QLC+ New direction

[TheProff]

I was intrigued to read Massimo's announcement of the new direction for QLC+, and I look forward to evaluating it against my needs when it is released - good luck with it Massimo!
When I last looked at moving to QLC+ I really liked the overall application, and many of its features. However, there were two issues that prevented me from using it, because it just seemed a few steps backward from what I already have, old and creaky though that is. The first is the overall structure - cues seem to have been tacked on as an afterthought through the chasers function, which to me seems a bit odd. In all the shows I have seen, both amateur and professional, and all those I have done, the cue is the heart of the show. Sound is a cue, and so are lighting, effects, set changes, costume changes - even the actors' lines. I'd expect this to be at the heart of a lighting application, driving everything else, not a sideline. I have to admit, however, I didn't persevere with QLC+ and its cue system mainly because of the second issue.
At the moment, with my old LX app, I can also create sound cues - and I can overlay several sound cues at once to give ambience effects and action-based sounds at the same time, through the same single audio output. It also means that I can programme a single cue which does both the lighting fades and the sound cues together, even combining sound level fades and pans. Last time I mentioned this on the forum I received a stony reception, as though I was committing heresy to mention something that QLC+ can't do, and was even told that Windows can't do it. If so, then how come it works on my Windows machines, and has done for years. Believe me, I tried many work arounds, even to using the software MIDI driver to get QLC+ to cue my old package for the sound effects, but it didn't work so I had to give up.
I know Massimo said that he doesn't want any feature requests, but I hope that these two have been considered for the new direction. As my old package is only fully compatible with Windows XP, I am living on borrowed time, and I desperately want a worthy successor.

[mcallegari]

Dave, and how many ages ago did you raised those two issues ?
Leaving QLC+ 5 aside, this project is constantly evolving and both the things you mentioned are possible right now. (I confirm that multiple audio wasn't possible some time ago)

Things is, QLC+ proposes a way to do lighting that doesn't necessarily follow the standard workflow of traditional consoles. What would be its value if it was exactly the same of a console, but software ?
There are many theatre guys using QLC+ and, in time, the project has been adapted to their needs. (or at least we tried as much as we could)
On the other hand, they had to study and learn what QLC+ can do, with a different terminology than the one used on traditional consoles.

The concept of "cue" is there in QLC+, just with a different name. A "cue" can be translated into a "scene" and "multiple cues" are called "collections".
What you see in the Simple Desk page is there just to make "traditional lighting people" to feel at home, but if I could, I would remove it.
It creates only confusion for the reasons above. There are other (and more efficient) ways to achieve results without touching the Simple Desk.

Now I think you should try a bit harder with QLC+, considering it something to learn and not something where you want to find the same things you are used to have.
There's plenty of documentation and videos that explain how it works. You just need to put aside what you have learnt so far (or most of it)

[Silicon_Knight]

To echo Massimo (though, I'm only a simple user), you might want to re-evaluate QLC. It may not be perfect, but I've managed to find it very flexible and I'm able to work around 99% of what might initially be perceived as a shortcoming.

I'm looking forward (hesitantly) seeing into what QLC+ will evolve...though I'm only hesitant because QLC does so many things well...and some of us don't like change!

[mcallegari]

I'm looking forward (hesitantly) seeing into what QLC+ will evolve...though I'm only hesitant because QLC does so many things well...and some of us don't like change!

That's why my goal is to make QLC+ 5 irresistible for those who don't want to change
Anyway, most of the QLC+ 4 features will be easy to find in QLC+ 5.
I'm just trying to make it more efficient to save lot of time in most cases and go as fast as one can to the result in an intuitive way.

I'm working hard these days and I hope to be able to show some progresses pretty soon.