User talk:PeterSampson/Proposal: Timer Record Improvements

Relevant notes from the original forum thread that "nudged" development of this proposal

1) Timer Stop to be available for manually initiated recording

Ability to invoke the TIMER to STOP recording after a set time for a recording process has been manually initiated, NOT automatically by use of TIMER? As a safety measure so Audacity does not record endlessly until hard drive is full and recorded session becomes jeopardized.

• Supported by Koz: I was playing the part of the clueless, scattered, right-brain, creative user. I know the programmers consider Using and Timing to be two completely separate operating conditions, but trust me, the users don't see it, or want it, that way.

2) Loss of controls

The real problem with Timer Recording is that you lose all access to the controls particularly the levels, but also zoom level and resizing of tracks. This is a prominent Feature Request (see below).

• Gale: "I agree it would be more optimal if you could adjust controls relevant to the recording once Timer Record had started but you can Stop or Cancel it using the buttons in the dialogue."
• Peter: What I am asking for is to be able to do in Timer Record mode all the things I can do in normal record mode: zoom in/out, change the track size, drop markers with Ctrl+B and Ctrl+M, use the sliders to adjust the signal, change the waveform display type, rename the track etc. The underlying problem, I infer, is that whoever write the Timer Record assumed it was for "unattended recording" - if that was what it was intended to be then we should have called it "Unattended Record".

Use Case: I often use Timer Record while I am active on my PC so that I do not forget to start an FM capture from the radio - and in that case I do want and need access to the tools.

• Gale: There may be a case for not blocking any actions at all while Audacity is "waiting to start" Timer Record but it raises all manner of issues about what happens if user is in the middle of playing / exporting when recording is due to start.
• Peter:I don't see what the problem is - you can do all these things while Audacity is recording "normally" - so it should be technically feasible to enable them while in Timer record mode surely?
• Gale:I was considering the issue of setting a Timer Record a long way in advance to be sure you did not forget but then you are locked out of doing anything else in Audacity. Someone else remarked to me about that recently.
• Gale: I can't think of any reason why you shouldn't adjust levels and drop labels while a scheduled recording is going on - you are not asking for any extra menu access in that case, whereas you are if you want to go from manual recording to Timer Record. OTOH we want a Timer Record Progress Dialogue and if it's to be modeless we have to be sure no more menu items are available than when during normal recording. Either this was more difficult for Vaughan to accomplish than you think, or the fact (for example) that you might want to adjust levels during the first few seconds of scheduled recording then walk away wasn't considered.

3) Ability to minimize the Timer record Window

I'd like Timer Record to behave like a proper Windows window so that I can minimize it to the Applications bar. I know I can do this by clearing the desktop of all applications - but then annoyingly it insists on making its screen presence felt as soon as I activate any other docked application.

• Gale: Bug 104 relates to this.
• Peter: But only part of it - it does not cover the ability to use the window minimize button to send it to the taskbar. Do we need a new bug raised for this?
• Gale: No, I widened Bug 104 to "Timer Record prevents Audacity being minimised" - all the symptoms arise from that. As I stated in the bug comment it would be quite odd on Windows to be able to minimise an app having a modal window (though Ubuntu allows it). So making Timer Record dialogue modeless (for the current project) would be one solution.

Representative entry from the Wiki/Feature Request page

Correct as at Sep 2011.

New/Modified Preferences

• Timer Record Default Duration (3 votes)

Other recording enhancements

• Timer Record:
  Many of the below requests could be implemented (I think) by enabling automation support for tcp/unix sockets
  • Multi-event scheduler (17 votes) for future recordings (like a VCR), not just scheduling a single recording for now
  • Access to progress or record controls:
    • Both dialogs should be modeless for current project, allowing access to same controls available during standard recording (11 votes) This lets you change levels, pause manually, drop a label, zoom in/out or resize tracks. Paragraph 2) above refers to this
    • Waiting for Start dialog should be modeless for all (or at least, other) projects: (4 votes) allowing to work normally until recording starts
    This raises all manner of issues about what happens if user is in the middle of playing / exporting when recording is due to start.
    • Change/extend recording stop time during record or waiting to record (4 votes)
    • Stop a manually started recording automatically (2 votes) by extending recording stop time in Timer Record - use case "something unexpected makes me have to go out"
    Could be considered user error not to have started Timer Record in the first place, though lack of access during Timer Record might be discouraging its use. However this requires more menu access than is currently allowed during recording. Can be achieved if user scripts a scheduled task before leaving, or it "would" be possible with Audaremote on Windows except it does not recognise the Audacity Beta windows title.
    • Some method to close the timer without stopping it - Cancel? (2 votes)
  • Perform system shutdown after recording. (7 votes)
  • Auto Save:
    • to a pre-defined project name/location set in an in-situ dialog (4 votes)
    • to a pre-defined file name/format and location set in an in-situ dialog (4 votes)
  • "Waiting for Start" dialog enhancements:
    • Add duration and scheduled stop time (2 votes)
    • Rename "Remaining Time" to "Recording will commence in: hh:mm:ss" (2 votes)
    • Remove "Elapsed Time" and Progress Bar (2 votes)
  • (Windows) Minimise Audacity while Timer Record in progress (2 votes) Paragraph 3) above refers to this
  • Store last used settings to start recording on a daily basis (2 votes)
  • Disconnect internet stream as well as stop the recording (1 votes)