Jason Tratta

It’s been a while since I have posted anything besides code stuff.  I am still really enjoying my motorcycle.  I ride it as often as possible.  Here is a little video I made to try out my new Cybershot TX-5.   This is what my mid-day commute to work looks like.

Oh…and I finally replaced those loud ass pipes.  The bike is super quiet now…maybe too quiet.

I’m working on updating this site.  It was in pretty bad shape and hadn’t really been updated since…oh 2005?  Thats some old and sluggish tech.   I’m going to keep things simple this time around.  I’m not very good at the whole web design thing.  Besides, its not like a lot of people swing through here anyway.

So if you run into some strange error, it should be soon fixed.

Hello everybody!

It’s been quite a while here since any update and I have some news about MerQury.

But first, let me give you a bit of history.

Act I

Almost a year ago, I was given the challenge to implement a fast and cheap way of creating a redundant backup system for Qlab 2.   I had an idea rumbling around my head about an array of Qlab machines working on concert over a network and here was the opportunity to start working on this idea.   Hey…but what else could work over the network?  The iPhone!

I should note, at this point I am very much in my adolescence as a software developer.  I had done a bit of homework about the technology needed to create MerQury but, I couldn’t really see all the moving parts ahead of time.  Anyway….I got a really dirty redundancy solution working.  On that, I started building in an iPhone server and iPhone remote.  I got a basic version working…play, pause, forward.  It really wasn’t what I envisioned.  I wanted to be able to select cues at random and have controls totally custom to the iPhone.   This sent me down a road for which I am thankful, I got my hands dirty in all kinds of Cocoa frameworks that I probably wouldn’t have.   I rewrote the network code from the ground up…twice…and I got a really solid handle on Core Data.   As of this post, MerQury is still really good at creating a fast redundancy machine…and the Blind Editor is a pretty cool idea.

There is a roadblock though, and its Apple’s Scripting Bridge.  MerQury really pushes what it was designed to do.  Scripting Bridge in essence allows developers the ability to let users create their own utility scripts and apps.   In MerQury’s case, there are still a few missing pieces to the overall puzzle.  But one of the most problematic features of Scripting Bridge is it’s “back seat” nature.  Imagine a car.  In the drivers seat is the application, like Qlab, you are trying to talk to.   Never in its whole life says a word to you…unless you ask.  You end up asking (amazingly fast) over and over, “Are we there yet?”  So…the very nature of SB has made it particularly challenging.

Act II

There are 2 new applications in development here that are soaking up all my development time.  One about 4-6 months out is a non-theatre related iPad app.  The other a non-sound related theatre application which I believe to be a whole new class of theatre software.  I’m really excited about it and all my spare time outside of work is spent here these days.

So what about MerQury?  I’m going to keep working on it but, not as much as I had been.    I do think that there are some useful bits of code in here that could be valuable to the Qlab community.   For example, how MerQury imports cue information into Core Data is useful for a number of other types of utilities.   So below is a link to its now open Github store.

All official updates will still come though on MerQurys updater.  Oh…and if you end up using some of the code…let me know!

http://github.com/jason-tratta/MerQury

If you are interested in trying out the alpha release of MerQury’s blind cue editor it is now available.   Either download it from here, or use “Check for updates” in app under the File menu.

Be sure to grab a new copy of the documentation if you need it.

MerQury Alpha Doc

Remember.  This is totally just a preview release, bugs and all.  Enjoy.

Download

After much debate I am releasing the current build of MerQury to the interested public.  This is a limited feature release, and as things are perfected, features will be pushed live.

You will be able to try out the early version of MerQury’s simple system redundancy, which has been running on Shakespeare Theatre Companies Qlab 2 based shows for the last 4 months.

I’ve had several emails asking for this…so here it is.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Keep in mind. Alpha Release.  There are still some bugs…and you’ll see some things in there that are coming…and kinda sorta work.

And now!  Presenting MerQury!

Download

You always hear software developers say things like, “It’s done when it’s done.”  in response to questions about release dates.  I use to give those devs a hard time…I mean…how hard can it be to release software.  Let me tell ya…its not a cake walk.

I had originally thought MerQury for OSX  AND the iPhone would have been out by now.  Not even close.

I had to make the decision to rewrite the entirety of MerQury’s networking code several months ago.   The application is based around a networking concept, if this code didn’t work right everything else would be garbage.  It took a lot of time but, it works a ton better now.    The good news: I hope to get something out very soon.  It will come in the form of a reduced feature set alpha.  The system redundancy feature is working pretty well in the STC trenches.

I have also taken on 2 other coding projects which brings me to 4 active projects, and a full time plus job.   I’m not done with QAutoSaver just yet either!

I’m enjoying the challenge.  I’d like to think I’m building a better future for myself while also helping the arts I love.

More soon.  Back to sound engineering and software making.

I feel I’m a little over due on an update with where MerQury’s development is.  So here is the whole bag of beans.

Qloud becomes MerQury

I posted several months ago about an application idea called ‘Qloud.’   That project has offically been renamed MerQury.  It turns out Qloud is already a product.

Development thus far:

Today MerQury is in alpha testing at Shakespeare Theatre Comapany in Washington, DC (I happen to be an engineer there).   The application is being used to “sync” two macs running Qlab together over a network connection.  It still works like I described in my December 13th post.

I also have a native iPhone remote working. Its still very basic.  Here’s the sneak peak video I released to youtube.  It’s going to get quite complex.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F89-njYzVVs

A lot of work has been going into debugging code and refineing the UI.  Here is a an image of the latest build.

Logo / Icon

I have to give a big shout out to Tom Hayward for creating the MerQury logo.   If you need graphics work…he’s your guy.

http://thomasdhayward.com/

ToDo Before Release:

There are still several bugs to chase down before I can release to the public.

I would also like to implement  MIDI and OSC support for the beta release.  Its getting close, a month or two I hope.

Features to come:

There is a rather long list of functionality I would like to add.   Once the basic desktop version is working, my focus will shift heavily to finishing the iPhone / iPod Touch versions…which I imagine will lay the goundwork for a iPad version.

Development continues as fast as possible. 60+ hours a week at work is really slowing me down. Go figure. More to come!

Oh…and thanks for stopping by!

Just a quick update.   Coding and testing continues.   If you haven’t heard, I have a working prototype of MerQury on the iPhone.  No release date set yet….but it’s getting close.

“Messenger of the cue gods.”

MerQury

MerQury is my second application for use with Figure 53’s Qlab 2. MerQury was developed as a simple way to implement a redundant Qlab system over an easy to use network setup.

Admittedly, it’s not the best solution. There is a bit of latency between the pressing of “Go” on one system and the cue going on the second system. MerQury cheats by pushing the load time on the backup computer forward a fraction of a second to compensate until it’s called into show duty.

It is, however, the cheapest, fastest, easiest solution. No matter what hardware configuration you have on either machine, as long as they have the same Qlab 2 file and a network port, you’ll have a parachute.

MerQury is easy to setup. Simply make sure your Macs are on the same network, and MerQury will use Bonjour to automatically find copies of itself running online. After that, a few clicks on each computer and you’re set.

MerQury is currently in the alpha testing phase. The image below is an early build to test the underlying code.

Look mom, I’m ugly!

In the coming weeks, MerQury will be available for beta download and testing.

BUT WAIT!!!

..there’s more. It turns out the networking code will theoretically let many Qlab systems to talk to each other. Hot on the heels of the 1.0 release, I’ll be working to add a multitude of features.

Stay tuned!

• Oh ya….5 dance companies all asking me for different things at 8am. Totally sweet. *cough* #