How do you dim an entire sequence?

[dantheman]

I created the sequence from a fixture group (even though it says "scene name" it was really created from a fixture group).

How do I lower the brightness of the entire sequence? I tried decreasing the values in the function, but they are getting overwritten by the sequence.

Please advise.

[edogawa]

In the Virtual Console, create a frame with a slider or button for your sequence, and another slider in submaster mode.

The submaster then will dim the overall brightness of that sequence.

[dantheman]

So I did as you suggested. As I dim the sequence it begins to flash. Background - I have a row of 24 RGB lights. I created the sequence from an RGB matrix but they are not dimming very well. It is a rainbow gradient moving across the lights that is smooth until I start to dim and then they flash. Thanks in advance for your help.

[edogawa]

I don't know, I tested again, going from the workspace I currently run every evening in a theater, using a set of 40 RGB striplights.

I did exactly what I wrote above, created a frame, added a button (tried a slider too, fwiw) controlling a sequence that also was generated from a RGB matrix, and it works as advertised...

I attach my file (after removing all the other functions and fixtures from my show) and the self made RGB fixture I used for the striplights - the generic also would have done but I experimented with 2d monitor preview at show creation time so I needed a custom fixture to change the physical size there.

Can you share your workspace and custom fixture files, so we can see what you did? Maybe your fixture has a strobe channel or something that also gets dimmed by the submaster?

[dantheman]

Attached is my file. I am sure I am doing something wrong in my setup, but I cannot find out what it is. Thank you for your help!

[edogawa]

Hm that is a somewhat chaotic workfile... and you missd to add your custom fixture, btw., so your Bar fixtures show up as units of six generic dimmers.

When I look at the 2D monitor I also see the individual lights flashing when the submaster is at less than full. in DMX view it looks like there are constant fades from one to the next step, and as I'm at home and can only test the program, not any real output it creates, there's not much more I can say. Having a look at your fixture definition could help though...

[dantheman]

File attached.

I am new to this, so please help me understand a few things:

(1) How is the dimmer channel brightness that I have setup in the fixture definition apply when I use it in a sequence? It seems to me that it gets overwritten, is this correct? In other words, if I always want my red to be slightly dimmer, it seems like the red is full when I build it into the sequence.

(2) I used the RGB Matrix to create my sequences. How does the "Other Controls - Dimmer Controls" setting impact dimming? Could this be a contributor to the issue?

(3) When setting up the fixture, in the Channel Fade Configuration, should the dimmer channel be included in the "Can Fade" checkbox? Mine is - could this be a contributor to the issue?

Thanks for hanging in there with me , I greatly appreciate it! I am still learning (as you can probably tell by my files).

- Dan

[edogawa]

This all doesn't fit together at all, I'm sorry to say but how should someone be able to understand this mess?

Your workspace has fixtures defined like this:

Code: Select all

  <Fixture>
   <Manufacturer>OPPSK</Manufacturer>
   <Model>ColorChanger</Model>
   <Mode>50CH</Mode>
   <ID>0</ID>
   <Name>Bar1 #1</Name>
   <Universe>0</Universe>
   <Address>0</Address>
   <Channels>6</Channels>
   <ExcludeFade>1,5</ExcludeFade>
   <ForcedHTP>1</ForcedHTP>
  </Fixture>

But in the definition you sent the Model name is "LED Bar", with only one mode called "50 channel", actually consisting of only 49 channels (you missed to create Strobe 5), so your project still doesn't see it because of the model name discrepancy.

I renamed the model to "ColorChanger" in the fixture definition editor, in order for it to be found in my local fixture folder.
But it's completely different from what your workspace file expects it to be.

As the device seems to have eight individual zones with six channels each, a correct definition in 50 channel mode would define 50 channels, eight heads with six channels each, and the two ColorChase channels outside the heads.

Also, re. question (1), looking at your definition I don't see any brighness reduction for any dimming channel there. You can do that in the fixture definition but only whe using custom channel presets, not the predefined ones like dimmer, red etc. But it's probably wiser not to alter the maximum brightness there, but instead restrict it in QLC, there are several possibilities to do it (channel modifiers, channel groups, functions, VC elements).

Please fix your definition or provide the manual/DMX chart for your LED Bar so I or someone else can do it. I searched for OPPSK and found their website but it doesn't even have a product page for this model, no trace of it on Amazon or anywhere else either...