if you want to insert a pause into a macro while recording it, when you get to the point for the pause hold down the INS-P button (2nd function of the ME2 button on macro row). The macro row will change to a series of durations, just pick the length of pause you want. You can always change it later using the macro editor. A pause can also be added to a macro after it is recorded in the macro editor: Edit Macro > Insert > Insert New Command (at end or at selected) > then Modify the empty command line > CP Setup > CP MakeMemo > (desired duration) It sounds like we do something similar to what you are going to do. We have an animated matte and fill in RAMs 3 & 4 that we use to wipe between videos. RAMs 3 & 4 are assigned as a split key on the ME. We use a timeline that cues up the RAMs appropriately, after all the cueing up is done here's what our timeline looks like: Wait for user continue # Set | Machine Control | RamRecorder3 | Motion Command | Play # Set | Machine Control | RamRecorder4 | Motion Command | Play hold time: 10 #Trigger | ME3 | Transition | Auto | all selected hold time: 10 Loop end, loop count: 50 (the timeline then loops back to the beginning to recue the animations - keyers are not affected) The hold time allows you to time the transition underneath the animation. We use this to wipe with any variety of keys, whatever is selected at the time. Like I said, I have no idea if this works on a KayakDD. I guess I'll find out soon enough. My station just bought one for a small production truck. I hope this can be of help. Thanks, Nathan KPHO

My understanding is that the Kayak runs on ExtenDD software, which does not support pauses (other than time-oriented - not user wait-states) in the macros. It does support pauses & triggers in the timelines, though, and macros can call up timelines & vice-versa. If you check the MakeMemo area, you will see how you can turn on or off virtualy all individual parts of an M/E during parts of a timeline. In this way, you could disable the recalling of keyer states and/or background sources, using the timeline to simply set up a transition (& transition elements) & replay move, trigger the replay move and do the transition, without affecting keyer states...much like we use macros to get around the fact that some switchers can't ignore keyer states through E-MEMs. You may find that using this functionality is very much like using Partial Keyframing, and it can accomplish what you have stated that you are trying to do. Also, you can use embedded triggers to turn on & off those elements that you want to enable (such as Keyers 1 & 3 without affecting the current states of Keys 2 & 4) - these multiple triggers can be called up as a singles "E-MEM" with zero duration. That technique could also help you.

I have been using timelines to do stuff like recall and run DPM and DDR (actually ram recorder) effects, set up split screens or double boxes etc. in preview, stuff like that, but where I need macros is to do the undercuts in DPM and DDR wipes. Because the switcher's so small, I can't dedicate entire M/Es as game cut and replay M/Es, I have to be able to activate a DPM/DDR wipe to go from any source with any combination of keyers to any other source with any other combination of keyers on a single M/E. I don't see how I can do that with E-Mems, but if you know a way, I would be very grateful to hear it. I need the macro so I can set up my next transition buttons how I want them and then the macro hits the cut button at the right time to do the undercut. Do you know how I can run a macro from a specific keyframe of a timeline? That would probably be best.