< Previous | Contents | Manuals Home | Boris FX | Next >
Script Tidy Up
We release new or updated scripts for SynthEyes fairly often in between the overall SynthEyes releases, and customers can install those in different locations. Customers can also produce their own new or modified versions of scripts. And sometimes we may reorganize the script folders to eliminate long menus and make it easier to find scripts.
As a result, the system and user script folders must be monitored for possible conflicts; that's the role of the Tidy Up Scripts tool, which runs every time SynthEyes starts, and in response to the File/Tidy Up Scripts menu item.
Tidy Up Scripts looks at all the scripts, and compares them to its list of what should be where. Each file found falls into one of the following categories:
Distribution. These are files that are part of the current standard SynthEyes distribution and are located in the proper place in the file structure. Since they are correct, you don't see them listed by or affected by Tidy Up Scripts.
Novel. These are user-supplied files that are not part of the SynthEyes distribution, and may be located in the system or user script folders. Scripts in this category will later have a single asterisk(*) before their name in the SynthEyes Script, Import, and Export menus. These scripts are listed in Tidy Up Scripts only if you check the box "Include novel (user-supplied) files in both system and user areas."
Overrides. These are files located in the user script area that match in name and sub- folder placement to a file in the SynthEyes distribution. These are typically modified or updated or possibly old files, and in case they will override and replace the action of the built-in SynthEyes script. That could be good or bad, depending on the circumstances. Scripts in this category will later have three asterisks(***) before their name in the SynthEyes Script, Import, and Export menus.
Mis-placed. These are files that match up to files that are part of the SynthEyes distribution, but they are located somewhere other than where they should be ,
and they aren't in place to be a proper override. In most cases these files should be deleted! Mis-placed scripts will be invisible and ignored by SynthEyes.
As you can see, these categories rank from good to bad. The Tidy Up Scripts tool will pop up automatically when SynthEyes starts only if there are Mis-placed scripts: those are the worst kind and they should always be fixed. Tidy Up Scripts doesn't try to second-guess what's happened—it won't take action (such as deleting scripts) on its own, it lets you decide.
NOTE : Tidy Up Scripts determines what's happening based on file names. SynthEyes itself looks for overrides based on the title of the scripts. These two methods may produce different results, either inadvertently, or you may exploit it on purpose. We recommend that if you change a system script, it's probably clearest to change both the filename and title as well, to minimize user confusion.
Generally, when there's a mis-placed script, it is because there is an older version of the script at the incorrect location, typically because it was user-installed there before the installation location was changed, and the operating system has left it there. Alternatively, it may be a script upgrade that you have just installed, but you have put it in the wrong location, in which case you should manually move it to the right location.
Scripts that override existing scripts similarly can arise from multiple causes.
You may have previously installed an updated script into your user folder, which is now superceded by the script in a later SynthEyes. Or you may have modified a SynthEyes script, creating your own version in your user folder. In that case, you probably want to check up on them periodically to see if you need to integrate changes in the underlying original SynthEyes script.
Scripts that are novel user scripts are generally harmless: scripts that you've created. They might be installed in the system area so everyone can access them, or in your user are. In some cases a script might be obsoleted and removed from the SynthEyes distribution, in which case your manually-installed version of it might be flagged as a user script. (If it had been installed by the SynthEyes installer, the system will generally remove it automatically.)
Tidy Up Scripts presents you with information to help decide what you need to do to tidy up your scripts. You can get some additional information by double-clicking any of the lines in the system or user script areas.
Tidy Up Scripts can delete scripts for you at your command, either by deleting specific categories of scripts, or by deleting individual scripts by selecting them and clicking the keyboard Delete key. If you need to do something more subtle, renaming or moving a script, you'll need to do that manually using your system's file explorer.
Note that SynthEyes may be unable to delete files in the system folder area, since system administrative privileges may be required. In that case, again you (or your
administrator) will need to delete them using your system's file explorer after escalating to a sufficient privilege level.
The Tidy Up Scripts dialog will continue to appear each time you start SynthEyes, if there are mis-placed scripts. That's pretty annoying, a clear signal that we think it's very important for you to determine and correct the situation.
©2024 Boris FX, Inc. — UNOFFICIAL — Converted from original PDF.