Re: [LCtalk] How to fade a chase/user interface

[Dennis Peeters]

> > Hard at work with the Lanbox again, for this play I've created a 
> > chase that's cued with a g...zz command, it fades in alright, but now 
> > i want to stop the chase (at a random moment) by fading it out, I 
> > can't really figure out how to do that.
>
> Make a cue with a stop chase as first step, and just Go to it.

That didn't work as intended for me (probably a programming-fault of 
mine). I've solved it now by triggering the chase in my cue-to-cue 
theatre-style layer (A) like this:
to start the chase inserted a cuestep:  go 666.1 : (chase cuelist) in 
layer B:  set to HTP, B is on top of A, it fades in,
to fadeout the chase inserted a cuestep: go 777.1 in layer B (fadeout 
cuelist): crossfading for 10 seconds, All channels @ zero, set to HTP, 
it fades out, the fixtures fade to the intensities  programmed in the 
"static" theatre-style layer A.
Maybe it's not the easiest way to do it, but it's in a way that I 
understand what the Lanbox is doing, so it works for me.

My project has come along great, yesterday the premiere, and I'm really 
proud of the results (I'll post some pictures on my website when I've 
got the time).
Working with the Lanbox made things possible that would have been very 
complicated to do on a manual (or semi-manual) lighting console (the 
only other solution budget-wise), I'm very grateful for that.
Programming the box with LCEdit is a nuisance though, trying to edit 
things on the fly is (near) impossible, and if you don't check and 
doublecheck all settings, very unexpected things can and will happen.
I've now developed a method where I don't use editmode during 
performances, I just adjust the channels manually, sometimes I write 
down the changes so I can change and finetune them after the 
performance, and sometimes I use blind-edit, alter the cuestep in the 
cuelist editor,  store and then update (although this takes some manual 
calculating to convert percentages to DMX values, I know, your working 
on it, I won't ask again:-)), these methods feel the safest to me.

The trouble with LCEdit for me is that I have to look (and click and 
type)  in so many different places to check things during the show:
If I want to check/change the percentage of a fixture I have to click 
on a fixture in the stage window and look in the control panel, because 
the stage window only gives me a rough intensity indication and the 
stage window shows me DMX values. Then find and type "v" on my laptop 
(or on my shuttle), and change it.
Or look in the stage window or my patchlist to see the channelnr. (the 
controlwindow  doesn't give me that information)  find and type "k" on 
my laptop type the number on my keypad, change it on my shuttle.
If I want to check where I'm going (and how fast) the next time I press 
GO I have to put the cuelist editor in follow mode, look up the current 
cuestep, and look what's up next., because the control-window doesn't 
give me that information. If I want to check the status a current fade 
I have to look in the controlwindow again and (for now, I know this is 
on the todo list) guess for how long it will run.
If I want to change the DMX-patch I usually  select the fixture, select 
edit, look at the patch, then open the patch editor, look up the DMX 
channel I want to patch/unpatch, and patch/unpatch it, because I can't 
do that in the edit-dialogue.
If I type a cli command, and don't finish it (like k, but no value), 
the go next cuestep keystroke (spacebar) doesn't work, I've noticed, so 
I have to make sure this is not the case before I hit go.
If everything is programmed though, it's as stable as a rock, i only 
have to make sure i have selected layer A and press go, with the new 
beta-firmware with "soft back" functionality, I even have a way back 
now, so I feel very confident running the performance using my Lanbox.

I understand why LCedit is that "complicated" (not really, but you know 
what I mean), because It's designed to make every possibility of the 
Lanbox accessible/programmable. But some of us only need/use a fraction 
of the (vast) features of the Lanbox.
It's like trying to type a simple note in adobe Illustrator or playing 
a CD  in Logic pro. Possible, but you have to know what your doing.
I know some people on this list have asked for a stripped-down version 
of LCedit, and I agree with Fokko that  inevitably you're going to want 
things that are out of bounds for such an app (like running a chase for 
instance), so this stripped-down version would grow and grow until it'd 
turn into the original LCedit.

But just to test the water: maybe it'd be possible to program a simple 
LClive (working title:-)) to work alongside LCedit, just to run a show: 
a simple one-window two-tab  app just right for running a theatre show 
or smaller project.

- First tab (live), for monitoring, say, a max of 4 layers (maybe 
definable in preferences) with for each layer separate 
(keycommandable/user defined in preferences) go next cue/previous cue, 
(manual) X-fade time on/off, HTP/LTP/copy, hold fade/resume fade, and 
update buttons. A display with current cue, next cue, current fade/hold 
in numbers and next fade/hold.
The remainder of the screen would be  occupied by the "channel monitor" 
(so no user-customable stage) with all the channels (not DMX channels) 
output-values in %(numbers) or DMX (which you could choose in 
preferences)  in a wrap around way.
Ofcourse, live adjusting of channels  (with  k key and * key, for use 
with a numeric keypad) without storing should be possible. the rest of 
the screen would be occupied by the "channel monitor" (so no 
user-customable stage) with all the channels output-values in 
%(numbers) or DMX (which you can choose in preferences)  in a wrap 
around way.

- Second tab (blind edit) with the cuelisteditor in % or DMX 
(preferences)  that'd have an indication for the current/running cue of 
a selected layer, but in blind-edit mode, so changes would only be made 
live after storing and updating. Channels of a selected cue could be 
edited by the same k and *  command for channel. The rest edited like 
in the single-line editor.
This 'd do the trick for me. For more complex tasks you'd need LCedit.

Oh, how I wish i could program such an app. For now I keep dreaming, 
and hoping for a miracle.
Some people have suggested using the "lightregie" app for these simple 
tasks, but this just uses the Lanbox as a  usb-dmx dongle, the show 
runs on your computer, not using the unique, dedicated and stable all 
in one little box philosophy of the Lanbox that I really like.

After all this (constructive) criticism, I want to stress that I really 
love the Lanbox, the endless possibilities of it in conjunction with 
LCedit, and the openness to consumer demands and exrordinary levels of 
service of Fokko and Matthijs. So, although I have my own ideas about 
how it would be easier/more reliable to program/run the Lanbox, I just 
want to say:
Keep up the good work!

Grtz,
Dennis