dcpomatic2_kdm_cli Query

[Guddu]

Does dcpomatic2_kdm_cli depend on cinemas.xml or can I use it to generate KDMs for Cinema screens which are not in cinemas.xml using their .pem file as input?

How can I Provide the DKDM file input to dcpomatic2_kdm_cli? I could not see any command line parameter for this.

Lastly, How do I provide the KDM Decryption certificate to dcpomatic2_kdm_cli? I could not see any command line parameter for this. Does it look by default in some folder? Is there a way for specifying a different file as command line parameter input?

[carl]

You can specify a .pem using -C and give a DKDM as the parameter e.g.

Code: Select all

dcpomatic2_kdm_cli -C screen.pem my_dkdm.xml

The KDM decryption certificate is taken from the DoM config. There's no way to specify that on the command line yet, but I could add it if it would be useful.

[Guddu]

Dear Carl, it would be very useful if all the input parameters could be passed on from the command line

1. Start and End Date/Time
2. Time Zone
3. Server Certificate File
4. DKDM File
5. Signing Certificate

I understand that provision for parameter 1 is already there.

I can of course give it a test if you think this can be added in the next version.

[carl]

In the current test version the timezone is no longer a property of the cinema, so you can already specify it on the command line as part of the start/end times.

From your list I think all that is missing is the DKDM decryption certificate (I guess that's what you mean by your list entry 5?)

[Guddu]

Dear Carl, yes, that's what I meant. If path to the DKDM decryption certificate could also be passed from the command line itself.

I am trying to achieve certain level of automation in my KDM generation process for the cinemas and this feature might come in rather handy for me. Looking forward to testing it sometime.

[Carsten]

In the current test version the timezone is no longer a property of the cinema, so you can already specify it on the command line as part of the start/end times.

I think it's better to leave the time zone in the database and just offer to override it (or choose daylight saving) in the KDM creation dialog.

[carl]

The reason for the change was that in countries with daylight saving time the one in the database is wrong for half the year - that argument was persuasive to me. I'm not sure if it's worse to always have to enter the timezone or to have to remember to fix it for 6 months... I guess in an ideal world there would be support for daylight saving but I have a feeling that would be complicated.

[Guddu]

I always felt that DST is not too important as far as KDM validity periods are concerned. Most KDMs are issued with a validity period that covers the time between the start of the first function and well beyond the last show of the week (+/- 4 Hours). It might only come into play for very limited windows such as a single screening where the KDM is supposed to not last beyond a 3 hour window.

What could be a valid argument to have DST always considered in the KDM generation process?

[Carsten]

I think consideration of daylight saving when creating a KDM is simply bad habit. KDMs should never be issued precisely down to the hour. Instead, the time zone shift is more relevant, as it can be up to 12 hrs. And having to enter it every time KDMs are issued is more prone to errors.

The KDMs we receive for our regular programe always start one day early, and end at least 3 hours into the next day, so that daylight saving never can be an issue.

[Guddu]

Dear Carl and Carsten, is there some place in DCI Spec where they talk about the time zone? and DSTs? I could not find anything anywhere at all.

I was reading https://www.dcimovies.com/archives/spec ... y-2020.pdf

Is that even the right document?