multi-column pixel batten - how to display as 2x8 heads?

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PurpleWires
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2023 7:01 am
Real Name: Alex Sinclair

Hi QLC+ users,

I've been experimenting with QLC+ 4.12.6 for some weeks since I first bought a few fixtures (and 5.0.0 Beta 2).
These are 4x Equinox Spectrapix Batten which I have arranged as 4 verticals.
Thanks to Michel Sliepenbeek for the fixture definition.

After a while of playing around with some early learning projects I realised the 2D view doesn't represent the physical world, i.e. the RGB pixel matrix is naturally 8x8 when the battens are arranged vertically and side-by-side e.g. ||||
This is because the Spectrapix battens have 2 sets of 8 pixels
OO
OO
OO
OO
OO
OO
OO
OO

However, I can't get QLC+ to represent them like this.
I have edited Michel's fixture definition (original here http://qlcplus.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16210) which seems to have an error: The "Physical Layout" is set to 12x1 (Columns x Rows).
Find my edited version attached as "Equinox-SpectraPix-Batten-2x8_20230312.qxf"

Despite this edit, the 2D view does not seem to respect the pixel layout.
I have attached a sample workspace including these fixtures to illustrate how QLC represents the fixtures as 4 fixtures each having 1 column of 16 heads. e.g
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0
O O O 0

Whereas what I'm hoping to see is:
OO OO OO OO
OO OO OO OO
OO OO OO OO
OO OO OO OO
OO OO OO OO
OO OO OO OO
OO OO OO OO
OO OO OO OO

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong, or is this a deficiency?
I've also tried with QLC5 (and the QLC5 fixture edit feature.
Attachments
Battens Test Workspace.qxw
(5.62 KiB) Downloaded 67 times
Equinox-SpectraPix-Batten-2x8_20230312.qxf
(18.34 KiB) Downloaded 61 times
MichelSliepenbeek
Posts: 717
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:24 am
Location: Nederland
Real Name: Michel Sliepenbeek

It is always difficult to produce a Fixture Definition for a Fixture that you don't own yourself. :) ;)

I added 16 heads in 53 channel mode:
Equinox-SpectraPix-Batten V2.qxf
(16.13 KiB) Downloaded 62 times
Hope this will bring you further.
A QLC Workspace is like a Bob Ross painting: "it's your world, you can create whatever you want!"
PurpleWires
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2023 7:01 am
Real Name: Alex Sinclair

Ah thanks Michel.
There were already 16 heads in 48ch and 53ch modes, plus 8 heads in 24ch mode for the file I had uploaded.
I had also modified the layout in the Physical tab from 12x1 to 2x8.

Neither of these edits seem to make a difference.

@mcallegari might this be a deficiency?
MichelSliepenbeek
Posts: 717
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:24 am
Location: Nederland
Real Name: Michel Sliepenbeek

There might be a work around:

Instead of using a fixture definition, you could add your Batten as a RGB Panel.

You start with 2 generic Dimmers for Master and Strobe (or you could create a fixture definition with only those 2 channels).
Now you add a RGB Panel (on the following DMX adress, so if Master is on 1, you should use address 3 to start), which is 8 by 2 (or 2 by 8) and RGB.
You need to experiment a bit with the dimensions as the QLC defaults will probably be to small in the 2D monitor and you also have to find out which Orientation and Direction setting will work with your fixture.
At the end you could add another 3 generic dimmers (starting at 51), or a gap of 3 channels if you are not going to use those channels anyway.

Needless to say: your Fixture is leading, so you have to tweak with the parameters untill 2D monitor will show the same as your Fixture does. :) ;)
A QLC Workspace is like a Bob Ross painting: "it's your world, you can create whatever you want!"
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