Footswitch2 - no Pause_Jump
Audio Transcription software for Linux (Vlc) with a foot pedal
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#2 Footswitch2 - no Pause_Jump
First a fix I found:
On first opening footswitch2 (VLC) under Mint 17.3 there is an error...
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Notification problem... Control panel fails to load...
Edit as superuser: \bin\fs2
add after "imports"...
global notify_override, notify_active_count
notify_override = 15000
notify_active_count = 0
Save and close
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AND...
Libre Macros do not work. We do not actually need Libre Macros as we're using a footpedal, but it may be useful if it works.
The current problem is: after Pause there should be a few seconds backwards Jump. I can find the code in fs2 that subtracts the Jump value pause_jump from the current location next_timestamp and then Seeks the backward location but there is no backward jump. Stomping on the Back footpedal works but is tedious.
I tried turning on VLC logging but this does not work as-is with footswitch2.
Any idea how to get Pause_Jump working, please?
Apart from the above, great little program. Thank you!
Dave Stiles
Ticket moved from /p/footcontroller/tickets/1/
Hi Dave,
Glad to hear from you, although it would be better if you didn't have issues.
The notify_override is set from the "NOTIFY" parameter in the $HOME/fs3/fs3.cfg file and defaults to 5000ms. It is accessible in the Tools->configure form where it is called "Notification Delay".
Both notify_override and notify_active_count are created in the "def config(self):" function and shouldn't need to be declared again. To be fair, I'm not sure what you mean by "Notification problem... Control panel fails to load...", perhaps you could go into a bit more detail and please include which version of footswitch2 you are using.
On the subject of Macros, I assume that the macros are loaded and that you can see the Fs2 Toolbar. I have written detailed notes on setting up LibreOffice and the macros, they can be found in chapters 10 and 11 in the documentaion.
Ensure that you have the package "libreoffice-script-provider-python" installed.
Then ensure that In LibreOffice in
Tools
Options
LibreOffice
Advanced
tick Enable experimental features
and you will need a Java runtime environment installed.
Also check that the package "configobj" is installed not only for python2.7 but also for python3, as libreoffice uses python3.
The jump back after a pause, should definitely be working, in the
Tools->configure form
there is a setting called "Pause Jump (secs)*" this controls the amount of time to jump backwards after a pause.
If you still have problems, with any of this, try running fs2 from the command line and see if any errors get echoed onto the terminal. Other than that, feel free to come back to me on any issue and I will, given enough detail, find a resolution for you.
There is a version 3.0 ready for release, which will amongst other things, simplify the macro side of things, in addition to automatically recognising nearly all of the foot switches out there, rather than just the Infinity VEC foot pedal.
It will be posted on this site, as soon as I convince "her in doors" to let me get on her computer and upgrade her copy first.
Regards
Rolf
P.S. I had to move this ticket from "footcontroller", where you posted it, to "footswitch2" so I hope that you find this reply.
Sorry about the delay, Rolf. Router died and no internet connection for a few days.
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That is your new version? But I know what you mean.
Yes. No problem there. But for some reason the two variables are not defined in the file. Without defining the two variables notify_override and notify_active_count in /bin/fs2 the yellow Control Panel would not open. I first tried from the Menu and got nothing at all; from Terminal I received error reports about the missing vars. Once I'd fixed that I got the Control Panel. Looking through the script I got the impression that if I'd included notification on the command line the vars would have been skipped.
NOTE: I saw someone else had this error - I think it was posted on this forum somewhere but maybe somewhere else. The description was the same as mine and for Mint 17 (based on Ubuntu 14.04). I suspect something is defined in an earlier OS lib version somewhere that is not in the current ones.
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Footswitch2 2.0.0 for VLC (c) 2014-2015. We're using an Infinity pedal. Previously been using Express Scribe on Windows 7 - terrible OS and Scribe's caching is a menace on low-spec machines! Using fs2 in Classic mode (Play/Pause on same (middle) pedal) and with Equalizer.
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Libre in Mint 17 is V5; you seem to be geared to V4 and installation placed files in the config folder for that one. I moved them to the V5 folder.
Yes.
No such feature. Remember this is V5 - specifically 5.0.3.2. I recall seeing that somewhere but I think it was in conjunction with something else on V3 on Mint 13.
OpenJDK plus libreoffice-java-common (and a few others)
I have ONLY python-configobj available and it is installed.
Clicking on an fs2 macro in librewriter I get the error...
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A Scripting Framework error occurred while running the Python script vnd.sun.star.script:fs2TimeUser1.py$fs2_TimeUser1?language=Python&location=user.
Message: <class 'pythonscript.com.sun.star.ucb.InteractiveAugmentedIOException'="">: an error occurred during file opening
/usr/lib/libreoffice/program/pythonscript.py:428 in function getModuleByUrl() [lastRead = self.sfa.getDateTimeModified( url )]
/usr/lib/libreoffice/program/pythonscript.py:992 in function getScript() [mod = self.provCtx.getModuleByUrl( fileUri )]
====
pythonscript.py exists in the given path.
============
This should be working but for some reason it isn't - I'm getting a lot of aggro about this. :(
I've tried changing parameters in an editor and via the Control Panel. Each method has an effect on the config file and the control panel loads appropriately, so I'm fairly sure there is no config problem. Again, I wonder if there is a Mint software version incompatibility.
It also occurs to me that we're using Classic mode; could it be that this works in non-Classic mode only? Just a thought.
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I think I should mention that I obtained the switch software from sourceforge not from the Mint software centre. I had been looking for linux footpedal-VLC software for a couple of years: my local network is linux with only a couple of essential but ancient windows macnines. I tried to engage VLC on the subject: the forum thread has been viewed several thousand times but the forum moderator was against the idea, even when people explained what a foot-pedal was. I tried to make something myself but my software design skills are several years out of date and non-Linux.
After installing Mint 17.3 Mate on one machine I went looking again and fount the sourceforge page, so I installed from there. In trying to get it working I found the software centre version. It has occurred to me there may be a difference between the two installation methods; I thought I'd contact you before uninstalling and reinstalling from the software centre - although I doubt the action will change anything.
(NOTE: Mint 17.3 64-bit was installed over the top of Mint 13 Mate; most of the old user data/setup was preserved. There may be incompatibilty introduced in this way.)
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Dave Stiles
Hi Dave,
Firstly, yes upgrading to version 5.0.3.2 has caused a few issues, as if you upgrade from version 4, the installation runs with the $HOME/.config/libreoffice/4 setup and fails to setup $HOME/.config/libreoffice/5 set of directories. It just runs with the version 4 files. I shall have to amend the setup to allow for this in footswitch2.3.0.0
The issue is that I check the version which now returns the value 5 for which there are no setup files on an existing installation.
The notify issue is related to this, plus a bug. I don't set it before discovering that there is an issue with the libreoffice version and its files, your current fix is fine and the problem was found and fixed in footswitch2.2.1 and above.
Note: I referred to $HOME/fs3/fs3.cfg previously, that should have been $HOME/fs2.cfg, my mistake, as we are discussing footswitch2
With regard to the "Enable experimental features" in the libreoffice Tools>Options>LibreOffice>Advanced It is still very much there in my version 5.0.3.2, so have another dig about, tick it and re-check if the scripts fire up
As a side note they should be in:
/.config/libreoffice/5/user/Scripts/python (I think) in your case
The problem with the PAUSE Jump Back is an oversight on my part (a bug) the issue is fixed in version 3.0.0 which will be released soon. (But not as soon as I had wished due the problems brought about by version 5 of libreoffice). If you can't wait and feel happy to hack some code, the following should fix it.
In the "def FootPedal(.........)" function (line 1881) there is some code that reads:
if key_classic == 1 and (pedal_state[kc_idx] != pps[kc_idx]): if pedal_state[kc_idx] == 1: self.player.play() else: self.player.pause() prev_pedal_state = pedal_state return prev_pedal_stateChange it to read:
if key_classic == 1 and (pedal_state[kc_idx] != pps[kc_idx]): if pedal_state[kc_idx] == 1: self.OnPause(None) else: self.OnPause(None) prev_pedal_state = pedal_state return prev_pedal_stateBe careful to observe the indentatation.
This problem does only manifest itself if you are using "Classic" mode.
With regard to you comments concerning footswitch2 at Sourceforge.net and "the Software centre version", are you sure that you aren't just seeing that footswitch2 is installed via package manager. As far as I am aware footswitch2 only has one source, here on Sourceforge.net (unless you know different).
Finally, if you can remember where you saw references to issues with footswitch2 or 3 somewhere else, would you let me know and I'll try to track them down and offer some help.
Regards
Rolf
Last edit: Rolf 2016-02-22
Hello, Rolf. Thanks for the info update.
It would be nice to have the Libre fix but at present it's not used as my wife views the video on a different machine to the typing.
Notify - I more or less suspected the problem.
"Enable experimental features" - yes. Found it. One of my "Can't see the wood for trees" moments. Sorry. And yes, it was ticked.
I have 31 .py files in that folder.
I swapped your new code for the old and the control panel failed to load. Swapped it back and it worked again (without the jump-back). I then re-read your caution about indentation, fixed it, and it worked fine. Thanks! And especially from my wife!! :)
Footswitch2 and fs2-equaliser are both present in 17.3 Software Manager BUT, depending on how that works, perhaps it is just reflecting the actual installation. I'm not in a position to test that at the moment. Sorry.
The reference to the Notification bug is at the URL below, entitled "Not running on mint 17.1"
https://sourceforge.net/p/footswitch2/discussion/
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Dave Stiles
Cheers Dave,
I cranked out a reply to Marko, although he posted late last year, so it may be too little, too late.
On a side issue, to do with libreoffice 5, I wonder if you could clear something up for me, as it is causing me some confusion.
Having removed libreoffice 4 from my machine and installed libreoffice 5 from scratch, my local libreoffice configuration files are still being created in $HOME/.config/libreoffice/4 rather than $HOME/.config/libreoffice/5 which is where I would expect them to be. Can you confirm that you, having a fresh install of both libreoffice and Mint, have your configuration files in $HOME/.config/libreoffice/5 and that $HOME/.config/libreoffice/4 does not exist?
The issue is that I may have to allow for both depending on whether the copy of libreoffice 5 is a fresh install or an update. That is unless I can find some configuration variable which defines where the local config files are supposed to be.
Regards
Rolf
Hello, Rolf.
I have Mint 17 on only one m/c and that's the one I've played with to get it working.
My brother has two NEW installations as below so I asked him about the libre config.
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In 17.2 Libre Office 4
Home \ martin \ .config \ libreoffice \ 4 \ cache (empty), user - 10 folders
In 17.3 Libre Office 5
Home \ martin \ .config \ libreoffice \ 4 \ cache (empty), user - 10 folders
Neither has a libreoffice \ 5.
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On my system I copied the scripts folder back from 5 to 4 and re-ran librewriter. Still got an error but a different one this time (using option TimeStamp)...
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com.sun.star.uno.RuntimeExceptionError during invoking function fs2_TimeStamp in module file:///home/dave/.config/libreoffice/4/user/Scripts/python/fs2TimeStamp.py (<class 'ImportError'="">: No module named 'configobj' (or 'configobj.ConfigObj' is unknown)
/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/uno.py:268 in function _uno_import() [return _g_delegatee( name, optargs, *kwargs )]
/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/uno.py:338 in function _uno_import() [raise uno_import_exc]
/home/dave/.config/libreoffice/4/user/Scripts/python/fs2TimeStamp.py:55 in function fs2_TimeStamp() [from configobj import ConfigObj]
/usr/lib/libreoffice/program/pythonscript.py:869 in function invoke() [ret = self.func( *args )]
)
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Accidentally found...
Pedal usage: Centre (Play) pedal PLUS Left (Rewind) pedal changes mode to/from Classic - is that correct?
There is a similar action when using the Control Panel's Pause button and then Centre pedal to start playing.
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Dave Stiles
Good morning Dave,
At last we have some clarity!
The problem that you are having with the libreoffice macros is as I first supposed, you haven't got configobj installed in python3.
Libreoffice uses python3 but footswitch uses 2.7, simply because the wxpython GUI cannot yet use python 3 as the python 3 version of wxpython is still not released in the Mint repositories, probably because it isn't yet reliable enough.
How to install configobj in python3 is detailed in the footswitch documentation in section 10. LibreOffice Setup and the Macros under trouble-shooting.
However that is now redundant as footswitch2 version 3 is now available, which no longer requires this step.
The issue surrounding LibreOffice 5 and where it puts its local configuration files is also solved. For somewhat dubious reasons they decided to leave all of the local configuration under $HOME/.config/libreoffice/4 despite the version moving on to 5.
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/5.0#User_settings_-_location_of_the_user_profile
I suspect that that decision may come home to roost one day.
Finally, pedal useage.
If you are using "classic" mode the play/pause pedal is "always" the middle pedal.
If you are not using "classic" mode, then the pedals are completely configurable. In the Tools-> Configure window you may choose what each pedal does. This is the main setup for the pedals. However, in version 3, there are also alternative pedal sets that you can define. This allows you to create a set of pedal definitions, different to the main one, that you might use for proofing for example.
I hope this clears up all the issues that are outstanding, if not, drop me another line.
Regards
Rolf
Hello, Rolf.
So far the old version is doing the job. I can't upgrade to v3 yet as I can't afford to upset a working system. As soon as I can, though. Thanks for all your help! :)
One point I forgot to mention: right-clicking on a file in the File Manager and selecting Open With / footswitch2 results in VLC launching outside of the hellow control panel instead of inside it. Not a problem since this is not a common method of opening a file and it works once loaded; but it's odd.
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Dave Stiles
Dave,
I understand, it takes me an age to convince "her indoors" to move to the latest version, AND I write the damned thing! ;)
Opening video via the "File Manager" with "Open with..Footswitch2" which was opening the video in a separate window, is fixed in version 3.1.0, so when you get around to updating use that version. It should be available soon, once I've finished testing it.
Hello, Rolf.
I was about to install the update when you started sending notices of
new updates.
One thing my wife keeps asking is: How can I find out the length of the
video AFTER it has reached the end. On reaching the end of a video, this
information disappears and the video resets to Start.
Is this already available and I've missed it or can it be added?
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Dave Stiles
Last edit: Dave Stiles 2016-03-20
Morning Dave,
The running time should be retained in the box on the right, until a new
file is selected for play, it certainly is in the latest versions.
However, simply hitting the play button again will put the running time
back in the box or if you choose
Database->View Statistics you will find the details in there, along with
a host of other stats.
Regards
On Sun, Mar 20, 2016, at 05:16 PM, Dave Stiles wrote:
--
http://www.fastmail.com - Same, same, but different...
Thanks for the information, Rolf. I'm hoping to install the new version
in a few days time. I'll let you know how it goes.
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Dave Stiles
Hello, Rolf. Thanks for V3.1.1, which I have just installed.
My previous point re: running time was not actually that. My wife
transcribes a lot of videos that have burnt-in time code displayed on
the video itself. This is usually not the same as VLC running time. What
she actually wanted was to stop the video at the end of its run, hence
displaying the final burnt-in time code. At present the video disappears
instead. It requires close attention to the video as it plays out to get
the final time code.
VLC has an option in the Playlist config named Play and Pause. This
works in raw VLC but not when run via fs2. Any chance of another option
in Config to cope with this, please?
Installing v3.1.1...
Smooth installation. Thanks!
Took a while finding the correct input event: you detected event5 but it
turned out to be event4. This MAY have been due to an unpowered 4-port
USB hub being used for other things (foot-pedal was in a built-in USB
port). Found by looking at /dev/input/, removing foot-pedal from USB and
noting which event disappeared.
The initial popup message was about this but even at 15 seconds it was
too short to read and absorb (yes, I know about keeping Notifier up).
Could the message(s) be included in the Install doc?
I may be missing the object of Show Timers Panel - I thought it would
show/not-show the bottom Timer line on start-up but it seems to make no
difference (Mint 17.3). Since we do not use that option it's a minor
annoyance but easily enough dealt with so no real problem - just puzzled.
It would be nice if Config included an option to start with a given
height/width. In our case we have to stretch the pane before use. Again,
only an annoyance but maybe for a future version?
Not sure of the usefulness of Engine but appreciate your predefined
choice! :).
Libre Writer seems fine now, though we don't actually need it: Writer
and fs2 are run on different machines due to video being required full
screen (2 monitors on single machine would be nice but I do not have the
extra monitor card installed - possibly in the future).
Finally, for anyone else reading this: xzoom is very useful to show a
larger copy (x2, x4) of the time code if you have poor eyesight. If you
run full-screen video, right-click its top bar and select "Always on top".
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Dave Stiles
Hi Dave,
I was unaware of the freeze on the last frame of a video in Vlc and rather doubt, what appears to be a rather arcane feature, made it into the vlc python api. However that said, I will look at it but would require a sample timecoded video from you. I have tried loading the vlc "time" extension but it just bugs out whenever I try to load it.
The selection of event5, on installation, is the default if it can't find anything obvious, so I guess that you must have missed the message:
"No footpedal found - defaulting to event5".
For future reference, you could always run
sudo python /usr/share/footswitch2/fs2_list_devices.py
(It is in the documentation.)
If you de-select "Show Timers Panel" and then re-start the program,
the bottom row of the screen, should only show Client number, name and billing rate. (see attachment)
The libreoffice hot keys in LibreOffice may be able to function with another machine, as I am running the link over TCP, so at a guess, the addition of a hostname, should magically work. Let me know if you want me to look at it.
An opening size configuration option is a straight forward option and will be included in the next release.
Thanks for the reply, Rolf.
However, very desirable in some circumstances.
This is not really necessary (and difficult anyway due to
confidentiality of the videos we process). The same requirement/action
applies whether there is a burnt-in timecode on the video or not: simply
stop on last frame regardless.
In any case it is not possible to extract the timecode since it is,
literally, burnt into the video. All it needs is for the Play and Pause
option to be set on the VLC Playlist interface.
Is this to do with the above? If so I don't think it's needed.
Ah. That explains it. I thought the software found it on discovery.
A thought: if you could use the /dev/input/by-id the actual footpedal
name is present there so could probably be easily found?
There was a message at the bottom of the Control Panel but it only said
"No footpedal found". If your message was in a popup then yes, I
probably did due to my slow reading speed. Maybe I'll extend from my
setting of 15 seconds delay to 30 seconds.
Thanks. I obviously need to re-read the doc. :)
Ah. Yes, but that was the bit we don't want - in fact the complete
bottom line is of no interest. The Hide button works ok on it and, as I
said, not more than a mild annoyance.
Interesting thought! I'll try it when work level drops. :)
Thanks. I appreciate that!
--
Dave Stiles
Morning Dave,
Messages with regard to lack of a foot pedal or issues with it will be reported in popups that require action, from now on.
Freeze on last frame of a video has been added (although you may not appreciate that I am utterly divorced from anything to do with Vlc's configuration, I'm using the API not Vlc per-se)
Opening dimensions for the footswitch window have been added.
The ability to instruct/request footswitch from another machine is in the works (don't try anything yet)
All coming soon in a new release 3.2.0
With regard to "losing" the bottom line, "as it is of no interest", in the line of buttons on the main screen, is a down-arrow, labelled as "Hide/Reveal the Client and Timer Panel", when you hover over it.
Click that!
If the multiclient and billing options in footswitch2 are really of no interest to you at all, perhaps you should have a look at footswitch2basic
https://sourceforge.net/p/footswitch2basic/
Regards
PS This ticket is getting very leggy and has strayed from the original post by a country mile, if you have any new issues, would you create a new ticket for them.
Last edit: Rolf 2016-03-31
Hello, Rolf. Thanks for adding those features! We're looking forward to
the new version.
I'm reading and replying to these postings mostly via email. Today I
also read the web page and note your PS re: ticket length (for some
reason this is not in the email). I'll make sure to open a new ticket if
I have any further comments. Meanwhile, many thanks for all your work
from myself and my wife! :)
--
Dave Stiles