roryfm Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 I'm a about to go into the third year of my Electrical and Electronics Degree and am looking for a final project. The idea I have hit upon is to develop a series of gizmos that can be attached to a central hub which is then addressable and controlled by DMX. My plan would be to have one unit that can be attached to DMX, and have plug-in type modules that will output either a step voltage (low or high), or a variable voltage output, or something else - so depending on what you want to control you just connect the right module (think thunderbirds...) The first thing that sprung to mind was projector shutter control, and while I know that they already exist but theres a price tag attached. Other ideas I've had would be gobo rotator, iris... but then I run out of steam. What I'm looking for is what sort of devices people would like to be able to control by DMX - and also if anyone knows of any similar products that already exist to ensure I'm not re-inventing the wheel. Thanks a lot ror Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 Kettle? Seriously though, ISTR a similar thread from long ago. Have a good search, and I'll see if I can find it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ampcats Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 don't knock the kettle idea - the worlds first webcam was so that some guys at cambridge university could save themselves the walk to the only coffee pot in the 7 storey building only to find it empty... will think on this one.... have thought - low voltage relay card - or using solid state switching for use with 'contact closure' type devices (footpedals / simple video switchers etc) - most of these only use a few ma at 12v - so physical relay bit OTT strange as it may seem - rs232 adapter - for the devices that have an rs232 control port - quite a few bits of kit can be controlled by just 2 bytes of data. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Graham Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 Hi, How about DMX-able:- door bells - solenoids (for drops and doors and a million other panto effects)- glitter ball motors- sound operators- motorised shutters for projectors- beer taps (daisy chained to bar-maid)- fire alarms (only for use during amature musicals)- motorised projection screens I'll stop there before I get carried away will the power of a GO button! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ampcats Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 solid state audio playback for things like dressing room calls / FOH announcements - I hate doing that ' Ladies and Gentleman, tonights performance will ...' thing second the beer taps thing!! ( spirit optic solenoid too....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James S Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 Some sort of DMX controlled, IR transmitter would be good - for triggering video players, CD, TVs etc etc. It would be some sort of device that you could prerecord functions into - IE: you press a record button, point a remote at it and press the button or sequence of buttons you want recorded and it stores them. These memories could them be triggered by the DMX. Worth a thought? Let us know how you get on and what you decide apart from that, I like the kettle idea - there is already a DMX coffee machine so why not a kettle too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzette Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 Could you add a DMX-controllable water tap above the kettle? There's no point switching the kettle on if the last person to use it didn't fill it up with water! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac.calder Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 Some sort of DMX controlled, IR transmitter would be good - for triggering video players, CD, TVs etc etc. It would be some sort of device that you could prerecord functions into - IE: you press a record button, point a remote at it and press the button or sequence of buttons you want recorded and it stores them. These memories could them be triggered by the DMX. I whole heartedly second that idea. Especially if the components to build it cost less than AU$35. It would be great to be able to put one on the projectors, one on each video source etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zonino Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 cue lights? not much use for them always I agree, but could be used to indicate that a particular scene has been reached, more use for amdram than pro I would imagine! DMX bell? to let FOH know its nearly interval time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 I guess you could do it, to imprive the cue lights, have a scrolling LED board that is pre set with act and current scene that you cue with DMX. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuxlux Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 I whole heartedly second that idea. Especially if the components to build it cost less than AU$35. It would be great to be able to put one on the projectors, one on each video source etc.Or if it had a basic "fade to black" for video signals. I'd wondered about DMX over ZigBee (or similar) -- so you could have low power mesh wireless network. -- with the advantages over existing wireless DMX that you could check if all your nodes were receiving/their status and extend the range by just adding an extra device to forward the data on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 I like the DMX iris idea- maybe you could use it on a row of profiles, and have the irises all doing funky things? Or in a "who wants to be a millionaire" type of thing, where the profiles all suddenly spot down to something? ** laughs out loud **, too much thinking... must sleepDavid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PH_Zone Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 DMX to PLC interface... could then use PLC to control things usinging relay outputs etc. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roryfm Posted May 18, 2006 Author Share Posted May 18, 2006 Thanks for all your ideas folks - the project has been accepted by the faculty so I will be trying to make it now. The concept has been refined somewhat and now stands at a 4 channel DMX hub (so you can run up to 4 devices from the one input) which can receive data either by standard DMX or by a wireless link (ie DMX into transmitter, place receiver where you need it [on bar with projector] send signal) Users can then buy whatever devices they need to run, such as relays, shutters, irises (kettles...?) as opposed to having to spend money on a DMX interpretter in every device. I hope this means costs will be kept down so you may see one soon. Thanks again for suggestions, and keep them coming in - I'm not supposed to start on the project til Sept. CheersRor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svincent Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 I realise I'm a bit late on this but did anyone think of DMX oven? put a pizza in before a show program in a cue around the 20 min mark of the show ending and Hey Presto one pizza right at the end just before the turn around wonderful! could have used a DMX clock in my last show to make it spin or to stop at a certain time etc etc could be good for panto as well I geuss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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