Ynot Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 Before I pop a mail over down under to the SCS guys, maybe it's something simple I'm missing... I have a set of cues in SCS11 - mainly jpg pic, but also 3 .wmv videos. I can trigger the cues from my Ion desk as expected by hitting the assigned channel number and they all, without exception, start immediately.However, if I run the cues that I've put those channels into to trigger SCS with the LX changes there's an inordinate delay on AL of them - and I mean anything form 15 to 20 seconds delay - which is clearly not good. The longest Ion fade time is 2 seconds on the LX cues. I've looked at fade times and all sorts within SCS and can't actually find anything that refers to a delay that may have gotten inadvertently switched on, so I'm scratching my chin a little... When last I used the Ion/SCS combo a few weeks back I didn't get anything like this, so tis rather curious. It will I'm sure be a simple toggle somewhere - I just can't find it.Or there's something not so obvious in the LX cues on the Ion that I've missed..... Thoughts anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 I'm trying to remember if there's a test window within SCS that will show incoming data. There's certainly one for incoming MIDI so might be for whatever connection you're using (?). That at least will show whether data is arriving in a timely manner. Presumably there's an output screen of some variety on the Ion that you can likewise monitor to see exactly when the command is sent? Just to narrow down which bit of kit is being problematic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 I'm trying to remember if there's a test window within SCS that will show incoming data. There's certainly one for incoming MIDI so might be for whatever connection you're using (?). That at least will show whether data is arriving in a timely manner. Presumably there's an output screen of some variety on the Ion that you can likewise monitor to see exactly when the command is sent? Just to narrow down which bit of kit is being problematic.Good point - I did look at the 'Test DMX' option early on in the debacle yesterday to check that the channel was in fact on (which it was) but I don't think I watched it as it came in - will do that a bit later when I nip down as a trial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 OK - just popped in to the theatre...Yes, the incoming DMX is fine from Ion to SCS - though there are certainly some very odd delays obvious from looking t them... Sometimes SCS doesn't read the channel change until AFTER the Ion's cue has finished its fade times, others it starts DURING the Ion fades but doesn't read 100% until well after the Ion has completed...This is weird... :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted June 23, 2017 Author Share Posted June 23, 2017 More convinced now that the issue is perhaps with what the Ion is sending.Though not entirely sure how or why... The original show programming wasn't mine, so I'm working on AN Other's programming style, which doesn't help. There are flags in the MV column (for which I can't at the moment find reference to in the manual for 2.0 or the supplement for 2.5) which I don't know do what to the cues (flags are 'L','D' or '+'). Although there seems to be bo consistency looking at those flags in relation to what SCS is telling me is happening to the DMX values coming in. Still no closer...Some cues send the DMX chane to SCS immediately whilst others still have this long delay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRW Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 More convinced now that the issue is perhaps with what the Ion is sending.Though not entirely sure how or why... The original show programming wasn't mine, so I'm working on AN Other's programming style, which doesn't help. There are flags in the MV column (for which I can't at the moment find reference to in the manual for 2.0 or the supplement for 2.5) which I don't know do what to the cues (flags are 'L','D' or '+'). Although there seems to be bo consistency looking at those flags in relation to what SCS is telling me is happening to the DMX values coming in. Still no closer...Some cues send the DMX chane to SCS immediately whilst others still have this long delay 'L' flags up a live move (i.e. intelligent fixture parameter changing whilst the fixture is fading up FROM or down TO 0.)'D' flags up a dark move (i.e. intelligent fixture parameter changing whilst the intensity is AT 0.'+' indicates both of the above.Note that live moves are not flagged up if a parameter is changing and the intensity is not visiting 0 in either the source or destination cue. In theory, this shouldn't affect your data going to SCS at all, and is just probably indicative of rather sloppy programming, which may indirectly be contributing to your woes. Ian Edited to add:IF there is sloppy programming going on, there's a fair chance the original programmer may have used 'discreet' timings on channels, rather than the proper way of using 'parts'. Discreet timings (that can be used for both fades and delays) aren't immediately obvious, and (IIRC) are shown with a little 't' next to the channel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted June 25, 2017 Author Share Posted June 25, 2017 Thanks for that - again something useful learned. :) And likely most of the programming at the venue might be termed 'sloppy' or more pertinently 'loose' perhaps. We're none of us as regular (including myself) as we'd like to be, being an amateur venue, and I'm sure many of us do things differently, which might cause issues further on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted June 25, 2017 Author Share Posted June 25, 2017 So, after the show in hand got done with manual cues on SCS, I was at the desks earlier this evening and tried a few other things. Watching the incoming channels on SCS when I buzzed them on/off from the ion I did in fact start to see delays in how SCS responded. And it SEEMED to be that confused me more. I then took a step back and found that the DMX/USB dongle, an Enttec USB Pro (mk 1) has a network manager web interface - so I tried the same exercise with this, looking at the incoming DMX - with the SAME result. In fact I again saw a couple of individual channels take almost 15 seconds to respond on the PC. OK, I thought - let's start with a semi-clean slate. I started a NEW show file on the Ion, and just imported the patch and a few other basic settings (not cues) and tried the same thing - with the same results. Now bear in mind that the last time I used SCS in tandem with the Ion I don't believe I experienced ANYTHING like this problem, so I am truly perplexed.I ran out of time, but when I'm next in I'll try another completely new file and don't import anything and retry the same experiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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