'Run External Program' Cues

'Run External Program' Cues are only available with SCS Professional and higher license levels.

This cue type enables you to run an external program (such as Microsoft© PowerPoint Viewer) directly from your SCS Cue List. The external program runs asynchronously, ie SCS does not wait for the program to end but will allow you to continue running other cues.

'Run External Program' cues are currently implemented using the Note cue type. A full implementation of the 'Run External Program' cue type will be provided in SCS 11, but for now you need to create a Note cue with the Description set as described below.

There are four forms of the 'Run External Program' command: $open, $openh, $run, and $runh.

$open filename

Open the nominated filename using the Windows default program for that file type. The filename must be enclosed in double quotes ("). If the filename contains $(cue) then SCS will replace this with the full path name of the folder containing the current cue file (.scs file). It is recommended that you keep all the files for a production in this folder and that you make use of the $(cue) substitution facility.

$openh filename

As $open but additionally the SCS second screen (if present) will be hidden.

Example: $open "$(cue)\abc.pptx" opens the file abc.pptx in the current cue folder, using the Windows default program for .pptx files (probably PowerPoint or PowerPoint Viewer).

$run command line

Run the nominated command line, which should contain the full path name of a Windows executable, followed by any flags, filenames or other parameters required. The full path name of the Windows executable should not be enclosed in double-quotes, but any other filename included within the command line must be enclosed in double quotes ("). If the command line contains $(cue) then SCS will replace this with the full path name of the folder containing the current cue file (.scs file). It is recommended that you keep all the files for a production in this folder and that you make use of the $(cue) substitution facility.

$runh command line

As $run but additionally the SCS second screen (if present) will be hidden.

Example: $run C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\PPTVIEW.EXE /S "$(cue)\abc.pptx"
runs the PowerPoint Viewer using the /S flag (which tells PowerPoint Viewer to suppress the splash screen), and passing filename abc.pptx in the current cue folder as the file to be opened,

Example of a Note cue that will run an external program using the $openh command:

$open, $openh, $run, and $runh are not case-sensitive, so $OPEN, $Open, etc are acceptable alternatives to $open.

The easiest way to run an external program, assuming you want that program to use a nominated file, is to use $open or $openh, followed by the the filename. SCS calls a Windows function to open the file with the program assigned to that file's extension. So if your file has a .ppt or .pptx extension then PowerPoint or PowerPoint Viewer will be run (if it's installed on your machine).

If you have video/image cues in your SCS cue list and SCS finds a second monitor (or video projector) present when the program is started, then SCS opens a black window on that second monitor for displaying the video/image cues. If you also want to run something like PowerPoint Viewer to that screen then use $openh or $runh, not $open or $run. The 'h' variation will hide the video/image window so that the PowerPoint presentation can be seen. The video/image window will remain hidden until the next video/image cue is run.