Unify application configuration

What to expect#

Pinman can present important configuration from several applications in one understandable view, even when the applications store configuration differently. In this chapter, you'll add the media encoder's settings from an XML data file with one bulk tracking action, then give two settings clearer labels. The result is one view of the presentation, recording and encoding configuration.

Steps#

Add the encoder settings#

You're still in Explore, looking at Head. The media encoder keeps its settings in encoding.xml, with separate Video and Audio sections. Setting Track as to XML data file lets Pinman show that structure.

Once encoding.xml is tracked as an XML data file, you can scan it.

Explore now shows the settings inside both sections. Each setting's location includes the XML structure: the location for Quality, for example, ends in #Video/Quality.

The tutorial uses these five settings:

Section / setting	Data Type	Current value
Video/Quality	string	preview
Video/BitrateMbps	int	6
Video/TwoPass	bool	false
Audio/Normalize	bool	true
Audio/TargetLufs	int	-16

Select mode lets you track all five settings together. It adds a checkbox to each row and opens a bar at the bottom of Explore.

The schema now includes all five encoder settings. Only encoding.xml needs to be refreshed to apply the new definitions to Head; the rest of the Capture does not need to be refreshed.

Head now includes the selected presentation, recording and encoding settings.

See the schema you have built#

So far, you have built the schema from Explore. The Schema page shows every tracked definition in one place. You can inspect and edit Track as, Data Types and labels here.

The Schema tree shows Production Workstation, its tracked files and the settings you selected. Any optional settings you added in the previous chapter appear too. Items that you only revealed by scanning do not appear in the schema.

Add useful labels#

A schema is easier to use when its labels match wording you recognize. Normalize and TargetLufs are the names stored in the XML file. Normalize audio and Target loudness explain the settings at a glance.

The labels update without refreshing Head.

Head shows the presentation, recording and encoding settings together. Their locations still identify the original files and sections, while the two audio settings appear as Normalize audio and Target loudness.

What we did#

You used bulk tracking to add the encoder settings, refreshed only the affected XML file and brought selected configuration from three applications into one view. Pinman keeps each setting's source location, while Data Types and labels make the combined configuration easier to understand.

Next, you'll use Matching Rules to include useful files automatically while keeping logs and caches out.

Instructions#

1. Under applications, scan media-encoder to reveal encoding.xml.

2. Right-click encoding.xml and select Track item….

3. Under Track as, choose XML data file.

4. Select Track.

5. Scan encoding.xml, then scan its Video and Audio sections.

6. In the Explore toolbar, select Select (towards the right).

7. Select the checkboxes for the five encoding.xml settings listed above.

8. In the bar at the bottom of Explore, select Track.

9. In the Explore toolbar, select Select again to leave Select mode.

10. To settle everything, refresh the Head using Refresh (or Refresh to apply) on the Explore toolbar.

11. Open More → Schema.

12. Double-click Files to expand the full tree.

13. Right-click Normalize and select Edit tracking… (or select its edit icon), set Label to Normalize audio, then select Save.

14. Repeat for TargetLufs, using the label Target loudness.

15. Return to Explore.