Q Light Controller+

First let me say that I'm relatively new to QLC+ (and to a lesser extent DMX), although I am technically savvy.

I have a project in which I need to take as input 1 DMX channel and output its value on 24 other channels (not all contiguous). The input and output should be via ArtNet or E1.31. Ideally, I'd use 2 separate universes for input and output, but I could live with one. (And just as background, this is for a permanent installation of LED panels - so no fixture definitions aside from generic dimmers.)

A concrete example: as the value received on universe 1, channel 1 fades up from 0 to 255 the values output to universe 2 channels 19-24, 43-48, 67-72, 92-96 would all do the same.

I'm currently testing this using QLC+ 4.8.5 on OS X 10.10.3 and a DMXking eDMX4DIN (eventual deployment will be on a Raspberry Pi).

My first thought was that Fixture Remapping appeared to be just the thing. However, all my efforts to experiment with this result in my original (source) fixtures (and their original DMX channels) being lost after the mapping. And any one-to-many relationships seem to be lost as well. Have I done something wrong (or encountered a bug) or is that how this is supposed to work?

If so, any ideas how I could accomplish this? I tried a slider w/in the virtual console tied to an external input (I created a generic DMX input profile), but I'm guessing this is really intended for MIDI or OSC inputs...

Thanks in advance,
Peter

It seems it is a case for the loopback plugin!

Little howto:

In the Input/Output Tab:
1. Set Universe 1: Input -> Artnet (or E1.31), Output -> Loopback 1
2. Set Universe 2: Input -> Loopback 1, Output -> Artnet (or E1.31)

Add your fixtures In both universes, in Universe 1 the fixtures that are receiving data, in your example channel 1. In universe 2 the fixtures that are sending data, in your example channels 19-24, 43-48, 67-72, 92-96.

In the virtual console tab:
1. create 2 faders
2. Set fader 1 to Level mode, controlling the fixture in Universe 1 (channel 1)
3. Set the external input in fader 1 to Artnet, and the desired channel
3. Set fader 2 to Level mode, controlling the fixtures in Universe 2 (channels 19-24, 43-48, 67-72, 92-96)
4. Set the external input in fader 2 to Loopback plugin, channel 1

Now every thing you do to universe 1 channel 1 it replicates to the universe 2 channels 19-24, 43-48, 67-72, 92-96.

I hope it helps!

This should work:

I tried a slider w/in the virtual console tied to an external input (I created a generic DMX input profile), but I'm guessing this is really intended for MIDI or OSC inputs...

Check your artnet universes (i.e. whether your external input really sends artnet universe 0 and panel listens on artnet universe 1 (artnet universes are 1 less than QLC+ universes, since
Artnet ones are numbered from 0 and QLC+ ones from 1).

Alternatively, check 4.9.0 beta where you can choose artnet universe as needed.
Warning: this BETA is not intended for production environments!

@tornel -

Thanks. That almost worked! The 2 virtual console sliders are tied together via loopback, and any change I make in the 1st slider is reflected by the other slider and all the channels it controls.

However, when I tie the 1st slider (via a DMX input profile I created with just the one channel) to the ArtNet input (or E1.31 - no difference) and feed it input on universe 1 (ArtNet universe 0), channel 1 I get very strange results.

Sometimes it doesn't see the input. Sometimes it only sees input when values are changing (e.g. a fade up). When it does see input, the slider jumps around to various positions and the LED fixture flashes wildly (even when the input is a steady stream of 255). (Oh, and when in that state, the little joystick icon for universe 1 on the input/output tab flashes a-rhythmically as well.)

I have checked that the eDMX4 works properly for input and output using both the DMXking utility and my DMX source (a Northlight ENC08 board) and LED fixture. I've also checked the Northlight board DMX output directly to the LED fixture.

I do wonder if the Artnet broadcast traffic is dropping out on my network (but this will be far from trivial for me to test in my current environment). I so wish QLC+ (and the eDMX4 as well) gave me the ability to specify an IP address to target with an E1.31 unicast.


@janosvitok -

Thanks. As you can see from the above, I have checked the universes, etc. and have had some limited success getting the slider to respond to ArtNet (or E1.31 for that matter). Maybe I'll take a look at the 4.9.0 beta. It'll be a while before I have to put this into production...

Peter