User interface¶

Main elements¶

Clipbox provides a customizable user interface that is suitable for various use cases. The main elements (windows) can be freely positioned by docking or undocking them (for more information, see section Customizing the user interface). In addition, the elements to be displayed and the color highlighting of most windows can be configured via the Clipbox system settings.

The following image shows an example arrangement of the main elements of the user interface:

(1) - Menu/toolbar

(2) - Media - list of all available files

(3) - Playlists - list of playlists imported from a connected NRCS

(4) - List of all files contained in the selected playlist

(5) - File preview

(6) - Player "VS1"

(7) - Player "VS2"

(8) - Messages - list of system messages

(9) - Status bar

As an alternative display variant when connected to an NRCS, Clipbox also provides the cockpit view, which consists of the following elements:

(1) Menu/toolbar

(2) Player information and control for player "VS2"

(3) Player information and control for Player "VS1"

(4) Playlists imported from a connected NRCS

(5) List of all files contained in the selected playlist

(6) Cockpit

(7) Status bar

The toolbar of the main window contains the following areas:

• Start
  

• View
  

  Tip

  All windows available within the Clipbox user interface are listed in the View area. Each window can be displayed or hidden individually, by clicking on it. Displayed (activated) windows are highlighted in blue.

• Help
  

The areas of the toolbar contain the following functions:

Media¶

The Media window provides a listing of all files available and playable in the Clipbox system. A distinction is made between a listing of files in a configurable source directory (Media window) and a listing of playlists (Playlists window) and the files used in them from a connected NRCS.

For more information about the Media window, see chapter Listing files.

Player¶

Each player configured in the system can be controlled via its own Player window (also referred to as "Card Player"). It is used to create clip lists either manually or by using playlists and to control playback.

Every Player window can be displayed or hidden via the menu bar of the main window via View > Player controls. To do this, activate or deactivate the icon of the corresponding player (usually named "VS1", "VS2", etc.).

The Player window consists of the following elements:

Edit mode¶

The edit mode allows you to trim the clip currently loaded by the player and to control its playback.

The edit mode toolbar consists of the following elements:

No.	Symbol	Function
1		Jump to mark in
2		Medium jump back
3		Small jump back
4		Play/Pause
5		Small jump forward
6		Medium jump forward
7		Jump to end
8		Jump to mark out
9		Set current position as mark in
10		Set current position as mark out
11		Save material markers (without function)

Playback control¶

Each player can be controlled via its playback control.

The playback control toolbar consists of the following elements:

No.	Symbol	Function
1		Play
2		Pause
3		Cue previous clip
4		Cue next clip
5		Stop
6		Eject media Notice If a file is already cued (prepared for playback) in the corresponding video server, it is ejected (unloaded) and the video server is set to idle.

After a single clip is added to the clip list, it is highlighted in gray:

A clip added to the clip list with a file that does not yet exist in the specified source directory can be recognized by a CUE button with a red border:

A clip prepared for playback is highlighted in green:

The clip currently playing is highlighted in red:

If clip playback is scheduled via a planned time, the clip is marked in the upper left corner with a marker in the color of the selected time. In addition the label of the CUE button displays the selected planned time:

The left side shows the following information about the selected clip:

Symbol	Function
	(1) - Color of the selected planned time (not applicable for manual playback) (2) - Number/position of the clip in the clip list

The file information of the selected clip is listed in the center:

Symbol	Function
	(1) - File name (2) - MOS object ID (3) - Mark in timecode (left)/Duration of the clip considering mark in and mark out (right)

Playback options¶

Playback options can be set individually for each clip in the clip list. The following options are available:

No.	Symbol	Name	Function
1		Autofollow	Automatically prepare clip and start playback as soon as the previous clip ends
2		Freeze black	Show black image after the end of the clip playback
3		Freeze last	Show the last frame after the end of the clip playback
4		Loop	Play current clip in loop
5		Autocue next	Prepare next clip automatically without displaying the first frame
6		Cue	Prepare clip playback (load file in the corresponding video server)
7		FX	Transition effect (e.g. blackfade or crossfade) when switching to the following clip (optional, only available if supported by the playout hardware used)

Clip list editing¶

Via the clip list editing you can change the clip list, e.g. by changing the clip order, creating groups and adding or removing clips.

The toolbar for clip list editing provides the following functions:

No.	Symbol	Function
1		Move selected clip to the top of the clip list
2		Move selected clip one position up
3		Remove selected clip from clip list
4		Move selected clip one position down
5		Move selected clip to the bottom of the clip list
6		Group selected clips
7		Remove all clips from group (ungroup)
8		Remove selected clip from group
9		Show file overview
10		Manually synchronize clip list with the connected video server

Cockpit¶

The Cockpit provides an alternative display of the player clip lists and their playback control. It contains similar functions to the Player window, but in contrast to this, it uses a table display which combines the clip lists of all players into a single continuous list. This makes it particularly suitable for users who operate Clipbox with several players in combination with an NRCS and prefer this type of display to the player-specific display.

The Cockpit window can be displayed and hidden via the menu bar of the main window via View > Cockpit.

The toolbar in the upper left area of the cockpit window provides the following functions:

Symbol	Name	Function
	Reload	Refresh the Cockpit display
	Sync + Reload all players	Synchronize clip lists of all players with the corresponding video servers and update the Cockpit display
	Force display of active clips	Jump to currently active clips within the cockpit clip list

The list displayed below summarizes the contents of the clip lists of all players. In addition to details of the individual clips, the list provides access to the following playback options:

Player information and control¶

The player information and control window contains a configurable display of the remaining time of the clip currently prepared for playback or running in the corresponding player. It also includes the same Playback control as used in the player window and is particularly suitable as an addition to the Cockpit.

It can be displayed and hidden via the menu bar of the main window via View > Player info, by activating or deactivating the icon of the corresponding player (usually named "VS1", "VS2", etc.). The window consists of the following elements:

No.	Function
1	Name of the player
2	Highlight color of the player (used, among other things, for better visual distinction in the cockpit view as to which file is played via which player)
3	Remaining time of the currently prepared or running clip (incl. display of the playback progress and color highlighting of the time display as a countdown during the last 10 seconds of playback)
4	Synchronize clip list manually with the corresponding video server (identical function as symbol 10 in the clip list editing toolbar)
5	Playback control (identical function as the player playback control)

File preview¶

Overview¶

The File preview window allows frame-accurate playback of files, trimming of clips as well as creating subclips. It can be displayed and hidden via the menu bar of the main window via View > File preview. It consists of the following elements:

The File preview window consists of the following elements:

Toolbar¶

The File preview toolbar provides the following functions:

No.	Symbol	Function
1		Jump to mark in
2		Set mark in at current position
3		Previous frame
4		Stop preview playback
5		Start preview playback
6		Next frame
7		Fast forward
8		Set mark out
9		Jump to mark out
10		"Take" - Apply trimmed section (defined by the current mark in and mark out) to the corresponding clip in the clip list of the player

Messages¶

The Messages window contains status messages that are marked with corresponding icons and colors depending on their type and meaning. It can be displayed and hidden via the menu bar of the main window via View > Messages.

Customizing the user interface¶

You can customize the positions of the Clipbox user interface windows according to your own specifications. The main areas can be arranged almost arbitrarily.

Changing the arrangement of the windows¶

To change the arrangement of a window, proceed as follows:

1. Click on the header of the corresponding window.

2. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the window to the desired position.

   Notice

   The user interface offers you possible directional positions for docking windows on the screen (top, bottom, left or right). If you move the selected window within an open window, an additional icon appears. There you can dock your window at one of the four directional positions.

   

The arrangement of the windows is changed.

To dock a window at a suggested position, proceed as follows:

1. Left-click on the header of the window.

2. Drag the window to the desired position while holding down the left mouse button.

   The respective position is highlighted in blue as a preview.

   

The window is docked at the selected position.

To undock a docked window, proceed as follows:

• Double-click the header of the respective window.

The window is undocked and displayed separately.

Combining multiple windows¶

You can group multiple windows into a tab bar. To do this, at least one window must already be open.

To create a tab bar in a window, proceed as follows:

1. Open another window via the toolbar.

2. Drag it to the center of the already opened window.

   The positioning tool for docking windows is displayed.

3. Select the position in the center as shown below.

   

   Both windows (in the example the Messages and File preview windows) are now displayed in the tab bar at the bottom and can be selected.

   

4. To add additional windows to the tab bar, repeat steps 1-3.

The selected windows are combined into a tab bar.