Restoring Custom.dat file (custom commands have disappeared)
If you have a poweroutage and you aren't running on a good battery backup, a file that might be lost is called the custom.dat file. In version 8.5 and later it is called custom2.dat. Previous versions store the commands in custom.dat.
If there was any file in your entire system other than your playlists (*.PLY) that you'd want to backup, it is the custom command file known as custom.dat or custom2.dat.
The symptom of this is you restart the program and every place in any playlist that had a custom command now just says SKIP. It may say CUSTOM and a number but the rest is blank (varies with version).
If you should ever suddenly see the custom command is blank, immediately exit/shut down the program and restart. There is a chance we may recover it. If we don't, then you must restore from a backup set or you will have the laborious task of reconstructing them from scratch.
When you create custom commands for switcher instructions, starguide channel flipping and other uses, these custom commands (aka macros) are stored in the custom.dat file (or custom2.dat on/after Version 8.5). This file is generally found in the same path that your load your playlists from, although this can be different if you aren't using the default.
The default path is WIRE\USERS\PUBLIC\FILES\
Your WIRE folder is generally located in W:\ but the actual drive letter or parent folder may vary. The easiest way to determine where your WIRE directory is located in is to right click on the shortcut used to start our program and view the START IN path.
You will likely see a custom.dat or custom2.dat file. It may be 0 bytes or it may have a file size if you tried to manually edit the commands after discovering they were all blank.
Note: If you have changed the default path of your custom.dat file, it is controlled by the G line in the $config.wr file in your user folder. For example if you are the ONAIR user then the path and file WIRE\USERS\ONAIR\$CONFIG.WR can be opened with notepad, and look for a line that begins with a capital G and that will tell you where the custom.dat (or custom2.dat) file goes.
IF YOU ARE LUCKY and find a backup copy of the custom.dat file, with our software exited and not running, copy the backup copy of the file in the path mentioned above and restart the program. Whatever is in that file will now show in the custom command list and all those SKIPs should return to the original commands in your playlist. Take note, in case your backup wasn't the most recent, make sure all the commands make sense.
Custom commands are just stored numbers. The first custom command is 1, the second is 2 the next is 3rd etc. So whatever is listed as the 1st custom command shows up where ever the original first custom command (1) was placed in your playlists originally.
If you do not have a backup file, the easiest way to reconstruct is to walk down your playlist and the first skip that shuld have a command, click on it, choose custom, then click EDIT on the first available command slot. Choose comtalk or whatever command you need to communicate with your device and then enter the serial string you need. Keep in mind if you are not familiar with your switcher's sources and outputs, just knowing you need to switch to ABC or
Jones for example isn't enough, you'll have to look at the back of your switcher and know the source it comes in and the output that goes to program on your studio console or you won't be able to figure out (with our help if necessary) the serial string to tell the switcher what to do.
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