Q Light Controller+

Hello,
My name is Freddy, I do lightning & sound for my amateur theatre group, and I'm looking to move away from 'manual' dimmer control into computer based (dmx)lightning & sound control (sound already comes from MP3 files on laptop connected to sound system).

After some browsing around and trying different softwares, I decided to dig deeper into QLC+ and after experimenting for some weeks, I really like this software ! After reading the manual and watching the videos, I managed to reproduce lightning & sound control of our latest play (8 fixtures, 5 lightning scenes in a 18-step chaser, 16 audio functions, virtual console with light cue list and solo frame for audio buttons).

I'm running QLC+ 4.8.4 on Linux Mint Cinnamon 17.1 64bit (kernel 3.16.0-25-generic).

I would like to mention some (more or less) annoying issues and also would like to propose an enhancement:

**Issue 1 : Audio function 'forgetting' link to MP3 file**
I experienced at several occasions that, after saving/closing the qxw file and opening it again, all audio functions became 'File not found' and I had to link them again to the according audio file (which was still existing at the same location as before).
As of this writing, I have 1 qxw file, when I open it using a .desktop (executing "qlcplus -l nl_NL -f resize -o Toneel_Arcadia.qxw"), audio functions stay ok (each time so far). When I click on the same qxw file, it opens (by file extention association) but audio functions become 'File not found'.
If I do not save the file and open it again using the .desktop, audio functions are OK again, so the issue sould be somewhere in the "open" functionality ?
Furthermore, when after opening the file with 'File not found' functions, when I recreate the links to the files, so audio works again, and save the qxw, then after opening the file (again by clicking on it) the links to the files stay ... so they only get lost "occasionaly" ...

**Issue 2 : Scene editor not remembering user interface 'toggle button' settings over "save file"**
The "Tab/All fixtures view" button and "Blind mode on/off" button setting is always reset to initial value after opening a qxw file (setting not saved or not set accordingly after opening ?). Also I find the Blind mode icon confusing when set to 'off' (always barred eye, could be 'on' = barred eye / 'off' = unbarred eye ?). I think I have seen this mentioned in another posting also.

**Proposal : chaser enhancement**
In Virtual Console, I have built an 'audio cue list' using a mono frame and a button for each audio function, plus a sound volume slider. Control is done by mouse clicks/movement.
The light cue list refers to a light chaser and is set up to be controlled (next step) by a keyboard key. I've chosen to build 2 separate 'cue lists' because sometimes sound steps and lightning steps need to run simultaneously (and setting up a 'show' for this seems to complex and also leaves no room for intervention should it be necessary).
I would like to see an 'audio chaser' (or enhanced audio steps in existing chaser) with more audio functionalities on each chaser step (volume control, duration control, loop audio file -like when step duration > sound track duration-, wait for event -click/key- before fade out, automatic start next step yes/no -for silence between audio steps-, ...).
It would also be nice, in order to allow simulaneous runs, to be able to trigger a chaser step from another step in a different chaser: like 'chaser A/step 5' starts 'chaser B/step 7' and then immediately continues to 'chaser A/step 6'.

It would be nice to see the issues fixed but I think realizing the proposal would be a great enhancement to your already amazing software.

*I'm always willing to contribute with the chaser enhancement proposal in any way I can (discussing/writing specifications, testing, ...).*

Kind regards.

**Additional info on issue 1**

After opening my qxw file with leafpad, I found out that the file is XML structured.

When looking at the audio functions, I see that the 'Name' attribute is set to 'File not found'; whereas the 'Source' attribute contains the correct relative path to the file (filename contains spaces though).

Sample:



Muziek_2015/B1_01 - Morning.mp3


**My conclusion:** somewhere in the 'save file' (or validation ?) funtionality, the 'Name' attribute gets (appearingly not always though, maybe when 'Name' is different from filename ?) overwritten by 'File not found'.

**My assumption (FWIW):** depending on how the file is opened, different things happen:
When the file is opened via command line attribute (-o name.qxw) the 'Source' attribute takes precedence over (overwrites ?) the 'Name' attribute, resulting in audio functions shown correctly and also working (playing sound).
When the file is opened via file extension association, the 'Name' attribute takes precedence over (overwrites/empties) the 'Source' attribute, resulting in non-working (broken) audio functions.

... *just my 2 cents* ...

**Additional info on issue 1 ... continued**

*It's getting weirder ...*

I also installed QLC+ 4.8.4 on a Win7 machine, when I open the qxw file (transferred from my Linux machine) containing the audio functions with Name="File not found" (both by clicking on the qxw file and by passing it as a command line parameter), the audio functions show the file name as 'Name' (and work).
Furthermore when I do a 'save as', the saved file no longer contains "File not found" in the Name attributes.

Looks like this issue is related tho the Linux version ... ???

** Additional info on issue 1 ... continued (2)**

*Managed to reproduce issue, also on Windows 7*

Took 4 freely available sound effect mp3's from internet, created new empty workspace, added 4 audio functions linking to the files, and a virtual console playing the sounds.
After saving/opening the "File not found" issue popped up again (also 1 time on Windows 7!).

I think, maybe the issue is related to changing the audio function name:

When creating a new audio function and linking it to a file, the filename is set as the function name.

After changing the function name (like remove .mp3), and saving the workspace, the qxw file contains the modified function name (which is ok).

However, when opening the workspace again, the audio function name is (most of the times, both on Linux and Windows) replaced with the filename (and audio function/virtual console still works), but sometimes (to my feeling more often on Linux than on Windows) the function name is replaced with "File not found" (and audio function no more works) ...

When opening the workspace in kiosk mode, I have not yet experienced audio not working (="File not found" overwrite), but having only the virtual console available, the audio function name cannot be checked.

I've joined a zip file of workspace and audio.

Hello,

After upgrading my Linux installation of QLC+ to 4.8.5, it looks like the audio function issue is solved !

Even by opening the workspace file by clicking on it, audio functions are loaded correctly, also when the name is changed from the original filename, they load with the correct name.

Did not have the time yet to upgrade my windows installation of QLC+.

Anyone care to share his thougths on issue 2 and the proposal ?

Grtz,

Freddy