Multiple Sequences

[Johan Söderberg]

With the ability to trigger LXConsole via MIDI and to set individual midi preferences for each LXConsoledocument (view, setup, midi) one can trigger several different LXConsole docs to GO. All they need is different and unique numbers in the column called "note on".

I´ve tried this and it works just fine. I can trigger several different shows to GO and for instance have separate files for chaseeffects, slow changes in the backdrop or whatever, that I might want to run autonomously, while other things happen on stage controlled from a "main sequence".
That could be useful every once in a while!

My questions are:

What if I send info concerning one channel from different LXConsole documents conflicting each other.
If, for instance, in my "main sequence" channel one is standing still at 50% but in a "chase sequence" it comes and goes from 0-100%. every now and then.
What will that look like on stage?

I guess LXConsole is default LTP (Latest info is what counts) and therefore the 50% value disappears as soon as I start running something else with info to ch 1.

If so can the LTP mode be altered to HTP-mode (highest value counts) for specific channels?

In HTP mode the ch1 would never go lower than 50% but occasionally jump up to 100% and then go back to 50%

With gratitude Johan S.

[admin]

This may be possible in the future. At the moment there is one fade engine for the entire application. It will require some testing to see the impact on performance if multiple buffers are queried every time an update is processed. Right now, the refresh rate is well over the max. DMX speed so it is not impossible...

[Mudgee]

G'day.
I've just started using the lx software. And haven't had a good chance to really get into the working of the console software.
Could someone please suggest the simplest & most effective ways of making chase/fx Q's

Cheers.

[Johan Söderberg]

LX Console is not a DMXcontrol software although it´s one of the best there is. Contradictionary perhaps but I think that´s the answer to your question.

- You don't do chase effects because LX console isn't intended to do just that. However the ability to choose tracking mode or not ought to enable chase effects I guess. I've never tested it live but it sounds to me as if it would enable multiple non conflicting sequences to run simultaneously.

Try, and let us all know how it works

[lanternz]

Forgive me for jumping in, but I think what Johan is suggesting is that with the console in tracking mode that you make your sequence of cues that reflect each step of the chase, set the times, link the cues together with wait times and then play it.

[Johan Söderberg]

Yes that sounds quite like what I suggested thanks for filling in!

and please excuse my short answer.
Greetings from a very busy office.

[admin]

The use of a series of cues to form a chase is correct. Cues execute in sequence so it is only necessary to link from the end back to the beginning of the chase. Follow times are used to have the cues automatically run one after another.

What is not so obvious is how to loop for a set number of iterations. This involves using script commands. An example is given in the help for the Main Window / Drawer.

[Johan Söderberg]

I´ve done some experimenting with this now and it seems I was mistaken considering the tracking mode. I thought enbling/disabling this would automatically put you in an HTP mode. But it simply doesn´t. I've tried so that you don't have to and the answer is no. You can't create chases which are usable in a realistic wnvironment. Now you don´t need to spen an unrealistic time to figure that out for yourself I hope. (':D')

I did however, during my fiddling with this, find a way to run a looping chase sequence that is stable and solid.
I called upon an outsider (Qlab) to tell singular circuits to do spefied actions.

I will probably never use this strange experiment myself in a live situation but anyway here is what I did:
(you need to download a demo of Qlab to try this)

Using Qlab i sent MIDI-messages telling individual channels to be at certain percentages of 0-100 which in Midi is 0-127... You´ll find info about how in the built in helptexts in LX console.

In Qlab i made a few of these midicommands and looped them together so that they would not ever stop until I pushed the button.

And it worked!
It worked just fine.
But there is no way I can see that you can fade in or out a chase and that kind of makes it final to me - I´ll never use it
But it´s really nice to know that it works. If you, like me, work with Qlab to trigger events this is a very nice function to remember, you may need it once every ten years or so..
So put it in your remember list, but don't use it for chase effects unless you have unrealistically lots of time at your disposal.

[AlrIk]

Hi everybody,

I was using Qlab to make chase effect with midi message. And i found one solution i think. I just saw this sublect now, so i post the answer.

I use the same way than Johan for the start, but i put a GO TO cue to jump to the the first effect. After the GO TO, i put a midi message to ask a fade in this channel. I just need to disarm the GO TO cue, and the chase go away like you asked him in the midi message. It's not the simple way but it works.

That's an example with 2 channels who go up and down in opposite.



Hope it help.

See you.

[Johan Söderberg]

Yes Alrik
I think I see what you have done and that ought to work fine I guess. Nice to see that youre playing around with it, just like me. It´s great fun!

But jumping to given positions back and forth is not what I´d say qualifies to be called an "effectmodule".
I´d like to be able to fade effects in and out while leaving all other channels untouched and I´ve found no way to do that.
To become useful for a live purpose effects ought to be isolated events which don't interfer with whatever else is happening on stage. I guess that means you need several independent "crossfade-engines" and some more processing power for that, or whatever it might be called.
And my playing around with these toys show that LX-Console simply can't do that right now. For your show, that I happen to know some details about, one could program Qlab to send Midi to a certain channel for your carlights for instance. That would be a lot of work, but possible, yes. -Possible only because you use that chase effect only in a scene when all other lights are out and put to zero level... In other cases (the most) it would be even more unpractical.

If you go back to my first question and Claudes answer to that in this thread, I think that might explain the difference in what I mean might be required.

Bye!