Easy-Scout Professional Working with Multiple Computers Overview When it is necessary to share game data or game video between two or more computers, it helps to understand the way Easy-Scout Professional stores game data, "connects" to video, and how data and video are "linked" or connected within the program. With this basic understanding, it will be possible to use tools (such as the Import/Export Utility) within the program, and, when necessary, the Database Utilities, to move game data and game video around while retaining the links between game data and video. Background Easy-Scout Professional stores all game data together in a single file, called a database. Each game has indentifying information (Game Properties), such as a Game Name, Game Comments and a Game Video File. Only the Game Name is required. A Game can be "connected" or linked to a video file that is stored on any disk drive that can be referenced on the user's computer with a "drive letter". Drive letters are initially assigned by Windows but can be changed by any user with Administrator - level permissions. Easy-Scout Professional can use video that is stored on a Local Area Network if it is stored at a location that can be assigned a drive letter using a technique called "mapping a network drive". When two computers store video in the same location, or "path" (drive letter and folder name), game data and game video can be moved between the two computers and the video "pointers" (the video file name and location AND the Start and End for each play) remain intact. The easiest way to do this is to use the Import/Export Games Utility. The Export Utility "extracts" Game Data from the main "database" where all games are stored "together" and places it in a single "file" that contains only the Exported game. That file, along with any other files created with the Export Game Utility (each exported game is automatically placed in a single file) can then be taken to another computer and "Imported". Exporting and then Importing games in this fashion keeps the game data and ALL video pointers intact. Before data and video will be fully connected on the second computer, the video file that contains the game video must be transferred to the second computer. The easiest method to transfer game video is with an External Disk Drive that can be simply moved from one computer to another. As long as the Drive is referenced with the same "drive letter", the video "pointers" remain intact. Otherwise, the video file location must be changed in a way that does not initialize (erase) the video "pointers, as explained below. Adjusting the Video File location while keeping video pointers "intact" Easy-Scout Professional's Game Properties function was enhanced in Version 3.01 to make it possible to change the video file location using the Game Properties "file browse button" while keeping the video "pointers" intact. This was done in part to accommodate the growing number of multi-computer installations of Easy-Scout Professional. Users of 3.01 and later should use the Game Properties function on the Edit Menu any time it is necessary to "reconnect" a video file its game data. Users of versions of Easy-Scout Professional prior to 3.01 SHOULD NOT use the Game Properties function within the program to change the video file name or location that is associated with a particular game after the game has been edited. This is because, prior to Version 3.01, when the folder location or file name for the Video File for a Game is changed in any way using the Game Properties function, the Start and End "pointers" are initialized (erased). This was a conscious design decision when multiple computer installations were uncommon. Advanced Users of Versions prior to
3.01 should utilize the Database
Utilities application and its special edition of the Game Properties
function, which is capable of adjusting the video file
location (Drive Letter, Folder, or even Video File Name) while retaining
the Start and End pointers for each play. To change a video file location with Version 3.01 or later, or with the special edition of the Game Properties function in the Database Utilities:
Summary The Database Utilities Game Properties function makes it possible to Export Games on one computer, Import them on a second, and "reconnect" the video, even if it is in a different location than it was when the game was edited. This is a bit more involved than what is necessary with proper planning for Multi-Computer installations of Easy-Scout Professional. This enhanced Game Properties functionality was added to Versions 3.01 and later. Planning for Multiple Computer scenarios Video should, ideally always be in the same folder, same drive mapping, etc. on computers that will "share" data and video. This ensures that moving "games" between computers can be done in a manner that keeps the "pointers" intact, and will NOT require adjusting the Game Properties. For this reason, we do NOT recommend that video is stored in My Documents , My videos, Users\Documents, Users\Videos, etc because these folders include the User Name (the Account Name). This makes it highly unlikely that two computers will ever have the same folder "path" - due solely to the way Windows assigns folder path names. When there is enough Hard Drive space to store video on the computer's internal hard drive, consider using the Video Folder that is created in the CompuSports folder during the installation of the program, or creating a folder that is located off of the "root" of any drive and has a simple name, such as "Video". Alternatively, consider using an external drive that can be assigned the same drive letter on the computers among which it will be moved. Then create a folder on the External Drive called Video. This way, when the video is moved around, if games are Exported and then Imported, the video pointers remain intact. Always. Summary By establishing a standard location for video files, either on Drive C or on an External Drive, and ensuring that video that will be edited is always captured, ripped or copied to that folder, Export and Import will be all you need to do. When using an external drive, it is easier, since you can simply plug in your external drive and assign it the correct drive letter and "everything lines up". When a mistake is made (such as changing the video file using the Game Properties function in an older version of Easy-Scout Professional ), or when folders and mappings have not been consistent, simply delete the game and repeat the Import Game procedure, then use the Database Utilities special version of Game Properties to adjust the Video File Name and or location, without disrupting the video "pointers".
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