controlling lights with touch screen

[birt]

I would like to control a matrix of theatre spotlights using a touch screen (it doesn't have to be a screen that outputs an image).

so that when I touch the screen in the upper right, the spotlight corresponding to that position on the stage lights up. and if I move my finger across the screen the stagelights follow.

 

I know this should be possible and I'm confident I can get this to work. I know about electronics and I've been doing stage lighting for years. so I should be able to look up enough information and start experimenting. the trouble in this case is that I don't really know where to start. so I was hoping maybe someone here can point me in the right direction (or any possible direction that could work :P)

 

the equipment I have right now:

Lanbox (but never used it before)

midi controller

touch screens from old gps systems (I have experience in electronics but not with touch screens)

ipod touch

lots of electronic components

 

how would you do this?

[timsabre]

If you want to get into the electronics of it, sounds like a job for an Arduino with DMX shield (Assuming your lights are DMX). Alternatively you could easily program up something like MagicQ on a touch screen PC to do this from a playback screen.

 

A gps touch screen just works like 2 variable resistors, one for x and one for y. You normally put 5V across the X resistor and read back any touch voltage using the Y contacts. Then reverse this to read the Y resistor. By scaling the voltages you get back you can work out where it is touched. I'm sure there will be arduino code out there to do this.

[sleah]

If you are just using fixed generics then do you just want to spot the area you 'touch'? I can see the problems occuring if you wanted to light say the 'bottom' or downstage third of the stage, from left to right. How would the software know you wanted to light across the stage, rather than just downstage centre?

 

Now, multi touch and some clever programming to get round that problem.... using a pinch gesture to widen or narrow the area lit B-)

 

Shame I can't offer any practical advice, but it sounds like an interesting project if you can make it work!

[birt]

If you are just using fixed generics then do you just want to spot the area you 'touch'? I can see the problems occuring if you wanted to light say the 'bottom' or downstage third of the stage, from left to right. How would the software know you wanted to light across the stage, rather than just downstage centre?

 

Now, multi touch and some clever programming to get round that problem.... using a pinch gesture to widen or narrow the area lit B-)

 

Shame I can't offer any practical advice, but it sounds like an interesting project if you can make it work!

 

you're right, without multitouch you couldn't do that. but if I can use it in combination with normal light cues I would use just that if I wanted to light a bigger part of the stage.

I'm also looking at midi controllers for iPad/ipod/iphone that I can customize.

[indyld]

LightJams does this kind of thing quite well, it's very creative and not at all traditional-lighting-control-ly. It will spit out DMX via the Enttec Pro USB or over Artnet. It will take a variety of inputs including MIDI, TUIO and OSC, meaning you can use something like TouchOSC for tablet to control a matrix via a simple touch UI that could be bespoke if you wanted it to be.

 

(Edit to add: Of course, this isn't quite as DIY as an Arduino solution but I one of those people that starts to lose interest in programming things from scratch pretty quickly. Similarly, you can do quite a lot with Lanbox if you can be bothered.)

[jpk]

LightJams does this kind of thing quite well, it's very creative and not at all traditional-lighting-control-ly. It will spit out DMX via the Enttec Pro USB or over Artnet. It will take a variety of inputs including MIDI, TUIO and OSC, meaning you can use something like TouchOSC for tablet to control a matrix via a simple touch UI that could be bespoke if you wanted it to be.

 

2nd that, LightJams is what you're after with TouchOSC on the front end. We usually recommend using our eDMX interfaces for more flexibility than USB DMX although USB is still totally usable.

Use your iPod for TouchOSC although it might be a little coarse since the screen size to finger size ratio is a little small ** laughs out loud **!

[birt]

I was actually looking at Mididesigner and Lemur because TouchOSC can't assign more than one function (midi not or control message) to one button.

but if Lightjams can work with cues and have different tasks for a certain incoming signal depending on what cue is active that could work.

 

so that's the question really, can Lightjams also work like a traditional lighting desk or is it only for extra effects?

[jpk]

so that's the question really, can Lightjams also work like a traditional lighting desk or is it only for extra effects?

 

Short answer is no, it's definitely not a lighting desk.

[indyld]

so that's the question really, can Lightjams also work like a traditional lighting desk or is it only for extra effects?

 

'Traditional' lighting desk? No. Lightjams can replay states on a given input but one needs to rethink the ways in which parameters (in your case, intensity) are acted upon in order to output DMX values and control dimmers.

 

Using combinations of Lightjams' Grids and the positioning of each Dimmer on the grid, plus using a radial pattern for the input force mean that you can indeed 'fade a state up and down' as well as control individual dimmers with single inputs. The inputs can also include programming via a simple command line that can perform all kinds of functions including IF statements etc. if I remember rightly. Any time I've wanted to experiment with that the developer has helped me out with the specific syntax and commands. Grids can be controlled by other inputs. The whole thing is very multi-faceted and takes an approach that ignores much of traditional stage lighting control and it's history.

 

A more traditional method would be Timsabre's suggestion of a modern lighting control using Executor/Playback grids and a touchscreen. The cues, macros or single channels could be controlled in a variety of ways using a customisable layout. And involves no additional protocol such as OSC or MIDI.

 

PS. TouchOSC is simply an interface that sends OSC messages so any 'interaction' between cues, channels etc. are completely down to whatever the OSC is triggering.

 

HTH