Reply To: Updating Playouts Externally

[Frank]

Hi @bcaster,

Version 1.2.1 is now live, and it includes the new Linked Folder module we mentioned!

Instead of having your external program directly modify the open .playout file, you can now enable the Linked Folder module and link a specific section of your cue list directly to a folder on disk.

Here is how it works for your use case:

Live Dynamic Updates: Whenever your external program drops new media files into that watched folder (or removes/renames them), Ultimate Playout automatically detects the changes and updates that section of the cue list on the fly while the playout remains open.

Smart Ordering & Naming: You can control the exact cue order from your external script by prefixing filenames with numbers (e.g., 01 – Intro.mp4, 02 – Commercial.mp4). Ultimate Playout sorts them naturally and automatically strips the numeric prefix so your rundown stays clean.

Persistent Settings: Any cue properties you adjust inside Ultimate Playout (like volume levels) are preserved, and group-level settings (such as playlist looping or icons) are saved directly back to the folder configuration.

On-Air Fail-Safe: If your external script deletes or replaces a file while that specific cue is actively playing on air, Ultimate Playout will never cut it off mid-broadcast. It stays active until the next cue goes on air, after which the rundown cleans itself up.

You can download version 1.2.1 now and take it for a spin. Let us know how it integrates with your external workflow and if you run into any questions or feature requests while testing!