USA/Europe - ETC has announced two software releases for the Hog 4 console’s operating system. Hog 4 OS v3.21 and v4.1 are the bridging releases with export/import features to get old show files into Hog desks running v4.x software.
Senior product manager Sarah Clausen comments, “We recognise the value of our users’ hard work overtime and the cost of having to recreate shows to move forward with Hog into the future. These two releases create the bridge needed to bring older show data into the v4 world and beyond.”
Hog OS v3.21 is required for users that wish to import / export existing show files. Show files can now be exported to an XML format which allows for easier transitions between software versions where show file compatibility may be limited. Section 4.12 of the Hog OS v3.21 help manual offers details on how to use the Show Import/Export feature.
Additional features in v3.21 include cloning per type palette rules for fixtures when change type is used and a dedicated timecode frame rate option for lists. Additional details are available in the release notes and help manual.
Hog OS v4.1. facilitates importation from exported v3.21 data into v4.x OS. Some show cleanup will likely be needed, especially in situations where colours are stored in a non-native colour system for a fixture. Section 4.12 of the Hog OS v4.1help manual also has the most up to date details on how to use the Show Import/Export feature.
Additionally, in v4.1, the SPD view of the physical tab in the Colour Picker Window has been simplified by removing the selected emitter info section and Locked Physical Function tray area, and a new “optimise palettes” button has been added to the show manager window. Pressing this button starts a background task that scans all the palettes in the show for repeated per fixture values and rolls them up to per type rules when possible. This is intended to improve performance in editors and playback and improve palette editing overall.