Transana 4.00 Beta Test

Welcome to the Transana 4.00 Beta Test

Please read this whole page.  Using Transana 4.00 Beta, especially the first Beta version, is a little different than using a distribution version of Transana.

The purpose of this Beta test is to involve current Transana users in a final round of testing before the official release of Transana 4.00

This version of Transana works well and we think users will be pleased with the new features, but it is possible that there are issues with the software that we have missed.

The release of Transana 4.00 has been delayed for several months while we had to update every part of the program to make it compatible with the most recent versions of macOS, requiring over 10,000 changes to the source code.

Transana 4.00 represents a major overhaul of Transana

  • Transana has migrated from a 32-bit software architecture to a 64-bit architecture.  The primary effect of this change is that Transana 4.00 will run on macOS Catalina and Big Sur.
  • The functionality of Options > Media Size has been improved.  These options used to be tied to the size of the media file.  They are now tied to the size of the screen.  As  a result, media files are displayed consistently even when the source files have different resolutions.
  • Transana 4.00 adds Autocomplete to speed up transcription.  You can define autocomplete text which will automatically replace an abbreviation with full text when typed during transcription.  On Windows, see Options > Program Settings > Autocomplete to define your autocomplete text and abbreviations.  On macOS, see Transana > Preferences > Autocomplete.
  • Transana 4.00 adds Guide Pages.  These pages are designed for new users to provide step-by-step guidance in getting started with Transana.  Guide pages can easily be disabled when they are no longer needed.  For the Beta, Guide pages have been implemented for TransanaSCRIBE and for the Transana Demonstration version, but they will be added to the Basic, Professional, and Multiuser versions for the final Transana 4.00 release.
  • We have upgraded Transana’s media conversion infrastructure.  This allows for much faster audio extraction and media conversion from a wider variety of media formats.
  • Transana now imports plain text files better.  Now, a wider variety of encodings are supported, and Transana can often automatically detect the encoding used for a plain text file.
  • On Windows, Transana adds support for many USB transcription foot pedals.  See Options > Program Settings > Foot Pedal for setup and configuration options.
  • On Windows, Transana no longer supports the Apple QuickTime for Windows media player.   Users with MOV video or other Apple-specific formats that are not supported by Windows Media Player will need to convert those files to MP4 format using Transana’s Media Conversion tool.

Known Issues that have not yet been fixed

  • New and changed prompts have not yet been translated.  They will appear in English regardless of the language selected for Transana’s interface.
  • The Keyword and Hybrid visualizations are not maintaining Filters correctly.
  • Transana Multiuser will not be available for Beta testing.  The need for a compatible server makes Multiuser unsuitable for  Beta testing.
  • Database Export and Import do not yet include Transcript Autocomplete data or Transcription Shortcut data.
  • Database Export and Import do not work properly with Filter records.
  • REFI-QDA qualitative data exchange has been disabled, as it has not yet been tested and debugged for Transana 4.00.
 

  •  On macOS Catalina, DO NOT drag any Transana windows or dialog popups from one monitor to another.  The dragged window is likely to disappear when dropped and cannot be recovered without restarting Transana.  You may need to use Force Quit if this happens and you are unable to exit the program through the menus.  This issue does not occur on macOS Big Sur.

  • On macOS, Drag and Drop has been disabled.  Transana would reliably crash on a second Drop operation.  Fortunately, there are Cut/Copy and Paste alternatives for all Drag and Drop operations until we can get this resolved.

You can participate in the Beta test if you meet the following conditions:

  • You purchased or upgraded to Transana Basic or Professional in 2020 or 2021.
  • You promise to back up your data with your existing version of Transana before loading the data in the Beta version.
  • You promise to provide feedback based on your experience with the Transana Beta as soon as issues arise or when you receive a Beta user survey.
  • You recognize that problems sometimes arise in Beta software and can be chill if something unexpected happens, knowing that we are here to help you.

How to join the Beta Test program:

  •  Contact us using our web site’s contact form (click the button below).  Let us know your operating system (including which version) and whether you use Transana Basic or Transana Professional.
  • Beta participation will be limited.  There may be more than one round of Beta testing.
  • If you qualify, we will send you a download link and an Authorization code.
Apply for the Transana 4.00 Beta Test