Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Christie IMB S2 /S3 readable format for the session logs

This is topic Christie IMB S2 /S3 readable format for the session logs in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Khushwant Singh (Member # 10493) on 10-20-2019, 11:20 AM:

Hi friends
We are looking for a solution to read the content played using Christie IMB-S2 and S3 ---- The reason is in Indian region the multiplexes run multiple number of advertisement before and in the interval of every session, approximately < 70 per session.
So if in a day multiplexes run 5 session per screen so they are running 350 number of advertisement.
We are looking for a solution where we can get readable format to track all the runtime for these content in report format (weekly monthly)

Thanks in advance

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 10-20-2019, 06:54 PM:

CPL x (UUID) playout started/ended at time y should be in SMS logs. For IMB-S2, the manual explains log download procedure:

https://www.christiedigital.com/SupportDocs/Anonymous/020-100845-09-Christie-LIT-MAN-USR-Christie-2K-4K-IMB-ENG.pdf

For the S3, I don't know, but assume there is a similar procesure.

You need to have a table relating CPL name/ad client name to CPL UUID.

- Carsten

Posted by Khushwant Singh (Member # 10493) on 10-21-2019, 06:34 AM:

Thanks Carsten

But this does not suffice our requirement we generate these SMS.log reports on weekly basis - from Friday to Thursday but to open this huge file in notepad is challenge therefore to search each days record is messy. and if we have 100 projector system across, we are lost .

regards

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 10-21-2019, 06:56 AM:

I probably misunderstood 'where we can get readable format' ;-)

Of course it is too cumbersome to analyze these files with a text editor. You need to find some way to automate this - scripting, grep/find, etc.

You probably need to talk to a programmer. I don't know a standalone software that will do this. However, you may start with XML->CSV/XLS conversion tools (there are plenty).

Potentially, all could be done in Excel, but you would probably need a VBA programmer to implement it.

- Carsten

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 10-21-2019, 10:14 AM:

Unless you want to write your own program, you'll probably need to use an advanced text editor such as "BBEdit."

http://www.barebones.com/

BBEdit has global search, replace and extract functions using grep and/or PERL expressions. It can auto-format files. (e.g. Insert columns/tabs based on preset rules.) It can also compare between two files and it's fully scriptable.

You're going to need to get up to speed using JavaScript and/or Obj-C but consider that the alternative is writing an application from scratch. Using a scriptable text editor requires you to learn enough scripting to get the job done where writing an application requires you to learn from the ground up.

An alternative would be to write a shell script that would read the log file, parse out the needed information and write it out to another human-readable file.

If you did it that way, you could simply open up your terminal, type a command like "ReadLogs" and, a minute later, you would have a report. If you were really savvy you might even be able to set it to run on a schedule (every Thursday) and automatically e-mail a report to your boss. You would be completely hands-off!

I'd say that you could use an advanced text editor just to get your feet wet and, then, when you get up to speed with your scripting and learn what you need you can go for writing a shell script. Automating the script(s) would be bonus points after you got fully up to speed.

Posted by Khushwant Singh (Member # 10493) on 10-29-2019, 06:52 AM:

can we have some scripts or program ready, so that we may customise according to the need

thanks and regards

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 10-29-2019, 09:38 AM:

Somebody will have to write those scripts based on the information you need to extract.

It's not hard to learn JavaScript. (Or C++, shell script as the case may be.) You can buy a book on the subject and learn what you need to know in order to get started in just a few days. The scripts you need aren't THAT complicated and a person who is reasonably savvy with computers should be able to create something that is reasonably functional in a few days or a week.

Then, as the person learns, he could refine his work to get a better product.

It's not a very hard thing to do but it might require you to burn a few brain cells if you're not experienced.

The alternative is to entice (pay or barter) somebody else who has experience to create the scripts for you.

That will get the job done but it doesn't make you any smarter for the experience. [Wink]

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 10-29-2019, 05:58 PM:

For analyzing log files you should create one of those unreadable Perl scripts, full with regular expressions that make any debugging totally impossible. [Smile]

Posted by Khushwant Singh (Member # 10493) on 11-06-2019, 01:13 AM:

Hi I made something using powershell interesting results, just using software tools, MSSql Express, MS Excel

regards

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 11-06-2019, 05:45 AM:

MS Excel being free is something new for me.

But if you're willing to share your work with others, maybe someone else starts to pick it up and the thing can eventually evolve into something useful for everybody.

Posted by Khushwant Singh (Member # 10493) on 11-08-2019, 01:16 AM:

Haha!! -- Point noted, MS Excel not free but basically found/ loaded in every PC.

Secondly, yes would like to share and keen to have expert inputs to make it more usable. So please let me know will share the install kit.

Cheers

Posted by Khushwant Singh (Member # 10493) on 11-16-2019, 05:54 AM:

Friend I'm ready with the application , anyone would like to test please ping me, will share the installation kit

regards.