QLC+ 5.0.0 Beta2 release

[mcallegari]

Here's Beta 2 of the long awaited QLC+ 5.
This version aims to consolidate what's stated in Beta 1: make this subset of features rock solid to release a production ready version.
A large number of crashes and showstopper issues have been resolved so I believe this is getting quite close to a release candidate version.

The disappointing part of the story though is that I basically received usability feedbacks from one single user (many thanks Giacomo!)
I know this is Beta and I know you're used to QLC+ 4, but if nobody at least tries QLC+ 5, this version will never be ready for a serious release.

So the question in my mind is: what is preventing you from trying QLC+ 5?
Please leave a comment in this thread and let's find out if I can help in convincing you to give it a go.

The changelog for this version is basically: fixes all over the place! No new features added.

[Yestalgia]

Hey Massimo,

I've been playing around with the new Beta and I must congratulate you for its release!

I want to start with what I love:

• Love the stability and responsiveness
• Love the Fixture Search
• Love the ability to have multiple windows of virtual console by right clicking. (This one is an absolute game changer)
• Love the Dark colour scheme
• Love the "Views" and how they've been integrated into the function manager
• Love the use of scalable graphics

I do have some feedback which I'll post separately but here are some of the reservations I have:

• First and most importantly the UI changes lead me to believe that 5 will have a mobile-first mindset.
  I primarily use QLC+ in a custom console built around an Intel Nuc. This ground-up rebuild of the UI has left a lot of the familiar, critical ways I interact with QLC+ missing. An example of this might be the ability to copy text (addresses and such), right-click elements or clicking and dragging down to select multiple items.
• I'm having difficulty navigating the UI at times. When opening the Fixture Groups View for example, all of the buttons (add fixture, fixture groups etc) all shift right.
• On the topic of Fixture Groups, I can't seem to figure out how to make them.

Here's some things I think would help bring new users to 5:

• Put the "Functions. VC, Simple Desk, Show Manager etc" bar down the bottom by default to attract those on 4
• Work with me to promote the new beta across social media (send me a dm)
• Enable all channels of a fixture to be edited in 2D view. (Perhaps a right click to open the sliders we see in DMX View)
• Give me some feedback to those trying to help with design.

Once again thank you for all the amazing work on this release. I hope we can work together this year.

[giacomo]

Hi Massimo and thanks for the new beta,
I'm sure that now other people will start to report bugs, I believe that v.5 has being not used because it was crashing too much, and apparently without any clue.
During last summer when I started to investigate it, I was having crashes every 10 minutes, after some patience and practice I narrowed the actions that were causing me crashes and I reported them.
I was also disappointed that there are many developers on this forum and anything useful was reported.

I'd suggest people to first get used to v.5 because it's really different, forget about the past, personally as of today I cannot go back anymore to v.4 and I like the left-click only behavior.

Linux users: for the appimage you need "libfftw3-double3", that is already present if v.4 is installed.
I removed v.4, it was reported here:
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15938

To answer Massimo,
there are still some critical functionalities that can stop people from using v.5, here my list against the google's page status:
- 2.6 - Edit Fixture (e.g CHANGE MODE) [ it's silly to have to rewrite the cues for this reason ]
- 2.8 - Channels Modifiers
- 6.22 - VC XY Pad
- 6.23 - VC Speed Dial
- 6.24 - VC Animation
- 6.25 - VC Audio Trigger

plus these 2 requests:
- Dump output (also) to an existing scene
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=15661
- Copy between fixtures
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=15872

[Yestalgia]

I'd suggest people to first get used to v.5 because it's really different, forget about the past, personally as of today I cannot go back anymore to v.4 and I like the left-click only behavior.

You're exactly right. I must admit my scepticism has been curved massively by just giving it a go.

Honestly once that spreadsheet is complete there is absolutely no reason not to make 5 the default on the DL page. I'm very quickly getting used to and loving it.

I will encourage those I know using 4 to give it a go.

Once the animation window is in I'll be making the switch!

[DOA]

qlcplus-qml: /lib/86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version 'GLIBC_2.34' not found (required by qlcplus-qml)

MX-Linux 21.3

[DavidGrc]

Thank you for all this work. And thank you Giacomo for all the feeback we can read on the forum.
Each time i see a topic about it (i don't read all), i think we are lucky to have someone who keep testing it, and it's amazing to see Massimo finding solution.

I would like to help more. But i'm not a developper, an i have no personnal equipment.
I work in a little theater where we use v4 (with ShowCueSystem). We can't take the risk to use v5 for our professional use.

Maybe i can find a way to use, try, test it. I was thinking about to use v5 as a visualizer, linked to v4. Perhaps is it a good first step ?
I should buy equipment, little by little, too.

[tmyers]

It says to report this thought it links to the Alpha 1 release. I had the weird Font thing.

screenshot

I resolved it by installing the fonts myself.

Old PC Dell Inspiron 17R Core i7, Windows 10 22H2 19045.2486. Built in intel HD graphics

It came back. So installing the fonts did not resolve the issue.

[mcallegari]

Please use the dedicated forum area to report issues, not this thread. Thank you.

[giacomo]

Bonsoir David,
you wrote it's a little theatre, do you need a visualizer?
If you want to help you don't need to risk anything or to buy something: when you've some spare time try to do in v.5 what you've done in v.4, if you find a bug please report it.
Then one day you will know if you're confortable to switch to v.5.

[Yestalgia]

Thank you for all this work. And thank you Giacomo for all the feeback we can read on the forum.
Each time i see a topic about it (i don't read all), i think we are lucky to have someone who keep testing it, and it's amazing to see Massimo finding solution.

I would like to help more. But i'm not a developper, an i have no personnal equipment.
I work in a little theater where we use v4 (with ShowCueSystem). We can't take the risk to use v5 for our professional use.

Maybe i can find a way to use, try, test it. I was thinking about to use v5 as a visualizer, linked to v4. Perhaps is it a good first step ?
I should buy equipment, little by little, too.

Happy to send you an OpenDMX USB if that will help.

[SPOPATT]

The big warning when launching version 5 is what freaks me out.

[DavidGrc]

Bonsoir David,
you wrote it's a little theatre, do you need a visualizer?
If you want to help you don't need to risk anything or to buy something: when you've some spare time try to do in v.5 what you've done in v.4, if you find a bug please report it.
Then one day you will know if you're confortable to switch to v.5.

Buona serata Giacomo,

Honestly, i don't really need a visualizer. But it could be useful to prepare event outside our wall. So i prefer practice before
But you are true, i should reproduce in v5 what i use to do. I'll try to "find" spare time for that
I will follow your advice.

Happy to send you an OpenDMX USB if that will help.

You are so nice. I saw you sent things like that to developpers. But i don't deserve it. I'll find a way to buy it.

We use an Enttec DMX USB Pro at my theatre. It remind me that i should make them buy another one, juste in case... haha!

[rajones203]

Hello,

I just started using QLC this past fall and I am obsessed with it, so much so that I've been inspired to build a custom lighting console for myself. The idea of the project came from Luke Stratton (former LD for Dopapod) and his GrandMA Lighting Performance Controller. A desk you can play like an expressive instrument.

I have gotten very far in my goals and am very excited to see what version 5 has to offer. As version 4 with its mouse heavy headaches, is making the process of doing things a little slower.

I too was getting constant crashes and in the latest version, could not seem to get it to crash in my very preliminary look-around. So I am positive its on the right track..

The speed dial in the VC is what Im missing to get me to move over and start building this console in that. It basically drives my whole rig using Infinity presets to "blind" preset a look and then fade them in on a time tapped in or set with a fader. Again, inspired by Luke using a similar theory.

Also, the frames need to collapse when in "edit" mode. I do miss the play button strangely. So maybe placing that Edit widget button in a different spot is what I need.

Sorry for the lengthy explanation to tell you I need my speed dial! Hope to post more when I learn more, so I dont seem like such a babbling idiot!

[Yestalgia]

There's quite a few of us building Midi consoles at the moment. Here's my current one:

And here's my new one in progress. (Btw it looks like I've had the same idea as Luke Stratton) It will be very QLC+5 focused and have more screens!

I'll be starting a thread for it soon I'm just putting a video together.

Massimo has been committing a lot of code to the Github recently so I have a feeling we won't be waiting long!

[rajones203]

That's what I'm talking about! Nice to see others inspired. Nice Keyboard. I will jump on your post when it happens in the Community. I would love to get a thread started there to discuss things like that case! Until then Im gonna shoot you a message on Instagram till I get my posts up here.

To keep it on topic: I found the spreadsheet and want to give a more glowing review of 5 since I got to mess with it more.....

Please go use it, mess around with it. The pallets, fanning, etc.... you WILL be impressed. Just give it a minute. I'm going to use it for non-VC purposes (building a show in the show designer) for example until the speed dial and XY pads are done. The minute those come alive, I will develop a better save early and often habit and use it 100% exclusively.

--- One request for the speed dial to change its behavior from version 4. Could you make it so that the absolute value could reach Infinite at the top range? That way a fader could be set from 0s-Infinity, maybe with the ability to change the scale of values? Just shooting ideas. I can work with its current behavior. Assigning a button to the Infinity preset or possibly using a script. Let me know if Im missing something with the original one.

On the similar issue What is your intentions with the BPM feature in its entirety? Will you be able to use it as a MASTER time to for example change all of your VC dials at once to be synched to BPM?

The progress you've made on this is so impressive Massimo, the software is such a leap in the professional user direction from version 4 in my opinion. You've literally brought the little kid out in me again messing around with this stuff. Whatever I can do to help feedback I will. Will be checking back every day for updates.

[TristanYoung]

Hi Massimo!

The reasons why I'm not using QLC+ 5 beta1 is I don't have a lot of time to spend beta-testing; I changed careers last year, I'm now a 2nd year Electrician Apprentice. I had a couple of minutes tonight to check out your website. I did experience issues the one and only time I tried it. I didn't have time to sit down, and write intelligently about the issues I had, and provide steps to reproduce. I don't like being terse with my bug reports, as "it doesn't work" isn't terribly helpful.

The other reasons are that I use VC XY Pad and VC Speed Dial, which are presently not in QLC+ 5.

I used to beta-test for a lot of different projects; I had a lot more time back then. I am a developer for a Mixxx controller script for the Pioneer DDJ-SX3 controller, and manage to muster up a few changes/improvements now and then. It's difficult though with how busy my work has been, cooking for the family, and me fighting fatigue (often falling asleep on the couch).

I love the project, and wish I could devote more time to beta-testing and reporting issues.

[RB3]

Hey Massimo, Thank you for all your continued hard work on such a cool product.
I'm the Technical Director for a 650 capacity music venue. We've been using QLC+ to run our lighting rig since 2021. So, at this point we've used QLC+ v4 for literally hundreds of concerts in our venue with very few problems. I've currently got three lighting techs who I've trained to run our rig and busk live.
I finally downloaded the 5 beta and started messing around with it this week. Like TristanYoung said above, not having the VC XY Pad and VC Speed Dial is a definite issue, as it means I can't use 5 beta to run a show yet. BUT I will ask my techs to take a look at the beta during their down time. I'll collect their usability feedback about the new features and I'll chime back in.

[susobaco]

qlcplus-qml: /lib/86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version 'GLIBC_2.34' not found (required by qlcplus-qml)

MX-Linux 21.3

It happens to me too. It seems to be a problem with 'GLIBC ' in the Debian stable versions. It seems to me that we will have to use a testing distribution.

[edogawa]

It happens to me too. It seems to be a problem with 'GLIBC ' in the Debian stable versions. It seems to me that we will have to use a testing distribution.

This thread talks about the glibc issue and has a link to a newer beta appimage in the test area that should work for older and newer distros.

[eights]

Hi Massimo,
although I've never been active here, I've been following along with QLC+ development. (silently, yet closely)
Let me thank you again for your work and for not giving up, as I feared a lot that period of low motivation that you've gone through.

I'll try to be essential:

[v4 to v5]

To answer Massimo,
there are still some critical functionalities that can stop people from using v.5, here my list against the google's page status:
- 2.6 - Edit Fixture (e.g CHANGE MODE) [ it's silly to have to rewrite the cues for this reason ]
- 2.8 - Channels Modifiers
- 6.22 - VC XY Pad
- 6.23 - VC Speed Dial
- 6.24 - VC Animation
- 6.25 - VC Audio Trigger

As Giacomo and many others pointed out, there are some important features in QLC+ 4 that are still missing in the new version.
It really is a wise choice to consolidate a basic set of functionalities to deliver a production-ready release.
However, the "VC Speed Dial" and the "VC Animation" widgets are crucial to the level of expressiveness I'd like to achieve, as my goal is to kind of "play lights" as if they were a musical instruments too. (many others can relate to this)

[contribution]
There is one change that I've made to QLC+ 4 code base that is as essential to me as are the "Speed Dial" and "Animation" widgets, which I did not have time to port to the upcoming version 5 yet.
To summarize, I've added an option to change the behavior (on external input only) for a given button from toggling to momentary, while keeping all the features a flash button would lose. (I know fade out has been added, but I wanted more flexibility)
I kept the changes at their bare minimum, so maybe we could examine that feature in a dedicated thread, if interested.

Indeed I'm interested into contributing code, although it will take time to keep up with the skills required to join development in a proper way. (I've been already scolded for a couple of silly pull requests, sorry for wasting your time back then)

[life]
The saddest part of this story is that the pandemic neutered all venues for a sufficiently long time, while my graduation deeply shuffled my priorities.
Now I'm finally resuming all my beloved activities, but unfortunately light design went from a possible job back to one of my hobbies, thus QLC+ cannot be my daily obsession as it used to.
On the flip side, this means more time experimenting at home with version 5, rather than delivering performances on version 4.
It's definitely time to upgrade!

That's it in a few condensed sentences. I'll happily provide further details if needed.

Thanks to the whole community!