Q Light Controller+

Hello all,

I'm looking to move to QLC+ from another platform and am trying to figure out if it can suit my needs. Have looked at a number of videos, tutorials, and the docs for v4.

The RGB Matrix system is pretty cool. But, what if I want to run the same Matrix identically on say, 4 moving heads that have a set of individually-controlled RGBW LEDs? (They're "bee-eye" fixtures) Sometimes it would be great to run a Matrix in sequence against a fixture group as is shown in the docs and etc, but if I want all the fixtures in a group to perform the same Matrix...is that possible? And, could there be an offset for times that I may want them to run the same Matrix but each starts a bit later than the next?

I get that I could probably put each fixture in its own group to do this, and then create some sort of automation/script to launch all 4 at the same time, but that seems tedious.

I just haven't seen any kind of option to do what I'm asking about. Is this maybe a v5 feature that's not in v4?

Thanks,

--Joe

Welcome to the forum,

With a little loopback magic, you could multiplex a single set of color channels to multiple sets of channels.
An inbuilt delta release time will be difficult in this scenario; I'd go back to the matrix itself and let it do its job.

You could, however, dump the matrix into a sequence and play with that over multiple fixtures. It all depends on your creativity and time to preprogram.

So a few things:

• Collections are your friend. They allow you to assemble different things into a single "view" on the stage.
• When I want say 4 fixtures to run the same matrix, I typically create 4 FixtureGroups, one for each Fixture; and 4 RGBMatrix instances with the same script, one for each fixture; and then use a Collection to run them all in parallel. This works well; except when running ALOT of Universes some of them can get out of step.
• Matrixes ( and EFX ) in default RGB Control Mode don't use the W ( or Amber, UV, etc.. ) in the RGBW heads .. just RGB. This is both good and bad as it's leaving something on the table; however, when you want to punch up the show a bit you have a spare light that's not being controlled by something else.
• If you're using an RGBMatrix in RGB Control on Fixtures that have 'intensity'; you should create a "Scene" that *just* sets the Intensity to the value you want and add it to the same Collection so that the lights will be visible.
• If you want to run the same RGBMatrix across all the fixtures; you can put them in a FixtureGroup and apply a single matrix to it. This has the added benefit of letting you make the FG bigger than the #'s of fixtures so you can space them out similar to the stage layout and make it look correct relative to the layout.
• Something else you might consider; the EFX system can work against colors as well as motion; and I've used that to do what you're suggesting where you have multiple heads you want to "roll" through a specific pattern with an offset.
• One other approach if none of that gets you where you want to be is an animated GIF that is the size of your FixtureGroup that does what you want. Had a lot of success with this.
• As @GGGss noted, a sequence will give you access to all the values and let you set up fades between, etc. But doesn't have the power like RGBMatrix to go outside the sequence, etc.

Have a closer look to The Control Mode of the RGB Matrix.
In this situation there are 3 modes that are relevant:
- default RGB,
- White and
- Dimmer

What you should not do, is run more than one RGB Matrix with the same Control Mode on the same (Group of) Fixtures (the result will probably be that the last one started will override the previous one).

What you can do however is use a RGB Matrix with Control Mode Default RGB and a RGB matrix with Control mode is Dimmer together on the same (Group of) Fixtures.
So you can combine a "Color Changer RGB Matrix" (like Balls or Plasma, in "Default RGB Control Mode") with a "Switching RGB matrix" (like Srobe, Even-Odd, Fill From Center ....., in "Dimmer Control Mode").

Be aware that QLC4 only has a RGB engine, so in "default RGB Mode" it will produce Full White as Red 255 + Green 255 + Blue 255.
If you have a RGBW fixture (with one or more separate White Channels), you need to adress those Whites seperately (in "White Control Mode") from the other colors.
You could see this as an opportunity to make more combinations possible (e.g. to create a Red to Blue Color Changer with White Flashes).

Apart from the RGB matrix you can also use the EFX Function.
If your Fixture does support it, here you also have 3 modes:
- Position,
- Dimmer and
- RGB.

Finally you can also use (and combine it with) the specific Macros that your Fixture provides.

What you should not do, is run more than one RGB Matrix with the same Control Mode on the same (Group of) Fixtures (the result will probably be that the last one started will override the previous one).

I do this all the time; works fine and lets you combine effects. An example:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vuj5SGXEUHc ... ares&t=591
This is a combination of two Full stage RGB Matrixes: Interesting comment about "Control Mode" .. i've never played with it much; but i'll definately look into it more! TIL

Funny, i must have started typing on my post before 13:38.
Yours wasn't there at that moment.-

Together we produced a lot of usefull tips, that's what matters.

Thank you to everyone for your quick and quite detailed replies! This definitely tracks to what I was thinking in terms of the capabilities of the Matrix system in QLC+ 4.

I haven't yet downloaded v5, but can I assume that the Matrix system has been at least been upgraded to handle RGBW fixtures. (And maybe the stuff I asked about in my post, too? lol)

I don't imagine that not having the white channel is going to be a deal breaker for me in v4, as I'm guessing it'll get addressed in v5, if not already. But thanks for the heads-up!