Firmware upgrades are awesome, but is there a way of saving soft and shortcut keys?

[Antonio Ribeiro]

Hi folks,

Is anyone also finding this time consuming? I am absolutely in awe with the almost fortnightly firmware upgrades. Thank you Red. But......

I am finding I have to re-program all my shortcut and soft keys each time.

Is there a way to save these?

I am very curious to know if other folk out there have found a solution for this or if indeed RED is trying to find a solution for this. I looked through the manual and couldn't find any reference to it.

Thank you!

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Prior to upgrade you should go to presets, save all your camera settings (looks, system, keys etc) to the SSD then archive those presets on a computer for reloading later on...

Also if you rename the 'force_upgrade' folder to 'upgrade' when you copy the firmware to the SSD drive prior to inserting it in the camera, the upgrade process will keep all your settings.

If possible it is recommended not to do so (in case some major changes are made in the way settings/presets are formatted, old ones may create a problem) so it is always better to start fresh and reinstall old presets one by one to make sure nothing goes wrong when you beta test those firmwares (A bit like a clean install is always safer than upgrading over a prior version of computer OS)


BTW if you read the install notes included in the firmware the detailed procedure explains exactly how to save and restore presets when doing a force_upgrade :

NOTE: Force upgrade will delete on camera user generated Preset and Look files. The files must be manually saved/restored using the outlined procedure.

1. Power up camera, insert the SSD into the camera and format.
2. Go to PRESETS and copy user generated Camera Presets and Looks to the SSD.
3. Shutdown the camera, remove the SSD.
4. Uncompress the v3.3.4 firmware zip file.
......

 

[Antonio Ribeiro]

Hi Mikael,

Brilliant! I think it's a case of information overload, which also causes blindness...

Anyway, thanks for your clarity with this.

Antonio

Prior to upgrade you should go to presets, save all your camera settings (looks, system, keys etc) to the SSD then archive those presets on a computer for reloading later on...

Also if you rename the 'force_upgrade' folder to 'upgrade' when you copy the firmware to the SSD drive prior to inserting it in the camera, the upgrade process will keep all your settings.

If possible it is recommended not to do so (in case some major changes are made in the way settings/presets are formatted, old ones may create a problem) so it is always better to start fresh and reinstall old presets one by one to make sure nothing goes wrong when you beta test those firmwares (A bit like a clean install is always safer than upgrading over a prior version of computer OS)


BTW if you read the install notes included in the firmware the detailed procedure explains exactly how to save and restore presets when doing a force_upgrade :

NOTE: Force upgrade will delete on camera user generated Preset and Look files. The files must be manually saved/restored using the outlined procedure.

1. Power up camera, insert the SSD into the camera and format.
2. Go to PRESETS and copy user generated Camera Presets and Looks to the SSD.
3. Shutdown the camera, remove the SSD.
4. Uncompress the v3.3.4 firmware zip file.
......

 

[Les C.]

Possibly the presets should store a version #, and when a new Firmware attempts to open one with an incompatible version, it will indicate a problem - give a list of the presets that didn't get imported?

 

[Jason Kraynek]

ive tried to save the presets and on the ssd card and then reload them into the camera via the card (mainly talking about fan and key presets) and it never works. is there a step that is overlooked sometimes?

 

[Trent Lillehaugen]

ive tried to save the presets and on the ssd card and then reload them into the camera via the card (mainly talking about fan and key presets) and it never works. is there a step that is overlooked sometimes?

What exactly doesn't work? You can't import the preset? You can't apply the preset? The settings you expect aren't reflected in the camera? Do you get any error messages?

 

[Mike P.]

I'm in the same boat as Jason; I've never been able to reload the presents I've saved to the SSD... Like there's nothing to load after I've "saved it" to SSD. And I try it every time a new release build comes out.

 

[Trent Lillehaugen]

I'm in the same boat as Jason; I've never been able to reload the presents I've saved to the SSD... Like there's nothing to load after I've "saved it" to SSD. And I try it every time a new release build comes out.

Again, what's the problem. Do you not see the preset files on the SSD after exporting them? Do you not see the preset files to import after upgrading the firmware? Do you import the presets but they don't apply?

The camera will export presets into a folder named "presets" on th SSD. This is also where it will look for presets to import.

 

[Mike P.]

I think I see them on the mag; click "load/apply all" (or whatever it is), and then the SideHandle buttons are still default. Same with UserHS blackshade saved to mag; no applicato.

I'm gonna update to 5.3.33 soon (tomorrow?) and I'll get the specifics. I will say that for the longest time I just thought I was doing it wrong, but I definitely followed the instructions two firmwares ago (when RG4 was first in release build).

 

[Jason Kraynek]

the presets are in the right (SSD) column when i load the card after the firmware update though after "applying" them the screen says loading/applying whatever with the box in the center but nothing is applied.
i've tried the all arrow from right to left, the solo arrow from right to left, going solo arrow highlighted with the same preset wording highlighted on each side, nothing seems to keep and transfer over my soft key/user assigned keys, or things like fan control settings, etc

 

[Trent Lillehaugen]

How are you creating the preset with your settings? Are you adding everything from each column (Display, Key, Look, Project, and System)? Are you picking individual parameters? It sounds like you are possibly creating your preset incorrectly.

 

[Mike P.]

Yeah, mines the same. I click the "Save All Arrow" to have all the camera's presets saved to the SSD, and the use the "Load All Arrow" to re-apply them after the update... All I change are fan settings and the four A-to-D buttons on the side handle to different exposure tools... OH, and monitor-path-sharpening to 20... the rest is default.

If I remember to, what I'll do is back-up, update, try to load, and then save a log and send it your way (or is that even helpful?)... If so, maybe PM me which address you'd want me to send the log to... OH, and I have a function tonight which means this may have to wait until tomorrow (I'm a staunch believer that you're never supposed to do firmware updates even slightly drunk)...

 

[Trent Lillehaugen]

Yeah, mines the same. I click the "Save All Arrow" to have all the camera's presents saved to the SSD, and the use the "Load All Arrow" to re-apply them after the update... All I change are fan settings and the four A-to-D buttons on the side handle to different exposure tools... OH, and monitor-path-sharpening to 20... the rest is default.

If I remember to, what I'll do is back-up, update, try to load, and then save a log and send it your way (or is that even helpful?)... If so, maybe PM me which address you'd want me to send the log to... OH, and I have a function tonight which means this may have to wait until tomorrow (I'm a staunch believer that you're never supposed to do firmware updates even slightly drunk)...

Are you guys creating your own presets or simply exporting the default presets and re-applying those? You need to create a preset with your settings to have any effect.

 

[Mike P.]

Maybe that's my issue, as I didn't think there was a difference between creating a preset, and just changing the buttons. So unless it's all under the same menu (and near the "apply" buttons), I probably haven't been doing that.

 

[Trent Lillehaugen]

Maybe that's my issue, as I didn't think there was a difference between creating a preset, and just changing the buttons. So unless it's all under the same menu (and near the "apply" buttons), I probably haven't been doing that.

In fact, it is in the same menu and near the "Apply" button.

1. Open the presets dialog (Menu > Presets)
2. Press on the "Create..." button to create a new preset
3. Name your preset
4. Add parameters to your preset. You can get fancy here and make presets for certain shooting scenarios (Framerate, Recording Format, REDCODE, etc) or you can simply add all the parameters possible (on each tab use the "All ->" button).
5. Press the "Create" button

Now that you have a preset with your current settings in it you can export the SSD and Import/Apply once you perform an upgrade.

Note: a preset saves the camera settings at the time you create it. It will not auto-update when you make changes. If you create a preset will all your key mappings and then change your key mappings you may want to update your preset to reflect these changes. You can do that easily by selecting the preset in the Selector and pressing the "Update..." button. This will allow you to add/remove parameters from the preset or simply resave it with the current camera settings.

By the way, this is covered in more detail in the Operations Guide and the in-camera help (Press the "Help" button on the Presets Dialog or the Create Preset Dialog).

 

[Anthony Berenato Jr]

In fact, it is in the same menu and near the "Apply" button.

1. Open the presets dialog (Menu > Presets)
2. Press on the "Create..." button to create a new preset
3. Name your preset
4. Add parameters to your preset. You can get fancy here and make presets for certain shooting scenarios (Framerate, Recording Format, REDCODE, etc) or you can simply add all the parameters possible (on each tab use the "All ->" button).
5. Press the "Create" button

Now that you have a preset with your current settings in it you can export the SSD and Import/Apply once you perform an upgrade.

Note: a preset saves the camera settings at the time you create it. It will not auto-update when you make changes. If you create a preset will all your key mappings and then change your key mappings you may want to update your preset to reflect these changes. You can do that easily by selecting the preset in the Selector and pressing the "Update..." button. This will allow you to add/remove parameters from the preset or simply resave it with the current camera settings.

By the way, this is covered in more detail in the Operations Guide and the in-camera help (Press the "Help" button on the Presets Dialog or the Create Preset Dialog).

Wish I would have found this post a few hours earlier, haha. This was the first time I tried saving my presets during a firmware upgrade in over a year of being a Scarlet owner, and I managed to only copy the "Default" presets by accident. After attempting to reload what I thought were my settings, I realized that I needed to create my own preset with all the settings I wanted highlighted. Luckily I now know how to forgo the Force Update instruction's gray area for next time. Just assumed the "Save All" arrow did the job I was looking for.

 

[Jason Kraynek]

Are you guys creating your own presets or simply exporting the default presets and re-applying those? You need to create a preset with your settings to have any effect.

this could very much be my issue as well, ive never "created" one- i was under the idea that whatever i changed in the settings was saved when i applied it all to the SSD.
novice error on my part it sounds like. will try to go about it this way next time.
thanks everyone

 

[Mike P.]

Yeah, that was it for me (I was restoring the default, instead going into the preset tab, saving a presets config, saving that to SSD in the first tab, reloading that from SSD after firmware, and applying the reloaded present from camera after firmware).

I don't understand; if the "Move to SSD Arrow" for the keys doesn't save them, then what exactly does it do? Like if you have to save a preset, then why have those initial save options in the first "Tab" of the presets menu? May as well only have the "presets" tab with "restore" and/or "save/load" buttons. On the same token, why have the "Defaults" in the present menu at all (instead of just a "Restore Defaults" button?)

 

[Trent Lillehaugen]

Yeah, that was it for me (I was restoring the default, instead going into the preset tab, saving a presets config, saving that to SSD in the first tab, reloading that from SSD after firmware, and applying the reloaded present from camera after firmware).

I don't understand; if the "Move to SSD Arrow" for the keys doesn't save them, then what exactly does it do? Like if you have to save a preset, then why have those initial save options in the first "Tab" of the presets menu? May as well only have the "presets" tab with "restore" and/or "save/load" buttons. On the same token, why have the "Defaults" in the present menu at all (instead of just a "Restore Defaults" button?)

The "Export" button will export the selected preset to media. In your case you were exporting the "Default Key Mappings (RED)" preset to media. I would think it was clear from the name that it was not a "Your current key mappings" preset. However, I do understand the confusion and in future firmware builds you will not have the option to export "default" presets.

The reason we have the various "Default" presets is so that you can restore some settings of the camera to the defaults without restoring them all (like just the key mappings).

An interesting idea might be to have a new meta preset "Current Settings" which would allow you to easily export all your current presetable settings.

 

[Mike P.]

That'd be rad, Trent! Like a "save state" of all of the settings in the camera with one "save to ssd/export" button and one "load from ssd/import" button.

I literally had to "all arrow" each of the "sub-sets" to create a preset with every setting in it. I'm starting to understand what you guys were trying to do (allow the user to select *just* the "keys sub-set" or *just* the "looks sub-set"), but even tthose things are in tertiary tab. It's a little convoluted... It's like there's a redundant menu for selecting/saving presets, when you really don't have a choice as to which can *save* your custom settings...


...I feel like I'm not articulating this properly.