@crystalhorizon

I've been working with the OBSBOT camera's for a while now they have different models in different price ranges and they work great. I like the tail models because they are completely wireless. 

you can control them using OSC but i use the AI tracking mode most of the time.

advice sought from more professional colleagues:

I do some solo av performances, and thinking about using a Black Magic Video Assist monitor which would also allow me to record my Macbook Pro video output (I think) without CPU impact during performances.

my questions are:

has anyone tried this? would it work?

would it function like an 'extended desktop' monitor for the Mac or would/could it take video signal straight from Izzy, and allow me to output (throughput) without the Mac orange dot?

Are there other alternatives that would do this, possibly better, and/or cheaper?

thanks

@mark „Are there less expensive PTZ cameras out there that our users could use?“

Wanted to know about this in 2025

@bexxtr for timecode work I would not choose Isadora as my tool of choice - although it can do DMX programming anything other than a few dimmers is not a great experience, there are no fixture definitions and not a great interface for designing lighting.

I would propose doing your lighting design with a normal lighting desk that can chase timecode (rent one or borrow one for a day). You can send timecode out of Isadora (either Midi time code or SMPTE over audio - although Artnet timecode is much more widely used these days) and have the board chase while you program - the playback to do this is also much easier from something with a timeline  as it lets you scrub through and play specific parts for programming. 

Once you have a timecode show you can use something like the Enttec S-Play series devices (https://www.enttec.com.au/prod...)- or the Visual productions Q Core hardware (https://www.visualproductions....)Both these boxes can record and playback all you DMX synced to timecode. 

Then you can use either Midi time code or LTC on an audio track of your video to send timecode to one of these boxes and it will chase and play the DMX.

Chataigne (https://benjamin.kuperberg.fr/...) will also give you a good timeline for programming Cues and can also control Isadora, including launching it and opening your project to a schedule. You can get some more flexible protocol and accurate timing with this software too and its free. 

QLC is a free cross platform lighting software with a timeline and fixture definitions that you can also use - you can porgram complex lighting cues in a lighting environment and drop them on a timeline. It can also play audio and video.

I understand the desire for only a single software - going with hardware DMX playback is a great option for that. If you do need to run multiple software or even just want to have a timed regulated and auto-restart on crash control of Isadora I would definitely make Chataigne the master controller on your machine.

TLDR Use actual lighting gear for programming lighting cues, for timecode shows use at least one tool with a timeline for programming and something that can record and playback DMX to timecode (in hardware).

@bexxtr

Hi there Bexxtr!

Welcome to the Isadora community, your best bet for this type of work is to purchase an Enttec DMX Usb PRO 

https://www.thomann.de/intl/enttec_dmx_usb_pro_interface.htm

This boxes can't 'receive' direct timecode, what you need is either a translator (hardware) like a Lighting software product, or you can also do this step in a background scene within Isadora. It is basically a bit of work / logic operators that you need to make this happen.

I am currently on the road, but I can give you an working example file in a few days.

Speak soon!

- Juriaan

Hello!

I am working on a film installation and would like to have lighting control over the rest of the space. The goal is to have everything run out of Isadora for daily ease of the staff (i.e. it’s all on with the flip of a switch). I am new to the realm of Isadora and need some step by step guidance. 

I am seeking to send a timecode-sync’d signal out of Isadora to a DMX controller which is sending a signal to a dimmer box outputting levels to a light. 

1) What is the best way to create lighting cues (fades, flickers, etc) that sync to the timecode of the video file itself? The light needs to be actively fading on, dimming, and flickering.  

2) Would you recommend using an Enttec Pro or a MIDI controller as the intermediary?

3) Is there a simpler solution you might recommend to a novice?

Thank you, 

rebecca

@crystalhorizon said:

Is there an example file

The example file is available on the add-ons page: TROIKATRONIX : ISADORA - Pythoner Example File

Regarding the monitor window, I open it and check it because, Pythoner will print out any errors to the monitor window, so it is very helpful to have it open when you are working with Pythoner.
!! open it before running your code, otherwise you can lose the output.
Also, when writing Python, any print() calls you add will print directly to the Monitor window, which is very helpful in figuring things out.
The other thing I am doing at the same time as opening the Monitor window is opening and closing the Pythoner code editor, this is because that forces the code to initialize and can provide feedback about missing modules or other issues.

@jandraka

Thankyou! that totally works. I had tried adding different actors in that position, but not a Video Mixer. : )

Hi,

If you add a Video Mixer actor to the Picture Player and change the monitor link to the Video Mixer output, the sequence displays correctly.
I think the Picture Player output, since there's no continuous GPU output, loses the link.
Hope this helps.

animation-2025-v4.0.9.izz.zip

i noticed in the video i recorded that on the third loop, it jumps back to a jpg that was further up the list, so, for some reason, some of the jpgs in the bin are not being recognised, and therefore not counted as 'official' items in the media bin. I can't tell when in the process this glitch is happening, but it is different every loop. I tried changing the default frame rate and background processes, but those changes had no effect on the glitch. Even running at a slower Pulse (0.5Hz) produces the same glitch.