When you tell the Flyer to play a project, it processes the clips and creates invisible AVTemp files to handle overlaps and transitions. These files get removed when you shut your Flyer down, run VoidAll, or Re-organize your drive. Well, not always. Apparently AVTemp files only get removed from video drives and not from audio drives. This means that an audio drive might appear to have plenty of room when in fact it does not.

The only way to clean the audio drive (at this time,) is to copy all the sound files off to another drive (probably a video drive), then re-format the audio drive, and move the files back. When you are sure that they are there, delete the extra files on the other drive.

This might clear up some assorted playback problems. Perhaps the new 4.2 release might fix this.

Re-direction... Programmers often create a tiny program that users can place and use from anywhere. When you run that program, it simply calls and starts a second program which is located in a less convenient location. This provides the user with some flexibility and the programmer with a solid "real" location.

Some folks have had a problem using any ARexx routine that re-directs a call to a second ARexx routine. They are able to run the second routine directly, but not from any other crouton or command that calls it.

We discovered that a couple of these problem systems have a call to start "RexxMast" in their "s:user-startup" file. We removed the line in the user-startup and put RexxMast into the "sys:WBstartup" drawer instead. After re-booting, everything worked as it should.

You may not have known it, but there is a manual hue control screen for the Toaster/Flyer 4000 board and it has apparently been there for a while. This screen allows you to make manual settings instead of living with the Auto-hue settings. With a little time and effort you can probably refine your digital/analog colors to match closer. Please note that this Manual Hue screen was not intended to be accessed from the Flyer and therefor its operation is a little weird.

• Start with a freshly booted Flyer
• Go to the Project/Switcher view
• Select DV2 on both the main and preview buss
• Then press RightAlt + RightShift + F10

A new screen should appear. When you feed color bars (or typical video footage) into input 1, then the top half of the program screen shows the original footage and the lower half shows what it is like after passing through the digital buffers. You can adjust the split screen position by moving the T-Bar.

First of all, I would suggest that you write all of the current values down on paper, in case you decide to restore some value(s).

As I mentioned, this control screen works a little strangely. As you click on each of the functions (like gain, setup, red etc.) you must click on the lower half of any of the buttons, otherwise some of the hidden Flyer buttons start to appear. Also note that the button named "Switcher" does not exit the screen. To leave, (after saving your settings) just press the "Escape" key. To return to this screen, you will probably have to close the Flyer and go through the opening steps again.

The theory for setting the Manual Hue, is to match the top and bottom halves of the screen. Using a waveform monitor and vectorscope here can really help. I was able to get every setting matched well, except that my blue ended up slightly darker.

Although I had my picture matched on this control screen, I still saw my images go a little dark when using RenderFX (from ProWave.) With some trial and error I eventually brought my setup up (the blacks), then my overall gain down. This did not quite match when seen from the control screen, but it was perfectly invisible when used for real.

I encourage NewTek to reactivate this screen (and any other fine-tune controls that we can get.) Professional users appreciate being able to perform fine adjustments to their system.

This month's article is short. I just received my 4.2 beta disk tonight and I don't wish to write mythology that goes out-of-date tomorrow. Unfortunately, I have not received any document yet that lists the fixes/changes. But my deadline for writing this is past, and I am also anxious to test it out.

So later, Aussie

Audio: Audio "Feedback" or "Buzz" - #1
Audio: Audio "Lock To" Choices - #3
Audio: Audio "Start Points" slip around - #1
Audio: Keeping a "Matching" Audio clip in sync - #3
Audio: Pan or Balance? The Flyer's system - #3
Audio: Riding music levels with a "human feel" - #3
Audio: Use An Audio Enhancer, sometimes - #3
Audio: Use An Audio Limiter/Compressor - #2

CG: CG Scroll Delays - #1

Digitizing: Don't Trim Unless Needed - #2
Digitizing: Don't Kill Audio Unless Trimming - #2
Digitizing: File Naming - #2
Digitizing: Process Cutting to a second drive - #2
Digitizing: Sometimes Keep All Video As One Clip - #2
Digitizing: Use the Comment for source location - #2
Digitizing: Use An Audio Enhancer, sometimes - #3
Digitizing: Use An Audio Limiter/Compressor - #2

Time-Saving: Don't Despair -- Use Careware - #1
Time-Saving: Folders are Fine - #1
Time-Saving: Stop in time saves nine - #1

Timecode: Timecode with the Flyer - #1
Timecode: A Second Timecode Solution - #1

TPaint: Hollow & Filled Painting Modes - #1

Video: Blacker Blacks - #1
Video: Framestores Vs Flyer Stills - #1

Michael Holten is an Emmy award winning video editor, a theatrical Sound Designer, and a third party Flyer programmer. His Seattle based company, OZware, has released three programs for use with NewTek's Video Flyer: Co-Pilot Audio, Co-Pilot Video, and Aussie's Fast Frames. Watch for more.