Is there any way to emulate / create a pseudo scene for global function FOR;
1.Master intensity for 3 ch generic RGB LED when the scene is created using a macro eg; rainbow 2.Generic black out for the same case above
Seriously, lack of built in global master intensity / black out functions cripples daslight in programming/operating capabilities for multiples of RGB 3 ch LEDs either in matrix/pre-laid out configurations.
Don't tell me to reprogram each fixture's 3 ch values channel (total 58 fixtures) in a 60 steps scene generator generated scene...what good is the use of the computer program then ???
You can create a blackout as a "Global Blackout" or for a "Scene Group" .
I will start with the "Global Blackout", this will also turn of any running scenes at the same time. In the Editor ,ensure you have a group called "Global", I made it my first "Scene Group", if it is not you first group then create a new group, create a dummy scene in you first group and now move (drag and drop) all other scenes from your existing first group into the new group, you can delete the scene it creates in the new group after you have moved the scenes. Once that has been done you can double click the "group scene" name and rename it. The dummy scene in your first group double click it and rename it "Blackout", change the "Release" to "General" this will turn of all other scenes when it is clicked. Now for each of your fixtures you set any shutters to off, dimmers to 0 and position any scanners/moving heads to a default position, gobos and colours to a default, hazer/smoke/fog machines to a default setting. Set Fade time to zero and hold time as short as possible, set loops to 1 (This way it will tunr back off after hitting it meaning you do not have to release it). OR you could set everything to 0.
"Group Blackout", This is if you have the same fixtures in a group. For example I have all my LED Par cans in one major group (I also have them in 4 other groups front, back, left, right so have create a blackout for each of those as well). Create a scene in the group and rename it blackout, change the release to "Group" set fade time to 0 and hold time to as short as possible. Set all the shutter/dimmers to off for this group of fixtures. When you click this it will turn of any running scenes in this group and cause a blackout for the fixtures in this group.
The other type of blackout you could create is as follows, Create a scene, rename it, set number of loops to always, set fade time to 0, set hold time to as low as possible, for every fixture set the dimmer and shutter off, nothing else, have the release as "Off". Now when you click this it should blackout your lights but leave all scenes running as they was (but in darkness) this blackout scene will run until you release it by clicking on it again and then the lights come back on as they was.
You can also create fade outs in a similar way by changing the fade time, I would suggest trying 10 seconds to start with and using the speed control (in Live ensure scene is expanded (click little orange arrow at right of scene button, you can then right click the scene and choose "Speed ON" this will give you a slider to control how fast slow the scene runs.
Master Intensity, no real chance of programming that using scenes. The only option you have is creating say 10 scenes each with a 10% increment of the intensity level.
Master intensity and Blackout are something we have all been crying out for.
I perhaps need to elaborate to you my specific use dillema on daslight gold,
my specific dilemma is on RGB LED 3 ch (RGB) fixtures,
I really need to create a blackout function where if I could set the created blackout scene on / off without cancelling other running scenes.
I tried using your recommended solution and it did work BUT it kills all other running led scenes as soon as I set the pseudo blackout function. Imagine if we have a multiples scenes running and we need to just; let's say do 2 seconds black out and getting all the previously running scenes (say 3 or more scenes) back on running instantly in live situation, how do we go about it?
No problems when I could add programming on 0 dimmer for moving head fixture channel inside the pseudo BO scene.
The most I could do was to create one jump point in one BO scene hold time eg 2 seconds then create another BO with 3 seconds etc.... this method of programming becomes evidently inefficient as we have more LED fixtures in multiple fixture groups or in larger installations.
(WHAT IS THE USE OF CONTROLLING 6 DMX Universe if we can't have a built in basic BlackOut & MasterIntensity functions?) let alone channel grouping/binding function. eg; RED always sits on ch 1, 4, 7, 10, so on
I was just asking because I am getting bogged down by daslight's weird programming logic. The programming Logic & work arounds become more complex & problematic as there are more and more channels to be controlled. even in producing a simple live trick on BO & master intensity.
I really love sharing programming issues with you Andre.
The last blackout example I described above would do what you want as it does not turn off any running scenes, so when you release the "Blackout" everything is back as it was. This is the one you want.
The other type of blackout you could create is as follows, Create a scene, rename it, set number of loops to always, set fade time to 0, set hold time to as low as possible, for every fixture set the dimmer and shutter off, nothing else, have the release as "Off". Now when you click this it should blackout your lights but leave all scenes running as they was (but in darkness) this blackout scene will run until you release it by clicking on it again and then the lights come back on as they was.
Adding to the above, as you are using 3 channel RGB fixtures you would have to set each of those channels to 1 to get the blackout effect. You should have all the LED fixtures selected and then only have to move 3 sliders to 1. Has to be one otherwise it thinks nothing has been changed so nothing happens.
I have upload a test show so you can see what I mean. It uses the RGB fixture found in _generic and is patched as a 7 x 8 matrix (56 fixtures) Blackout Matrix Test
Something I have discovered since playing with fixtures in a matrix is the following, the matrix toolbox, see picture below. So I should thank you for that
Now I realize what I have done wrong in my past global BO programming. even on your third BO programming method. I've previously done it and re-read it through and still wonder why you could get it to work when mine never works?
Daslight apparently does not take 0 dmx channel value as a valid modifier in scene override, the setting on each RGB Channel has to be set to 1 so that the scene recognizes that all channels must override to value 1 instead of 0 (NULL) alias nothing. (I Think it's a program bug).
See it to yourself that if you set the RGB channels value back to 0 on your existing BO scene.
This all applies to both Matrix & Standard LED fixture configurations.
The zero thing is quite a common thing in lighting consoles and software it is called tracking. When a value of zero is found in a (cue) step of a cuelist (scene) then it assumes that the previous values of that channel still apply, it means that you do not have to keep setting every value for every step only ones that have changed.
As you have found out along with many others, including myself, that even if it is a completely different scene the zeros sometimes do not work as they should, it is most prevalent in RGB channels and even on dimmers. I am sure it happens on other types of channel as well, but maybe it is not as noticeable.
Another piece of lighting software I use, has an option(s) to either turn tracking on/off completly or only allow tracking in the same cuelist (scene), the 2nd option is not common at all. They do however mention that sometimes it will be necessary to create what they call a "Block Cue". A "Block Cue" is defined as a cue (step) that contains all the parameters (values) for a fixture or fixtures. The block cue will not allow any values to track into it from previous cues (steps) or cuelists (scenes).
I am not going to change my blackout scenes to use zeros as I know what happens
Anyway glad I could help and you have now found a way to resolve your issue.
It still would be nice to have a proper blackout and grand master, the information is available from the fixture files as to what the shutter and dimmer channels are so should not be too hard to create them. Most over software and nearly all lighting desks do. Please, please Vianney could you make this a priority to add to the software.
You have to forgive me for my very volatile short term memory issue. I read and forgot what I read and tend to stick on other pressing issues @ hand. I just realized that in your reply post, you wrote;
"Adding to the above, as you are using 3 channel RGB fixtures you would have to set each of those channels to 1 to get the blackout effect."
yet, I wrote back you to change them all back to 0 to see what happens. ha ha...
Anyway, once again; Thank you very much for your assistance that I could have never realized that BO problem solving without you helping me.
I wish daslight could provide all of us lighting designers with master intensity function because it is a "Must have". Wonder why daslight depends to much on fixture's dimming function. in today's lighting implementation, Not all LED fixtures have 4 channels. Most runs on 3 because of DMX address space reservations / restrictions / complexity apply for large lighting installations. (Like I said 'There's no point being able to control 6 dmx universe, when there is no function of general black out & master intensity built in the software'
Theatre / stage implementation requires us to do so in programming their scene run down list. I ended up using other software / console because of this issue.
do you have any direct contact to Daslight technical/product development department? I would really love to help them getting the message for future daslight implementations.
@KC83 No I do not have any direct communication with them, only the same methods as you guys Used to have when I was beta testing the software, but not now.
@Clearsound You have to set up the Matrix when you are patching your fixtures. You need to set the start address and then tick the Matrix option, then you can tell it how many rows and columns your matrix is, then press the patch button. It will then appear in the control section as a matrix as in a previous post picture.
See this picture of the patch manager showing the tick box and the rows/colums selection.
Used to have when I was beta testing the software, but not now.
