Blackmagic Forum

Hello All

When the video hub control software got updated, the nice icon library turned into troll looking icons.

Can we please have at least the same icons we had previously back in the software, or the ability to change the icons ourselves?

Am i overlooking something?

I agree with Morten Stjernholm and would like to be more specific.
We have a 288 port router. I love what has been done with the interface and the icon based interface can now be very useful with the large router, especially with a touch screen. However, I struggled to find even 10 icons that were even slightly meaningful for our use.
1. Of the 34 icons, half of them are places or people where there presumably would be a monitor if you actually have such a place. They are only useful for one port, usually just one output. That's not much help on a 288 port router.
2. Of the others, several don't make visual sense, at least in our environment.
--clapboard is nice and might be useful but how does that say edit suite?
-- Character Generator Icon does not make sense to me
-- old image of black & white film leader is not evocative of a modern HD monitor
-- CCU icon looks more like a small production switcher
-- Film projector icon is clear but is redundant with telecine. Does not visually transfer to video projector
3. Router ports mainly connect to specific types of equipment or signal sources, not just to places (where there is often just a monitor),and there are not nearly enough equipment icons.
Here is my list of additions that would be useful.
Studio Camera (something that looks vaguely like a camera that exists today,
users under 50 don't recognize an image orthicon camera)
File based recorders (most of our users have never used tape)
Recorders/players-card based (SD, P2 etc.)
Disc based players/recorders (DVD, Blu-Ray, XD-Cam
SSD based recorders (BMD Hyperdeck and others)
The tape cassette icon is fine for those VTR's that remain. Poor for file based devices.
Multi-viewer
Video Server
NLE - (not the same as an edit suite) NLE is a device with I/O. Suite is a room with a monitor)
Satellite / microwave dish
Off air tuner
cable box (could be combined with the tuner)
Computer - PC very useful to represent all kinds of functions
Computer - Mac
Computer - Laptop
Production Switcher - support for a large multiple M/E switcher in addition to existing icon.
General large switcher icon for I/O
Keyer (icon can be used with switcher or stand alone keying device, or to represent key signal)
DVE
Frame Store
NOTE: please keep the existing small switcher icon.
a larger facility will have two or more switchers.
Useful to distinguish Master control from Production Switcher.
Processing Equipment
Teranex
Frame sync
Standards/Format converters
Scan converters
Routing switcher - (we route between multiple BMD routing switchers)
Time Code
BNC connector - PLEASE restore this - most useful for tie lines - we have lots of them!
PTZ or remote controlled camera
Prompter
Digital Signage
Video Projector (film projector icon is not a visually meaningful representation)
video wall

Like others, I would greatly prefer to be able to create our own icons. I was told at NAB that would never happen because BMD feels people would make the interface ugly. If that is a hard and fast position, then please provide us with a hundred or more icons that represent the variety sources that we actually use. That seems like a minimal number to support a router with 576 ports.

I would offer to have our graphics department submit some designs if you are interested and if you provide file specs. Thanks,
Charles Nolley

cnolley wrote:I was told at NAB that would never happen because BMD feels people would make the interface ugly.

Maybe they hate the competition as I would have to agree that they are doing a pretty good job of doing that themselves.

Seems like I lost all my pretty versions of the videotape recorders I have in the rack, DBetas, HDCAmSR... and the BNC Icon was my go-to for both patch field and disconnects if I needed to.

Seems petty.

jPo

I would have to agree. Just purchased a Smart Videohub 40x40. Icons are really disappointing. I don't have Godzilla in my racks. Why can't we old icons back.

Jonathan

Guys, I have raised this with Blackmagic several times, and at IBC 2015 I even got a meeting with the leading engineer.

Guess what. They don't give a damn about you, really.

There is some serious cultural issues at BMD when it comes to the golden keys to costumer-centric development.

I could go on for ages about how small a task it would be to better this feature, that has such a profound effect on costumers daily lives and the usability of the product, but seriously - the top engineer thought I was an idiot bringing it up.

Now, FOUR years since the launch of the software, you are still using a whisky glass substituting for a satellite feed or something.. WTF?!

Another 2 years later and BMD still have not made the icons any better on the PC software. What is interesting is that the iPad software has got a lot more usable icons. So the obvious question is why is it acceptable to let the iPad have a good range of icons and not the PC software?

Two more years later.

4 more years later...

saylorville wrote:4 more years later...

It's totally shocking that you can't upload your own icons. It appears that they stopped all development on videohub range. Their iPad app stopped being supported / working since iOS 11 (I'm on 14).

Morten Stjernholm wrote:Guys, I have raised this with Blackmagic several times, and at IBC 2015 I even got a meeting with the leading engineer.

Guess what. They don't give a damn about you, really.

There is some serious cultural issues at BMD when it comes to the golden keys to costumer-centric development.

I could go on for ages about how small a task it would be to better this feature, that has such a profound effect on costumers daily lives and the usability of the product, but seriously - the top engineer thought I was an idiot bringing it up.

Now, FOUR years since the launch of the software, you are still using a whisky glass substituting for a satellite feed or something.. WTF?!

Has this been escalated up tp Grant? This is absurd! A user can't download their own icons for sources and destinations?

I just built an icon panel from a different vendor and it was a breeze finding all the icons I needed online. Had to edit a few with a paint program but that's easy.

Just buy a Smart Videohub 20X20 and saw that I can't add personal icons in Videohub Control ?!?!
Do something Grant !

I have to say this is disappointing. At least make icons representing all of the Blackmagic equipment.

9 years later!!!! Almost to the day! I should have posted this tomorrow.


All new 12G Videohubs are out.... STILL can't use custom icons or even just better standard icons. I don't need an icon of a glass of booze, I need a few different kinds of cameras and icons of actual BMD equipment.

This would really help speed up work. If I just have a text label or matrix numbers, it requires a few more seconds to make the patch. Picture of a Hyperdeck and a picture of a BMD studio camera, brain processes that faster. Like, eyes go to group of camera icons on matrix control and group of recorder icons on matrix control.

Does BMD even have a feature request system?

It's pretty clear that they don't really monitor their own forums.

BMD... we are not a visual oriented company

Why does BMD not do any software updates on the Videohubs They recently updated the hardware why not software? There are so many opportunities the software should take adavantage of the hardware. Adding custom icons and creating presets are just some of the features should be implemented in a future release. Also detection of the Hubs in the setup program is not working at all for me even though I have full control in the Control software. Since I cannot access the setup I cannot labeling the Inputs or Outputs. Very dissapointing... Can BMD atleast post a reply with a promise of a future revision to the software?