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How do I emulate color macro function on slider?
Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2019 2:18 pm
by pmiller056
I'm new to using QLC+. I have a mix of different RGB LED fixtures. I am preparing (but not operating) the very simple lighting for a forthcoming show. For simplicity and space reasons the operator will be using the faders on a Korg Nanocontrol 2 to control the show. No screen, no keyboard, no mouse!
I am able to get the Nanocontrol and an OpenDMX to work as intended with QLC+
Some of the RGB LED fixtures used can be controlled by just 2 faders - One channel to set intensity and the second channel to set the color using the fixture's 'color macro' function - very simple and all that is needed. Some of the fixtures used just have 3 RGB channels and nothing else. How do I set QLC+ up to use the RGB only fixtures so that 2 slider control can be emulated? I've looked at functions and scenes, but I can't see any way of using a fader value to change between them.
Any ideas? Thanks. Peter.
Re: How do I emulate color macro function on slider?
Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2019 2:54 pm
by GGGss
ehhmm..
You'll somehow have to construct a conversion-table with the colors from the 2 channel fixtures into RGB values for the 3 channel ones (visually?).
and then try to have the RGB-color cue's react in the same way as the 2 channel fixtures?
Per color a slider on VC with min / max limits ... and then ...
I'm cueless???
Re: How do I emulate color macro function on slider?
Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2019 4:10 pm
by pmiller056
I am thinking of something like below, but can someone tell me how to do this in QLC+
Slider 1 scales 0-100% (DMX output channels 1-3) to give intensity control.
Slider 2 sets DMX1 DMX2 DMX3 to give simple color control.
0-31 0 0 0
32-63 0 0 255
64-95 0 255 0
96-127 0 255 255
128-159 255 0 0
160-191 255 0 255
192-223 255 255 0
224-255 255 255 255
Can this be done? If so how?
Thanks, Peter
Re: How do I emulate color macro function on slider?
Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2019 4:38 pm
by AllanR
I use a nanoKONTROL2 for simple testing of LED fixtures, as follows.
Each of the 8 faders controls the intensity of a fixture, either associated with a sub-master slider (for RGB fixtures), or the 'Dim' channel if the fixture has one.
The S, M, R buttons activate R or G or B respectively for each fixture via scenes. You can create colour combinations depending on which buttons are active.
For the colour preset (on 2-channel) fixtures you could create scenes set to the exact level/value corresponding to R, G, B for the fixture(s).
Alternatively, use the top-row pots, although trickier to control live?
'Under the hood' I create a scene for the R, G, B of every fixture. These scenes are then associated with the nanoKONTROL2's S, M, R buttons.
Re: How do I emulate color macro function on slider?
Posted: Wed May 01, 2019 3:29 pm
by pmiller056
@AllanR - Thank you for your suggestion. That would work for my intended use. I'm new to QLCPlus and still to learn about many parts of it including submasters. I did try to do something with the channel modifier editor, but that went wrong when the grand master moved! If you are willing to share your qxw file, I'd appreciate it.
Re: How do I emulate color macro function on slider?
Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 9:11 pm
by AllanR
Peter,
I've attached a simple workfile as requested to demo basic control of RGB fixtures using Korg nanoKONTROL2.
FRAME-1:
This controls a generic 3-channel fixture using individual R, G, B scenes associated with Korg Section One's S, M, R buttons. Used in combination they provide eight colours. The fader is associated to the slider in sub-master mode i.e. dims the output of all widgets in the frame.
FRAME-2:
This uses 2-channels of a fixture, colour macro and dim. I used an existing "Ledj Pro Tri LED back drop controller" fixture to illustrate.
This time Korg Section Two's S, M, R buttons are associated with buttons in a solo frame, which invoke scenes to generate the exact value required by the colour-macro channel for R, B, & G. Note the colour-macro channel operates in LTP mode, so you only get 3 colours - red, green or blue. You could change the scene settings to any other 3 colours as desired.
Alternatively, Section Two's knob is set in Level mode and controls "Ledj-Pro Tri" fixture's colour-macro channel. I modified the colour-macro curve on this fixture to allow full use of the knob's travel, and call this fixture "Ledj-Pro Tri compn". The knob generates output of 58-125 over its full travel and gives reasonable control of the 8 colours available.
You could manually modify the channel curve of the fixture "Ledj-Pro Tri compn", or add attached template "Linear 56-129.qxmt" to your QLC user folder.
Linux: ~/.qlcplus/modifierstemplates/Linear 56-129.qxmt
Win: C:\Users\username\QLC+\Modifierstemplates\Linear 56-129.qxmt
FRAME-3
Using Korg Section 3, is same as Frame-2 except uses a separate fixture with no alteration to the colour-macro curve. It's linear from 0-255 so only effective over 20% of its travel - not easy to set colours.
Hope this helps,
P.S. You might be interested in my previous nanoKONTROL2 test workfile - see
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=11941&p=55312&hili ... ol2#p55312
Re: How do I emulate color macro function on slider?
Posted: Wed May 08, 2019 7:18 pm
by AllanR
Peter,
I've modified the demo workfile with a better solution for using nanoKONTROL2 (nK2) with RGB and Dim+macro fixtures.
The improvement is that the nK2 controls used are the same whatever the fixture type - so more consistent for operators.
See attached demo-2 file.
Re: How do I emulate color macro function on slider?
Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 7:41 pm
by pmiller056
@AllanR
Thank you. I'll download and have a play.
Peter
Re: How do I emulate color macro function on slider?
Posted: Mon May 13, 2019 12:32 pm
by pmiller056
Thank you for your time and trouble to make and post the files. I've had a play and now understand a lot more about the mindset and inner workings of QLC+. I'll use the simpler parts of your demo file as the basis for the next show and once I have time, I'll do something more interesting.
Peter