Jeff Amato announces HyperDeck Control

[Kerry de Boer]

Jeff Amato (iamjeffamato.com) announces the free cross platform HyperDeck Control Panel, a browser based application that remotely controls Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Studios and HyperDeck Studio Pros with the option to send synchronous commands.

The browser based application features:
- Login protected interface
- Customizable branding
- Customizable deck naming
- Control of basic functions: Play, Stop, Record, Fast Forward, and Reverse
- Ability to enable REM (Remote operation)
- Simultaneous Control of multiple decks via Sync function
- Setting a deck to a specific time code, or multiple decks via Sync

More information can be found at: http://hyperdeck.iamjeffamato.com

Has anyone else got this to work?

Has anyone else got this to work?

I think you ran into a syntax error, see the post I replied to here:
http://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=22220

Hello and thank you so much Jeff Amato, You just have given me a life saving solution.
I have different camera's connected to the recorders on with i am unable to make the TC in sync. By starting all my decks at once. I have a TC sync.

One urgent question: How can i add decks to the interface? I have 8 Hyperdecks with i want to control.

Again, thank you so much for this solution which should have been made by BM in the first place.

Kind regards,

John

One urgent question: How can i add decks to the interface? I have 8 Hyperdecks with i want to control.

If you are familiar with PHP you can give it a shot by editing the index.php file and the scripts.php file. I heavily commented the code so its easier to make sense of it all.

If you can wait until tuesday afternoon, I can add the additional decks and send it to you.

Hello Jeff,

Thanks, i can wait until tuesday. No problem.
Glad you can help me anyway, i am not that great into programming.

looking forward to your message.

John

I sent you a PM, but just in case it didn't go through.

http://hyperdeck.iamjeffamato.com/hdcp_1_3-8.zip

Hello Jeff,

Got it. Can't wait to test it but have no sooner opportunity than tomorrow. Tested today with 4 decks, YES YES YES!!! It does work great. I owe you one.
John

Great idea btw to put the sync on top.

Great idea btw to put the sync on top.

I figured it would be a hindrance to have to scroll every time with eight decks.

Is it working well in your application?

Hello jeff, Finally had the change to test the 8 figuration. It works great, i am very happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One small thing and it is not really very important, just something i noticed. When i push the sync 'Stop' button, the recording time codes indicated by the 8 different decks are not completely the same. It varies but most of the time 4-5 are the same and the others have a frame difference between 1-3. Have you experienced this also?

I have one more favor to ask you and i think it might be a challenge, perhaps you don't, since you are clearly an expert. Would it be possible, that when i click in the sync line on record to have the internal clock of my Mac Mini to be reset to 0:00:00 also and that it starts also running from there as like the decks do?

Let me explain why. In live production, the director and the switching technician choose during a show or concert which camera's they prefer on the recording of the show. To be able to make minor changes afterwards, each camera is recorded separate (as you know, 8 of them). It would be a lot of work re-edit the show again in FCPX since the show has already a primarily edit done in the live setting. To help us in this, we have a software tool from Softron Media called the Multicam logger. I don't know if you know this one but incase you don't, this is what it does. It keeps track in time what camera's angles are chosen by the director during the recordings. Afterwards this log is exported into an XML file. Together with this file and all the camera angles, we are able to reproduce the switching in the timeline in FCPX and like this the show is instantly edited and small time tuning can begin. Now comes the why. Since this logger can be set to follow the timecode supplied by the camera's (which all have to be in sync), or i can choose that the logger follows the internal clock of the PC/Mac. This is the only way to have the edit points in exactly the same places as that the director has chosen. As you can understand, if i use your beautiful piece of software, all the decks start at zero when pushed on record but my camera's don't respond to that. The solution for me would be that the internal clock of my built in Mac Mini would do the same upon starting the sync recording, and all my live editing problems would be solved. Don't worry if this is not possible, i am used to set my clock at 23:59:30, start it, and than manually start the decks when the clock appears to be on 0:00:00. I am curious if you are able to help me in this. Thanks in advance for your efforts reading this and i think you are the man. Kind regards and many thanks, John

I'm no expert by any means :)

As far as it being a few frames off, I have noticed that in a few cases. It seems that the starting (record or play) trigger is in sync, but sometimes it will stop a deck or two within a frame or so. This is most likely dependent on how long it takes to ping the deck through your network and the frame rate at which you are shooting. Mathematically we have a small window in which to send commands, so at 60 frames a second we have essentially 16 milliseconds to send all the commands under normal circumstances before the decks become out of sync. The more decks, the more time it takes to process the php server side script.
I looked at that software, it looks super handy. Unless in the future they release some sort of api or ability to send tcp commands, we are out of luck as it relates to the interface I wrote. Unless its possible to somehow send a keystroke command to the mac's system events handler.

Hello Jeff, Thanks for your quick reply. It is so good to know that the start is in sync, that is the most important one anyway. For the other question, i had to try. Thank you so much for being the expert on making my life a little easier.

... there is always this....
http://www.lefflerpost.com.au/eventlogger/

video ...

Hello Baz,
Is this timecode operated so do all camera's have to be sync.
Does it work with FCPX as well?
Thanks.

@Jeff Amato, did our first sync recording with your great application and it worked 100%. We are so

For all of you following this thread and the web app I've developed, I will be releasing an update in the very near future that will include a timing function to play, stop, or record your decks at a set time.

You will be able to choose which deck (or the sync function) and the command to be executed at whatever local time you set.

There have been many instances for me where I wish I could just play out a video or record from my decks without having to sit around and wait for the time to press play or record button. Now I won't have to!

Soon as the update is there, i will give a test run.

Well, I'm pleased to announce that HyperDeck Panel v1.5 is live.

New Features:
-Updated UI (fonts and colors)
+Added timer panel for time-delayed functions
+Added timer panel help

The HyperDeck Timer Panel enables you to chose a deck, or the sync function, along with a control command and set it to activate at a time in the future! Right now its limited to a 24-hour period, meaning you can't schedule out days in advance... but that may be the next release.
This is great if you want to play a clip, record, or stop recording, without having to sit around and wait to hit the button.

Get it now! http://hyperdeck.iamjeffamato.com

HyperDeck Control Panel, a browser based application that remotely controls Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Studios and HyperDeck Studio Pros with the option to send synchronous commands.

Just pushed a new update live, HyperDeck panel v1.6!

New Features:
-Code organization
-Moved Sync to top
+Records with new file name schema
 (YYYYMMDD_HHMM-DeckName_####)
+Remote enable precedes each command
 (No more, 'oops I forgot')
+Default eight decks pre-configured, two enabled

I did some code optimization to make the panel quicker if you are only using a few of the eight pre-configured decks.
With eight decks available, that would put the sync below the fold, causing you to have to scroll, so I moved it to the top to keep it readily available.
Each time you record, the file is now saved with a unique name. This helps when you have more than one deck and have to transfer files later since all of the decks by default record with the same naming schema. The recording schema under the Hyperdeck Panel is YYYYMMDD_HHMM-DeckName_#### which translates to yearMonthDay_HourMinute-DeckName_clipNumber.
Finally, each command is now preceded by the remote enable command so that you don't have any 'oops I forgot to remote enable' which would make a command not function.

Get it now! http://hyperdeck.iamjeffamato.com

Just pushed a new update live, HyperDeck panel v1.7!

New Features:
+Introduced Utility Panel
  +Set Slot
  +Set Video Input
  +Set Audio Input
  +Set File Type

*Minimum HyperDeck Firmware 6.2 Required
*Options vary between models

Get it now! http://hyperdeck.iamjeffamato.com

On the back of several new features, I decided to keep the ball rolling...

HyperDeck Panel now includes a configuration panel, no more hard code editing required. Along with the new config panel comes the ability to import and export your config settings, making it easier to recall deck names and settings from gig to gig, as well as be up and running in seconds after an update.

I've also introduced a stand-alone version for OSX. The stand-alone HyperDeck Panel does not include authentication or the timer.

You'll notice I'm now directing downloads through a digital content distributor. This allows me better metrics and ability to push updates when available. My desire is to offer HDP for free, but at some point that may change. I am still offering HDP for free if you help me spread the word. Don't worry though, I won't leave you in the dark. Updates are free for life.

All the details can be found at http://hyperdeck.iamjeffamato.com

Jeff,
In your set up you mention using MAMP implying a Mac server. Is it also possible to use a WAMP set up? We are a Windows and Linux environment so LAMP is another possibility.
thanks,
Mike

Yes, anything that creates a virtual server that can render php will work.

Hey everyone,

New semi-update!

Nothing in HDP has changed and I'm not pushing out a new version, but in light of all of the new wearable tech that has come out (and me personally getting a Pebble Time) I've posted some tutorials on how to configure your wearable to work with HDP! Yes, this means that you can trigger your decks from your smart-watch! The future is here.

If you want to see an example or the tutorials for the platforms I've personally tested, Pebble Time and Apple Watch, head over to:
http://hyperdeck.iamjeffamato.com/?pg=wear

If youre using an android I'd love to work with you to get some tutorials going for some android wear.
Enjoy!

Hey everyone,
Thought I'd post an update on this thread. I've released version 3.0 of HyperDeck Panel.
Some of the most recent changes include:

Version 2.3 (20150728)
+Changed function of Track Back/Forward from start/end of timeline to clip +/- 1
-Cleaned up code for trial version

Version 3.0 (20150921)
+Added transport feedback, know if your decks are currently in play, record, or stop

I've got a working beta that also includes a clip bin, that once it goes through some rounds of testing will be released.

http://hyperdeck.iamjeffamato.com