During the reharsals I've found myself in the need to switch between operate and design mode many times (also because I needed to reload the show, see the previous post).
To not disturb none on stage, I was unplugging the dmx connector.
Would it be a good and feasible idea to have a button to freeze the output?
I'd find it usefull, we could even switch between different shows without affecting the stage.
output freezing button?
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RickBrock
Hi Giacomo,
You did well not to disturb the stage when you disconnect the dmx.
As soon as our buffers are disconnected they send the lights into some crazy random disco mode!
Rick
You did well not to disturb the stage when you disconnect the dmx.
As soon as our buffers are disconnected they send the lights into some crazy random disco mode!
Rick
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Matthew Marks
Yes I agree he's lucky. I guess you might have a longer cable from the console and/or more interference about. Using lights on different phases without opto-isolating the DMX segments is also a disaster in my experience.
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Michael Clements
Hi Guys,
I agree that the ability to freeze the output would be a useful tool in the "rescue a difficult situation" kit.
However, a few observations on the above comments:
1) We have dimmer demultiplexers that remember the DMX values they were last sent - everything else behaves as if all their DMX inputs were zero when DMX is removed. It's worth checking how a fixture behaves when DMX is removed before buying.
2) We've never had a problem with (in our case, British) 3-phase supplies and DMX chained all over the place. Be sure to run DMX through proper high speed data cable and use terminator(s)! Some individual fixtures may, of course, cause problems in DMX transmission.
3) The new live edit functionality (plus careful planning before rehearsals) should reduce the need to switch modes considerably.
I agree that the ability to freeze the output would be a useful tool in the "rescue a difficult situation" kit.
However, a few observations on the above comments:
1) We have dimmer demultiplexers that remember the DMX values they were last sent - everything else behaves as if all their DMX inputs were zero when DMX is removed. It's worth checking how a fixture behaves when DMX is removed before buying.
2) We've never had a problem with (in our case, British) 3-phase supplies and DMX chained all over the place. Be sure to run DMX through proper high speed data cable and use terminator(s)! Some individual fixtures may, of course, cause problems in DMX transmission.
3) The new live edit functionality (plus careful planning before rehearsals) should reduce the need to switch modes considerably.
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Michael Clements
Hi Guys,
I agree that the ability to freeze the output would be a useful tool in the "rescue a difficult situation" kit.
However, a few observations on the above comments:
1) We have dimmer demultiplexers that remember the DMX values they were last sent - everything else behaves as if all their DMX inputs were zero when DMX is removed. It's worth checking how a fixture behaves when DMX is removed before buying.
2) We've never had a problem with (in our case, British) 3-phase supplies and DMX chained all over the place. Be sure to run DMX through proper high speed data cable and use terminator(s)! Some individual fixtures may, of course, cause problems in DMX transmission.
3) The new live edit functionality (plus careful planning before rehearsals) should reduce the need to switch modes considerably.
I agree that the ability to freeze the output would be a useful tool in the "rescue a difficult situation" kit.
However, a few observations on the above comments:
1) We have dimmer demultiplexers that remember the DMX values they were last sent - everything else behaves as if all their DMX inputs were zero when DMX is removed. It's worth checking how a fixture behaves when DMX is removed before buying.
2) We've never had a problem with (in our case, British) 3-phase supplies and DMX chained all over the place. Be sure to run DMX through proper high speed data cable and use terminator(s)! Some individual fixtures may, of course, cause problems in DMX transmission.
3) The new live edit functionality (plus careful planning before rehearsals) should reduce the need to switch modes considerably.
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giacomo
Thanks Michael.
I think that many things are (still) not possible in operate mode and to be precise I should have written that I'm in production, not just a reharsal, so for example sometimes I've been in the need to adjust the patch, or to modify a group.
Unfortunately time and money are less and less in theatre, in my case we had one day to setup and we started the rehearsals before ending the focusing.
Though in this situation is difficult to planning carefully, in the beginning I like to be free to improvise and to change as much I can.
I think that many things are (still) not possible in operate mode and to be precise I should have written that I'm in production, not just a reharsal, so for example sometimes I've been in the need to adjust the patch, or to modify a group.
Unfortunately time and money are less and less in theatre, in my case we had one day to setup and we started the rehearsals before ending the focusing.
Though in this situation is difficult to planning carefully, in the beginning I like to be free to improvise and to change as much I can.
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Matthew Marks
Michael, I had a situation where as soon as some fixtures were plugged in (not even switched on), the chain broke down. If I plugged them in via an extension lead to a different socket (I presume on a different phase, though I didn't have time to check), it was fine. The cables weren't specific to DMX and of course that wouldn't have helped, but it's another factor. "Disaster" is probably an exaggeration in the general case though!
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Michael Clements
A couple more thoughts:
Matthew, I would suspect a faulty earth in the socket and / or cable, though, of course, it could be other things. A socket tester is a useful item to have in the toolkit.
Giacomo, I note that remapping works in operate mode, which might help with adjusting the patching although you would then have to load the remapped show.
Would using 2 computers, one mainly in design mode and the other in operate mode running the current version of the project to stage, help if
a) you link both computers into a DMX merge device that allows switching between them
b) your design mode computer is put into operate mode and the output sent to stage while you upload the modified project file to the operate mode computer?
The design mode computer could be output to stage at any convenient moment in the process if you want to see the effect of an edit.
As I write this, it occures to me that we might do the above so as to have a back-up computer ready to take over if disaster stikes. We had a hard drive crash at a festival this summer - fortunately on boot-up and not in the middle of a performance.
Matthew, I would suspect a faulty earth in the socket and / or cable, though, of course, it could be other things. A socket tester is a useful item to have in the toolkit.
Giacomo, I note that remapping works in operate mode, which might help with adjusting the patching although you would then have to load the remapped show.
Would using 2 computers, one mainly in design mode and the other in operate mode running the current version of the project to stage, help if
a) you link both computers into a DMX merge device that allows switching between them
b) your design mode computer is put into operate mode and the output sent to stage while you upload the modified project file to the operate mode computer?
The design mode computer could be output to stage at any convenient moment in the process if you want to see the effect of an edit.
As I write this, it occures to me that we might do the above so as to have a back-up computer ready to take over if disaster stikes. We had a hard drive crash at a festival this summer - fortunately on boot-up and not in the middle of a performance.