New Features & Enhancements

• Composition Layers: Auto archiving can now be pre-configured for improved media organization and management.

Playout Enhancements

• Clicking TAKE in the Playout sets the current PVW item(s) to PGM, similar to traditional video switchers. Multiple items can now be taken simultaneously for greater flexibility.

• User Presence Indicator: Other users controlling the Playout are now displayed in the top right corner, supporting team collaboration.

• The editor now automatically selects new items immediately after they are added, streamlining content editing.

• Shortcut: Use ctrl+n to quickly open the "Add New Item" list for faster item insertion.

• A new Save button for variables has been introduced, allowing quick and reliable updates.

Output Control Enhancements

• Tag filtering is now available for Output Players, enabling quicker identification and management of outputs.

Visual Designer Updates:

• Visual variables have been moved to the left panel for easier access and better workspace organization.

• Users can now remove redundant images directly within the Slideshow Layer. A button will appear when an image is removed in media management, but is still in a Slideshow.

• Media Hub (Beta):

Bug Fixes & Improvements

• Resolved tooltip inconsistencies across various areas of the platform, improving user guidance.

• Optimized the loading flow in Playout to enhance performance and reduce lag.

• Implemented auto-scroll functionality to keep the actively selected rundown item visible, improving usability during live broadcasts.

Release 4.2. is packed with all the changes over the last couple of months, read more in our full blogpost.

Leading up to release 4.2.0 we’re making the last improvements and fixes in version 4.1.46, checkout the full 4.2.0 release on https://visualradioassist.live/blog/releasing-4-2-show-based-graphics-rundowns .

Cloud

• Navigation is collapsed on smaller screens

• Navigation state is remembered by your browser

• Tag Filtering on Image, Video, Output and Visual overview pages

• Improved Broadcaster management for multi- and single-station setups

• New tooltips which show extra information on text hover

• Live Items in Rundowns can be ordered to determine priority in activation

Fixes and improvements

• Duplicate Visuals is working again as expected

• Output conditions are directly functional on first setup

• Output Assistant improvements on navigation and content selection

• Loading State for Episodes in Playout

• Time condition “day-offset” bugfix

Server Apps

• Installer and updater fixes

• New shutdown progress windows

• Support for prioritzed Live Items

• Duration fixes in full Manual mode

Version 4.1.45 introduces a range of updates across the frontend, server, and backend components of Visual Radio Assist. This release focuses on enhanced media tagging, improved user experience, stability, and error handling. Below are the detailed updates.Frontend Updates

Cloud Updates

New Features & Enhancements

• Image Slideshow Layer: Added an slideshow layer in the Visual Designer, where multiple selected images will loop based on the defined order and their duration.

• Tagging Resources: Added tagging functionality for images, visuals and outputs, allowing users to categorise and filter resources by their tags.

• Improved PVW (Preview) Player Handling: Enhanced PVW episode prefetching, enabling smoother episode switching and handling of scheduling conflicts.

• Configuration Store for Async Management: Implemented a configuration store for improved async handling, optimizing application stability and resource allocation.

UI/UX Enhancements

• Responsive Design Updates: Added refinements to support granular height calculation in split views, improving the display of player panels and content on varying screen sizes.

• Enhanced Navigation and Tabbing: Fixed navigation tabbing and focus states, providing a more intuitive interface with keyboard-friendly controls.

• Improved Output Editor: Updated layout consistency, padding adjustments, and model state handling to provide a smoother editing experience.

• Visual Consistency Fixes: Aligned layouts and colors across visual and station variable panels to create a more cohesive user interface.

• Dialog and Scrollbar Improvements: Resolved issues with dialog padding, scrollbar behavior, and overflow handling in media management.

Bug Fixes

• Timezone and Scheduling Corrections: Addressed timezone inconsistencies affecting episode start and end times, ensuring accurate scheduling.

• Error Handling for Null ID States: Fixed ID null errors in the playout state to prevent unexpected crashes and improve error resilience.

• Auth Token Loading: Sentry auth tokens are now loaded from the environment, improving security and token handling on the frontend.

• Output State and Player Sync Fixes: Improved synchronization between episode items and player states, reducing mismatch issues in PVW and playout views.

• General Stability Improvements: Addressed several minor bugs, including dynamic value handling in conditions, removing negative margins in dialogs, and optimizing visual loading states.

Server Updates

New Features & Enhancements

• Enhanced Error Handling for GraphQL Requests: Improved error tracking and graceful exit procedures for GraphQL queries, especially in cases of token errors or invalid client requests.

• Apollo Cleanup and Optimization: Streamlined Apollo client setup for better performance and reduced memory usage during request handling.

• New Queries for Episode Output Management: Added custom queries for filtering episodes by tags and resources, improving data accessibility for content managers.

• Resource and Episode Counters: Introduced station-specific counters for resources and episode tracking, giving users a clearer overview of available content.

Bug Fixes

• Fixes for Dead Player Removal: Ensured smoother handling and cleanup of disconnected or inactive player states, optimizing server resource usage.

• Improved Error Logging: Enhanced error logs to include specific refresh process errors, aiding in troubleshooting and debugging server-side issues.

• SSO Redirect Fixes: Corrected SSO redirection for more reliable user login, especially in multi-studio or cross-platform environments.

• JWT Authentication and Token Expiry: Refined JWT authentication and token expiry handling, reducing risks of broken tokens and unauthorized access.

Version 4.1.44 introduces a range of updates across the frontend, server, and backend components of Visual Radio Assist. This release focuses on enhanced media tagging, improved user experience, stability, and error handling. Below are the detailed updates.

Cloud Updates

New Features & Enhancements

• Image Slideshow Layer: Added an interactive slideshow layer, including drag-and-drop support for image ordering and responsive design.

• Improved PVW (Preview) Player Handling: Enhanced PVW episode prefetching, enabling smoother episode switching and handling of scheduling conflicts.

Enhancements

• Responsive Design Updates: Added refinements to support granular height calculation in split views, improving the display of player panels and content on varying screen sizes.

• Enhanced Navigation and Tabbing: Fixed navigation tabbing and focus states, providing a more intuitive interface with keyboard-friendly controls.

• Improved Output Editor: Updated layout consistency, padding adjustments, and model state handling to provide a smoother editing experience.

• Visual Consistency Fixes: Aligned layouts and colors across visual and station variable panels to create a more cohesive user interface.

• Dialog and Scrollbar Improvements: Resolved issues with dialog padding, scrollbar behavior, and overflow handling in media management, especially in complex configurations.

• Enhanced Query System for Outputs: New backend queries optimize output management, with added support for tag-based searches and filtered resource access.

Bug Fixes

• Timezone and Scheduling Corrections: Addressed timezone inconsistencies affecting episode start and end times, ensuring accurate scheduling.

• Error Handling for Null ID States: Fixed ID null errors in the playout state to prevent unexpected crashes and improve error resilience.

• Output State and Player Sync Fixes: Improved synchronization between episode items and player states, reducing mismatch issues in PVW and playout views.

• General Stability Improvements: Addressed several minor bugs, including dynamic value handling in conditions, removing negative margins in dialogs, and optimizing visual loading states.

• SSO Redirect Fixes: Corrected SSO redirection for more reliable user login, especially in multi-studio or cross-platform environments.

Server Updates

Bug Fixes

• Fixes for Dead Player Removal: Ensured smoother handling and cleanup of disconnected or inactive player states, optimizing server resource usage.

• Improved Error Logging: Enhanced error logs to include specific refresh process errors, aiding in troubleshooting and debugging server-side issues.

• New Thumbnails format: Thumbnails of Output Players are fixed with a new fileformat which is supported in all browsers.

• MXF File load fix: certain file params in MXF files were preventing the files from loading in the Output Player.

This update solidifies Visual Radio Assist’s media management and tagging capabilities, improves frontend responsiveness, and enhances stability across server and backend functionalities. For more detailed information, visit the Visual Radio Assist Documentation.

This release of Visual Radio Assist enhances both frontend and server components, focusing on improved video management, configuration options, and backend support for complex broadcast setups. Here is a comprehensive overview of what’s new in version 4.1.36.

Cloud Updates

New Features & Improvements

• Expanded Variable Configuration Options: New options for configuring variables, including settings for images, videos, text areas, aspect ratios, playback controls, and more, providing more flexibility in content customization.

• Character Limits and Confirmation Prompts: Added character limits to text areas and confirmation prompts when replacing images or deleting items in rundowns, enhancing control and preventing accidental changes.

• Long Video Upload Enhancements: Streamlined support for long video uploads, including recovery options and stable subscriptions, to improve playout performance.

• Improved Media Upload and Preview: Added CDN support for image previews and optimized the upload experience, especially for hybrid image variables.

• Tab Navigation and Search Enhancements: Tabbing through search results in the playout and variable search improvements help streamline navigation and user interaction.

• Advanced Variable Management: Introduced more refined options for variable handling, including bulk actions and improved indexing for quicker database access.

• Email Verification and User Management: Added email verification and deleted user management options, supporting safer user account handling and enhanced administrative controls.

UI/UX Enhancements

• Responsive and Mobile-Friendly Updates: Improved layout and responsiveness across various components, including the Output Setup Assistant, playout items, and the dashboard designer.

• Scheduling and Rundown Management: Simplified scheduling queries and refined rundown state management for more consistent scheduling workflows.

• Drag-and-Drop and Focus Improvements: Enhanced drag-and-drop support within the composition editor and improved focus states on variable searches.

• Updated Visual Designer: Refined DOM selector and layer handling in the Visual Designer, enhancing design capabilities and user experience.

• Password Validation on Reset: Added validation and user feedback to the password reset process for a smoother onboarding experience.

Bug Fixes

• Rundown and Episode State Fixes: Addressed issues with rundown and episode states, including proper deletion and restoration of archived items.

• Playout Item Dragging and UI Updates: Resolved issues with draggable playout items and various layout bugs, ensuring a cleaner interface and better usability.

• Critical Fixes in Forms and Input Elements: Fixed issues with forms, text inputs, and select elements to ensure accurate tracking and consistent behavior.

• Hybrid Video and Image Variables: Addressed bugs with hybrid video and image variables, including autofill for dynamic layers.

Server Updates

New Features & Enhancements

• Resolution Configuration: New options to define output resolution in the configuration store, including support for scaling adjustments based on specific aspect ratios.

• Enhanced OpenGL and YUV Conversion: Added BGRA to YUV conversion using OpenGL shaders, optimizing video scaling for unique SAR/DAR ratios and improving file handling on Windows.

• Multiple Master Studios per Station: Expanded support for managing multiple master studios within a single station, increasing flexibility for complex broadcast setups.

• Variable Config Options: Introduced configuration options for output variables, supporting more granular control over variable behavior and compatibility with frontend updates.

Bug Fixes

• File and Video Handler Fixes: Resolved issues in the file and video handlers to improve stability, especially for SDI and NDI output.

• Backend Cache Removal: Removed outdated caching mechanisms for improved performance and data integrity.

• Fixed Camera Settings DB Indexing: Resolved database indexing issues with camera settings, enabling more efficient retrieval and storage.

• Refined JWT System for User Tokens: Rebuilt the JWT system to better handle typed user tokens and refresh token processes, improving security and reliability.

Miscellaneous

• Aeron Enhancements: Improved Aeron support with stability fixes and optimized multicam support for enhanced live functionality.

• API and Artisan Commands: Added new commands to the artisan GUI for more efficient management and bulk actions within the database.

This release focuses on improving reliability, enhancing video management, and providing more granular control over configuration options, supporting broadcasters with a versatile and robust visual radio solution. For more information, see the Visual Radio Assist Documentation.

Cloud Updates

New Features

• New Output Setup Assistant to create a simple Standard Output

• Outputs can be configured to only play a single item, with the option to fallback to a secondary item. This is the new Standard Mode. All existing Outputs are Advanced.

Cloud Updates

New Features

• New Playlist layer to automatically configure animations over RSS Feed data or sublayers

Bugfixes

• Layer control improvements

This release of Visual Radio Assist enhances both the frontend and server components, bringing new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements to support a smoother visual radio experience. Here’s a complete breakdown of the updates in version 4.1.32.

Cloud Updates

New Features

• Subscribe in Playout Rundown: Users can now subscribe directly within the playout rundown, improving control over live content.

• Live Timer for Rundown Items: Rundown items now feature a live timer, providing precise time tracking during broadcasts.

• Layer Duration Options: Added support for duration settings on visual composition layers, enhancing timing control.

• Delete Confirmation for Rundown Items: A confirmation dialog has been added when deleting rundown items, helping to avoid accidental deletions.

Improvements

• Z-Index Control for Visual Composition Layers: Layer-based Z-index enhancements allow more accurate stacking in the Output Editor.

• Enhanced Composition Editor: Updated the structure to add items with duration visibility in the live timer.

• Image Preview in Playout Rundown: Items now show image previews directly in the playout rundown view, making it easier to identify each item visually.

• Archiving Controls: An “archive now” button and a restore (unarchive) feature have been added, simplifying content management in the rundown.

• Output Variable Editor Improvements: Minor fixes and adjustments for linked variable editing streamline output customization.

UI/UX Updates

• Refined Preview and Archive UI: Minor adjustments to improve layout, alignment, and overall interface consistency.

• Mobile Layout Enhancements: Top bar, logo colors for dark mode, and accessibility icons have been optimized for mobile views.

• Updated Variable Editor Labeling: Standardized labels for each variable editor and refined padding improve readability.

• Enhanced Image Upload Interface: New inline upload with cropping support, and uploader usernames are now included for tracking.

Bug Fixes

• Playback Settings Scrolling: Resolved scrolling issues in playback settings.

• Media Server Message Fix: Corrected messaging errors to improve clarity.

• Video Upload Enhancements: Fixed issues with video chunking and optimized CDN streaming.

• Output Setup Assistant Fixes: Fixed minor bugs in Output Setup Assistant, including layout and error handling improvements.

Miscellaneous

• Codebase Cleanup: Removed unused code and improved logging for cleaner, more maintainable code.

Server Updates

New Features & Enhancements

• Aeron v2 Support: Enhanced Aeron v2 support with improved active state management, multicam handling, and refined data processing.

• Direct Seeking in Beamcoder Player: Enabled direct seeking for faster media access.

• Softseeking for Smooth Playback: Integrated softseeking capabilities for better media navigation.

• Enhanced Format Scaling: Improved format scaling for consistent quality across various output resolutions.

• VISCA Over IP Improvements: Enhanced buffer handling and command reliability for VISCA-over-IP PTZ camera control.

API & Protocol Enhancements

• AutomationLink Protocol Handling: Updated protocol handling in AutomationLink to align with the new root path structure.

• Scheduling & API Reinitialization Fixes: Improved reinitialization processes for seamless scheduling and API handling.

Bug Fixes

• Browser Player Constructor: Fixed initialization issues with BrowserPlayer.

• Stop Event Handling for NPClipAssist: Corrected stop events for NPClipAssist items, improving playback accuracy.

• PTZ Command Handling: Resolved issues with PTZ commands in multicam setups, enhancing camera response.

General Enhancements

• Media Protocol Handler Cleanup: Simplified media protocol handling for better efficiency.

• Expanded Failsafe & Exception Handling: Added failsafes across modules to increase stability and reduce errors.

• Log Viewer Improvements: Enhanced the log viewer for better interactivity, aiding in system monitoring and troubleshooting.

Over 850 changes around the Cloud to create a new look and feel. Read more about the major new user interface update in our latest blogpost:

https://visualradioassist.live/blog/vra-cloud-has-a-new-look

• Nested Variables

• Transition Control → Default Fade toggle and duration control

• Video Player auto play off

• Javascript events on window

• App: Tray icon with Player control

• Updater fix

• Thumbnail availability fixes

• Player status fixes

• Custom JS support in Visual Scope

• API: XML Parsing fixes

• Scale Output Player Clients

• Transition Control with current

Apps ( updates)

Cloud ( updates)

Stack and Container Layers

Did you ever spend too much time aligning layers exactly on the same X-axis, or did you try to clip animations for a nice fly-in effect?

With the new Stack and Container Layer types you can group and add sub layers in the Visual Designer.

Container

The container creates a simple wrapper around the layers you drag into the Container Layer. This enables you to make more use of grouped animations or visibility conditions instead of manually repeating the same action for every single layer.

Stack

The stack is a Container on steroids, adding extra automatic alignment help for the layers you add to the Stack. With this alignment every sublayer will automatically be aligned in a vertical- or horizontal direction.

Check out the all-new Visual Designer documentation for more information about these new layer types!

Auto- height and width

With the Text Sized box option from update you could get more creative by automatically sizing the background box in text layer.

We’ve added this functionality to a more generic level, enabling more layer types to make use of auto sizing, which wraps the layer size boundaries around the layer’s content. Even if this content changes. This is great if you want to use the layer in a dynamic sized Stack, which essentially is a big text-sized box with multiple items then!

Pixel vs Percent based layer sizing

The existing layer position and sizing system was always based on a fixed scale for the Untitled. With the introduction of Stacks we’ve added relative sizing to layers as well with “Percent” based width and height.

This allows Layers to be sized relatively to their parent, for example a Stack with a width of 400px, which will make a layer with size 50% essentially 200px (on canvas, but relative on the real output)

Cloud Live Improvements

With the new Cloud Live improvements we made sure that the initial Live connection works in even more network situations.

We’ve also added a countdown timer for the initial live actions to indicate that the live track is being initialized first before playback.

API Data Source Links

• Improved API Data Source Link XML/RSS handling (including support for namespaced data)

• The API Data Source Links are now live-tested with feedback when you add them

• Browser-live Links support RSS and XML feeds as well

• Toggle enabled status per Api Data Source

Other bug fixes and improvements

• Toggle Studio Onair state from Server Advanced panels

• Inactive to Active Output Player state fixes

• Video Switcher vMix Authorization support

• Date time in several video media overviews

• Improved Playout Variable editors / upload actions

• When Video Media is available locally the Visual Player will also buffer from a local source (faster) instead of external Cloud.

• Better support for Vector images (like svg) in the Visual Designer

• Improved Rack close behaviour

• Ticker speed improvements

• Cloud Live connection recovery fixes to allow nonstop recovery

• Output Player Dynamic items (like NPClipAssist) improved buffer sequence, preventing a specific no-play racecondition

• Fixed an issue causing logging out errors on some Output pages in the Cloud

• 
  

https://gitlab.com/vra-bv/server-core/-/compare/main...4.1.21?from_project_id=28473627&straight=false

https://gitlab.com/vra-bv/cloud-front/-/compare/4.1.18...master?from_project_id=27196639&straight=false

https://gitlab.com/vra-bv/cloud-api/-/compare/4.1.18...4.1.22?from_project_id=27196654&straight=false

This update includes more advanced Scheduling Options in the Scheduling Program settings. Which makes it possible to plan bi-weekly programs.

Date Localization

Stations now support a locale to be selected, this impacts the date representation in the Cloud app.

Cloud Video Media and on-spot upload support for Variables

You can now create Video Media variables with support for selecting existing or drop-in uploaded video media.

Sony VISCA

Sony VISCA over IP Camera control is now fully supported, including improved callback handling after recalling presets.

GPIO Index available GPO’s

The Ember+ GPIO connection will now index available nodes in the Ember+ connection and make them available for selection in the Cloud.

Image Viewer Transition control

When using Image Media as content in your Output rundowns, it is now possible to turn transitions of the image on/off for better control of automated Output rundowns.

Bugfixes and improvements

• New Visual Designer Toolbar system

• GPIO connection management and Condition selectors

• Image Media viewer loading improvments

• Output Editor Variable Editor is up to date with the latest changes from the Manual Playout Control

• Cloud Live stability improvements

• Thumbnails are now always available, even with cloud live turned off

Internal changes

• Apps [4.1.14…4.1.15]

• Cloud [4.1.14…4.1.15]

• API [4.1.14…4.1.15]

Super-fast Media Management with the Media Server

Playback of Cloud Video Media via the Output Players required the Cloud Media Cache process to be completed in advance. With the new Media Server application we’re reducing the time it takes to prepare your Cloud Media for playback with up to 4 times.

The Media Server creates a new media library for managing everything related Cloud Media, with dedicated computing power (not shared with the Outputs) to make sure the video is ready for playback as fast as possible via parallel downloads.

Coming from the regular Cloud Media Caching system the Media Server will make sure that all existing media is migrated on start.

⬇️ Download the new application now:

[ Available for VRA Plus and up ]

New Visual Designer Text Properties

We are seeing the same custom CSS code being repeated many times; from text alignment, creating automatically sized background boxes for text or adding extra margins.

The latest Visual Designer updates help you kickstart the Visual Layer styling a lot more.

Text box sizing

In the default configuration text would have the maximum size of the layer boundaries. With CSS you would have a hard time overriding this to make things like automatically sized backgrounds possible.

With this update the “Box-Sizing” checkbox / opt-in makes this last scenario (and more) possible out of the box. Box Sizing makes sure that all layer styles are applied on the html element that is the text itself, instead of a wrapper the size of the layer.

Background color

Add colors to your layers without the need to write custom CSS!

Padding

Add padding around the text in an layer

Alignment

Vertical and horizontal alignment is improved and now also possible in the two possible directions; horizontal + vertical.

To stay clear from too opinionated CSS on your layers we’ve also disconnected the text alignment from this flex alignment.

Trick: box with color, text sized with padding

With all the new properties on the Visual Designer Text Layers it is just a matter of clicks to create the following graphic layer:

1. Enable Text Sized Box

2. Enable and Choose a background color

3. Add some relative padding

4. Align text in the vertical middle, with vertical alignment

You’ve just created a text box that automatically sizes on dynamic text length, for example for nowplaying titles. The max size is always the size of the Text layer.

Other bugfixes and improvements

We’ve worked on a lot of fixes to make the new 4.1 as stable as possible, offering all the new Playout capabilities.

• Zenon Media new format support

• Sony VISCA Protocol update

• AutomationLink complex metadata condition fixes

• ProppFrexx data parsing fixes

• Zenlex new meta fields support

• New Rack design and improved logging view performance

• NDI + SDI Output initialization process improvements

• Revisited Player Queue system; up to 4 times faster

• Output Players starting/shutting down are better visible in Cloud

• Duplicate a Visual

• Cloud Live Player bugfixes for continuous playback and restart after restart

• Revisited the variable chip system for more 1:1 WYSIWYG experience. All new properties are also respected in the dynamic Text Editor.

Internal changes

• Apps [4.1.1…4.1.14] - 224 changes

• Cloud [4.1.0…4.1.14] – 327 changes

• API [4.1.1…4.1.14] – 85 changes