Cinergy MPPS Summary of Changes

Version 5.0 (Released 3/15/2004)

Free Script Editor

Beginning with Cinergy 5.0, a free script editor is delivered with the installation of the Cinergy suite.  In addition, the script editor can be downloaded as a separate standalone application, free of charge.  The Cinergy Script Editor (CSE) is fully compatible with all the production management features of Cinergy 5.   Write your script in Cinergy, and get a head start on production. 

Production Board Sort-By-Element

Production board strips can now be sorted to group a particular character or breakdown element together.  Useful when you need to shoot a high-priced element or actor in the most economical arrangement.

Enhanced Labor Rates Program and Newest Labor Rates

The labor rates program has been enhanced to include mutiple views, allowing you to choose the format you prefer.  Starting with Cinergy 5, the labor rate data is available for download via the Update Wizard too.  No more searching for files to download.  Just point, click, and you're done.

Improved Performance when loading Budget Templates

Loading of budget templates and chart of accounts configurations has been substatially improved, reducing the amount of time required to load.

Mail Center now has Spam Blocking

The Cinergy Mail Center mail client now has built-in and user-configurable spam blocking technology.  Helps prevent unwanted mail from reaching your inbox.

Video Assist now supports USB Camera Inputs

Expanding on our popular video-assist module, Cinergy 5 adds USB camera support so that various commercial video-converter devices can be used to connect any camera to the Cinergy video input.

Online Support

Built in to the Help menu is an option for Online Support.  Simply fill out the form describing your support request and press Submit.   A technical support representative will respond to you and you never even have to pick up the phone.  If you prefer our popular Instant Messenger support, you can now reach a live person online on AOL, Yahoo and MSN. >>Learn More

Version 4.1 (Released 2/19/2003)

Daily Production Report

User's of the Scheduling or On-Set Shot Logging modules now have access to a full-featured production report system for creating the daily production report.  Shot logging summary in pages and minutes are reported for the current day, previous days, and total days.   Additional sections report film use, scenes shot, camera rolls used and sound rolls used.  Report work times for contract players, and detailed work times for Extra Talent and Crew, including meal times, meal penalty violations, and overtime.   AD's and UPM's can build the production report by drawing information directly from a Cinergy On-Set module, or independently without any on set shot logging.

Full Screen Mode

The Cinergy toolbar now launches in full screen mode, and includes the ability to store graphics to customize your particular system.  You can also store graphics in your project file to reflect the production company and project title.   These graphics display on the full screen Cinergy desktop, and can be used as the titles for the call sheet and production reports.

Enhanced Call Sheet

The Cinergy call sheet (available in the Scheduling module) has been completely redesigned for a more elegant appearance.   Graphics can now be used for the project title on the call sheet and production reports, allowing for a more customized look.   Distribute call sheets that truly reflect your show or feature!

Enhanced Day-out-of-Days

The DOOD report has been enhanced to support connected scenes, and properly print total work days when connected scenes are used.

Calendar Update

Calendar has been modified to display a day number for both scheduled days and shooting days. Previously, only the scheduled day number was shown.

Crew Departments

All crew positions have been assigned to their customary departments, allowing the back page of the call sheet and the back of the production report to be shown in departmental order.  Departments include Production, Cameras, Operations, Stage, Lighting, Sound, Art Department, Hair/Makeup, Studio, Catering, Transportation, and others.   In addition, a comprehensive crew listing now comes preloaded in each Cinergy project, eliminating the need to create the most common crew positions each time you start a new project.

Enhanced Find & Replace

Production Board users can utilize the new, more powerful Find & Replace function.  This feature allows you to search through scenes and elements, changing character names, locations, and other characteristics of the production board.

Version 4.0  Build 0043

Enhanced Windows Version Detection

Proper version detection for Windows 2000 and Windows XP, and appropriate adjustments so that Cinergy functions properly in these new environments. 

Enhanced Budget and Call Sheet Printouts

Budget and Call Sheet printouts have been substantially enhanced for readability and content.  The Call Sheet can now be printed in "Standard Form" or in a more comprehensive "Long Form".  The longer format is designed for legal size paper and contains more information about various other categories besides just the cast.

No Dongle!

Cinergy's new registration scheme has elminiated the hardware "dongle" that used to be required to run the software.  In addition, all modules of the software are initially available to you, regardless of what you have purchased.  After 15 days, only the modules you have purchased can be accessed.  This allows you to try out the various features of the other modules before you decide to buy.

Update Wizard

Updates to the Cinergy software can now be downloaded from the web site using the new Update Wizard.  This exciting point-and-click technology will download only the files that are required on your specific computer, significantly reducing download times. Users can easily update their software at any time over the web by clicking just a few buttons.

Mail Center

The Cinergy Mail Center, an e-mail client application, is now available from the Cinergy main window, and as a free standalone application..  Two separate address books are supported: 1) the Project address book which lists personnel from the currently open Cinergy project, and 2) the Mail Center Address Book, which is available regardless of which project file is opened.  The Mail Center address book is completely separate from addresses stored in a Cinergy project.

Improved Data Manager

The Data Manager has been redesigned for faster access to Cast, Crew and Breakdown information, and includes a preview screen to see name, address and phone information without having to double-click on a person or element's name.  Also, e-mail can be sent directly from the Data Manager by selecting a name in the list, and pressing the "Send Email" button. 

Note: Use of the Data Manager's e-mail function, and the Cinergy Mail Center, require the user to have an existing e-mail account on a POP/SMTP type e-mail server.

Graphics

Graphics and pictures can be attached to locations and cast members.  This is useful for continuity and other planning.

Alert & Reminders

You can set various types of alerts and reminders that pop up on screen when the desired time elapses.  This is valuable for on-set use when certain activities are time-sensitive.  Also, an alert can be set to prevent scheduling of an element, so if you know a particular cast member is not available on a particular day, you will be warned if you try to schedule that person over their pre-existing commitment.

Budgeting Enhancements

Print, Print Setup, and Saved Reports menu picks were added to the budget screen, allowing users to jump directly to the printing dialog from the budget screen without having to exit to the Cinergy main window.  

Cinergy projects now support storing images (gif, jpg, bmp) for any breakdown element, or for location photos.

The budget now supports the use of explicit zeros.  In earlier versions, a zero in the quantity or rate column was interpreted as having a value of 1.

The Budget Setup menu includes menu picks for Setup>Units and Setup>Currency.  You can now define units of measure and international currency, and use them in your budget. In addition, units of measure can be placed on the "quantity" and the "rate" columns.  This means that if you define a quantity of "2 weeks", and a rate of $10 per DAY, the system will normalize the quantity "weeks" and the rate "days", converting both to hours, and compute based on the normalized units of measure.

Budget's Properties screen (File>Properties) includes new settings to support optional columns. 

CTRL-UpArrow and CTRL-DnArrow allow you to navigate up and down through the levels of the budget spreadsheet.  They function is identical to clicking the Drill-Up and Drill-Down buttons in the left margin, or the F7 and F8 keys.

Scheduling / Production Board Enhancements

Production Board now responds to arrow keys and page up/page down keys.  Also, the INSERT and DELETE keys can be used on the production board to insert various items (scenes, separator strips).  The production board can now be used even when no script has been imported yet.  This is a method for entering data when you don't have an importable script, but want to start building a schedule.

Production board and breakdown element strip colors can be customized from the Master Scene Description screen available from the Script Viewer or from the Production Board.  Also, general production board color settings can also be changed for all strips from the Master Scene Description screen.

Logging Enhancements

FLEx files from a Telecine transfer session can be imported and merged with existing shot logging data in a Cinergy project.

The SuperSlate has been modfied to include a resettable stopwatch.  Pressing F11 starts, stops and resets a stopwatch visible in the status bar at the bottom of the SuperSlate, allowing more accurate reporting of running times for multiple takes shot in a single take.

Shot Logs can be exported to Microsoft Access database files.

Other Enhancements

Timecode from Horita devices can now be captured.

Reports can be saved to Adobe PDF format, so they can be emailed to any other person who as the Adobe Acrobat reader (provided free-of-charge on most new computers.)