Device Mapper

The Device Mapper is used to map logical devices to physical devices, ie for each device you have defined in your Production Properties (eg 'Front', 'Rear', etc) you define which sound card/interface outputs are to be used for that SCS device.

For example, you could map 'Front' to UA-101 outputs 1-2, 'Rear' to outputs 3-4, 'USL' (Upstage Left) to output 5, and 'USR to output 6'.

Here's an example that shows this mapping:

Now suppose you want to change 'Rear' to be sent through outputs 7-8 instead of 3-4. Click on 'Rear' in the list. The current mapping for 'Rear' will be displayed in the panel above the list. You can then select 7-8 from the drop-down list against Output(s). The  and  buttons will then be enabled because you have made a change. Click  to cancel the change, or  to accept the change. The change will also be accepted if you just click on another device in the list, or if you click the OK button.

Initial Device Map

You will normally just have one Device Map per production per machine. A Device Map is initially built from the list of devices defined in your Production Properties, mapped to physical devices and outputs available on that machine. Note that the cue file name is displayed in the window's title bar (Sample 2 in the above example), which means any changes you make in this screen only affect device maps for this production. The initial device map will be given the name of your computer. (LAPTOP3 in the example). So another production may also have a device map named LAPTOP3 but that device map may be quite different to that for Sample 2.

Device Map Control

If you copy the production to another machine (eg from your design computer to your theatre computer) using a Production Folder (see Portability) then the Device Map from the design computer is not included in the transfer. So the first time you open the production cue file on the theatre computer, SCS will create a new Device Map specifically for the theatre computer. You may,of course, then adjust the mappings as required.

To provide for production and machine-specific device maps, all SCS Device Maps are held in a folder named SCS DevMaps which is kept under Documents or My Documents. (Technically, the Device Maps are therefore not really machne-specific but machine-user-specific.) A device map for a production is held in a file with the same name as the production's cue file, but with a file extension of ".scsd". You may delete device map files for any productions you no longer require.

You can have more than one device map per production per machine, which is useful if you have an audio interface that is sometimes available and sometimes not. You could therefore have one device map that uses this audio interface, and an alternative device map that just uses the built-in sound card. When you start SCS and open a cue file, SCS selects the last-used device map and checks that the physical devices are available. If they are not, SCS looks for another device map for this production that has the physical devices available. The name of the selected device map is displayed on the splash screen when the cue file is opened, and a warning message is displayed if SCS selects a different device map than the last one used.

Device Mapper Window

The main parts of this window are as follows:

Window Title: Note that the name of the current cue file is displayed (Sample 2 in this example), showing that the device map details are specifically for this production.

Device Map: A drop-down list in which you can select an available device map for this production on this machine.

New: Click this button to create a new device map for this production on this machine. You wil be asked to enter a name for the new device map. When you have done that you are returned to the Device Mapper screen with default mappings assigned for the devices. Change these mappings as required for the new device map.

Rename: This button lets you change the name of the currently-open device map. You will be asked for the new name for the device map.

Save As: This enables you to save the current device map with a new name, without destroying the existing device map.

Remove: Use this button to delete a device map you no longer require for this production on this machine. The button is disabled if only one device map exists for this production on this machine, to ensure at least one device map is retained.

Device Name: A display-only field identifying the device currently selected under Device Name used in Cues. To select a different device just click on the required device in the main list.

Physical Device: The physical device assigned to this Device Name. The devices listed in this drop-down list may be affected by your SCS License or the Audio Driver selection in Options - Audio Driver. For example, SM-S only supports ASIO devices whereas BASS supports both ASIO and WDM devices. All your devices within a device map should be the same type, ie all WDM or all ASIO.

Output(s): This drop-down list is populated according to the outputs available on the selected Physical Device. In your Production Properties you will have specified the number of Channels Required, eg 2 (stereo) or 1 (mono). SCS uses this information, which is also displayed in the device map, when populating the Output(s) drop-down list. So for stereo devices the list will contain values like 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, etc, whereas for mono devices the list will contain single output numbers like 1, 2, 3, etc. Some multi-channel audio interfaces publish their WDM outputs as stereo pairs. For such Physical Devices SCS populates the Output(s) list with 'L' and 'R', or 'L-R'. Select the required output(s) from this list.

Click this button to cancel (undo) a change you have made.

Click this button to apply a change you have made. Note that the change will also be applied if you just click on another device in the list, or if you click the OK button.

This lists the devices specified for this production in the Production Properties, under Device Name used in Cues. You cannot add, change or delete devices in the Device Mapper screen - you must go back to Production Properties to do that. 

Channels: This corresponds to the Channels Required field in Production Properties. This also cannot be changed in the Device Mapper screen as it is a Production Property.

Physical Device: The physical device currently assigned in this device map to this Device Name used in Cues.

Output(s): The output(s) currently assigned in this device map to this Device Name used in Cues.

State: Displayed as Active if SCS has successfully initialized this device, or as Inactive if the initialization failed. If you have Inactive devices, try clicking Retry Initializing Devices.

To close the Device Mapper, click OK or Cancel.

Access to the Device Mapper may be restricted by password control so that operators can be prevented from changing mappings. This is particularly useful if the person running the cues is not the person who setup the cues. See Lock Editor for details.