AndyJones Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 Does anyone know of a code based lighting program? I can imagine that this would be a very power-full tool were the user could code cues for themselves so that they can Taylor them to themselves? cheers Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 Could you expand further on what you mean by Code-based? I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfitzpat Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 That's an unfamiliar term for me as well. "Code" as in software code, bit encoding, or something else? -jjf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJones Posted January 16, 2006 Author Share Posted January 16, 2006 Yeah sorry, I meant software coding. If there was a program simular to visual basic were you could drag and drop elements into each cue. It's hard to explain... Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnhuson Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 Surely thats the purpose of having a console, to do the code crunching for you. Can't understand why you would want to write your cues at code level? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mush Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 Does anyone know of a code based lighting program? I can imagine that this would be a very power-full tool were the user could code cues for themselves so that they can Taylor them to themselves? cheers Andy Something along the lines of Stardraw Control? http://www.stardraw.com/products/stardrawcontrol/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfitzpat Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 Yeah sorry, I meant software coding. If there was a program simular to visual basic were you could drag and drop elements into each cue. It's hard to explain... Andy We expose an Automation API that can be used from Visual Basic, but I don't think that is what you are looking for. The samples do things like tie in non standard tactile controls, sync show elements to unusual sources, and so on. You could create a completely new way of cue playback on it (ex. a simulator for the playback behavior of another console), but you could not create a whole new way of low level cue creation. I'm also curious what problem you are trying to solve. A huge amount of effort goes into exposing modern intels in a meaningful and useful fashion to users. I can see how playback might fit a programming model (which is why we support that), but I don't see how low level channel setting would be a particularly good fit. -jjf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJones Posted January 16, 2006 Author Share Posted January 16, 2006 I was simply wondering what it would be like to have access to the coding on a desk, so that you could then write all your cues timings and everything your self, I wouldn't want to "code" a whole show, but to be able to code a complex cue could be handy? It's probably just me, every one else is sensables and using a strand desk that can do almost if not everything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 It's probably just me, every one else is sensables and using a strand desk that can do almost if not everything! There are some of us nutters that use computers. Most computer light systems have "twists" compared to what "normal" lighting desks offer, and have a different set of strengths and weaknesses. Have you some particular thing you want to try in ind...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJones Posted January 16, 2006 Author Share Posted January 16, 2006 I imagine having a physical lighting desk with a few (20 or so) faders and some buttons, you can then plug this desk into your computer, you then have a program on your computer that you can use to assign every thing to your desk,so that you can set which buttons do which and which faders do which. You use your computer to create your cues, using a basic drag and drop sytem, If you choose to you can go into the coding side so that you can make more complex functions for the buttons on your desk, or make more complex code. An analagy I guess would be ms frontpage, were you drag and drop in a simple interface, but can then choose to go into the coding to make more complex parts. This sytem would be brilliant because of how cheeply it could be produced Don't no how clear that is! cheers Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 ...you can make more complex functions for the buttons on your desk, or make more complex code. Thats what we need an example of. A complex function like what exactly...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfitzpat Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 I imagine having a physical lighting desk with a few (20 or so) faders and some buttons, you can then plug this desk into your computer, you then have a program on your computer that you can use to assign every thing to your desk,so that you can set which buttons do which and which faders do which. I thought that was what we already do... :( You use your computer to create your cues, using a basic drag and drop sytem, If you choose to you can go into the coding side so that you can make more complex functions for the buttons on your desk, or make more complex code. Well, as I mentioned above, we have an API, you could 'code' whatever complex playback you want (up to 32 overlapping cues). You could even build up your own playback screen of buttons and controls (we actually have a screen that is entirely based on the same API). You'd have us to take care of the pesky details of hiding fixture complexity, etc., and complete control over the behavior of playback if you needed to do something we don't do... Seriously, I'm being a little tongue in cheek, but I'm trying to understand what you are asking for that we don't already do (at less than $300 - $500 if you add some type of attached console). -jjf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac.calder Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 What you describe, assigning macros to an external desk, most applications will be able to take DMX-IN values and either pass it through, or act on it's input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuxlux Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 This sytem would be brilliant because of how cheeply it could be producedIt's the labour charge which is the real killer! I am trying to produce such a system, though when work's quiet. I get the impression you mean a scripting language type thing? So you could easily programme chases?how abouot something likee.g. rainbow chase //setupfor (I=0;I<=20;I++){fixture.colour = I*10;} onTimer(10s){for (I=0;I<=20;I++){if fixture.colour >200 then fixture.colour = 0;elsefixture.colour+1;}if you get the impression -- doing something similar on some desks would require recording all the steps for all the fixtures (doing it on a strand could take some time!).though really would you want something with concurrency? VHDL/Verilog anyone? :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfitzpat Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 I have an even harder time visualizing this type of scripting in use. In practical terms, when you are mixing CMY fixtures, gelled circuits, spot fixtures, and color changes with different loadings, you are not going to just loop everyone through 200 positions. Chances are you want to spell out particular colors for particular fixtures in order to get 'steps' in your chase that look good. Suddenly the typing and conditional logic both get a little tougher. And, even in the simple case, what you may really want is your studio colors in 'cycle' mode at a good speed in back, some spot fixtures irised down doing a nice slow wave movement, and a downstage special on. This is one cue on many consoles, but not trivial in a script unless your scripting language is extensible (ie, you can derive studio_color from fixture and add cycle speed and mode members) or offers some sort of back door to plug DMX values directly into specific channels. I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just trying to picture a practical case where this would be faster for me. As a software developer I'm also having visions of a stage manager going ballistic while I try to debug the weird flash at the end of light cue #17. -jjf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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