Need a Little Help

[MattMills]

Hello everyone, I am about to use my PixelMad for the first time and I was wondering if you guys might give me some advise. Heres what I have going on....

GrandMA going to my new ELC Node 6 (ip 2.0.0.2). Node 6 going to my Catalyst (V257 on my Mac Pro ip 2.0.0.1)

I have 24 Martin StageBars and i have copied the fixture info into the library and all seems to be fine so far. I have them all placed in PixelMad, all that seemed to go well.

And thats about as far as ive gotten. I plan on using the grand MA to control the Stage Bars as well as use PixelMad to control them for some effects. I am going to put the rest of my rig on the board XLR outputs and I will be putting all the Stage Bars on either an NSP (if needed?) or use the ports on the Node 6. And, how do I go about addressing them? Lets say I have 4 trusses, each with 6 Stage bars. I was going to patch them on the GMA per truss, universe 5 on 1 truss, universe 6 on the next truss, and so on.

Can you guys point me in the right direction of getting this all configured? Any help is greatly appreciated. This is my first go around putting it all together my self. Thanks, Matt

[samsc]

sounds pretty sensible to me-

[MattMills]

I think what Im looking for is some help with the addressing side of things.

If Im running universes 5-8 via my Node 6 would I even need a NSP? All that will be on them will be the Stage Bars that I have in PixelMad.

And could someone explain the Artnet addressing a little for me? Im still a little confused by it. If I wanted to assign universe 5 (E) would it actually be Artnet 4? Meaning that 0 is actually 1? Hope the questions Im asking make sense. Please let me know if they dont and ill try to describe things differently.

Thanks for any help, Matt

[samsc]

some console and equipment manufacturers label the first universe 0 some label it 1

i follow the convention used on artistic licence boxes using the rotary switch selector which labels the first universe as 0.

Users seem to have been very confused by the number zero appear as an index - so some manufacturers label the first universe as 1.

zero in binary does not mean nothing - it means the number where are the bits are set to zero.

I think what Im looking for is some help with the addressing side of things.

If Im running universes 5-8 via my Node 6 would I even need a NSP? All that will be on them will be the Stage Bars that I have in PixelMad.

And could someone explain the Artnet addressing a little for me? Im still a little confused by it. If I wanted to assign universe 5 (E) would it actually be Artnet 4? Meaning that 0 is actually 1? Hope the questions Im asking make sense. Please let me know if they dont and ill try to describe things differently.

Thanks for any help, Matt

[miguelangelvalera]

Hello,

Have you changed the NSP modo of MAnet to Arnet? if you change the modo is clear the adreess.

Miguel

[Mr_P]

Matt

Artnet addressing:

An artnet 'Subnet' contains 16 DMX universes.
(Dont confuse 'Artnet Subnet' with the networking term 'subnet')

Artnet Subnet 0 = 16 DMX universes (512 channels)
The first universe is 0, the last is 15 (or F in hex) = total 16
The first DMX universe would be Subnet 0, universe 0
the next: Subnet 0, universe 1 etc

[0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F] HEX = 16 DMX universes
[0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,,10,11,12,13,14,15] Decimal = 16 DMX universes

the next subnet is 1, it also has 16 DMX universes.
Some consoles will continue the numbering sequentially
ie 16,17,18...
this is acually subnet 1, universe 0 s1,u1 s1,u2 ... etc

Catalyst numbers the Artnet universes starting at 0 and keeps going...
in the PRO version there are 10 DMX universe outputs which can be patched to ANY Artnet universe output. (2nd tab - DMX/Artnet HUD)

If you are using universe 5-8 in catalyst for output, you should configure your Node6 or NSP to output these universes (ie Subnet 0, universe 5-8)

If in doubt about universes - check out the 3rd tab in the DMX/Artnet HUD.
Click on the relevant Artnet universe - Any level changes will highlight in blue.

Suggest you work 1 universe at a time to help identify.

Patching per truss sounds sensible. Obviously your PixelMad patch should match this.

I plan on using the grand MA to control the Stage Bars as well as use PixelMad to control them for some effects.

Not sure how you are thinking about using the Desk AND PixelMad to control the StageBars? Artnet does an HTP merge if 2 controllers are patched to the same universe. Not sure if this will work in your scenario. You could use DMX swtching if the Node 6 supports it (Luminex can do this) - else you may have to choose either PixelMad OR the MADesk for control of the fixtures.

How do you have everything connected? what are you using the NSP for - im not sure you will need it if using the Node6 for DMX output from PixelMad...

Do get back to me if you have any further queries


Simon

[MattMills]

Matt
Not sure how you are thinking about using the Desk AND PixelMad to control the StageBars? Artnet does an HTP merge if 2 controllers are patched to the same universe.

I am adding to an existing show that already has the Stage Bar programmed. Not much though, just solid colors, so it wouldnt be a loss if I had to re do it. The Node 6 has an option per port to configure the output to be LTP Merge, I assumed this would work.

[Mr_P]

I am adding to an existing show that already has the Stage Bar programmed. Not much though, just solid colors, so it wouldnt be a loss if I had to re do it. The Node 6 has an option per port to configure the output to be LTP Merge, I assumed this would work.

Not used the ELC Node6 myself - but it sounds like that might work.
The Luminex box has a function to be able to switch between 2 controllers via a single DMX chanel trigger - which is how I've done it in the past.

My only thought is that an LTP merge may not be ideal if the 'other' controller changes - a switch function might be more reliable...

However, If you only have static colours programmed on the MA - it might be easier just to re-program those cues using catalyst/pixelmad as the controller (very easy) and have the stage bars permanently connected to catalyst - thus avoiding any merging or switching scenarios.

Simon

[MattMills]

Thanks Simon. I am going to have to remove the existing Stagebar programming anyways, I am running them in a different channel mode this go around.

The reason I want to use them from both the Console and from the Catalyst is because I have a few effects that I have in mind that I can knock out real quick with the effects engine.

Thanks to everyone for the help, I think I have everything configured how I need it. Now I just have to get the rig in front of me and go at it. Unfortunately that doesnt happen for another 3 weeks.

[samsc]

it seems to indicate here elc node 6 does htp merge:

http://www.elclighting.com/web/index...d=122&Itemid=4

Features:
Remote programming and monitoring
DMX input options like Normal and Backup
DMX output options like:
- Normal
- Merging in HTP / LTP or custom
- Priority merging
- Merging with softpatch

not used or tested myself

Thanks Simon. I am going to have to remove the existing Stagebar programming anyways, I am running them in a different channel mode this go around.

The reason I want to use them from both the Console and from the Catalyst is because I have a few effects that I have in mind that I can knock out real quick with the effects engine.

Thanks to everyone for the help, I think I have everything configured how I need it. Now I just have to get the rig in front of me and go at it. Unfortunately that doesnt happen for another 3 weeks.