Setting fixture indepent defined values via command line

[freadZdead]

Dear Claude,

Is there currently a way to set multiple fixtures' subchannels to a defined value via command line, i.e., after having recorded a defined value called "Orange_LC" to create a commandline (or for that matter, a script solution) to effectively go:

(channel) 1 @ Orange_LC

(Combined or not with an intensity value after or before perhaps?)

If so, it would be great if it could be dynamically recalled, and that the values would be stored fixture independent (as long as the fixture you are trying to apply it to shares the involved subchannels, i.e. an RGB defined value should be able to be applied to any other fixture that has at least RGB as part of their mix), and stored in a central user settings place rather than on document level (or at least be exportable and importable).

-- EDIT - just found that under Setup Hilited Channels there is an option to export and import defined values, but that does not seem to work - tried to export, but the file was not there, and seem to be confined to one subchannel at a time, not a colour that is a combination of i.e. RGB

At the moment, it seems like the defined values are only accessible via the color mixer window, can not be renamed or deleted, and can only be applied to the fixture that the defined value has been recorded for.

While not so sensible for Pan/Tilt = Focus values, most other subchannels and certainly color mixing would profit from this, and one could be creating ones own palette library over time.

Thanks as always for considering !

[admin]

The table of defined values is specific to each subchannel. If you are in the channel setup sheet, you could individually add values for each subchannel by selecting it on the left and then editing the table on the right. However, for related subchannels, it is easier to use the channel controls window and use one of the buttons with the star icon to create a set of defined values all at the same time. For example, you might use the color picker in the channel controls window to set an LED fixture to orange. If you click the button with the star icon in the color area, you can create a defined value (at the level you have now for orange) for each of the color subchannels. Selecting any one of the color subchannels in the table on the left side of the channel controls window, will allow you to recall "orange" from the popup below the table and will set the levels in all the color subchannels all at once.

With the latest build, it is also possible to select a color subchannel for the main display and then control-click a channel to get a contextual popup menu which will include the list of available defined values. The ability to control-click to get the popup has been there. What is dfifferent in the latest build is, selecting a defined value for a color subchannel will set other color subchannels that have a defined value with the same name. Also new with the latest build is the ability to save a defined value to multiple hilited channels all at once using a star icon button in the channel controls window. Previously, you'd have to to this for each channel individually.

Exported tables of defined values are by subchannel. In order to export a group of related defined values across a number of subchannels, you have to export the entire channel setup.

[freadZdead]

Thanks Claude,

That is a great improvement; any chance to efffect this in a non-mouse-click-gui way, i.e. either via command line, via incoming osc, or via script? On the one hand, I am trying to program a schedule of cues in an automated manner at the moment, where this would be helpful; On the other hand, I usually try to avoid changing the channel display to individual subchannels and leave it as much as possible displaying intensity when manually programming.

If it would be too complex for command line to be able to spell out the name of the defined range, I guess it's number (the one prepended to its name in the lists) would do, too. I guess in OSC, it would be easier to do this, and I could write myself a script that I could put on a hotkey when manually programming...

As with "G" (dynamic group inclusion in a cue) vs "g" (absolute values from a group), it would be fantastic to have the ability to keep the reference alive and updating when applying defined values, but if that is too hard to realise, that's cool.

Cheers,

Freddy

[admin]

The latest build, Version 4.5.3 (10321.1), adds the ability to apply a defined value from the command line. In order for this to work, the selected channels must have the defined value in their setup. Then, the command line simply recalls the defined value using single quotes eg. 14&15@'orange'. In this example, LXConsole will look for the first matching defined value in the selected channels. Based on which subchannel this is set for, it will apply the defined value like it had been selected from a popup menu. That is if channel 14 has a defined value for Frame (as in color scroller) corresponding to "orange" then LXConsole will act as if the orange frame had been selected. If channel 15 also has a defined value for orange in its Frame subchannel, it too will be selected. If channel 14 is an LED with defined values in its color subchannels for orange, then the command will recall "orange" for all color mixing subchannels.

[freadZdead]

That is amazing, thank you Claude!

[admin]

As a side note, QLab uses spaces to separate arguments from the address pattern for custom OSC messages. so something like

/cmd.lxconsole/21>30@'Spanked Pink'

does not work. The new build allows a variation on the /cmd.lxconsole address pattern where when the address pattern is only /cmd.lxconsole the first string argument is used as the command line. So, a QLab custom OSC message could be:

/cmd.lxconsole "21>30@'Spanked Pink'"

note the space comes after the /cmd.lxconsole address pattern and the entire command line string is enclosed in double quotes while the defined value is enclosed in single quotes.

[freadZdead]

Hi Claude,

Works great thus far, just one thing I noted that might be better different - if one mistypes (and/or that defined value does not exist for a particular fixture), at the moment that channel is marked as having a value;

Ideally, fixtures and/or subchannels that do not have a particular defined value that one attempts to set via command line should just appear unmarked/unchanged from what it was, or what do you think?

[admin]

This happens because when a defined value is not found, the default level is zero. So when you set a level for a defined value that does not exist, you are effectively setting that channel @ zero. There may or may not be a way to prevent this.

[freadZdead]

Hi Claude,

If there was a way to fix it - that would be fantastic...

One other thing: would it be possible to extend the command line approach to groups - i.e. /cmd.lxconsole "group: 3@'Spanked Pink'" ?

[admin]

Channels without the defined value should be unaltered. Its been this way for some time now (the original post is dated).

It is possible to extend this to groups and that can be added sometime in the next few builds.