DMX dump, channels groups, editing - avoiding blackouts

[Michael Clements]

It occurred to me that it might be possible to edit scenes in operate mode by reading, adjusting and dumping the channels groups values associated with the scene, thus avoiding the blackout problem when switching from design mode to operate mode. I use channels groups a lot when editing scenes and would happily create the few extra ones required if this idea works.

I note that there has been useful discussion related to this issue e.g.

https://sourceforge.net/p/qlcplus/discu ... #7226/3004

The following procedure is too slow to be generally useful, but I wonder whether it would be possible to introduce shortcuts to make it usable.

Procedure:

1) On the VC, set up an array of level controls, each of which controls the same channels as one of the channels groups.

During a rehearsal:

2) Run a scene from the VC .
3) Using the DMX monitor as a guide, match the level controls to the channels group slider settings.
4) Turn off the VC control that was running the scene.
5) Edit the scene using the level controls.
6) Dump the DMX values of all the fixtures used in the scene.
7) Turn the original scene on again from the VC.
8) Zero the level controls.
9) Run the next scene.


Later, after rehearsal, in edit mode:

10) Replace original scene with edited version of it.
11) If necessary, add channels groups to edited scene and set them to the levels corresponding to the dumped values of the channel

So, I wonder if the following shortcuts can be implemented in operate mode without causing havoc in the structure of qlc+.

1) When setting up a level control, an option to select a channels group so that the level control affects the same channels (without have to select the channels one by one). The widget would automatically have the same name as the channels group.

3) By selected a scene from a list, transfer the channels groups levels in that scene to the level controls on the VC. This implies that for any channel to be active, it has to be part of a channels group linked to one of the level controls.

6) and 11) An option in the DMX dump dialogue to dump the level control values to channels groups in a new scene, together with the current DMX values of all channels affected by those channels groups.

By default, the new scene could be named “original scene name (edit)”

8) A button to set all intensities on level controls linked to channels groups to zero. Could usefully toggle - resets when a new scene is loaded.


Further to point 8) – I can see other uses for a local master slider/knob or button to control the intensity channels of a set of sliders/knobs (that is, enables proportional dimming or blackout of those channels). Maybe the set of sliders/knobs should go into a new type of frame.

[Massimo Callegari]

Hey, I reply here but I could reply on other 3-4 posts

**Functions live edit will be available in the next release**

It actually works **only** in operate mode. No more workarounds, blackouts or angry stage directors.
I hope it will work for most of you

Meantime, please be patient with me. I'm finishing a massive 4.5.0 version that I hope to release pretty soon.

[Michael Clements]

Hi Massimo,

Brilliant news! Thanks for all the hard work put in by yourself and the rest of the team.