Can't Connect to USB DMX in Kiosk Mode!

[orrinc]

I just had to move our QLC+ system to a new Windows 10 laptop. I've set it up to run in Kiosk Mode so the various operators can't mess it up (or at least have to try harder).
It runs from the taskbar shortcut, using: "C:\QLC+\qlcplus.exe -k -f -o c:\qlc+\corazon923.qxw -p -c 1300,0,50,50".

On the new pc, the Virtual Console shows up fine, but it won't control the lights- all of the commands appear to go out, but no response from any lights!

If I open the same file directly, without any command line parameters, everything works fine.

I spent an hour troubleshooting, but I can't figure out why the program doesn't see the EntTec Open DMX USB device!

Can anyone help?

Thanks!!

[kenact]

Did you save your project with the OpenDMX dongle attached? Are you using the same pc to edit the project and to run the kiosk?

[orrinc]

No- in general I have edited the program on my home computer and then used a USB drive to transfer it to the laptop at the theater. But I did do final editing on the laptop. The Kiosk Mode does not seem to have any reference to the USB dmx interface.

[GGGss]

If it's not connected, how do you want it to be detected? In theatre, you will need to enable the plugin for that universe before switching to kiosk mode.

[kenact]

Another thing to look at is the driver for the dongle. If this is a new pc, have you downloaded the driver from Enttec? Windows doesn't install the driver for you.

[orrinc]

The driver seems to be there- in the normal program mode, it’s there and checked. It’s only in Kiosk Mode that it doesn’t work, and there is no button or option to choose it.

The Enttec device is connected, of course!

[GGGss]

The driver seems to be there- in the normal program mode, it’s there and checked. It’s only in Kiosk Mode that it doesn’t work, and there is no button or option to choose it.

The Enttec device is connected, of course!

To be sure: you opened your corazon923 project on the theatre PC and selected the plugin to active, go to operate mode and verify that everything works. You now then saved your project.
Now you opened this project with the kiosk mode parameters (which I checked and seem correct); and the interface no longer exists?

[orrinc]

Yes- that appears to be the case! Again- looking at the .QXW file (actually an XML file), I don't see and information about the DMX connection, so I'm not sure how the program is supposed to find the interface, but it always used to work!

I don't know where to look for the solution!

Thanks!

[GGGss]

On your theatre computer you should find the info in this block:

Code: Select all

<InputOutputMap>
   <Universe Name="Universe 1" ID="0"/>
   <Universe Name="Loopback" ID="1">
    <Input Plugin="Loopback" Line="0"/>
    <Output Plugin="Loopback" Line="0">
     <PluginParameters UniverseChannels="1"/>
    </Output>
   </Universe>
  </InputOutputMap>
  

But again: with your theatre computer and connected DMX interface without kiosk mode ... you should see the interface in your input/output screen.
If this isn't the case, the last 5 or 6 threads may be dismissed and we should try and find out why your interface isn't showing up.
In this case, the yes or no use of the kiosk mode is an obsolete question...

[orrinc]

Yes, that is the data that appears in the header.

The Loopback Mode settings are to enable a "Reset Overrides" feature.

But there is nothing there that specifies the DMX driver.

So I still can't figure out why it stopped working in Kiosk Mode on the new laptop- it works fine in regular mode, and the Kiosk Mode worked on the old laptop!

I can only guess that something is in the wrong location on the new pc, but I don't know what to look for . . .

[GGGss]

Then it all comes back to your EntTec Open DMX USB, which isn't detected.
Open your WIndows Device Management and check for the presence of the USB device. (You may want to use another USB port for it to work ... swap your mouse port f.i.)

[orrinc]

SOLVED!!! Thank you to Fredje and Ken Coughlin for the clues!

It turned out that the QXW file had been created and edited on my desktop PC (without a DMX dongle), saved to a USB stick, and copied to the new laptop at the theater. I opened it on the laptop, and it found the DMX interface . . .

But I hadn't SAVED it again on the laptop. Apparently saving the file in QLC+ is what writes the DMX driver to the QXW file!

When I opened it again in Kiosk Mode, the file did not have the USB interface in the file header, so it would not send commands to the USB port.

The solution was simply to open the file in Normal Mode, Save it, then close the program and start the shortcut to Kiosk Mode again!

Simple . . . but I was lost trying to find what wasn't there!

Perhaps something should be added to the online documentation to discuss using the Kiosk Mode.

Another anomaly I discovered was that I saved the QXW file while the system was running with lights on. When I opened the Kiosk Mode, those lights were still on, and would not go off, other than by using the Blackout button. Turning the scenes off would not turn off the lights. I finally tried the "Override Reset" button I had created, and that cleared all of the stuck fixtures! Interrresting . . . !

I'm glad I got to the theater early enough to fuss with the board long before the show started!