Launch VLC via QLC via remote commands....

[ralbrightii]

Okay. The subject doesn't lend itself to the best explanation. I am part of a technical crew for a summer production for my church. Something the director is wanting to implement this year is rear-projector on a scrim. (A task I can do readily with an ultra-short throw projector). Now the "fun part", automating it so that it launches the same way everytime and utilizes a remote machine.

So here is our setup. QLC+ is running on a dual-screen macmini at the technical desk (back of the auditorium). The projector is located at the back of the stage, connected to a windows 7 Intel NUC computer. (There is also another computer at the stage hand/curtain area, where they are going to have limited control of lighting on stage (for stage reset while curtain is closed).)

All sound originates from the tech desk. All lighting commands originate from the tech desk.

What we are wanting to do is utilize QLC+ in a "show" sequence to remote start a clip from a movie prior to a solo but have it timed so that it works well. The solo is Evermore from Beauty and the Beast. The scene opens with a sweep into the beast's castle onto the rose (this is the video clip), and while that starts, the intro to the song is played. After the intro clip, the VLC player (or whatever player I end up using on the projector computer) closes, showing just the desktop (with no icons, no start bar, black background), a DMX cue turns on a pinspot over a table with the Beast's rose. The transition between the 2 (the projection and the DMX light) have to be cued correctly. So that the DMX light does not come on before the clip is ending. After which the Beast starts his solo.

My problem is utilizing the MacMini to send a command to the Windows box to start VLC. I am not sure how to do this. Once I figure this out, I am sure it will be a simple step to put it in as a script in QLC (I hope). I know the command that I am looking for in Windows command line is:

Code: Select all

"C:\program files (x86)\videolan\vlc\vlc.exe" --fullscreen --nooverlay --play-and-exit D:\evermore_v2.mp4

Please help. I am lost, and I have been searching the www for 3 days trying to figure this out.

[janosvitok]

run QLC+ on both computers.

on mac, add output universe for commands to windows computer; set it to send artnet.
patch dummy dimmer to that universe, create scene for the dimmer -- this scene will trigger the video.

on windows, create script to start vlc, assign it to a button, add artnet universe to receive commands from the mac, create input profile for it, assign external control to script button.
run QLC+ minimized.

you may use any network protocol (artnet/sacn/osc)

Jano

[ralbrightii]

Jano:

Thank you for your reply. So I built the some sample workspaces in QLC+
On the mac box, input/output: Set Universe 4 Output to ArtNet 192.168.2.48
On the mac box, I created a dummy dimmer (Universe 4, channel 1)

On the windows box, input/output: Set Universe 4 Input to ArtNet 192.168.2.47
On the windows box, functions, script to launch VLC
On the windows box, VC, button tied to script. External Input Universe: 4:ArtNet, External Input Channel 1:?.

I know the Windows box is receiving the packets on the ArtNet because in Input/Output on the windows box I see under Universe 4:
Status: Open
Packets received: 45378 (roughly the same number as being sent by the Output on the mac box)

I am not so certain on the input profile for ArtNet though. How do I do that? That is where I am a bit lost, I think.

[janosvitok]

You go to Input/Output tab/ select universe and Input profile tab.
http://www.qlcplus.org/docs/howto-input-profiles.html
You don't really need, it helps selecting external input channels when you have many of them.
You may skip that part and select channel manually (double click universe number and type in the channel number) -- what you apparently did.
The difference is that without profile the channel shows as 1:? and with profile it may show as e.g.1:VLC control

I quickly checked your files and they seem OK, just change the trigger scene to have value 255.

[OddSocks]

This might seem to be a silly question, but why use VLC when you could use QLC+ video player? That way there is no need for any script work.

[ralbrightii]

This might seem to be a silly question, but why use VLC when you could use QLC+ video player? That way there is no need for any script work.

It is not a silly question, the reason I cannot use the video player in QLC+ is 2 fold. When running on Mac OS, there is a setting in Mission Control called Separate Spaces. When separate spaces is enabled I am stuck with the menu bar across the top of the 3rd monitor (IE the projector), I also when showing the video and it finishing I am left with a blank title bar across the top of the monitor as well.
When Separate Spaces is disabled, when I send a video full screen to the 3rd monitor the rest of the monitors go blank. Through the duration of the video. Thus making it impossible to do anything on QLC+ while a video is playing.

However, when I utilize VLC instead, I can send the video full screen (with separate spaces disabled) and it full screens properly and leaves monitors 1 and 2 available for my use.

Does this make sense.

[ralbrightii]

You go to Input/Output tab/ select universe and Input profile tab.
http://www.qlcplus.org/docs/howto-input-profiles.html
You don't really need, it helps selecting external input channels when you have many of them.
You may skip that part and select channel manually (double click universe number and type in the channel number) -- what you apparently did.
The difference is that without profile the channel shows as 1:? and with profile it may show as e.g.1:VLC control

I quickly checked your files and they seem OK, just change the trigger scene to have value 255.

I will look into this, that would make things immensely easier

You go to Input/Output tab/ select universe and Input profile tab.
http://www.qlcplus.org/docs/howto-input-profiles.html
You don't really need, it helps selecting external input channels when you have many of them.
You may skip that part and select channel manually (double click universe number and type in the channel number) -- what you apparently did.
The difference is that without profile the channel shows as 1:? and with profile it may show as e.g.1:VLC control

I quickly checked your files and they seem OK, just change the trigger scene to have value 255.

Well that worked!! Thank you so very much.

For anyone else that is following after, the trigger scene he is referencing to is on the sending workspace. (In my case, the mac QLC+ )

Now to tackle what I asked in this other post. Commands to another instance of QLC+

In there you laid it out quite clearly, to which I appreciate, but I couldn't figure that out. Maybe now I might be able to. In this setup, I would have 3 computers on a QLC+ ArtNet network. Main light computer, stage hand computer, projector computer. (Yes I have access to quite a few extra computers that I can make this work on.) Projector computer can be one-way only, receiving commands from the lighting computer. But the stage hand computer would need to be 2 way. Since I am already utilizing ArtNet for the command to launch the video.... why not do it also with the stage hand computer. Would I need 3 universes of control to make this happen? (one send for stage hand, one receive for stage hand, one send for projector)

[GGGss]

Then I'd suggest to use the projector computer as the 'final' one... the heart of your project.
You'd use 3 universes - one for the physical lights, 1 receiving and 1 sending feedback.
On your other computers you can then sniff artnet-message and in function of read-only / read-write have QLC only to listen to 1 artnet-universes or both.

Notice: Your project will become complex after a while when sending out feedbacks to f.i. sliders while they can be used to set levels f.i.
If your plan is to 'simply' set cue's and hops in chasers then you will see that you cannot set the required step in a chaser (hop to step 7 f.i.).
Within some limitations and creative thinking it is throughout possible.

Succes