Actor®

In the 7thSense ‘performer’ range, Actor is the media server for timeline and asset management, input/output configuration, and output rendering.

Asset

Any piece of file-backed creative material, or modifier of it, that can be used on a timeline. Assets can be copied and will have associated metadata. May be movie, image, audio, MPCDI, mesh object etc. Assets are ingested by Compere’s Asset Logistics.

Asset Logistics

The underlying mechanism (app) that ingests assets into protected locations and manages the metadata. It also tracks and distributes assets around the project group.

Asset Management

The Compere component that interacts with the asset database to present metadata of all assets available on the network, and make them findable and accessible to use on timelines.

Bus

Juggler: The fibre-optic data bus connects Jugglers together to direct any input through any process to any other Juggler output in the system. The bus can carry individual media streams (input bus) or the whole system canvas (output canvas bus), and its overall bandwidth is dependent on the unit configuration.

Bypass

Juggler: A media stream input is directed in the same Juggler to a matched-type and resolution output, requiring no processing.

Canvas

Juggler: An array of pixels that is attributed to the combined resolution of number of physical outputs, for displaying media.

Canvas panel

Juggler: The assembly panel containing the total available video space for a Juggler system. This panel can contain multiple display canvases on which Canvas Outputs can be positioned.

Canvas Output

Juggler: A section of a composited canvas that is delivered to an output port via a Juggler.

Canvas Window

Juggler: A source of video that can be positioned on a Juggler Canvas across one or more Canvas Outputs.

Clone

xml descriptor for a project entity, e.g. canvas+outputs+windows; projectors; Juggler configuration; 3D model arrangements. Contains all properties and can be saved and reused by loading into in any project. Unlike presets, clones are saved without UUIDs.

Compere®

The project management software and UI that manages the other ‘performers’: Jugglers, Actors, Conjurers.

Conjurer®

In the 7thSense ‘performer’ range, Conjurer introduces generative media as a playback resource.

Connector

A physical signal connection on a device of any type (e.g. DisplayPort, HDMI, SDI, QSFP module or bus), input or output.

Database

Actor: All timeline resources (assets) are indexed in a distributed database, from which the Asset Manager derives all metadata. This allows for searching, filtering and locating assets for use on timelines.

Device

Any item of hardware that can run perform in a Project Group (Actor, Conjurer, Juggler).

drop frame

In order to match video at 29.97 fps with real time clocks at 30 fps, (or 59.94 with 60 fps) this time code drops two frames every minute, on the minute, except every tenth minute. In Compere, drop frame timecode is written with semi-colons HH;MM;SS;FF or HH;MM;SS;ms.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMPTE_timecode for a full explanation.

External Control

JSON SDK for command-style control over IP to address and message any element in a Project of networked devices.

Filepath

Refers to a specific file location rather than another item in a Project.

FPGA

Field Programmable Gate Array. The main component for video processing in Juggler.

Grid

A background scaling and positioning guide used in the assembly panels: e.g. Canvas, Nodes and Visualise.

Input Feeds panel

Actor: Select pixel areas from inputs (e.g. timelines) to display across the combined outputs of a media servers.

Ingest (assets)

Bring assets of any kind into a protected storage location and index it in the distributed database, incorporating editable metadata.

IntelligentSource™

7thSense automatic failover system.

Internal processor

Single board computers used in Juggler and R-Series servers managing internal communications and/or front panel touch-control displays.

Juggler®

A Juggler pixel processor unit of any configuration of inputs and outputs. Its external connections and internal processing are all managed by Compere to work with other ‘performers’.

Media

Audio or visual creative content saved into a file format. Specific types of assets.

Mini Map

A small preview representing the current viewing position and enabling navigation, amongst all nodes available in the Nodes panel.

MinGUI

Compere running with minimal user interface where the overhead of the full GUI and panels is not needed, for example in client devices in a project group.

Network Client

Any network device running an instance of Compere that is not a Network Server.

Network Discovery panel

Manages all network connections between devices, allocates them to Project Groups and assigns group roles.

Network Server

Network device assigned as Compere ‘project coordinator’ across all devices. The server receives and distributes all changes to the project.

Node

Generic: UI object with pins that can be connected to other UI objects with pins to create flows and processes.

Type: [device], device interface, source, process node, logic node etc.

Nodes panel

An assembly panel into which collections of nodes are introduced, and connections and processes built.

Output Canvas Bus

(OCB) An alternative bus mode. The canvas with its outputs and windows is carried around the bus, rather than being assembled from independent Juggler inputs that individually can be carried on the bus.

Output Feeds panel

Actor: Add, scale and position viewports across the combined outputs of a media server.

Panel

Any moveable section of a workspace, most of which can be docked with other panels.

Panel Settings

In Configuration> Settings: Properties that define how the contents of an assembly-type panel are seen. Settings are shared by all project users, unless ‘use local settings’ is set in Preferences.

Path

In Compere, a path is the route to any Project component, allowing it to be addressed in order to obtain its value or to change it.

Pin

UI representation of a input or output connector, real or virtual.

Preset

Presets capture arrangements and settings for components in a Project. When recalled to the same Project, nothing is added to the Project, but dimensions and locations etc. of existing project components will be set again to those of the saved preset. Example of use: multiple arrangements of windows in a canvas or canvases.

Project

A single dataset of information for a system of networked devices, display configurations and show elements, shared and used by all Compere nodes. (Think stage, lighting and cast of performers with various roles and props.) The project dataset includes connections and configurations of all associated devices and assets. Every element in a Project has its own universally unique identifier (UUID). All project data can be stored and recalled, in a .prj file.

Project Group

A network Project Group comprises all devices on the same network assigned to work together in a specific way.

Project panel

Itemises every element of a Compere project: all devices, inputs, outputs and their connections, everything added to the project, from canvases to all assets in use on timelines.

Properties panel

Properties panels reveal all properties and settings, to read or edit, for selected items. A Properties panel can be locked to the selected item, allowing other properties panels to be opened to show other selections.

Resource

A replicable or reusable entity that can be used as a configurable copy in a project.

Rx / Tx

Rx (receive = an input), Tx (transmit = an output) typically used to identify connectors.

Task Tracker

Dynamic icon and panel displaying progress of internal project operations.

Timeline panel

Assembles assets and other resources, effects and and controls, on multiple layers for show creation and playback.

Actor can have any number of timelines, viewed in separate timeline panels. Each timeline presents a feed which can be viewed in NDI.

Timeline Preview panel

Shows visual media from the combined viewports of a given timeline as arranged in the Output Feeds panel.

UUID

Every element in a Compere Project is assigned a Universally Unique IDentifier so that it can be addressed by any other part of the system, for example by external control commands.

Video Channel

Transport route through a Juggler. There are up to 4 video channels per Juggler 1 and up to 6 per Juggler 2.

Viewport

An area of a video input resolution selected in the Input Feeds panel and represented in the Output Feeds panel, to appear on a device output. A viewport has an input face and an output face and is assigned to a single video input.

Visualise panel

The assembly panel in which a 3D view of projectors and surfaces in an illuminated theatre space, can be created and manipulated.

Workspace

An arrangement of panels that can be saved.