The Well - v0.4.2.0

The Well v0.4.2.0 was released on October 8th, 2023.  It was built with FileMaker 17 and 18, making it compatible from OS X Mojave through Monterey+ (be sure to download the correct version for your version of macOS).

v0.4.2.0 provides a possible bug fix for an issue writing to Avid shared storage (e.g.: Nexis) when making backups of large libraries to .TWB or .TSV format.  Other minor bugs and interface tweaks were also addressed.

Be sure to observe the standard update procedure:

  1. Back up your entire Library to a single .TWB file (from the Main Menu's "Export / Backup" tab).
  2. Back up your Favorites, if any, to a single .TWF file.
  3. Once you install the new version, launch it and go through the initial setup messages.  Then:
  4. On the Restore tab of the Main Menu:
    • under "What to restore" choose "TWB (SFX)" from the upper option
    • under "With duplicates, keep..." choose "Allow Duplicates" (this skips a step and will be faster)
    • click the green button  "Restore records using backup file"
    • choose the .TWB backup you made in the old version of The Well and allow the restore process to complete
  5. Again on the Restore tab of the Main Menu:
    • under "What to restore" choose "TWF (Favorites)" from the upper option
    • under "With duplicates, keep..." choose any options
    • click the green button  "Restore records using backup file"
    • choose the .TWF Favorites backup you made in the old version of The Well and allow the restore process to complete
  6. Go to your Library and check that everything is in order.
  7. Only when you are certain that your data is completely intact will it be safe to delete the old version of The Well by dragging its complete application folder to the Trash.  But feel free to keep the old version around for a while:  any version of The Well can co-exist with any other.

Bug fixes in v0.4.2.0:

  • VITAL:  previous versions of The Well would write TWB, TSV, and TWF files line-by-line to storage.  This worked well for local storage (disks, SSDs), but when writing to Avid shared storage, something akin to a time-out would trigger while the file was slowly written to disk, leading to the dreaded "Delayed Write Failure" error.  The only solution would be to restart the computer attached to Avid shared storage.  Now, files are written (still slowly) to a local temp folder on the machine running The Well, meaning on local storage, before being copied to the final destination, which can be on Avid shared storage.  This is a new method that still requires testing.  If you have any problems when writing large library backups or any other large files or large sets of files to Avid shared storage, please consider reaching out to me with a bug report.  But this should, hopefully, prevent the issue.
  • When exporting a backup file (.TWB) to the Library folder, the filename would indicate that the file was a Favorites backup (.TWF).  File naming should now be consistent.

Changes in v0.4.2.0:

  • "Yellow Mode" has different behavior now.  Previously, limiting search to a particular Group or Folder (indicated by a yellow highlight) would clear all other search parameters. Now, any search text is kept in the universal search box.  Other parameters are still cleared.  Additionally, the magnifying glass icons now act as toggles, and changing the Group or Folder updates the search results.  This should result in a more intuitive and efficient search.
Known Limitations:
  • Favorites Lists must be restored after the records they reference have been restored.  So be sure to restore backups (.TWB) before Favorites backups (.TWF).
  • When used on case-sensitive file systems, such as on certain Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, The Well does not properly detect files of the same name that have different case (i.e.:  "example.wav" vs. "example.WAV").  This can lead to undesirable results, including files appearing to be offline when they indeed exist, or writing duplicate files to disk of the same name but with differing case.  The workaround is to use The Well on non-case-sensitive partitions or workspaces.  Case-sensitive file systems can be used with great attention to detail on your part, watching for issues that might be caused by varying case and using renaming tools to conform file names to the same case as exists in The Well.  This is not likely to be fixed in the future.
  • For the FileMaker file version only:  if you mis-typed your admin password and/or The Well seems not to have installed correctly (e.g.: you see red messages on the right of the Main Menu), go to Settings, click on the yellow button that says "Reset app and perform install checks next time it is opened," then quit and start The Well again.  This will take you through the installation procedure again, as if this were the first time you opened the app.  A blank password is not supported.  No data will be lost.
    ...Note that this does not apply to the Stand-Alone version, which does not have a secondary installation process.

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The Well - v0.4.1.1

The Well v0.4.1.1 was released on June 6th, 2020.  It was built with FileMaker 14 and 18, making it compatible from OS X Mavericks through Catalina (be sure to download the correct version for your version of macOS).

v0.4.1.1 is a bug fix of the major release, v4.0.1 (see further below), and adds one new audio export feature.

Be sure to observe the standard update procedure:

  1. Back up your entire Library to a single .TWB file (from the Main Menu's "Export / Backup" tab).
  2. Back up your Favorites, if any, to a single .TWF file.
  3. Once you install the new version, launch it and go through the initial setup messages.  Then:
  4. On the Restore tab of the Main Menu:
    • under "What to restore" choose "TWB (SFX)" from the upper option
    • under "With duplicates, keep..." choose "Allow Duplicates" (this skips a step and will be faster)
    • click the green button  "Restore records using backup file"
    • choose the .TWB backup you made in the old version of The Well and allow the restore process to complete
  5. Again on the Restore tab of the Main Menu:
    • under "What to restore" choose "TWF (Favorites)" from the upper option
    • under "With duplicates, keep..." choose any options
    • click the green button  "Restore records using backup file"
    • choose the .TWF Favorites backup you made in the old version of The Well and allow the restore process to complete
  6. Go to your Library and check that everything is in order.
  7. Only when you are certain that your data is completely intact will it be safe to delete the old version of The Well by dragging its complete application folder to the Trash.  But feel free to keep the old version around for a while:  any version of The Well can co-exist with any other.

Bug fixes in v0.4.1.1:

  • The essential command line helper apps ffplay, ffmpeg, and bwfmetaedit may not have worked properly upon first installation.  This has been fixed.  Please report any issues, thank you!
  • If audio file names contained non-standard characters, it was possible that an audio import involving such files would cause records to be mis-aligned with their audio files on disk, or other strange behavior.  This should now be fixed.  The Well is now more thoroughly and consistently cleaning up text that appears in filenames, whether on import or on export.
  • When using the "Use Parent Folders" feature for an audio import, an apostrophe in the parent folder name of an imported audio file would cause its newly-created Folder to not link up to the audio file's new record, orphaning the record from its Folder and parent Group and hiding it from the user.  This has been fixed.

New feature in v0.4.1.1:

  • Audio Export has an additional option to export files into to a subfolder based on the text of the Export Prefix.  This is a quick way to sort files by purpose, or scene, or some other organizational method.  The button to turn this feature on or off appears above the Export Prefix box, in the Export section of the Sound Effects Library.
Known Limitations:
  • Favorites Lists must be restored after the records they reference have been restored.  So be sure to restore backups (.TWB) before Favorites backups (.TWF).
  • When used on case-sensitive file systems, such as on certain Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, The Well does not properly detect files of the same name that have different case (i.e.:  "example.wav" vs. "example.WAV").  This can lead to undesirable results, including files appearing to be offline when they indeed exist, or writing duplicate files to disk of the same name but with differing case.  The workaround is to use The Well on non-case-sensitive partitions or workspaces.  Case-sensitive file systems can be used with great attention to detail on your part, watching for issues that might be caused by varying case and using renaming tools to conform file names to the same case as exists in The Well.  This is not likely to be fixed in the future.
  • For the FileMaker file version only:  if you mis-typed your admin password and/or The Well seems not to have installed correctly (e.g.: you see red messages on the right of the Main Menu), go to Settings, click on the yellow button that says "Reset app and perform install checks next time it is opened," then quit and start The Well again.  This will take you through the installation procedure again, as if this were the first time you opened the app.  A blank password is not supported.  No data will be lost.
    ...Note that this does not apply to the Stand-Alone version, which does not have a secondary installation process. 

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The Well - v0.4.0.2

The Well v0.4.0.2 was released on May 31st, 2020.  It was built with FileMaker 14 and 18, making it compatible from OS X Mavericks through Catalina (be sure to download the correct version for your version of macOS).

v0.4.0.2 is a minor bug fix of the major release, v0.4.0.1 (see below).

Bug fixes in v0.4.0.2:

  • Previously, if Exporting a TWB or TSV file for just a specific Group, The Well erroneously reported that the Group was empty and prevented export.
  • Previously, the "About" and "Settings" menu items were missing in the menu bar.
  • An unclear warning was given when attempting to transfer incomplete records from the Import Sandbox to the Library.  The Well now gives a more instructive warning.

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The Well - v0.4.0.1

The Well v0.4.0.1 was released on May 25th, 2020.  It was built with FileMaker 14 and 18, making it compatible from OS X Mavericks through Catalina (be sure to download the correct version for your version of macOS).

v0.4.0.1 is a major update that added new features, reworked the interface to be more visual, and improved internal workings in ways that should hopefully be invisible.

New features in v0.4.0.1:
  • TWB import is now much, much faster.  This will make updating The Well or installing on  a new machine much less painful.
  • Icon buttons replace text buttons in much of the interface.  The Import Sandbox was especially reworked using new buttons to make available functions clearer.
  • Each view now has extensive Help pop-up windows, accessible via each view's question mark button (generally in the upper right corner).  Until there is a video tutorial, this is a good way to learn all about The Well and how to use it.
  • The keyboard shortcuts in the Library, Maintenance Mode, and Import Sandbox views have been vastly expanded and improved.  See the Help pop-ups for each view (at the bottom).
  • The Settings tab is now a Settings pop-up window, which can be access by clicking the gear icon in any view.
  • Personalization Name:  when installed, The Well supplies a random name – which can be replaced with any short text – that is appended to certain backup files to allow for multiple people to use the same Library on a network without their backups overwriting one another.
  • Audio Export provides two new significant options:
    • Export to a folder tree:  this exports to subfolders based on each sound effect's Group and Folder (Group > Folder > audiofile.wav)
    • Export using the Description as the file name:  in combination with the above, this allows going back to the "old" way of doing things, if ever needed.
    • A new reset button restores best-practices default audio export settings with a single click (i.e.: the ones that work best for feature & episodic picture editorial).
    • ...and to help visualize the effects of the various options, a mock file/folder name is presented, which changes as different options are selected.
  • The Import Sandbox now offers text modification options, such as "Add Text to Beginning" and "Truncate by x characters" that should help clean up new records before import.
  • Text modifications, both in the Import Sandbox and in Maintenance Mode, can now be undone, with up to 8 levels of undo.
  • Two new buttons allow editing a record's Group or Folder information directly (these replace the single pencil icon that only access the Folder information directly).
  • (introduced in v0.3.9.9):  Catalina compatibility.
  • (introduced in v0.3.9.9):  The stand-alone version no longer requires an admin password for installation.
Bug fixes in v0.4.0.1:
  • Numerous interface bugs involving progress bars, white screens, and other artifacts have been improved.
  • Reporting has been improved.
  • Previously, search options using "or" searches or items in quotes may not have worked as intended.  This should work seamlessly now.  When doing an "or" search on a quoted word or phrase, be sure the leading slash ( / ) is enclosed inside the quotes.
Other Changes:
  • Countless internal changes and code cleanup.  This may have introduced new bugs, but hopefully only speed improvements!  Please feel free to  report anything that isn't behaving as it should.
Known Limitations:
  • Favorites Lists must be restored after the records they reference have been restored.  So be sure to restore backups (.TWB) before Favorites backups (.TWF).
  • When used on case-sensitive file systems, such as on certain Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, The Well does not properly detect files of the same name that have different case (i.e.:  "example.wav" vs. "example.WAV").  This can lead to undesirable results, including files appearing to be offline when they indeed exist, or writing duplicate files to disk of the same name but with differing case.  The workaround is to use The Well on non-case-sensitive partitions or workspaces.  Case-sensitive file systems can be used with great attention to detail on your part, watching for issues that might be caused by varying case and using renaming tools to conform file names to the same case as exists in The Well.  This is not likely to be fixed in the future.
  • For the FileMaker file version only:  if you mis-typed your admin password and/or The Well seems not to have installed correctly (e.g.: you see red messages on the right of the Main Menu), go to Settings, click on the yellow button that says "Reset app and perform install checks next time it is opened," then quit and start The Well again.  This will take you through the installation procedure again, as if this were the first time you opened the app.  A blank password is not supported.  No data will be lost.
    ...Note that this does not apply to the Stand-Alone version, which does not have a secondary installation process. 

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The Well - v0.3.9.9

!! IMPORTANT:  there are numerous bugs in this version, so it has been removed from the site.  It is recommended you update to v0.4.0.1 or later. !!

The Well v0.3.9.9 was released on April 2nd, 2020 (built with FileMaker 14 and 18, making it compatible from OS X Mavericks through Catalina).

This release introduces macOS 10.15 (Catalina) compatibility (the .DMG and application are signed and notarized).  There are also minor bug fixes.

As with the prior release, The Well (stand-alone version) now installs from a .DMG file, which should feel like home for most of you.

New features in v0.3.9.9:
  • Catalina compatibility!
  • Installation of the stand-alone version no longer requires an admin password, thanks to a fuller implementation of code-signing and notarization.
Bug fixes in v0.3.9.9:
  • Restoring from a .TWB with "Allow Duplicates" may not have functioned properly in previous versions.  Please report any oddness moving forward.
Other Changes:
  • Many internal changes and code cleanup.  This may have introduced new bugs, but hopefully not.  Please report anything that isn't behaving as before.
Known Limitations:
  • When used on case-sensitive file systems, such as on certain Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, The Well does not properly detect files of the same name that have different case (i.e.:  "example.wav" vs. "example.WAV").  This can lead to undesirable results, including files appearing to be offline when they indeed exist, or writing duplicate files to disk of the same name but with differing case.  The workaround is to use The Well on non-case-sensitive partitions or workspaces.  Case-sensitive file systems can be used with great attention to detail on your part, watching for issues that might be caused by varying case and using renaming tools to conform file names to the same case as exists in The Well.  This is not likely to be fixed.
  • Favorites Lists must be restored after the records they reference have been restored.  So be sure to restore backups (.TWB) before Favorites backups (.TWF).
  • When restoring or importing records from backups, The Well is excruciatingly slow to process the additions, especially when checking for duplicates.  This is partly a limitation of FileMaker's scripting environment, which processes steps in a less efficient manner than FileMaker's native functionality, and partly reflects a lack of development time to further optimize or re-think the import code.  Something for another day.  In the meantime, imports and backups will be something for you to run in the background while you are doing something else.  In some cases, ALL DAY.  No kidding.  (I know).
  • For the FileMaker file version only:  if you mis-typed your admin password and/or The Well seems not to have installed correctly (e.g.: you see red messages on the right of the Main Menu), go to Settings, click on the yellow button that says "Reset app and perform install checks next time it is opened," then quit and start The Well again.  This will take you through the installation procedure again, as if this were the first time you opened the app.  A blank password is not supported.  No data will be lost.
    Note that this does not apply to the Stand-Alone version, which does not have a secondary installation process when used for the first time. 

_______________

The Well - v0.3.9.8

The Well v0.3.9.8 was released on October 20th, 2019 (built with FileMaker 14, meaning it should be compatible from Mavericks through High Sierra – other macOS's may or may not function).

This is an interim release with a new Audio Conversion feature, bug fixes, and a few visual improvements.

As with the prior release, The Well (stand-alone version) now installs from a .DMG file, which should feel like home for most of you.

New features in v0.3.9.8:
  • On a new Tools tab in the Main Menu, there is now an Audio Conversion tool that can convert in-place any number of files in a folder and its subfolders (it was tested on a group of tens of thousands of files in one go).  The tool respects The Well's philosophy of never deleting files and therefore may leave many interim audio files behind (especially when converting dual-mono SD2 (.L/.R) files to mp3, which first creates WAV files before making the mp3s).  To make deleting these interim files less tedious, they are tagged "TheWell" in Finder.  Simply search for that tag in Finder and, if you feel comfortable doing so, delete what you find.  Your originals will not be tagged, so they should not be affected.
  • Audio Import (and Conversion) now supports ProTools-style .L/.R split audio tracks (of uncompressed formats only, e.g.: .wav, .aif, .sd2) and will offer to combine these upon import.
    • Files created in the source folder during audio import are stamped with the Finder tags "TheWell" and, as appropriate: "Conversion," "Join," "LTemp," or "RTemp," depending on which type of conversion each interim file represents.
    • The Well does not delete files.  Searching for these tags in Finder will allow you to delete the newly-created files manually.
  • Spaces in the export prefix are now converted to underscores on export so that the resulting file name has no spaces.  This makes the file name uniform and may also help in certain rare circumstances when spaces within a file name lead to issues (e.g.: over a network, on old systems, over the web, etc.).  Description metadata (e.g.: in WAV exports) is not altered and maintain their spaces so that word searches can function properly.
  • Graphic objects are slowly replacing older-style checkboxes and text-based buttons.
    • This version improves the "Marked" checkbox by making it larger (easier to click).
    • The Blue Highlight button (the eye) now turns blue when active.
Bug fixes in v0.3.9.8:
  • When adding marked records to a Favorites List, the plus/minus buttons and blue highlighting (if enabled) would not update properly.  Now, proper visual feedback is given.
  • The Well hung when encountering corrupt or malformed SD2 files on import or conversion.  These are now handled more gracefully.
  • Keystrokes weren't triggering properly in the main SFX Library and in Maintenance Mode.  This has been fixed.
  • The Folder text search box now functions properly.
  • Audio playback now toggles correctly when moving to a record whose file is offline.
  • Previously, the Export Prefix box didn't accept spacebar input and instead started playback.
  • ...and possibly other bug fixes here & there.
Other Changes (mostly tech):
  • SFX detail pop-ups are now modal, preventing users from covering an open details window with the main window and ensuring that any modifications made there are completed before returning to the main window.
  • Removed support for Group-Folder Prefixes (i.e.: a constant prefix in front of each unique Folder name, e.g.: Hollywood Edge - PE01, where the prefix is "Hollywood Edge - " and the Folder name is "PE01").  These prefixes had not been implemented, could cause confusion, and could also cause files to go offline if not used properly.
  • File extensions are now lower-case on export.  This was done to help standardize case across files in an attempt to better handle case-sensitive file systems (see below).
Known Limitations:
  • When used on case-sensitive file systems, such as on certain Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, The Well does not properly detect files of the same name that have different case (i.e.:  "example.wav" vs. "example.WAV").  This can lead to undesirable results, including files appearing to be offline when they indeed exist, or writing duplicate files to disk of the same name but with differing case.  The workaround is to keep The Well on non-case-sensitive partitions or workspaces.  Case-sensitive file systems can be used with great attention to detail on your part, watching for issues that might be caused by varying case and using renaming tools to conform file names to the same case as exists in The Well.
  • Favorites Lists must be restored after the records they reference have been restored.  So be sure to restore backups (.TWB) before Favorites backups (.TWF).
  • When restoring or importing records from backups, The Well is excruciatingly slow to process the additions, especially when checking for duplicates.  This is partly a limitation of Filemaker's scripting environment, which processes steps in a less efficient manner than FileMaker's native functionality, and partly reflects a lack of development time to further optimize or re-think the import code.  Something for another day.  In the meantime, imports and backups will be something for you to run in the background while you are doing something else.  In some cases, ALL DAY.  No kidding.  (I know).
  • When first installing the stand-alone version of The Well, if your admin password is blank you may find the install process more annoying than you would like, but it is not possible to automate installation of the app's components without a valid admin password.  Diligently following the prompts should lead you to a working copy of The Well (essentially, FFmpeg. FFplay, and BWFMetaEdit must all be granted permission to run on your system).  If you have a non-blank admin password, this should not affect you.
  • If you mis-typed your admin password and The Well seems not to have installed correctly (e.g.: you see red messages on the right of the Main Menu), go to Settings, click on the yellow button that says "Reset app and perform install checks next time it is opened," then quit and start The Well again.  This will take you through the installation procedure again, as if this were the first time you opened the app.  No data will be lost.

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The Well - v0.3.9.5

The Well v0.3.9.5 was released on June 6th, 2019 (built with FileMaker 14, meaning mainly compaibtle from Mavericks through Sierra).

This is a major release of bug fixes and new features that also changes the underlying audio technology from third-party apps to open source command line utilities ffplay, ffmpeg, and BWFMetaEdit.  The application should behave more reliably and in more environments.  The startup routine when first installed should also be more robust.

As with the prior release, The Well (stand-alone version) now installs from a .DMG file, which should feel like home for most of you.

New features in v0.3.9.5:
  • Import Audio has been rewritten from the ground up to significantly expand it functionality:
    • You now have the option to use the files’ parent folder names on disk as the Folders into which they should be imported in the Library.  This means you can rapidly import a great number of audio files, using the names of the folders they are in to organize them in The Well.  Any number and depth of subfolders can be imported.  Note that folders of the same name but at different levels of the folder tree on disk (say, “/SFX/Ambiences” and “/SFX/WOODS/AMBIENCES”) will be combined into one Folder ("Ambiences")  in The Well, no matter where they exist in the folder tree being imported.  That allows the source folder tree to be sloppy while still leading to an organized result.
    • You can now opt to compress any supported uncompressed audio files to 320kbps .mp3’s on import.  When using this option, any already-compressed audio files are simply copied (for speed and to avoid quality loss).  This compression typically reduces file size to 1/10 of the original with no significant loss in quality.
    • Sound Designer II files (.SD2) are NOT supported in The Well for playback, however if SD2 files are detected upon audio import The Well will offer to convert them to 24-bit 48kHz .WAV files, in the source folder alongside the originals, and then import (or, optionally, convert) those .WAVs.  This function relies on the Mac-OS native command line utility afconvert.
  • There is a new option to export audio as 48kHz .WAV files, which also adds the Description to the converted file's metadata.  As a result:
  • The Description now shows up in MediaComposer in the "Comments" column when exporting from the Library as .WAV files.  :o)
  • When adding favorites to the currently selected Favorites List, the plus / minus buttons that serve to add or remove records to the list will be enabled or greyed out based on whether the record already belongs to the Favorites List.  In addition, clicking on the "eye" icon will enable blue highlighting of the records that belong to the current list.
  • The number of supported audio file formats has increased.  See the Main Menu page after installation for the list.
  • Searching for duplicate records now allows to search for duplicate Descriptions only, regardless of other metadata.  Results of a duplicate search are now much better presented, with duplicate entries highlighted in yellow.  You also now have the option to mark or delete found duplicates.
  • There is now a Developer Mode, which is mainly for use in creating and maintaining The Well, but which can be invoked with the key combination COMMAND-1.  This reveals more controls on the Main Menu, including the ability to locate ffplay and ffmpeg if they are outside the Helper Apps directory.  If you are using the non-stand-alone version of The Well, you will normally need to do this once to set the location of these two essential utilities.
Bug fixes in v0.3.9.5:
  • When adding a sound effects record to a Favorites List, the list of sound effects no longer jumps/scrolls.
  • Sometimes a Folder’s number would appear instead of its name.  This should no longer occur.
  • The drop-down list of Folders in the Folder information pop-up box (accessed from a record’s tiny pencil icon/button) used to display all the Folders in the entire Library.  Now it displays only those related to the Group to which the effect belongs.
  • Keystrokes in the various views now behave a bit better.  You can now use "b" to indentify a recording as "bad" or "p" to identify it as "period" in addition to typing "x" or "m" to mark the current record.
  • ...and many more I lost track of.
Other Changes (mostly tech):
  • The underlying audio engine for playback is now the open-source FFplay command line utility.  This solves a crippling issue with the former Play Sound helper app that would disable all audio playback if the library’s files were on the system drive (!).  This was due to a bug when using AppleScript to talk to Play Sound, both of which are older technologies that are probably no longer compatible with one another in current macOS versions.  FFplay is actively maintained and cross-platform and should represent a better technology moving forward.  Note that Play Sound was compatible with direct playback of SD2 files, but FFlpay is not.
  • The new audio compression on import function is made possible by the FFmpeg command line utility.
  • The new .WAV file export function's tagging function (for Media Composer to see Descriptions in the bin) is made possible by the BWFMetaEdit command line utility.
    NOTE:  FFplay, FFmeg, and BWFMetaEdit are installed to a folder that is specific to The Well and is not in the normal path for Mac command line utilities.  It is called explicitly/directly in its expected location in the The Well’s own Helper Apps folder.  That means your own installation of these command lines, if any, will not interfere with The Well’s, and vice-versa.
  • Progress bars are now exclusively rendered by the BaseElements Filemaker plugin.
Known Limitations:
  • Favorites Lists must be restored after the records they reference have been restored.
  • When restoring or importing records from backups, The Well is excruciatingly slow to process the additions, especially when checking for duplicates.  This is partly a limitation of Filemaker's scripting environment, which processes steps in a less efficient manner than FileMaker's native functionality that you may be used to, and partly reflects a lack of development time to further optimize or re-think the import code.  Something for another day.  In the meantime, imports and backups will be something for you to run in the background while you are doing something else.  In some cases, ALL DAY.  No kidding.  (I know).
  • When first installing the stand-alone version of The Well, if your admin password is blank you may find the install process more annoying than you would like, but it is not possible to automate installation of the app's components without a valid admin password.  Diligently following the prompts should lead you to a working copy of The Well.  If you have a non-blank admin password, this should not affect you.
  • If you mis-typed your admin password and The Well seems not to have installed correctly (red messages on the right of the Main Menu), go to Settings, click on the "recycle" icon to reset app warnings, quit and start The Well again.  This will take you through the installation procedure again as if this were the first time you opened the app.

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The Well - v0.3.9.4

The Well v0.3.9.4 was released on April 23rd, 2019 (built with FileMaker 14, meaning mainly for Mavericks through Sierra).

This is a major bug fix release.  Previous versions that were downloaded from this site would not have functioned.  This was related to the fact that stand-alone FileMaker applicatons (those that don't require FileMaker to be installed to run) don't play well with Apple's security functions, including Gatekeeper.  The solution was to create a Developer Account with Apple and "code sign" The Well so it presents itself as an application from a "known developer."  This fixed numerous startup and installation issues.  It also costs me $99 a year.  You're welcome.  ;o)

As an indirect benefit, The Well (stand-alone version) now installs from a .DMG file, which should feel like home for most of you.

Bug fixes in v0.3.9.4:
  • Installation with a valid admin password failed.  The Well is now a signed app, and this should no longer occur (see above).
  • Opening The Well yielded a dialogue box asking you to find a needed component.  The Well is now a signed app, and this should no longer occur (see above).
  • Progress bars now display properly, with a Cancel button!
  • Progress bar would not close in some circumstances.
  • The Import Sandbox was not handling blank Group or Folder fields for records in a useful or transparent way.
  • The Import Sandbox would not display existing records that had not been transfered to the main library in certain circumstances.
  • The confusing Filemaker-native prompt "Before typing..." appeared when clicking on empty portions of the Sandbox and Library screens.
  • ESC and COMMAND-Z did not do anything useful on Sandbox or main library Description fields, which was frustrating!
  • Extra trailing tabs in a mal-formed sample .TSV file were showing up as "  /" in the Description field; the code that generated the extra tab was eliminated, and code to handle and extra tab on input was added.
  • Changed main menu layout to add further application status text.  You can ignore this text but do provide a screenshot of it if reporting a bug.
New features in v0.3.9.4:
  • It is now possible to remove a set number of characters from the beginning or ending of a Description in Maintenance Mode.  :o)
  • In the FileMaker Pro version of The Well (non-stand-alone), there is a new function to allow you to test an audio file format.  Look for the "play" button on the hidden FileTypes layout.  Select an audio file.  If you hear it play back, you can safely add the extension to the list and use that audio format moving forward.
Known Limitations:
  • When first installing the stand-alone version of The Well, if your admin password is blank you may find the install process more annoying than you would like, but it is not possible to automate installation of the app's components without a valid admin password.  Diligently following the prompts should lead you to a working copy of The Well.  If you have a non-blank admin password, this should not affect you.
  • When restoring or importing records from backups, The Well is excruciatingly slow to process the additions, especially when checking for duplicates.  This is partly a limitation of Filemaker's scripting environment, which processes steps in a less efficient manner than FileMaker's native functionality that you may be used to, and partly reflects a lack of development time to further optimize or re-think the import code.  Something for another day.  In the meantime, imports and backups will be something for you to run in the background while you are doing something else.  In some cases, ALL DAY.  No kidding.  (I know).
  • Favorites Lists must be restored after the records they reference have been restored.
  • Duplicates (same Group/Folder/Track/Description) will not appear if searching on a Group or a Folder (i.e.:  by clicking on the respective magnifying glass buttons), but will show up after clearing search.  This is a bug that will require some exploring.
  • Currently, mp3, m4a, WAV, AIF/AIFF, and AAC (provisionally) files are listed & supported formats within the app.  FLAC has been shown NOT to work with the sound playback engine.  Some testing needs to be done with alternate formats, time permitting.  If you are using the "source file" version of the app, you can add other formats (i.e.:  file extensions) in a hidden table in the app, which can be found in the Layouts menu or by pressing COMMAND-1 to restore Filemaker's toolbars.  Any Quicktime-compatible format is supposedly compatible with PlaySound, which is the primary playback engine used by The Well.

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The Well - v0.3.9.2

The Well v0.3.9.2 was released on October 8th, 2018 (.fmp12 format only, so far, meaning for Mavericks - Sierra).  This release does away with Gooey Gadgets and DialogPlugin methods for displaying progress bars, restoring Sierra compatibility in the process.

Bug fixes in v0.3.9.2:
  • Introduced new progress bar display method that should be more compatible and long-lived that previous methods (using the BaseElements plugin)
  • Changed main menu layout to omit text no longer relevant due to the above change.
New "features" in v0.3.9.2:
  • Sierra compatibility.
Known Limitations:
  • NEW:  The "Cancel" button in the new progress bar windows is greyed out and can't be clicked, however the escape (ESC) key functions.  Testing and research must be done to improve the situation.
  • When first installing the stand-alone version of The Well, if your admin password is blank you may find the install process more annoying than you would like, but it is not possible to automate installation of the app's components without a valid admin password.  Diligently following the prompts should lead you to a working copy of The Well.
  • When restoring or importing records from backups, The Well is excruciatingly slow to process the additions, especially when checking for duplicates.  This is partly a limitation of Filemaker's scripting environment, which processes steps in a less efficient manner than FileMaker's native functionality that you may be used to, and partly reflects a lack of development time to further optimize or re-think the import code.  Something for another day.  In the meantime, imports and backups will be something for you to run in the background while you are doing something else.
  • Favorites Lists must be restored after the records they reference have been restored.
  • Duplicates (same Group/Folder/Track/Description) will not appear if searching on a Group or a Folder (i.e.:  by clicking on the respective magnifying glass buttons), but will show up after clearing search.  This is a bug that will require some exploring.
  • Currently, only .mp3, .WAV, and .AAC (provisionally) files are listed & supported formats within the app.  Some testing needs to be done with alternate formats, time permitting.  If you are using the "source file" version of the app, you can add other formats (i.e.:  file extensions) in a hidden table in the app.  Any Quicktime-compatible format is supposedly compatible with PlaySound, which is the playback engine used by The Well.

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The Well - v0.3.9.0

The Well v0.3.9.0 was released on October 7th, 2018 (.fmp12 format only, so far, meaning for Mavericks - Yosemite+).  This release completes the funcionality of a major feature and fixes some bugs.

Bug fixes in v0.3.9.0:
  • Added import of Group Metadata from .TWB backup files (Group Folder Prefix and Group File Export Prefix).  Now, restoring from a .TWB full backup will retain this information (see New Features, below, for more information).
    NOTE:  This means that you can now migrate from an older version of The Well to the current version with your Groups' data intact.
  • Added automated BaseElements plugin install.   First-time users should see fewer installation messages and generally have an easier time getting started.
    NOTE:  If your admin password is blank, you may find the install process more annoying, but it is not possible to automate installation without a valid admin password.
  • Changed database startup behavior to more gracefully ignore missing DialogPlugin (now deprecated:  only works in 32-bit mode!)
  • Fixed erroneous appending of the term "KeepSpaces" when adding a space at the end of a manually entered Group Folder Prefix in the pop-up window.
  • Changed main menu layout to display new longer missing plugin message & altered conditional formatting to look less intrusive.
  • Fixed broken link to Kargas Software's page for DialogPlugin.
New "features" in v0.3.9.0:
  • Restoring from a .TWB (The Well Backup) file now also restores any Group-level customizations pertaining to the Group's physical folder name (Group Folder Prefix) and the Group's optional, user-determined export prefix (Group Export Prefix) which is appended to the exported file name of a sound file).
    IMPORTANT NOTE:  since the Group Folder Prefix is used to determine the physical location of a sound file, setting this prefix incorrectly (or adding one when the physical folders do not have a common prefix) can lead to a breaking of the link the sound file, making it go offline.  To restore the link, examine the physical folder naming conventions and correct as necessary.  This can be done by clicking the pencil icon of a sound effect belonging to the Group in question, and then selecing the red tab, "Sound Effect File Link Data," then clicking on the pencil icon next the the Group name.  In the resulting window, the Group's Folder Prefix and File Export Prefix can be directly edited.  This will change the data for all records belonging to that Group, so use this functionality wisely!
Known Limitations:
  • NEW:  While working on this version's code, it was discovered that both methods of displaying progress bars are problematic.  The DialoguePlugin method (which was always considered the fallback method) only works when launching the app in 32-bit mode, which is not recommended and is a bit silly to ask the user to think about.  Meanwhile, Gooey Gadgets, which has seemed to work well, is apparently incompatible with Sierra (and possibly El Capitan? – and probably any future macOS's).  Another method of displaying progress bars will have to be implemented.  For some reason, inexplicably, Filemaker itself has never deemed this a necessary feature and does not offer a progress bar function.  So its back to the drawing board...
  • When first installing the stand-alone version of The Well, if your admin password is blank you may find the install process more annoying than you would like, but it is not possible to automate installation of the app's components without a valid admin password.  Diligently following the prompts should lead you to a working copy of The Well.
  • When restoring or importing records from backups, The Well is excruciatingly slow to process the additions, especially when checking for duplicates.  This is partly a limitation of Filemaker's scripting environment, which processes steps in a less efficient manner than FileMaker's native functionality that you may be used to, and partly reflects a lack of development time to further optimize or re-think the import code.  Something for another day.  In the meantime, imports and backups will be something for you to run in the background while you are doing something else.
  • Favorites Lists must be restored after the records they reference have been restored.
  • Duplicates (same Group/Folder/Track/Description) will not appear if searching on a Group or a Folder (i.e.:  by clicking on the respective magnifying glass buttons), but will show up after clearing search.  This is a bug that will require some exploring.
  • Currently, only .mp3, .WAV, and .AAC (provisionally) files are listed & supported formats within the app.  Some testing needs to be done with alternate formats, time permitting.  If you are using the "source file" version of the app, you can add other formats (i.e.:  file extensions) in a hidden table in the app.  Any Quicktime-compatible format is supposedly compatible with PlaySound, which is the playback engine used by The Well.

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The Well - v0.3.8.9

The Well v0.3.8.9 was released on June 17th, 2018.  This is the first release of the app since its initial release in 2016 and addresses some long-standing issues:

Bug fixes in v0.3.8.9:
  • Prior version could not import audio beyond the first file chosen, due to buggy code introduced into the import script just before the original release.  This has been fixed, unlocking a great deal of potential in the app:  now disorderly audio files can make their way into The Well and become neat, searchable libraries, just as intended.
  • Fixed recognition of invisible files (based on starting with a period, ".").  They will now be properly ignored when performing an audio file import.  This is especially helpful when importing audio from a non-Mac network share, such as Nexus/ISIS/Unity or a generic NAS.
  • Prior version had a very annoying habit of jumping to the first record after any search, making the first record the active record. Subsequently clicking on any other record's audio playback button would cause that audio file's duration to be assigned to the first record in the search, rather than the record clicked.  Playback on/off behavior became inconsistent for the same reason.  This was due to a subtle interface bug in FileMaker that requires a work-around.  As a direct trade-off of that work-around, after a search has been performed, you will now have to click on the search box to perform the next search, rather than just typing again.  Considering most people's search habits, this compromise will be an improvement.
  • After canceling Report Duplicates, you might have landed on a blank white screen.  This has been fixed.
  • Report Duplicates now lands in Maintenance Mode, displaying duplicate records.  Some future refinement to this workflow is being considered, but for now only a single set of duplicate records is shown, not the other records that match them.  Which record is considered the "duplicate" is a bit random at this time.
  • Automatically-generated log files, for example the report generated by an audio file import, now use timestamps in the YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS format so that they sort nicely in Finder.
  • Leading and trailing spaces are now allowed in Folder Prefixes (to better allow matching pre-existing disk filenames and paths to database filenames and paths).
  • In the Import Sandbox, clicking on Delete All Sandbox Records, Delete Marked Sandbox Records, and either of the  Import buttons now stops audio playback, which should prevent runaway audio playback with no button available to stop it.
New features in v0.3.8.9:
  • No new features.  Although the bug fixes rescued a major feature:  audio import!
Known Limitations:
  • When restoring or importing records from backups, The Well is excruciatingly slow to process the additions, especially when checking for duplicates.  This is partly a limitation of Filemaker's scripting environment, which processes steps in a less efficient manner than FileMaker's native functionality that you may be used to, and partly reflects a lack of development time to further optimize or re-think the import code.  Something for another day.  In the meantime, imports and backups will be something for you to run in the background while you are doing something else.
  • Favorites Lists must be restored after the records they reference have been restored.
  • Duplicates (same Group/Folder/Track/Description) will not appear if searching on a Group or a Folder (i.e.:  by clicking on the respective magnifying glass buttons), but will show up after clearing search.  This is a bug that will require some exploring.
  • Currently, only .mp3, .WAV, and .AAC (provisionally) files are listed & supported formats within the app.  Some testing needs to be done with alternate formats, time permitting.  If you are using the "source file" version of the app, you can add other formats (i.e.:  file extensions) in a hidden table in the app.

And that's it!

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The Well - v0.3.8.7

The Well v0.3.8.7 was the initial public release in the Summer of 2016.

Known Bugs:
  • Audio File Import does not function:  only the first audio file is recognized and copied / processed.  A real bummer.
  • Canceling a Report Duplicates operation can land the user on a blank screen with no obvious way out.
Known Limitations:
  • When restoring or importing records, The Well is excruciatingly slow to process the additions, especially when checking for duplicates.  This is partly a limitation of Filemaker's scripting environment, which processes steps in a less efficient manner than FileMaker's native functionality that you may be used to, and partly reflects a lack of development time to further optimize or re-think the import code.
  • Favorites Lists must be restored after the records they reference have been restored.
  • Duplicates (same Group/Folder/Track/Description) will not appear if searching on a Group or a Folder (i.e.:  by clicking on the respective magnifying glass buttons), but will show up after clearing search.
  • Currently, only .mp3, .WAV, and .AAC (provisionally) files are listed & supported formats within the app.  Some testing needs to be done with alternate formats, time permitting.  If you are using the "source file" version of the app, you can add other formats (i.e.:  file extensions) in a hidden table in the app.

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FileMaker "Source File" Notes

How to work with the FileMaker "source file" version of The Well:

Source files are available in either .fp7 (actually made in FileMaker v11) and .fp12 (actually made inFileMaker v14) format.  Download whichever version suits you and note the following:

  • To eliminate distractions and confusion when using the application, the standard FileMaker toolsets and menus are disabled upon starting the app.  To restore this functionality (starting with v0395):
    • Upon launching the file, you can re-enable standard menus by typing COMMAND-1 (possibly twice;  make sure the FileMaker window is active)
    • To hide the full menu set, type COMMAND-1 again.
    • In previous versions ONLY:  to permanently restore the Filemaker toolsets and menus would have required looking into the script triggers of the app's various forms and finding the code that enforces the custom menu set and disables the toolbars.  Starting with v0.3.9.4, this is handled automatically with the COMMAND-1 toggle.
  • Plugins and helper apps must be properly installed for The Well's operations to function (BaseElements is a hard requirement, whereas the others add additional core functionality).  The proper installation location and method for these helpers differs by version of FileMaker itself, so refer to online help sources to set things up properly in your environment.  Once they are installed, however, they need not be dealt with again and can be used actively in all FileMaker projects on the same machine.  BaseElements is especially helpful when scripting heavily.
    • For v0395+:  install the ffplay, ffmpeg, and BWFMetaEdit command line utilities somewhere on your system.  Enter Developer Mode by typing COMMAND-1 and look for the pencil icons next to the three boxes at the bottom right of the Main Menu.  Click each of these to locate the command line utilities.  Once the locations are stored, you should not have to do this operation again unless they are moved or deleted.
      NOTE :   if you don't have BaseElements or the command line utilities, you can obtain them on the "Resources" tab of the Main Menu screen (in older versions, this was found on a tab called "Helper Apps").

Note that the FileMaker file is complex to understand and will require some patience to reverse-engineer, even for a "power user."  Scripts are heavily commented to help navigate the logical flow and are organized in folders by function type (User Interface / basic functions / file operations / etc.).  If nothing else, it provides an insight into some techniques – and potential traps – that may help you out of a FileMaker jam one day.

Good luck!

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