DMX question

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Oaktown
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DMX question

Post by Oaktown »

I use Luminair (DMX over ArtNet) to control my compositions. Typically, I only use DMX channel 5 to control column triggering but on this upcoming show, I need to control transition times and blend modes for each cue (column trigger).

Unfortunately, the default value in Luminair when you set up a channel is 0 which is [Add] in transition blend mode since the blend modes are in alphabetical order. This forces me to reset these channels in every cue to get [Alpha] which is the default blend mode in Arena 4.

Is there a way to switch the order [Add] & [Alpha] in the list so that [Alpha] can be 0 and [Add] be 1?

Joris
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Re: DMX question

Post by Joris »

The transition dropdown is populated alphabetically, based on the plugin names.

So there is no way to swap two plugins, not without rebuilding the plugins from source with a different name.

If you can live without Add for this project, you could just move the .dll / .bundle file out of the plugin directory. Then Alpha would be the first in the list.

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Oaktown
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Re: DMX question

Post by Oaktown »

Thanks Joris,

I guess if I can live without the Add blending mode, I can also start the DMX numbering at 1 instead of 0 in Luminair.

Is there a way to transfer a custom DMX map to another comp?

Joris
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Re: DMX question

Post by Joris »

No, there's no easy way to do that.

Maybe you could put on your daring shoes and hack the .avc files and copy over the relevant parts of the XML?

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Oaktown
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Re: DMX question

Post by Oaktown »

Thanks Joris,

Daring shoes are on!

I made a couple of test .avc files and successfully transferred one channel of DMX from composition A (No DMX Test) to B (DMX Test) but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

The composition without DMX channel read:

<composition>
<settings name="No DMX Test" desc="">
<direction value="-1"/>
</settings>
<videoEngine/>
</composition>

And the composition with a DMX channel (DMX 5 assigned to Column Trigger) read:

<composition>
<settings name="DMX Test" desc="">
<connectTrack value="-1">
<dmxShortcut isContextual="0" path="" type="1" optionIndex="-1" loop="0" channel="4"
numChannels="1" universe="0" invertValue="0"/>
</connectTrack>
</settings>
<videoEngine/>
</composition>

And I replaced

<direction value="-1"/>

with

<connectTrack value="-1">
<dmxShortcut isContextual="0" path="" type="1" optionIndex="-1" loop="0" channel="4"
numChannels="1" universe="0" invertValue="0"/>

I'm looking at some of the more complex compositions I have in my archives and there seems to be one more line after <direction value>

<direction value="-1"/>
<speed curValue="1" defaultValue="1" startValue="0" stopValue="10"/>

I did remove these two lines before inserting:

<connectTrack value="-1">
<dmxShortcut isContextual="0" path="" type="1" optionIndex="-1" loop="0" channel="4"
numChannels="1" universe="0" invertValue="0"/>

and it seems to be working fine as well.

Is that the way?

Frederic

Joris
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Re: DMX question

Post by Joris »

Almost ;)

Code: Select all

<connectTrack value="-1">
<dmxShortcut isContextual="0" path="" type="1" optionIndex="-1" loop="0" channel="4"
numChannels="1" universe="0" invertValue="0"/>
</connectTrack>
...this is the complete code that you should copy for the DMX shortcut. Notice the closing tag </connectTrack> on the end. From the top of my head, this is the shortcut for triggering column 1.

I would not remove any other entries, since those are saved in your comp for a reason. They will not interfere with your DMX map, as long as you make sure there are no double entries.

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Oaktown
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Re: DMX question

Post by Oaktown »

Thanks Joris,

So what you're saying is I don't even need to remove

Code: Select all

<direction value="-1"/>
<speed curValue="1" defaultValue="1" startValue="0" stopValue="10"/>
but instead just add at the end

Code: Select all

<connectTrack value="-1">
<dmxShortcut isContextual="0" path="" type="1" optionIndex="-1" loop="0" channel="4"
numChannels="1" universe="0" invertValue="0"/>
</connectTrack>
Is that right?

Joris
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Re: DMX question

Post by Joris »

Yup.

Just make sure you don't have an entry for any of the already saved values in the block of DMX shortcuts that you're copying ( in your case <direction> and <speed> )

Then you should replace them with the version that has the DMX info.

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Oaktown
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Re: DMX question

Post by Oaktown »

So for instance if I assign a DMX channel to <direction> & <speed> then I'd remove these lines as well to avoid conflicts, right?

Joris
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Re: DMX question

Post by Joris »

Correct-a-mundo :)

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