RGB Matrix & Movingheads

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EddyC1
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2015 7:35 am
Real Name: EddyC

Movingheads behavior in RGB Matrix

I made a simple workspace with 2 Stairville moving heads MH-360, 2 movingheads JB Systems DynaSpot and 2 JB-Systems COB-4Bar.

I put all this in a RGB matrix. Strange thing is that the MH-360 moving heads and the COB-4Bar (in 12 channel mode) works in the matrix and the DynaSpots not. Is there a reason for that?

Strange thing is also when I set the COB-4Bar in 18 Channel mode that these fixtures don't work in a RGB matrix. In 18 channel mode these bars have also RGB channels.

Can someone explain me how the RGB matrix internally works in function of the RGB channels in a fixture? Which channel or channel numbers do a RGB matrix use in a fixture for RGB, dimmer & color wheel? Can you remap fixture channels of a moving head to RGB, dimmer, color in RGB matrix? Or is the usability of a moving head in a RGB matrix depending on the kind of moving head you use?
RGBMatrixTest.qxw
RGB Matrix test file
(3.85 KiB) Downloaded 104 times
OddSocks
Posts: 152
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 11:33 am
Real Name: Tim Cullingworth

As the name states an RGB matrix only works with RGB fixtures, so the Dynaspots, which have a color wheel will not work with it.

The COB-4Bar in 18 channel mode is trying to work but each head has a Dimmer / Strobe channel and the RGB matrix does not know what do do with this.
EddyC1
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2015 7:35 am
Real Name: EddyC

Thanks for the brief explanation. It's all clear now :)
janosvitok
Posts: 1325
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 7:05 am
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
Real Name: Jano Svitok
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I'll add more details:

RGB Matrix can work with: RGB channels, CMY channels and dimmer channels.

When setting a head (=matrix pixel), it looks for RGB or CMY channels and if that fails, it looks for a dimmer channel (looks for both global and per head dimmers).
When no RGB or CMY channels are found, QLC+ assumes it's a conventional and sets the most specific dimmer channel to intensity value of the pixel.

If dimmer control is checked, QLC+ sets all remaining dimmers to full, unless the pixel color is black, in that case it sets the remaining dimmers to OFF.

Dimmer control is best to avoid, since 1) it's going to be removed in QLC+5 2) There is a bug when you have global dimmer in a multi-head fixture (for example LED bar).

In your case that means:

1. Don't set dimmer control
2. COB-4Bar in 18 channel mode: create Scene that will set all the per-head dimmers to full and start it together with RGB matrix. You may even control it with a virtual console fader.
SInce the dimmer channels are marked as Effect, RGB matrix does not know what to do.
3. DynaSpots: Since RGB matrix can't control color wheels, you need to create a scene(s) that will set the colors, and RGB matrix will adjust dimmer as needed, although
a bit less than 100% since it's computed intensity of the pixel color. (100% white => Dimmer to 100%, 100% red => Dimmer @ 30%, 100% green => Dimmer @ 59%, 100% blue => dimmer @ 11%).

Jano
Dontknowwhattodohelp
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2024 3:15 pm
Real Name: Joshua

Hey Jano!

Hoping you can help me out here.

I have an RGB wash Moving head, and the same thing is happening I cannot control the lights with RGB matrix.

This is a light which has a strobe/dimmer in one channel so i tried changing the fixture definition to show it as just one to trick qlc but it didnt work.

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks,
Josh
MichelSliepenbeek
Posts: 716
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:24 am
Location: Nederland
Real Name: Michel Sliepenbeek

You can use a Channel Modifier ( https://docs.qlcplus.org/v4/fixture-man ... properties) on your Dimmer Strobe channel, to make it act as Dimmer Only.


On my Fixtures, where the Dimmer uses 000..134 for Dimmer and 135..255 for strobe, i use this Modifier:
Dimmer only (0 - 134).qxmt
(382 Bytes) Downloaded 7 times
Copy this file to the ModifiersTemplates Folder in your User Library (and restart QLC+ to make it active).
If the range of your Fixture is different, feel free to change it.

As your Inbuild Strobe will not work anymore, instead you can use a RGB Matrix with Pattern = Strobe.
A QLC Workspace is like a Bob Ross painting: "it's your world, you can create whatever you want!"
janosvitok
Posts: 1325
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 7:05 am
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
Real Name: Jano Svitok
Contact:

Josh,

please post here your qxw and qxf files.

Jano
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