Attached is my fixture definition to use Jinx. This allows you to control jinx scenes, chasers, main strobe and dinner from within QLC+.
I also attach my Jinx test workspace.
I am in the process of building strips for use in theatre shows and will post usage details and build process on this topic - unless Massimo feels I shouldn't. I do not have blog.
Jinx - fixture to QLC with
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Chris Laurie
- Attachments
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JinxTest.qxw- (3.94 KiB) Downloaded 225 times
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- Jinx-Jinx.qxf
- (10.49 KiB) Downloaded 234 times
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Massimo Callegari
Hi Chris,
here's my last 3 months activities:
- I've build a RGB panel too following the precious information provided by Alessandro (with whom I am in contact)
- I've developed a SPI plugin and tested it with QLC+ running on the Raspberry Pi
- I've made quite a few changes to make the control of RGB panels easier and more effective
- I've contacted 3 different LED panel controllers developers (including Jinx) who told me they're too busy to help with QLC+ (strange huh ?)
Conclusion is: the goal here is to bring QLC+ a good alternative to the existing (close source) RGB panels controlling softwares.
Of course it won't be at the level of Madrix or programs like those. At least not in a short term.
But the direction is that one.
Obviously you can still use any software combination you like (with Jinx, OLA, etc..) but using QLC+ to cover all the needs is what I aim for.
With more usage cases (like the one you are starting to prepare) I can tell you if QLC+ is already suitable for them or not.
How will you control your strips ?
here's my last 3 months activities:
- I've build a RGB panel too following the precious information provided by Alessandro (with whom I am in contact)
- I've developed a SPI plugin and tested it with QLC+ running on the Raspberry Pi
- I've made quite a few changes to make the control of RGB panels easier and more effective
- I've contacted 3 different LED panel controllers developers (including Jinx) who told me they're too busy to help with QLC+ (strange huh ?)
Conclusion is: the goal here is to bring QLC+ a good alternative to the existing (close source) RGB panels controlling softwares.
Of course it won't be at the level of Madrix or programs like those. At least not in a short term.
But the direction is that one.
Obviously you can still use any software combination you like (with Jinx, OLA, etc..) but using QLC+ to cover all the needs is what I aim for.
With more usage cases (like the one you are starting to prepare) I can tell you if QLC+ is already suitable for them or not.
How will you control your strips ?
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Chris Laurie
Hi Massimo
I was aiming for Raspberry Pi with this stack
TouchOSC
--LAN(OSC)>> QLC+
--LAN(ArtNet)>> Jinx
--LAN (Artnet)>> RaspberryPi
--SPI>> Strips
Doing it from Raspberry Pi would be great. I've been looking at it but I'm a little stuck at the moment on how to call an RGB script - not sure how the js file is brought in QLC+ and how to set the width & height & colour.
What Jinx (or other middle-ware) does is remove a large number of fixture definitions. I started working with a strip of 170 LED's (510 channels, 1 universe). This is 170 3 channel fixtures. Using them in QLC+ was quite slow in places, like creating a scene. The monitor is also very crowded (would like to be able to pick which fixtures & channels to view).
One of my use cases here is to control a few sections of my strip as special lighting effects, like putting a coloured light on a table or a graduated colour around a window or small lights on specific decoy.
The other is to create a rim of lights around and arch and around steps that I can animate either individually or as a unit. The band may also get some blinken bling.
Cutting out the Jinx level would be great for potential lag as well so it is definitely preferable. The great thing about Jinx is the ease with which to define patterns.
In the end it just generates a string of RGB vlaues that, when arranged in the defined width & height, gives you the patterns, at a specific frame rate. So, maybe, there is scope for a stand alone app to generates either the script directly or generates the maps based on a text file with values in them (one line per frame?) and then there is generic script that reads it in QLC+ and sends it on to ArtNet
The Jinx fixture is just to share what I played with.
QLC+ can already easily do single colour & strobe single colour with user controlled speed. I suspect the RGB matrix will be able to do some of the patterns I am getting from Jinx. Time to brush off my JavaScript.
I was aiming for Raspberry Pi with this stack
TouchOSC
--LAN(OSC)>> QLC+
--LAN(ArtNet)>> Jinx
--LAN (Artnet)>> RaspberryPi
--SPI>> Strips
Doing it from Raspberry Pi would be great. I've been looking at it but I'm a little stuck at the moment on how to call an RGB script - not sure how the js file is brought in QLC+ and how to set the width & height & colour.
What Jinx (or other middle-ware) does is remove a large number of fixture definitions. I started working with a strip of 170 LED's (510 channels, 1 universe). This is 170 3 channel fixtures. Using them in QLC+ was quite slow in places, like creating a scene. The monitor is also very crowded (would like to be able to pick which fixtures & channels to view).
One of my use cases here is to control a few sections of my strip as special lighting effects, like putting a coloured light on a table or a graduated colour around a window or small lights on specific decoy.
The other is to create a rim of lights around and arch and around steps that I can animate either individually or as a unit. The band may also get some blinken bling.
Cutting out the Jinx level would be great for potential lag as well so it is definitely preferable. The great thing about Jinx is the ease with which to define patterns.
In the end it just generates a string of RGB vlaues that, when arranged in the defined width & height, gives you the patterns, at a specific frame rate. So, maybe, there is scope for a stand alone app to generates either the script directly or generates the maps based on a text file with values in them (one line per frame?) and then there is generic script that reads it in QLC+ and sends it on to ArtNet
The Jinx fixture is just to share what I played with.
QLC+ can already easily do single colour & strobe single colour with user controlled speed. I suspect the RGB matrix will be able to do some of the patterns I am getting from Jinx. Time to brush off my JavaScript.
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Chris Laurie
OK, I have the RGB javascript effects up - somehow they did not show initially. This is a great start. I will see if I can program a twinkle: each pixel a random colour. Switching a few at each cycle.
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Chris Laurie
I also noticed that there is a limit of 99 in the horizontal pixels. A strip would typically have a dimension of 170 x 1 per universe.
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Massimo Callegari
Hi Chris, well, on the market there are strips with 50 LEDs as well.
The thing is, are you going to use the strip as a single line or multiple lines (like a panel) ?
Anyway I agree the 99 limit must be broken. It's probably a Qt default by design and I didn't spend too much on that. Easy to solve in any case.
(EDIT: I assume you're using a GIT version, right?)
The thing is, are you going to use the strip as a single line or multiple lines (like a panel) ?
Anyway I agree the 99 limit must be broken. It's probably a Qt default by design and I didn't spend too much on that. Easy to solve in any case.
(EDIT: I assume you're using a GIT version, right?)
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Chris Laurie
Hi Massimo - I'm using 4.6.1 - not the GIT version. Since I am using Jinx, I am testing this on my windows machine.
My theatre use case is for single line strips.
My theatre use case is for single line strips.