Re: [LCtalk] Going to use te Lanbox again for next project

[Dennis Peeters]

On 1-mar-06 at 21:12, Fokko van Duin wrote:
> While it's difficult for me to understand theatre lighting people (it 
> -looks- like they never know what they want :-), I did made a macro 
> "reset":

Problem is, there's a lot of interfaces out there, Compulite, ETC, 
Strand etc. They all have different user interfaces, and every operator 
wants every other interface (and the Lanbox) to behave like the one 
they commonly use. I'm a Compulite guy, and therefore I find ETC and 
Strand boards quite awkward, for instance.
But that said, all of the above go back to a previous cue or reset 
smoothly.
Maybe I can make it clearer to you: If i'm running a 80 minute show 
with 60 lighting cues, 20 audiocues, and 5 videostarts all cued by 
actions on stage, by myself (this is not uncommon), and I make a 
mistake I don't have time to use the mouse to go back to the last 
cuestep in the best way possible, if I'd do that I;d be late for the 
next cue.
What I want at that moment is one button that takes me back one 
cuestep. If it's done "hard" like I do now (fader off, previous 
cuestep, fader on) everyone in the audience (and the performers) 
notice, if it could be done soft (like in 5 sec or so) its not that 
intrusive

Brings me to something else, that might be more logical to you, and 
could also solve my problem.
Maybe it comes down to the fact that the Lanbox uses the "crossfade 
time" of the previous cuestep it goes to, and I think it more logical 
to use the "crossfade time" of the cuestep i've just called.
Example: Cuestep 7 has a crossfade of 50s, it fades in smoothly, during 
the following scene I make a mistake and go (to soon) to cuestep 8 (for 
example, a blackout) which has a crossfadetime of 3s, the stage goes 
dark, I press back and it doesn't crossfade back in 3s but in 50s.
I ask you, when and why would I want that?


> On m1 it steps back 1 step with a fade rate of 16 (or 32, or 64) times 
> the normal fade time.
>
> The trick is to set the layer temporary to "Chase Up" mode with a 
> speed of 16 or 32x, do a Go prev, and turn off Chase again. If you use 
> "Go next" instead of previous you will be in next cue with n times the 
> normal fade time.
>
> If you click on the Go button while in "Chase Up" mode, it will take 
> the chase speed in account. I know it's a kludge, but you can change 
> the current fade time this way :-)
>
> Tip: If you leave the layer in "Chase Up" mode, it will always follow 
> the Chase fade speed with next Go.

Thanx for the advice, but it only works with long fades, if I use this 
back-macro on a 5 sec crossfade, I'll be back in under a second, might 
as well be zero then.
If I'm in the next cue I'm not going to remember how long the last 
crossfade was.


> > Ukelele works great in all applications i've tested, only to my 
> > disappointment not with LCedit. Could you please tell me why?
> > Would it be possible to change LCEdit so that it will work?
>
> Hmm, I have no idea why this is not working, but maybe because we also 
> have a keystroke system in LCedit+.

As I understand it I'ts not a keystroke system as such, but a utilty to 
make your own keymaps, so I think it very weird it doesn't work, LCEdit 
works on french azerty boards too i presume? (but maybe the k is in the 
same spot then). Could you maybe delve into what the problem is? This 
would really help me.


> > I think many people on this list would really appreciate a fully 
> > customizable keyboard, not?
>
> I think it's very confusing.

Macro's are too then, aren't they.
But seriously, Logic has done it all along hasn't it, I never heard 
anyone complaining about that.
I think such a versatile tool as the Lanbox should be flexible to use 
for everyones needs and (especially in combination with isadora) its 
far ahead in that already.

Might seem like I'm a smartass theatertech that wants to have it his 
own way (and I am, hahaha :))
But the heart of the matter is that these two things (and possibly a 
cuelist in %) are the major barrier for me to really fullhartedly 
recommend the Lanbox to other theatertechs looking for a system of 
their own to do tours with, because it is sometimes a bit cumbersome to 
use in theatersituations.
I really love the Lanbox and LCEdit, and I'd like to help make it just 
that bit more theater friendly.

Hope you'll support me in that

Grtz
Dennis