RGBW led matrices

[3rdPlanetRob]

QLC+ is really great software for lighting, i'm learning it as i can. I wanted to suggest, if it's possible, the addition of RGBW LED matrices. I'm using light fixtures that i made myself- they are RGBW emitters using 4 channel controllers.

The controllers are very simple- one channel for each color and dmx in/out- there are no fancy modes and extra channels to do things like control overall intensity, strobes etc etc. 'm not sure i understand right (still learning) but it looks as though making the program see large groups of these RGBW leds as led matrices, i'd be able to do some things much simpler that would take hours otherwise.

But the matrices can only be rgb, not rgbw, so white is lost. I'm guessing that (for now at least), most people don't know or care about white in LED matrices, but you can do some really nice effects that you can't get with just rgb (of course you can just use all colors for a similar color to white, but it's not nearly as useful). I'm sure rgbw led matrices will become a lot more common eventually.

Most people are using strips for LED matrices i think, i'm using high power rgbw led emitters (50 watt each).

[OddSocks]

Hi,

You can create matrices using any lights using the "add fixture to group" option on the fixtures tab. Select all the fixtures you want to use and select the "add fixture to group" where you can set the hight and width of the matrix.

Once the matrix is created you can move fixtures around till you are happy with the set up.

If you are wanting to use the RGB matrix functions you are a bit more stuck as the scripts and matrix functions are only capable of driving the RGB channels and not the white. I think that this would require a major rework of the code to get it to work and I believe the added complication of calculating the value for the white channel.

[3rdPlanetRob]

Ok, i didn't know if it would be easy or complicated change to make, but thanks for the response. Yeah, that is what i have been doing, but i just realized, i was focusing so much on the tutorial and trying to get it right on the screen, i didn't notice that the fixtures aren't lighting up when using the matrix. i.e. i have several scenes, I can click on a scene and the LEDs light up. But when i click on the matrix, everything just goes black, i can't seem to make the matrix light the LEDs.

Maybe it's a problem because they are RGBW leds? I was thinking they would still work as RGB.

[plugz]

Ok, i didn't know if it would be easy or complicated change to make, but thanks for the response. Yeah, that is what i have been doing, but i just realized, i was focusing so much on the tutorial and trying to get it right on the screen, i didn't notice that the fixtures aren't lighting up when using the matrix. i.e. i have several scenes, I can click on a scene and the LEDs light up. But when i click on the matrix, everything just goes black, i can't seem to make the matrix light the LEDs.

Maybe it's a problem because they are RGBW leds? I was thinking they would still work as RGB.

http://qlcplus.org/docs/rgbmatrixeditor.html
look for the icon that looks like a "play" button

[3rdPlanetRob]

That would be pretty nice if it were that easy, it was the first thing i did, the manual was the second, after a few days of stumbling, here i am. No doubt though it's an equally silly operator error, i just can't seem to make it work.

[OddSocks]

Hi,

Any chance of a work space so we can see what is happening.

Also as these are D.I.Y. fixtures are you using a custom fixture definition?

[3rdPlanetRob]

Yeah, these are fixtures that i made. The controllers are very simple- one dmx channel for each color, so in the software, only four sliders, one for each.

Good idea, i uploaded the workspace here (gdrive)

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing

It's a folder that has the fixture def and the workspace.

The workspace has two scenes, a matrix and a chaser that uses the scenes.

When i open the matrix, i can see in the preview window the colors that represent the fixtures are changing. But the fixtures themselves aren't lighting up. When i use the chaser, the lights light up just fine, confirming there is nothing wrong with the fixtures themselves and the wiring is right, etc. also don't see anything light up in the fixture monitor, but i didn't spend much time there yet so not sure if i have it set right.

I'm sure i must have something set wrong, i just can't find what.

Also i just noticed that the red and green channels for fixture 1 don't work- the sliders don't make it light up (the blue and white channels work fine). The obvious, something is wrong with the fixture. But when i try sliding up #1 and #2 sliders on the simple desk, they light up just fine tho.

This seems very simple, i just can't find anything wrong.

Thanks!:)

[OddSocks]

Hi,

I have had a quick look and I think that I found the problem.

In your fixture you have set each channel as a separate head. I have changed this so that there is one head with the four channels.

This now seems to work.

I have attached the new file.

[3rdPlanetRob]

Hey thank you! That makes sense completely, i remember wondering about that, then forgot, i'll try this later today. Thanks for fixing it.

[3rdPlanetRob]

Thanks for fixing it, this works great, i think i was reading the manual while making it and toward the end i figured "i got this" and just didn't finish reading, that's what happens, thanks!