Preset Focus and Soft Edge?

[gazzer82]

I have a few feature requests, though feel free to tell me if there already there and i haven't found them yet

Firstly, the ability to have preset focuses similar to how lighting consoles work, i am on a tour at the moment where i have to re-align several videos in each venue onto a specific area, it would be great to be able to edit one master preset and then for each slave preset to look to the master for x/y/scale information.

Secondly, the new soft edgeing support is great, however i have yet to find an easy way to allow an images to pass from one layer to another so it can move across the whole image area, i.e scrolling text that runs across the entire widescreen surface. At the moment i have to split the video into three files and edit/align them so it looks like it is one continuous pan. Therefor it woul be great if you could set up a master layer that is the size of your combined layers so you could easily/quickly pan images all the way across.

Thirdly, the ability to trigger the cue list from DMX, at the moment i have to put in effects and part cues to trigger presets from the lighting desk, it would be so much easier and quicker if i could just setup one effect that was a go command, and then just drop that effect into every que where i wanted to advance the quelist, it would also allow me to setup and edit the cues without having to access the lighting desk.

Cheers

Gareth

[kmclights]

I'd like to second the third comment above. I had planned to use Rosco Keystroke to accomplish this task, but it doesn't work with Intel Macs yet.

It would be great if Richard was reserving those first four channels of DMX on the Preset Trigger - 1 Channel for this purpose.

I know it is possible to use Midi Show Control Go commands to accomplish this, but I always find midi to be a messy control method in the theatre lighting world.

Kevin

[samsc]

I have a few feature requests, though feel free to tell me if there already there and i haven't found them yet

Firstly, the ability to have preset focuses similar to how lighting consoles work, i am on a tour at the moment where i have to re-align several videos in each venue onto a specific area, it would be great to be able to edit one master preset and then for each slave preset to look to the master for x/y/scale information.

you can kindof do this - remove the x and y position from the presets you use to control video- then create presets with just x and y position.
have setup presets at the start of each show or cue list to set the position of the x and y- for whatever cue range.
you use some presets just to set x and y and nothing else.

Secondly, the new soft edgeing support is great, however i have yet to find an easy way to allow an images to pass from one layer to another so it can move across the whole image area, i.e scrolling text that runs across the entire widescreen surface. At the moment i have to split the video into three files and edit/align them so it looks like it is one continuous pan. Therefor it woul be great if you could set up a master layer that is the size of your combined layers so you could easily/quickly pan images all the way across.

you need to set the layer to appear on all sub-mix- you set the sub-mixes offset from each other - +2, 0 ,-2 ( or something like this )
this is straightforward.

Thirdly, the ability to trigger the cue list from DMX, at the moment i have to put in effects and part cues to trigger presets from the lighting desk, it would be so much easier and quicker if i could just setup one effect that was a go command, and then just drop that effect into every que where i wanted to advance the quelist, it would also allow me to setup and edit the cues without having to access the lighting desk.

Cheers

Gareth

in the latest version ( think its in m119 ) you can trigger the cue list from dmx -
you set the show cue to have a label "DMXPreset=1"
You need to have the dmx preset trigger on for this to work

[kmclights]

in the latest version ( think its in m119 ) you can trigger the cue list from dmx -
you set the show cue to have a label "DMXPreset=1"
You need to have the dmx preset trigger on for this to work

I've just tried this and it does work, although you still have to specify the DMX value coresponding to the preset you want to trigger. In that sense, it is not a generic "GO" command. However, it does make triggering sequences of presets easier as you don't have to program multiple triggers into the lighting desk.

Kevin

[samsc]

I've just tried this and it does work, although you still have to specify the DMX value coresponding to the preset you want to trigger. In that sense, it is not a generic "GO" command. However, it does make triggering sequences of presets easier as you don't have to program multiple triggers into the lighting desk.

Kevin

what do you mean "generic go"?

if you are using 'dmx' you have to use it like this.

if you want a 'generic go' with a protocol 'midi show control' does this.

you can trigger with midi show control in the exact same way.

[gazzer82]

Ah yes thats quite a goof way of going about it that i hadn't thought of, though this would only works if there where no other x+y values called after you had set the preset, so i guess you would have to make sure you called the default x+y preset before each cue, which is no biggy i suppose.

For the soft edging i will give this ago, seems simple enough, though i though that is you assigned the layer to multiple sub-mixes it would appear on the same x=y on each sub-mix, is this not the case?

I think he means what i was implying, that dmx value 1 is a go command, so no matter what cue is currently selected, dmx preset 1 will trigger the next one, in the same way midi show contol go works. Also whilst we are on the subject, it would also be great to have another three presets for moving around in the cue list from
the desk, so it would be :-

DMX Value 1 - Go
DMX Value 2 - Back One Cue
DMX Value 3 - Forward One Cue
DMX Value 4 -Go to first cue and wait.

I know a lot of this can be acieved from Midi Show Control, but support for it is very bad on certain desks, and non existant on others, also i don't know many venues that have Midi tie lines and boosters/splitters.

Cheers

Garerth

[samsc]

Ah yes thats quite a goof way of going about it that i hadn't thought of, though this would only works if there where no other x+y values called after you had set the preset, so i guess you would have to make sure you called the default x+y preset before each cue, which is no biggy i suppose.

this means that every parameter can has a 'preset focus' type of behaviour - 'preset focus' is too limited- this also means you can keep play commands, file commands, and colour fx etc on different presets -
breaking down the programming in a more flexible way.

For the soft edging i will give this ago, seems simple enough, though i though that is you assigned the layer to multiple sub-mixes it would appear on the same x=y on each sub-mix, is this not the case?

did you play with the mix offsets?

I think he means what i was implying, that dmx value 1 is a go command, so no matter what cue is currently selected, dmx preset 1 will trigger the next one, in the same way midi show contol go works. Also whilst we are on the subject, it would also be great to have another three presets for moving around in the cue list from
the desk, so it would be :-

DMX Value 1 - Go
DMX Value 2 - Back One Cue
DMX Value 3 - Forward One Cue
DMX Value 4 -Go to first cue and wait.

I know a lot of this can be acieved from Midi Show Control, but support for it is very bad on certain desks, and non existant on others, also i don't know many venues that have Midi tie lines and boosters/splitters.

Cheers

Garerth

you could do this by programming a cue list to respond to dmx presets that do these things.

[tharding]

I think you will find if you get the mix offset and blending working that your first issue will go away. I used to have to use the method you describe before the offset option became available. Now I treat the entire Panorama as one canvas so I no longer need to align clips or images.

Cheers

Toby

[kmclights]

what do you mean "generic go"?

if you are using 'dmx' you have to use it like this.

if you want a 'generic go' with a protocol 'midi show control' does this.

you can trigger with midi show control in the exact same way.

By "generic go" I mean exactly that. I want to achieve with DMX what you can do with midi show control.

I am working in theatre environments that largely use the Strand 500 series LX desk. Although midi show control is supported on this desk, it is only supported as a recieving device and can not send midi show control commands. In speaking with one of the principal beta testers of the 500 series desks, he was of the firm opinion that it should remain that way. Sound sends the midi, Lighting sends the dmx. Although the 500 series is no longer in development or being produced, the Strand 500 series is going to be around for a good while yet. I would just like to send triggers using dmx without having to use 255 different effects.

Kevin