Avolites visuliser with titan

[Racer_Rob]

I've just been flicking through the Avolites pearl expert titan manual and noticed in section 4.1.17 'Fan Mode' there are screen shots of a very realistic looking visualiser. Unless there's something I don't know, this isn't the Avolites visualiser. Is it possible then, to use a different visuliser with the Avolites simulation software, if so how and which (preferably free) would you recommend?

 

 

[Biro]

Light Converse has an Avo version for it - Link

 

 

The version on that page (scroll down) is limited in time (think its 90 mins) but still allows you to just play with the software. I think its the software they use at trade shows etc.

 

It was useful to us as I am a sound person and I just had to learn a few basic things on a Pearl - this was ideal for that but not if you are looking to design from scratch.

[timsabre]

No, you aren't missing something, it isn't the Avo visualiser. For realistic visualisers Avo use both Capture Polar and Light Converse (as mentioned above), but I am not sure which of those two programs those screenshots came from.

 

I've run the Capture Polar demo with the Avo simulator, it runs for 2 hours then shuts down, and you can't save anything. Also you really need 2 monitors, preferably 3, when using it with the simulator or you get into trouble swapping screens all the time.

 

In my opinion Capture is easier to learn than Light Converse which has a rather unconventional user interface, however Light Converse is cheaper if you end up buying it.

[Racer_Rob]

I've downloaded both Light Converse and Capture Polar to have a play around with (except Norton wouldn't let me install Light Converse because apparently it contained a trojan, despite downloading from the Light Converse homepage :S ). Anyway, I started to look into interfacing them with the simulator. Do you need to buy the Avolites ACDI software in order to be able to do this or is that only needed when the simulator and visualiser are installed on different computers? I can't see an option in the simulator for selecting a different visualiser so I imagine this might be the case.

[timsabre]

Capture just worked for me without installing anything else. I haven't tried installing Light Converse with the sim but have used it in Avo's demo room.

You only need ACDI if you are using a real console or separate computers for sim + vis.

[Racer_Rob]

I installed Capture but it's not communicating with the titan simulator. I even tried installing it over the top of the Avolites visualiser. Did you not have to do anything the first time you installed Capture to interface it with the titan simulator? Should Capture not appear in the touch wing when the visualiser is launched?

 

(Excuse the probably fundamental questions!)

[niclights]

Capture (or any other third-party visualiser) will not launch from the Titan software. You must start it separately. You should be able to communicate directly using Artnet. In Titan go to System/Setup DMX to add an Artnet node. If you're running the visualiser on the same machine as the simulator then you will need to use the loopback IP (127.0.0.1).

[timsabre]

Sorry, Nic is right, I didn't realise you were expecting it to integrate with Titan - it doesn't, it runs as a completely separate application. This is why it's helpful to have a lot of monitors.

 

It just connected up and worked for me - I did not have to set up an artnet node or change the IP address to 127.0.0.1

[Racer_Rob]

Still no luck I'm afraid. Just to fully idiot-proof this, here's exactly what I'm doing:

1. Avolites titan simulator & Capture on the same laptop with Windows 7. Both installed in the C drive in different directories.

2. Launch Avo then Capture with all the connectivity settings in Capture set to automatic

3. In Capture under library, drag & drop a source 4 in one of the windows

4. Under fixtures in the patch box enter A.1

5. Set the alpha window to show 'live' instead of 'CAD'

6. On the Avolites simulator patch a dimmer on channel 1 to handle 1.

7. Locate the fixture (i.e. max intensity)...

...surely it should now be on it Capture?

 

I then repeated this with the artnet IP address changed to look like this with no luck.

 

I'd really appreciate any further suggestions.

[Joe Bleasdale]

Captures Ethernet system is very clever. You should be able to start most things and it just see it without much config. There is a connectivity options window you can open which selects the protocol/desk your using. You may need to manual tell capture which network adapter and which protocol in there.

 

Also, I havnt used Art-Net much with capture, I usually use sACN (E1.31) which I never have problems with, you may have to send Art-Net from an extern device rather than internally. Also remember you have to assign the patch in capture. I'd download the capture demo file "Club" and match the patch for that in Titan as it's a full demo file.

 

Thanks.

[EmmaThompson]

Also, might be worth noting that you may need to install a loopback adaptor on the laptop if you're running both programs on the same machine, so they can talk artnet internally rather than sending it out of the ethernet port - at least, that's what we need to do if running light converse and Titan Mobile on the same laptop.

[david.elsbury]

Also, might be worth noting that you may need to install a loopback adaptor on the laptop

Isn't that the same as using the localhost IP address, 127.0.0.1 ?

[Racer_Rob]

Either way neither worked I'm afraid and Norton still isn't letting me install Light Converse. I'll have access to a second laptop at the weekend so I'll install Capture on that and link the two laptops with an ethernet cable. I guess I then set the simulator laptop ArtNet to output on its LAN IPv4 address and the receiving laptop to autodetect it?

[niclights]

Right, I thought I'd try this properly to see what's going on.

 

Windows 7 64bit. Capture Polar demo + Titan Sim v5 running on the same machine.

 

- Start Capture, add Generic/Par 64, set address to A.1

- Change to Universes tab to monitor detected external universes

- Set to Live view.

- Launch Titan Mobile Simulator

- New Show

- Patch 1x dimmer Line 1, DMX 001. Record at full on a playback. Fire playback

- DMX Settings. Add Art-Net Broadcast:Universe 0 to Line 1

 

Leaving the rest of the settings on default this worked and I can control the intensity by adjusting the playback fader level.

 

Since I have a local network connected my subnet is 192.168.1.x. The IP address assigned to the Art-Net universe is 192.168.1.255. Normally this isn't a good thing as it is a special address that broadcasts to all nodes in the network. But it worked so hey.

 

In the Capture Universes tab the external universe is only detected when data is changed (ie. moving the fader). This is not a problem since Capture automatically assigns this to its universe 1. However, to make Titan permanently visible you can enable 'Continuous ArtNet Data Stream' in Titan Art-Net properties (click on the next to Art-Net on the left-hand side of the DMX settings window). I suggest you do this and look to see if Capture is seeing anything.

 

Note that The Art-Net Universe should be set to 0 in Titan (default assuming it was the first Art-Net node added) for this to work automatically. If it was set to 1 (for example), as it shows in your screenshot then it will work fine but by default Capture will automatically map this to universe 2. Obviously you could correct this by either manually changing the mapping in Capture or by adjusting the patch.

[lampyfromliverpool]

One thing to check with Capture is that you're in the Perspective view as well as having that view set to Live. I don't think you see any light output otherwise...