Editing Show file Offline on Director

[bolupona]

When I create my show file with my scenes on the surface, and take it to the Director offline so I can make certain edits and bring it back to the surface, I notice that the Director doesn’t see my show files at all. But when I plug it back into the surface, it sees the show files.

What am I doing wrong?

[Nicola A&H]

Hi bolupona,

Have you pointed to the USB drive in the System screen? Director needs to be told where your files live, it could be a physical USB drive, or a folder on your computer.

[bolupona]

I pointed Director to the USB drive but Director doesn’t see any of the show files. But when I get back on site on a surface, it sees the show files. And I’m using a usb that was formatted on the surface to make sure it’s compatible.

Is there something I am missing?

[jksoundtech]

I know this is an old thread but I am having the same issue. I exported the show to usb, copied to my hard drive and now trying to load the show into director (1.72). I have selected a multitude of different folders of where the files are on my hard drive, but still nothing shows up in the showfile window in director. What am I missing?

Thanks in advance

[Underscore]

You didn’t say what your PC system was, I’m still using 1.70 on Windows 10, but I’d imagine the folder structure would be similar…except for 1.70 may be 1.72 and the user folder will be what ever user login identifier you are using.

For the factory show files, they are here:
(Local Disk) C:\Program Files(x86)\Allen&Heath\dLive Director 1.70\Factory Shows

For the user show files, I found them here(Your username will be different):
(Local Disk) C:\Users\Scott\AllenHeath\TLD\TLDData\Director\Shows\User

[jksoundtech]

my home pc is on windows 7.

These files I exported from the console and brought them home to work on configuring the file. The exported file has a bunch of folders in the “show” folder but i cannot find anything that is a showfile or pops up in the window in director. What type of file is it (director) looking for?

I have even moved my exported files to sit in the folder that you listed above, and still nothing.

Thanks

[jksoundtech]

Update…

I dropped the show file in the factory folder and now I can see the file in the load window in director. It loaded now…

THanks!

Jared

[Underscore]

Jared, I looked at my Win 7 install and here the folder structures.

Factory show files are stored here:
c:\Program Files(x86)\Allen & Heath\dLive Director 1.70\Factory Shows

User files are saved here:
c:\users\{yourcurrentlogin}\AllenHeath\TLD\TLDData\Director\Shows\User

You may find that when you “save” your show file, it may save it in the user folder, not the factory folder that it read it from.

More than likely if you didn’t “create” a show file on director and save it, or copy from “usb source” using director copy function, the user folder structure may exist.

[Miles]

Likewise, for those who are on a mac, you will need to drop your zipped show file in the factory shows folder. To find the folder, just open the applications folder in finder and right-click on the dLive Director application and select “Show Package Contents”. It’s under Contents/Resources/Factory Shows/

[Anonymous]

I saved my show file from console to USB, loaded it into the Factory Show folder in dLive Director on my Mac (El Capitan), shows up in show list but indicates Invalid File when I try to recall it. What am I doing wrong?

[SteffenR]

I saved my show file from console to USB, loaded it into the Factory Show folder in dLive Director on my Mac (El Capitan), shows up in show list but indicates Invalid File when I try to recall it. What am I doing wrong?

I guess it’s write protected
you should have a folder for user shows and the USB destination in Director should point to this folder
that should be a better place for your showfiles

[oleglaptsai]

Hi to all! please help me to find ny User Show Files on mac os System (Mojave). I did the show in director and have troubles with transferring my show to any USB i Have. So i tried to find it in my macbook, but unfortunately. There is how to find them on Windows, but on mac?
P.S. In Package content -> Shows, i can see only factory presets.
Thanks

[Anonymous]

@oleglaptsai and anyone else on a Mac:

You don’t have to stick your files in the application package. Here’s what I did to figure out how it worked:

In Director under the system tab, choose your desktop for the USB path. Then store a show (which will by default put it in the application package since that is “system storage” from Director’s perspective) and copy it to USB. You’ll see a folder populate on your desktop named AllenHeath-dLive and underneath it will be Libraries and Shows. I assume from here you can figure out where your show was exported <wink>. The kicker is that this folder structure has to be copied to your actual USB stick (starting with the AllenHeath-dLive folder) in order for the live system to find your show. You could do the same fact-finding process with a USB stick – I just did it that way since my first exposure to dLive was getting a show advance via email.

I ended up pointing Director at my iCloud drive so it’s with me and up-to-date with whatever Mac I have at my disposal that week. If any of you Mac people are power users, you could probably even set up an Automator script to sync the folder location on your machine with a specific USB stick that you use on your shows. I haven’t gotten around to trying that yet. Kids and day jobs, you know…

@ A&H folks – the documentation on this process is lacking at best. Please make it easier for the new users you hope to adopt in the future.

[SteffenR]

@ A&H folks – the documentation on this process is lacking at best. Please make it easier for the new users you hope to adopt in the future.

from the Director manual

dLive Director stores its Show and Library files on your computer. You can use the TouchScreen Utility menu to transfer files between your computer and the dLive mixer using a USB key. To do this, you need to select the USB Drive you want to use.

[Anonymous]

Yep, thanks, Sherlock. Very informative and productive response. Read that before my first show advance a few months back. BUT —

1.) Does the manual discuss the folder structure?
2.) If you are getting a show file emailed to you, is it clear in the manual how to load that file into Director?
3.) What about transferring an emailed file to a surface or rack?

(Hint: the answers are NO. So, the RTFM retort you offered in this case is less than helpful.)

Most consoles these days (and from the past) are looking in the root of the removable mass storage file system for files to transfer. Additionally, their offline editors tend to offer more direct methods of data manipulation, e.g. Open, Save, Save as, etc. (again, at large, but not universally – I’m looking at you, Congo). That’s what most of the world is used to, whether they’re screetches or squints.

There’s nothing wrong with a support forum such as A&H provides, and it is quite a worthwhile resource. The point is no one should have to go digging through it to get a show loaded on a desk or offline editor when the majority of the world offers a more straightforward method that most users have muscle memory built to accomplish without thought. That’s what the manual is for, after all – to be a comprehensive reference. The passage you provided is far from that objective. If happen to own one (or work for a house who does), you might not understand the hair pulling and consternation, as you likely started with the hardware at your fingertips. We hired guns don’t often have that opportunity.

Like I said, I found the solution. However, at an altitude of 38,000 ft I didn’t have this forum at my disposal and was left with only my computer and my powers of deduction.

So, I say again, to A&H’s technical writers: Your brand-new users are baffled by this obscure process. Please address in your documentation. Some of us don’t have the luxury of time or unfettered internet access to figure out your file management quirks before our first show on your desk – quite a nice one, I might add. Arming oneself with software, a file, and a manual should be all that is required. Thank you for your consideration.

[Author]

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