Fixture monitor in the Virtual Console

nhwebforge · Tue Jan 16, 2024 9:29 pm

Hi guys

We use QLC+ to control architectural lighting. The controller is inside the building, controlling lighting on the outside of the building - therefore we can't actually see the fixtures whilst we make changes.

We run QLC+ in kiosk mode so that any member of staff can access the preset scenes and effects. It runs on a wall-mounted touchscreen. Whilst QLC+ is very easy to use, it can be a bit confusing for people who have no experience of DMX so we use kiosk mode to protect our hard work of creating the effects.

It would therefore be fantastic if we could "embed" a 2D View into the Virtual Console so that the user has a rough idea of what scene or effect they are using. In addition to that option, it would also be great if, in the future, we added a second screen, to have the 2D view permanently on the second screen and have it open automatically with the kiosk mode. The PC automatically loads the workspace in kiosk mode when the PC starts.

Anyway... it would be intersting to hear your thoughts.

All the best

Nick

GGGss · Wed Jan 17, 2024 5:24 am

Can't you arrange your VC in such a way that it mimics a 2D view? Wall's left and right, windows, uplighters, ...

nhwebforge · Wed Jan 17, 2024 11:03 am

Hi GGGss. Yes that's certainly one option and we've already done that. We illuminate the tower of a church, so we have it set up as per the attachment below:

The fixtures are Elation Paladins in "standard" mode which gives each fixture three heads. You can see in the attachment that I have drawn these on the diagram. What I REALLY want is to be able to add a square to the VC and have that linked to a head's colour. So I could add three squares to each fixture on the diagram and they would change colour as the fixture's heads changed colour.

Your solution is a good suggestion - we already did that - but it's no good if you are running an RGB Matrix (rainbow or ocean waves or similar) as this will not be shown on the VC in real time.

Thanks for any further suggestions.

Nick

GGGss · Thu Jan 18, 2024 8:38 am

Interesting thought: dynamically changing the control's background colour... so the background colour acts as a fixture.
We give the devs a shiver now...

howieb · Tue May 28, 2024 3:30 pm

I was just looking for this feature. It appears from viewing demos that on windows you can have the activity monitor overlay the virtual console, but on a mac (where I live) they cannot overlap... One will obscure the other. So the only solution is to tile the windows in some fashion. But it would be so much better if it could simply be a widget in the virtual console.