TuneTracker Command Center™ Display Modes

Don't worry, this is easy stuff. "Display modes" just refers to TuneTracker's ability to switch among different views of the same information. All modes are broadcast-safe. You can switch among the various view options without affecting what is on the air. One part of your view will never change. The currently-playing and next-to-play items on the top left of the Command Center interface are always visible and are unaffected by changes in display mode. That way you can always see what's happening on the air.


Just Remember...1,2,3,4

Just remember the numbers 1,2,3, and 4. Tapping those keys on your keyboard will allow you to switch among the various view modes. Each is described below, but if you forget what the numbers do, don't panic! Just try them in TuneTracker...1...2...3...4...and you'll immediately be reminded of what each one does.

Each mode has its distinct advantages and features. Drag-n-drop editing can be done to one degree or another in all modes.

Before we look at each, you should be aware that, on some computers, if you want to use the numeric keypad on the right of your keyboard, you must first hit the "Num Lock" key that is normally just above it. When engaged, the Num Lock light on the keyboard will be lit.

1.   "1-Mode" (hitting the "1" key on your keyboard) toggles the viewing of memo lines on and off. The default is off.

   Toggling memo lines to "on" allows you to view little notations you've added to your logs. If used sparingly, so they don't take up too many lines on the screen, they can also be used to display little reminders to staff during their air shifts, etc.

   
   
   
2.   "2-Mode" (hitting the "2" key on your keyboard) displays your program log queue; a drag-n-drop editable list of program logs. The line containing the current day's (today's) program log will be displayed in pale red. The next-day's (tomorrow's) program log will display in pale blue. If you have not designated a current day's program log yet, no lines will be marked in color. You can also enter queue mode by right-clicking anywhere in the list of your program log's contents, and choosing, "View Program Log Queue."

   Important! After making changes in the program log queue area, be absolutely certain, always, to double-click on the current day's program log to re-load it.
   
   This is the mode TuneTracker will automatically start in if you launch the program when no program logs have been added to the queue. It is also the mode you need to go into when adding more program logs to the queue, and when removing old program logs from the queue. You can right-click on any program log and choose "Remove" to get rid of it.
   
   When the queue is completely empty, you can drop the first log anywhere in the queue and it will appear at the top. All successive logs must be dragged and dropped in just below the preceding one. Drag each successive log to the crack just beneath the lowest log in the queue, and watch for a blue line to appear. When you see the line, release. If your queue contains more than about six logs, you must scroll down to add more, using the scrollbar. Drag and drop any further logs into the crack at the very bottom, beneath the lowest item you can view.
   
   Program logs can only be added to the end of the queue. If logs need to be added in the middle somewhere, delete program logs from the end (bottom) of the queue until you reach the place where you need to insert one. Drop it into place, then drop the rest of them back in.
   
   HINT: If you assign your Program Logs folder as the "Favorites Folder" in TuneTracker System Prefs, you can instantly display its contents over the top of TuneTracker by hitting the "F" key on your keyboard, making it especially easy to drag-n-drop program logs into the queue.
   
   HINT: If you want the queue to "loop," make certain to select that option in TuneTracker System Prefs. If that option is selected, TuneTracker will loop back through the queue, starting from the top, if it runs out of logs at the bottom. Even a queue containing just one log can be told to loop.

   
   
   
3.   "3-Mode" (hitting the "3" key on your keyboard) displays your program log in collapsed, "hour view." You can expand individual hours by clicking their "Collapse/Expand" buttons.

   The big benefit of 3-Mode is to make it easy to find your way around within a whole day's worth of programming. It's a lot easier to collapse the log down into hours, scroll to the hour you're interested in, and expand just that hour to view its contents, than it is to scroll through a mile-long program log to find that same location. 3-Mode is perfect when you want to make same-day edits to the current day's (today's) or next day's (tomorrow's) program logs.
   
   As an example, if you want to copy an ad from 8 this morning to several other locations throughout the day, you can drag the ad to ShuttlePad, go to 3-Mode, expand the first hour where you want to "add the ad," and drag it from ShuttlePad to that location. Collapse that hour, scroll to the next hour where it needs to go, expand, drop it from ShuttlePad, collapse, etc. It's a blazingly quick way to work!

   
   
   
4.   "4-Mode" (hitting the "4" key on your keyboard) displays a full, uncollapsed view of the program log. You can use the 4 key to jump your view back to the current time of day if you've been scrolling around in your program log. Turning Auto off and back on will accomplish the same thing. If you're in queue view mode (see "2-Mode" above) you can also get back to the program log view by hitting the "4" key.

   Most of the time, you will operate in 4-Mode, which displays a non-collapsed, full, scrollable, editable view of not only today's entire program log, but tomorrow's as well.
   
   You can also use the "4" key (or click Auto off and back on) to jump to the current time-of-day in the log after having scrolled to another location in the log. The hour markers seen in 3-Mode are still visible in 4-Mode, allowing you to collapse and expand hours at-will.
   
   In 4-Mode, you have splendid drag-n-drop capabilities, including the ability to drag-rearrange, copy, cut, paste, queue as next-to-play, or immediately start, every single audio file in the entire program log.
   
   Note that only the current day's (today's) and next day's (tomorrow's) logs can be edited using drag-n-drop in TuneTracker. To do drag-n-drop editing of other logs, use our Lightning program.
   
   

HELPFUL HINT: There are two methods of copying and pasting that can be used independently of each other! You can copy by right-clicking on an event in the program log and choosing "copy," or by dragging an event to ShuttlePad. Because each of the two approaches uses a different "memory buffer," it allows you to copy one distinct file using right-click, another distinct file using ShuttlePad, then paste one or the other of the files back into the program log, interchangeably, by using right-click/paste for one file, and dragging from the ShuttlePad for the other file.



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