Feature Suggestions

I am designing a show at the moment, and have been using PixelMAD v2. Here are a few ideas for features.... ( or maybe there are already there, and I missed them ). We are using an Obsession 2 to trigger PixelMAD which is outputting to about 300 meters of VersaTube.

1) It would be really useful to copy the setting of one layer to another. We have found a few times we want to move what we are doing on one layer onto anther layer while creating and editing presets.

2) It would be great to be able to run a preset ( from PixelMAD, not the console ) without using the timing. For example we have a preset with fades of 60 seconds, but we are jumping back to run a sequence again. Currently to go back we have to run the preset and wait the 60 seconds for it to complete before we can move on. This could be an option in the preset menu to snap/instantly load preset.

3) It would be useful to save and load preset files in much the same way as you do for standard Macintosh files.

4) It would be useful to be able to record in a preset which mix window a layer is outputting to.

Thats all for now,

Andy Voller

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1) It would be really useful to copy the setting of one layer to another. We have found a few times we want to move what we are doing on one layer onto anther layer while creating and editing presets.

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yes. i didnt have enough time to write this kindof thing for the last release.

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2) It would be great to be able to run a preset ( from PixelMAD, not the console ) without using the timing. For example we have a preset with fades of 60 seconds, but we are jumping back to run a sequence again. Currently to go back we have to run the preset and wait the 60 seconds for it to complete before we can move on. This could be an option in the preset menu to snap/instantly load preset.

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you mean take all the timing values out of all fades - and snap to the end position?

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3) It would be useful to save and load preset files in much the same way as you do for standard Macintosh files.

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i tried to remove loading and saving to make it as easy as possible in the first instance.
other people have asked for this.

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4) It would be useful to be able to record in a preset which mix window a layer is outputting to.

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yes. it would.

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you mean take all the timing values out of all fades - and snap to the end position?

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Yes, it would just ignore the fade values to snap to the end position. It would not modify the preset. It would be like a timing disable feature on some consoles.

Andy

I think that can probably be done.

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I think you are using an ETC console?

Are you using dmx or Midi show control to activate presets?

We are using an ETC Obsession 2 console, and trigger the presets from DMX. Only posting this as an idea, but perhaps a second DMX channel could be used as a rate control. This could be a different DMX profile, i.e. 1 Channel Preset trigger, or 2 channel preset trigger with rate control. The rate channel could be 50% ( 127 ) the preset recall uses the preset fade times. Decreasing the rate channel would slow down the fade, until you reach 0 at which point it would be stopped. Increasing the rate control channel would speed up the fade until you reach full ( 255 ) at which point it is a snap. This would allow preset recall on consoles like the Obsession 2 to be a little easier for rehersals. In our instance of the production we do have a guy sitting with the Mac programming the presets, but I can see that once programming in complete and they are just running reheasals, stepping back into cues could be a lengthy process if some of the cues have long time. What does anyone else think about the rate channel ?

Andy

i think its a good idea.

but you are looking to solve a technical problem with another system.

the etc console you are using isnt very good at handling moving light type dmx cues at full resolution 16bit res. normally part cues running on the lighting console could handle this.

The problem with my presets - is really that - i have individual timing on each and every parameter- and there is no overall cue time. there is no such thing as 50% fade complete.

But i could come up with a mode selectable for each parameter ( on or off ) that did have a 'complete' time, and was linked to a second dmx channel as part of the preset dmx spec.
Or even a third channel because in this type of scenario you might actually want to have 2 or more handles onto different parameters, with different sets of timing.

intensity, movie speed, and image movement, do not neccesarily have the same 'visual' analogous complete times.

I was thinking of the extra dmx channel being a rate control. It would proportionally scale the current fades in progress. With the DMX channel at 50%, the preset would recall in all it's associated fade time. Changing the dmx channel towards zero would proportionally scale all running fades, equally changing the dmx value towards 100% would proportionally speed up the running fades.

0% = stop
25% = Fade time doubled ( i.e. a 5 sec fade would be 10 sec )
50% = unmodified fade time ( i.e. 5 sec fade would be 5 sec )
75 % = Fade time halved ( i.e. 5 sec fade would be 2.5 sec )
100% = snap

This approach is different to the idea of a timing channel that is found on moving lights.

I only had this idea, as in our situation it would be useful, but in the long run I would prefer a console that enables me to program the layers from the console.

Andy

yes.

this would have to be accessible from my samsc cue list as well.