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Subject: Re: Question about the 'back' function and holding cues
From: Fokko van Duin
Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2003 21:26:05 +0200

At 15:38 +0100 04-04-2003, John Conry wrote:
However, the are two situations where this technique does not work. Look at the following sequence, it's similar to the one above, with one difference - the hold for 3 seconds cue:-

...
...
54 hold for ever
55 go 100.45 in engine G
56 go 200.60 in engine S
57 go 300.30 in engine M
58 hold for ever
59 go 100.50 in engine G
60 hold for 3.0s
61 go 300.35 in engine M
62 hold for ever
...
...
I use this type of sequence to move moving lights while they are dark, or to move scrollers while the instruments behind them are dark.

In a forward direction everything works fine. But suppose I am sitting at 'RUN X.58' and I hit the space bar too early. The technique I described earlier does not work. On clicking the 'previous cue' button at 'RUN X.62' the sequencer executes step 61 - so far so good. But when it gets to step 60 (hold for 3.0s) the sequencer changes direction and you end up at 'RUN X.62' again. I have tried clicking the 'previous cue' button twice quickly in succession, to try to time the second click with the 3 second wait at step 60 but the results are unpredictable. Has anyone developed a different way of overcoming this problem.
Yes, we are working on it;-) Next version of firmware will introduce "NextCue" and "PreviousCue" in addition to next/prev step. At this moment the definition of a Cue will be any number of steps from a "hold for ever" step +1 through next "hold for ever" step. This even works on multiple cuelists, so it jump from Cue to Cue.



It would be really useful on the Lanbox to have the ability to stop the sequencers for all layers with the press of one button. A second press would then continue until completion. Maybe this is possible and I've missed it!
Try the following Cues:
// List 900 freeze!!
 suspend engine T
 suspend engine X
 suspend engine G
 suspend engine S
 suspend engine M
 suspend engine P
 suspend engine V

And:
// List 901 resume!!
 resume engine T
 resume engine X
 resume engine G
 resume engine S
 resume engine M
 resume engine P
 resume engine V


Invoke it with g900.1zz and g901.1zz



You're not going to believe the workaround I have developed for these problems. As the Lanbox is so cost effective, my show setup comprises two laptop computers (PowerBook and iBook) and two Lanbox LCXs. One set of equipment is live, the other is ready in case of a system or Lanbox crash. By running the standby system one cue behind the live system, I can simply pull the DMX cable from the live system and plug it into the standby system. This will then put me one cue back! OK, so it's not elegant but it works!
I prefer this solution, as it doubles my sales ;-)

BTW You can merge LCX1 into LCX2 and switch with one scene, so you don't need unplugging;-)

Regards,

--
Fokko van Duin,                     Creators of the LanBox-LC
CDS advanced technology bv,         DMX lighting controller.
http://www.cds.nl/                  http://www.lanbox.com/

We are member of MIDI Manufacturers Association, MMA
--
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