Custom fixture definition

[pilotdan1985]

I've been trying to add a new custom fixture to qlc+ (fixture definitions and qxf files attached) I've a custom fixture before and was successful (file named uking-par works great as expected). However, I'm having a really hard time with the seemingly more simpler fixture which I named "Dan". The actual name of the fixture on the box says "XKL-A4". Btw Im using USB to wireless DMX device called an ENTTEC open dmx usb on one universe.

The XKL-A4 works great with the IR remote, good by using a manual dmx control, and good by the buttons on the back of the fixture. But as soon as I try QLC+ it gets weird. I'm using 72 channels with my other fixtures so I'm attempting to the A4s on channels 73 or 74 and up. Set up this way (and yes with the channel set on the fixture as such) it does absolutely nothing at all. If I add it to channel 1 and adjust channel 1 in the simple desk I do get the color red unxepectedly as according to the instructions (also attached) this should be a "total dimming" channel.

I'm also a little confused about one part of the channel definition functions for d001 and C001 where it says d001 "address code value (channel 7, it is used in prefessional stage lighting). If I try to set either d001 or C001 to anything they both mimic each other. EI if I set d001 to 7 as the instructions suggest and then set C001 to a channel... lets say channel 73. d001 changes to 73. Also, just through troubleshooting purposes I have tried to change the DMX Connector type to all options available and that doest seem to affect anything either... allthough Im not sure its supposed to or if thats just a discriptive item?

Any advice here anyone on getting these PARS working?

[pilotdan1985]

Dan.qxw

(76.04 KiB) Downloaded 48 times

Dan Par.qxf

(1.81 KiB) Downloaded 78 times

[MichelSliepenbeek]

I made some changes to your fixture definition:
- changed type to color changer (this only affects the icon that will be used in the fixture editor).
- added dimensions (this only affects the size the fixture will get in the fixture monitor).
- changed the "acts on" s. (if you had used the Fixture validator https://www.qlcplus.org/fixture_validator.php it would have told you )
- removed the Head (you only need this if your fixture has more than one head).

Dan Par v2.qxf

(1.39 KiB) Downloaded 103 times

I don't think your Fixture Definition is causing your problems, but "just to be sure".

First thing to find out is whether your manual matches with your Fixture.
I suggest to set the fixture to D001. Add the attached Fixture Definition to your user library, open a new workspace and only add this fixture at DMX address 001.
Now use the simple desk and check if the channels act like described in the manual. So set the Master (channel 1) to 255 and now channel 2 should control Red, channel 3 should control Green and so on.

If the manual is not correct, change your Fixture Definition according to your findings.

[musicmand]

I think the manual is showing some poor translation issues. My immediate guess is that the dXXX channels are the 7-channel mode as listed in the manual and the cXXX channels are a simple 3-channel mode (though since it's an RGBW fixture, I have no good guess what three channels that would be - maybe just RGB and ignore the white).

[dezinerdj]

I'm an experienced DMX lighting guy... over 15 years I've done this. Bought American DJ Par 64s when I started at $200 each. So when I saw these I was excited because they're so inexpensive and claim to have the features I cared about (DMX mostly). Bought 6 of them. Here's my experience, and how to get what you want out of them!

They are NOT an easy to install and use light. For starters, when working with DMX it is important to understand how MOST DMX fixtures work. If you have a fixture that implements 10 channels of control and you address it to be DMX Address 5, then it occupies DMX channels 5 through 14. These LED pars claim to implement 7 channels (9 if you read the box).

The BIGGEST problem with these LED pars is that the DMX implementation is DONE WRONG and there is NO WAY to do a firmware update. Sounds like trash, right? Well... not exactly. We CAN work around the manufacturer failures! I used EMU (enttec lighting control software) to figure out what the f is going on. Here's the skinny:

When you address these lights, leave 16 channels per light fixture even though only 7 are defined (mistake #1). And when you set the DMX address on the back of the light, you need to realize they messed up here again (mistake #2). Addresses of 2 or 3 or 4 etc have to be multiplied by 16 and that number should be used as the starting address in your controlling software / hardware. So.... I have 6 of them. I placed them at 1, 17, 33, 49, 65 and 81. The 8th - 16th channel on each par does nothing as far as I can tell. This is completely backwards. I should be setting the lights DMX address to their starting address, NOT the number in the series of lights. SMH.

You COULD slap another fixture in at channel 8 - 16 with each led par block to recover your lost DMX address space. I dont have anything with 9 or less channels for this current setup so I'm just out of luck. Feel free to ask for some advice / assistance.

What a complete PITA. I'm just glad I was able to figure them out at all. I've attached my fixture definition for EMU and wish you luck bringing it into QLC+ (I did not have any luck, possibly because the USB dongle needs specific instantiation that the EMU software does but QLC+ does not)

[GGGss]

I'm an experienced DMX lighting guy... over 15 years I've done this. Bought American DJ Par 64s when I started at $200 each. So when I saw these I was excited because they're so inexpensive and claim to have the features I cared about (DMX mostly). Bought 6 of them. Here's my experience, and how to get what you want out of them!

They are NOT an easy to install and use light. For starters, when working with DMX it is important to understand how MOST DMX fixtures work. If you have a fixture that implements 10 channels of control and you address it to be DMX Address 5, then it occupies DMX channels 5 through 14. These LED pars claim to implement 7 channels (9 if you read the box).

The BIGGEST problem with these LED pars is that the DMX implementation is DONE WRONG and there is NO WAY to do a firmware update. Sounds like trash, right? Well... not exactly. We CAN work around the manufacturer failures! I used EMU (enttec lighting control software) to figure out what the f is going on. Here's the skinny:

When you address these lights, leave 16 channels per light fixture even though only 7 are defined (mistake #1). And when you set the DMX address on the back of the light, you need to realize they messed up here again (mistake #2). Addresses of 2 or 3 or 4 etc have to be multiplied by 16 and that number should be used as the starting address in your controlling software / hardware. So.... I have 6 of them. I placed them at 1, 17, 33, 49, 65 and 81. The 8th - 16th channel on each par does nothing as far as I can tell. This is completely backwards. I should be setting the lights DMX address to their starting address, NOT the number in the series of lights. SMH.

You COULD slap another fixture in at channel 8 - 16 with each led par block to recover your lost DMX address space. I dont have anything with 9 or less channels for this current setup so I'm just out of luck. Feel free to ask for some advice / assistance.

What a complete PITA. I'm just glad I was able to figure them out at all. I've attached my fixture definition for EMU and wish you luck bringing it into QLC+ (I did not have any luck, possibly because the USB dongle needs specific instantiation that the EMU software does but QLC+ does not)

Welcome to the forum.
Ow, boy—who has to be fired from the tech department? Insert dummy channels inside your fixture definition to fill the needed gap. Except for a small fixture doing strange things with its fine pan and tilt channels (firmware only looks at 7b values so 125, 126, 127, 0, 1), I never got such a struggle to deal with...

[studiodaisy]

I'm an experienced DMX lighting guy... over 15 years I've done this. Bought American DJ Par 64s when I started at $200 each. So when I saw these I was excited because they're so inexpensive and claim to have the features I cared about (DMX mostly). Bought 6 of them. Here's my experience, and how to get what you want out of them!

They are NOT an easy to install and use light. For starters, when working with DMX it is important to understand how MOST DMX fixtures work. If you have a fixture that implements 10 channels of control and you address it to be DMX Address 5, then it occupies DMX channels 5 through 14. These LED pars claim to implement 7 channels (9 if you read the box).

The BIGGEST problem with these LED pars is that the DMX implementation is DONE WRONG and there is NO WAY to do a firmware update. Sounds like trash, right? Well... not exactly. We CAN work around the manufacturer failures! I used EMU (enttec lighting control software) to figure out what the f is going on. Here's the skinny:

When you address these lights, leave 16 channels per light fixture even though only 7 are defined (mistake #1). And when you set the DMX address on the back of the light, you need to realize they messed up here again (mistake #2). Addresses of 2 or 3 or 4 etc have to be multiplied by 16 and that number should be used as the starting address in your controlling software / hardware. So.... I have 6 of them. I placed them at 1, 17, 33, 49, 65 and 81. The 8th - 16th channel on each par does nothing as far as I can tell. This is completely backwards. I should be setting the lights DMX address to their starting address, NOT the number in the series of lights. SMH.

You COULD slap another fixture in at channel 8 - 16 with each led par block to recover your lost DMX address space. I dont have anything with 9 or less channels for this current setup so I'm just out of luck. Feel free to ask for some advice / assistance.

What a complete PITA. I'm just glad I was able to figure them out at all. I've attached my fixture definition for EMU and wish you luck bringing it into QLC+ (I did not have any luck, possibly because the USB dongle needs specific instantiation that the EMU software does but QLC+ does not)

I'm trying to make these LED pars work, but I can't. I have two units, and both only work on channel number 2 set in the device, that is, d002. In the program, I set any starting channel, and the lamps still receive the signal on the second channel. I tried setting, for example, 1, 17 in the program and in the device d001 and d0017, and they don't work. When I set both to d002, then they work simultaneously even though in the program it's 1 and 17, but it can even be 6 and 15, and they also work provided that they are on d002. The lamps are great, but unfortunately, there is a problem with the channels. I have other shehds lamps, and they work perfectly, but when I connect them with these lamps behind them, there is also some problem with the operation. Shehds must be first, and then these lamps on channel d002. Can I try something else? Of course, I've only tried them in freestyler."

Edit. After making some more test I discovered what I made wrong in this mater. So...Firs I have to do correct fixture for 16 chanels. 7 as is described in the guide rest are empty. Next (not testet too exactly) I think each chanel on device is 16 chanels on program (eg freestyler) it's mean d001=ch1-16; d002=ch17-32; d003=ch33-49 and so on pobably. Then it works. I will test it more and then write final conclusion.

[Ottly1986]

I'm an experienced DMX lighting guy... over 15 years I've done this. Bought American DJ Par 64s when I started at $200 each. So when I saw these I was excited because they're so inexpensive and claim to have the features I cared about (DMX mostly). Bought 6 of them. Here's my experience, and how to get what you want out of them!

They are NOT an easy to install and use light. For starters, when working with DMX it is important to understand how MOST DMX fixtures work. If you have a fixture that implements 10 channels of control and you address it to be DMX Address 5, then it occupies DMX channels 5 through 14. These LED pars claim to implement 7 channels (9 if you read the box).

The BIGGEST problem with these LED pars is that the DMX implementation is DONE WRONG and there is NO WAY to do a firmware update. Sounds like trash, right? Well... not exactly. We CAN work around the manufacturer failures! I used EMU (enttec lighting control software) to figure out what the f is going on. Here's the skinny:

When you address these lights, leave 16 channels per light fixture even though only 7 are defined (mistake #1). And when you set the DMX address on the back of the light, you need to realize they messed up here again (mistake #2). Addresses of 2 or 3 or 4 etc have to be multiplied by 16 and that number should be used as the starting address in your controlling software / hardware. So.... I have 6 of them. I placed them at 1, 17, 33, 49, 65 and 81. The 8th - 16th channel on each par does nothing as far as I can tell. This is completely backwards. I should be setting the lights DMX address to their starting address, NOT the number in the series of lights. SMH.

You COULD slap another fixture in at channel 8 - 16 with each led par block to recover your lost DMX address space. I dont have anything with 9 or less channels for this current setup so I'm just out of luck. Feel free to ask for some advice / assistance.

What a complete PITA. I'm just glad I was able to figure them out at all. I've attached my fixture definition for EMU and wish you luck bringing it into QLC+ (I did not have any luck, possibly because the USB dongle needs specific instantiation that the EMU software does but QLC+ does not) But if I can fix the problem myself, I contact the company https://www.cogniteq.com/. They help fix a software problem and get my program running

Firstly, a primer on DMX: understanding channel allocation is paramount. While these LED pars purport to utilize 7 channels (or 9, if you consult the box), reality paints a different picture. Enter mistake #1: despite their limited functionality, each fixture demands a whopping 16 channels.

Mistake #2 compounds the confusion: setting the DMX address on the fixture requires a counterintuitive multiplication by 16, rendering traditional addressing methods moot. Consequently, my solution involved a strategic reconfiguration of addresses: 1, 17, 33, 49, 65, and 81 for my six units. Admittedly, channels 8 through 16 remain redundant—a glaring design flaw.

Now, to salvage lost DMX address space, one could integrate additional fixtures into channels 8 through 16 of each LED par block. Alas, my current setup lacks fixtures with 9 or fewer channels, leaving me at an impasse.

Navigating these hurdles proved a Herculean task, but not without merit. I've compiled a fixture definition for EMU, the software instrumental in dissecting these quirks, though integrating it into QLC+ proved elusive. My attempts were thwarted, perhaps due to nuanced USB dongle specifications unique to EMU.

In essence, while these budget LED pars present a myriad of challenges, perseverance and ingenuity prevail. Should you find yourself grappling with similar tribulations, know that you're not alone. Feel free to reach out for guidance—I'm more than willing to share insights garnered from this arduous journey.