⌘K

Lock System – User Guide

Overview

Falcon Rundown uses a lock system to prevent multiple users from editing the same content simultaneously. This helps avoid conflicts and data loss when several people work in the same project.

Types of Locks

There are two types of locks in the system:

 

Header Lock

  • What is locked: Story title and metadata (row in rundown list)

  • When activated: Automatically when you click in the title field for a story

  • Purpose: Ensures only one person at a time can change the title and other header fields

 

Content Lock

  • What is locked: Story content (the manuscript)

  • When activated: Automatically when you click into the editor/text field

  • Purpose: Ensures only one person at a time can edit the manuscript itself

 

How It Works

Automatic Lock Acquisition

When you begin editing:

  • You click on a story title or in the editor field

  • The system automatically attempts to acquire a lock

  • If the lock is available, you get access immediately

  • A discreet message appears at the bottom of the screen: "? You have taken [header/content] lock on [story title]"

 

If Another User Has the Lock

If another user already has the lock, a dialog appears showing:

  • Who has the lock

  • When they took it

Your options:

  • Wait: Wait for the other user to release the lock

  • Force take: Take the lock from the other user (use with caution)

 

Visual Indicators

  • Lock icon in toolbar: When content is locked by another user, a padlock icon appears in the editor with the person’s name

  • Disabled fields: Fields you cannot edit (because they’re locked) are visually dimmed or disabled

  • Lock banner: A green banner at the bottom of the screen shows which lock you’re holding

 

Lock Release

Automatic Release

Locks are automatically released when:

  • You click away from the story (blur event)

  • You switch to another story

  • You leave the rundown view

  • Your session expires (after inactivity)

 

Manual Release

You can manually release a lock by:

  • Clicking the Release lock button in the lock banner at the bottom of the screen

  • This releases the lock immediately so others can take over

 

Heartbeat System

To prevent locks from “hanging” if a user loses connection:

  • The system automatically sends heartbeat signals every 5 seconds

  • If the heartbeat stops (for example due to network failure), the lock is automatically released after a timeout

  • This ensures locks don’t block unnecessarily

 

Best Practices

Do

  • Release locks when finished: Click away from the field or press Release lock when done

  • Be mindful of others: If you force-take a lock, the other user may lose changes

  • Save regularly: Changes are saved automatically (CTRL + F10), but stay alert

Avoid

  • Force-taking without reason: Only if truly necessary

  • Keeping locks open unnecessarily: Close the story or rundown when finished

  • Working offline: The lock system requires an active connection

 

Troubleshooting

“Lock timed out”

  • Problem: You lost your lock during editing

  • Solution: Click in the field again to reacquire the lock. The system automatically saves before releasing the lock.

 

“Cannot acquire lock”

  • Problem: Another user is holding the lock

  • Solution:

    • Wait for them to release it

    • Contact the other user directly

    • Use Force take if critical (and you’ve coordinated with the other person)

 

Lock Won’t Release

  • Problem: You still see a lock even though the person is no longer working

  • Solution: Wait 30 to 60 seconds for the heartbeat timeout to automatically release it, or use Force take

 

Technical Details

Lock Duration

  • Locks stay active via heartbeat every 5 seconds

  • Without heartbeat, the lock times out after about 30 seconds

  • Locks are stored in the database with timestamp and user ID

 

 

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • CTRL + F10: Save story content manually (also saves automatically on lock release)

  • ESC: Close editor (releases all locks for that story)

 

Support

If you experience problems with the lock system: