Filenames (USB) Backspace [BS] erases filename completely

[discover]

With FLX S24
Version 7.14
 

For an upcoming show, I save show files after each rehearsal on the USB stick.

As the FLX SD24 does not have a battery nor clock,
I want to add date and time manually to the filename at the end of it:

eg.
Mermaid-2023.11.24-1800
Mermaid-2023.11.25-1900

 

If I press backspace [BS]:

...the whole file name gets erased:

 

...and I need to type the whole file name again.


Is there an alternative to this?

[kgallen]

It looks like your filename is highlighted/selected in blue - and as on Windows, if something is highlighted then you overtype or hit delete the whole lot will change.

I'm not saying the UI is correct in this instance so a fix might be desirable. As on Windows, probably if you hit right arrow the highlighting/selection will go?

[Davidmk]

10 hours ago, kgallen said:

if something is highlighted then you overtype or hit delete the whole lot will chang

This is exactly right. Took a bit of getting used to (I put the date at the front myself) but it's routine now. Just tap at the end of the filename to unselect and proceed to BS at will.

[Edward Z88]

This is similar to Windows File Explorer - upon renaming a file, the file name will be selected. Tapping into the text/using the arrow keys, will allow you to edit/add to the existing file name, rather than replace it.

[discover]

On 11/26/2023 at 11:23 PM, kgallen said:

It looks like your filename is highlighted/selected in blue

...so a fix might be desirable. 

Thanks - got it.

May I suggest for a next firmware update
that the file name is not highlighted/selected per default?

[Jon Hole]

Would a higher contrast between the field background colour and the highlight colour be an alternative solution? So it's easier to tell that it's highlighted?

[kgallen]

1 hour ago, Jon Hole said:

Would a higher contrast between the field background colour and the highlight colour be an alternative solution? So it's easier to tell that it's highlighted?

That would be good. I actually like that it's selected - I just hit right arrow to append just like I would on Windows. But it's true the contrast isn't great.

[Davidmk]

52 minutes ago, kgallen said:

it's true the contrast isn't great.

Agreed

[Jon Hole]

We're currently working on a proposal that ties into this conversation - so this feels like a good opportunity to receive your feedback.

Currently we have two save methods:

• SETUP>Save - as discussed above (which allows you to save a new file with a new filename)
• "Quick Save" - which saves a new file with the current filename and the next incremental numerical suffix (e.g. "showfile2.zos", "showfile3.zos", etc)

The proposal is for a show file to include multiple "versions". So "Quick Save" updates the current show file (instead of making a new one), but as a new version. On your USB stick, there would be a single show file. "Loading" the file would automatically load the latest version, making it seamless. However, a new "Versioning" interface would display all past versions (including timestamps if on FLX) so you could "go back in time" to load a previous version if required.

(Note: out of scope of this proposal is partial show file loading where, for example, you take a single cue from a show file (or, in this situation, "version") and load it into another show file / version)

[kgallen]

Mixed feelings. Yes I currently end up with zos files tech1, tech2... dress1, dress2 ... and on a "professional basis" I approve strongly on the concept of revision control.

But if the one file gets corrupted then I've lost everything. (This is not how revision control works in software development - a base plus deltas are stored, so you don't lose everything if one file gets corrupted).

So yea, not sure... but I'm ok that you're thinking about this.

...but yes, I would really like to be able to (e.g.) load my palettes from a previous show... because regenerating position palettes for movers in (essentially) the same rigging position as before is time consuming and tedious to say the least... and there is only so far you can go with loading the whole of a previous show and carefully deleting around the fixtures and palettes you want to keep - because said fixtures might not all be in the one show. This would be higher up my priority list.

[Davidmk]

Windows-like  "Save" and "Save As" could be a good idea. As to versioning, I think full show files with incremental version numbers (rather than base file with deltas) is more robust.

On the separate subject of partial loading... This would be so helpful even if it was restricted to files with the same patch - most of my work is in the same venue with very rare changes to the patch and I suspect there are a lot of users in that position. To be able to (do the equivalent of) open a second showfile and copy individual cues, pallettes and any other things you could make possible would be brilliant!