Script interrupting light scene within chaser

[DO4AF]

Hi folks,

i am planning our next theatre play. This year i wanted to add opening and closing the curtain automatically by using a DMX relay.
The relay is connected in parallel to the push buttons which open or close the curtain. One button for open one for close.

So my script looks like this to simulate a button press:

Code: Select all

setfixture:6 ch:0 val:255 // Arduino DMX Relais Box, Vorhang auf
wait:500ms
setfixture:6 ch:0 val:0 // Arduino DMX Relais Box, Vorhang auf

I tried to put this script in my chaser, which has all the different light scenes in it, which we use in the theatre play. At certain points i add the script for curtain open (Here it is Step Number 2)

Code: Select all

  <Function ID="8" Type="Chaser" Name="1. Akt" Path="Theater 2024">
   <Speed FadeIn="0" FadeOut="0" Duration="0"/>
   <Direction>Forward</Direction>
   <RunOrder>SingleShot</RunOrder>
   <SpeedModes FadeIn="PerStep" FadeOut="PerStep" Duration="PerStep"/>
   <Step Number="0" FadeIn="0" Hold="4294967294" FadeOut="0">6</Step>
   <Step Number="1" FadeIn="4000" Hold="0" FadeOut="0">0</Step>
   <Step Number="2" FadeIn="0" Hold="0" FadeOut="0">4</Step>
   <Step Number="3" FadeIn="0" Hold="4294967294" FadeOut="0">0</Step>
   <Step Number="4" FadeIn="8000" Hold="4294967294" FadeOut="0" Note="S. 10 / Ich dir auch Elmar (Edith nach hinten ab)">1</Step>
   <Step Number="5" FadeIn="0" Hold="0" FadeOut="5000">1</Step>
   <Step Number="6" FadeIn="0" Hold="8000" FadeOut="0" Note="S. 23 / He du Grobian!">9</Step>
   <Step Number="7" FadeIn="0" Hold="4294967294" FadeOut="0">6</Step>
  </Function>

I have to give it a certain hold time, otherwise it just executed the first command to activate the relais and did not switch off

This issue with that is that as long as the script runs, all light go off since the previous scene goes off and i have HTP for the lights of course.

I have found a dirty workaround for this and added the relais activation (Channel value 255) as a scene and made a collection to combine it with the previous light scene and put a hold time of 500ms and after the script i put the light scene again, but this seems a bit ugly to me.

Is there a better way to do this?

Thanks a lot and have an awesome new year!

[MichelSliepenbeek]

This might be a better way.
Put your "Curtain open scene" in a separate chaser.
Create a Loopback Channel and attach it as External Control to the Play Button of this chaser.
Now create a (run once) sequence that sets this Loopback Channel to "On".
Run this sequence as step 2 of your (original) chaser (with a run time that matches your sequence, so if you use the following example about 100 milliseconds will do).


Overhere you will find an example of a simular solution: viewtopic.php?t=16710
This example uses 3 buttons (Play/Stop, Pause and Next), in your situation you could do with one.

If you are not familiar with loopback: use a separate Universe for your "Loopback Fixtures" and use an Input Profile (QXI file, which has to be in your user Library).