MIDI Show Control - What Do You Use?

PatrickPagano

is there a windows version for this? We would be very interested here at digital worlds for this to be working on several upcoming events.

thanks

Patrick

fubbi

So what about generating mtc? Thats what I need the most. Fubbi

mark

Fubbi: just keep bugging me. I'm back in Berlin starting Feb 18th, and will be focusing completely on Izzy. Let's talk then.

PacoTheCharm

I'm trying the actor now, sending signal from qlab - I am not understanding what we are supposed to set up in the fields to get a trigger signal. We have a firewire 410 with midi into a roland midi receiver UM-1 - we tried it with the midi on watcher, it works fine. We can't get the MSC watcher to react though.

mark

Dear Paco,

Are you working on Windows? If so you must wait for the next update before the MSC actor will work. I discovered a deeper bug/problem on the PC version that can only be solved by updating the app.

On the other hand, if you're using a Mac, it should work. So let me know if you're on the Mac.

Also, what specifically are you sending from QLab? Can you detail the message you are sending?

Best Wishes,

Mark

PacoTheCharm

Dear Mark,

I am on Mac OSX 10.8.2. When I set up a midi note cue on Qlab and use the midi note on watcher it all works nicely.

Attached is a picture of the qlab computer computer and a picture of the izzy computer with the message it is receiving. It does hear something, just can't get it to do anything. Instead of Midi note I am sending an MSC message, which is a different type of cue in Qlab.

Cheers,

Wlad
7e89bd-screen-shot-2013-02-21-at-12.55.08-pm.png 32d254-screen-shot-2013-02-21-at-12.59.51-pm.png

mark

Dear Wlad,

I don't have QLab -- but I tested it within Isadora and it worked OK. Just to be really sure you have the latest and greatest, please re-install the MIDI Show Control Plugin that is attached.

Follow the installation instructions given earlier in this thread.

If it still doesn't work, for what it's worth, try using device ID 1 instead of device ID 2 (on both machines obviously.) Or else set the machine ID to "all" if that's an option in QLab.

Best Wishes,

Mark

e0f38e-msc-watcher.zip

ACT_LX

Hey All,

Been playing with the MIDI SHOW CONTROL actor. Let me start by saying I am not a Isadora programmer. We have a show coming up where the designer wants to run video using Isadora so I am learning as we go along.

We got the MIDI SHOW CONTROL actor to see MSC from out Light Board and even triggered some cues (jumping +1). However what we would like to do is have it read the cue information from the MSC actor output and use that information to jump directly to the scene number that matches the MSC cue number. I think Mark tried to show how this can be done up above but it looks like the photo he posted has been cut off so we cannot see all the links. Can anyone offer any advice and how we could do this.

Example. We are in LX cue 30 and we GO TO 45 on the light board. This will send MSC to Isadora and the MSC actor will register cue 45. How can I use the cue output of the MSC actor to jump directly to scene 45?

Please pardon my Isadora ignorance. This is all new to me and my main concern is getting the show running.

Thanks much,

Robert

Skulpture

@ACT_LX sorry if this is too basic but have you looked at the jump actor?

ACT_LX

I have used the jump actor. What I would love to do is make the Jump actor's mode absolute and use the cue output of the MSC actor to link with the jump input of the Jump actor so when the Jump actor is triggered it jumps to a specific cue provided by the MSC actors cue output? However I cannot seem to link the MSC actor's cue output with the Jump actors jump input. I get a red circle with a slash through it when I try to link these.

Does that make sense.

Thanks,

Robert

CraigAlfredson

The problem you are having is that the output of the MSC actor is a text string not a number (even though it appears to be a number). You can use the text comparator actor to compare the output to a given text (number) and then cue a jump when the text (number) matches. This is what Mark is showing in the picture above.

Alternately you might be able to use the text parser and a character to number actor, but that might get a bit complex.

ACT_LX

I didn't know that about the cue output. That makes sense. Thanks.

Perhaps its my computer but I can't seem to see all the links in the picture Mark posted above.

For instance there is a link going into the Trigger Value actors, value input but I'm not sure where that link is coming from as it comes from off to the right of the image? Anyone know where that link is coming from?

Thanks,

Robert

ACT_LX

OK... opened this forum with a different web browser and was able to get a better look at the photo.

I actually tried this set up. All this did was allow me jump forward one cue when the right cue was send from MSC.

What I'd love is to have the cue output fill in the jump input that way not matter what cue I go to i n the light board I go to the video cue that accompanies it.

Is there a way to convert the text string from the MSC actors cue output into just the cue number which could then be fed to the Jump actor's jump input?

Thanks,

Robert

CraigAlfredson

It is a little bit difficult to do what you suggest. The reason the output is a text field instead of a number is that the MSC can be a complex number like 1.5.6. The computer doesn't know how to translate that into a normal integer (which is what the jump actor requires). You can use the text parser to parse down the text string and only use the portion you want, but then you need to make sure your lighting board is consistent in how it sends the MSC string. The other problem with using this method is that you will need to have an Isadora scene for every lighting cue to keep the numbering consistent.

UnicyclingAdam

Hey, I am hoping to be able to use MSC to trigger isi in a project I have coming up later this year. (making life easier for my CSM) I was just wondering if there was an ETA for the windows version. thanks Adam

mark

Well, there is a version -- and while I've done the basic testing on it, I cannot promise that it is 100% stable. Nevertheless, I suggest you give it a try:

http://troikatronix.com/files/isadorawin-13fc29-std.exe

http://troikatronix.com/files/isadorawin-13fc29-usb.exe

You can always revert to 1.3.0f24 if you find it's not working well for you.

Best Wishes,

Mark

melany

Hi,

I've been following this discussion and really happy about this new actor, it was exactly something I was searching for to control video via lighting desk. But now, I've came across one serious problem, the triggering isn't working as reliable as it should, which means that when launching the scene via MIDI it seems to be quite random when the MSC command goes through till the "true" parameter, which I'm now using as the trigger.

I attach here an image of my patch.

I'd be extremely glad if somebody could help me with this or come up with another solution to trigger jump actor..

All the best,

Meri

mark

Dear Meri,

Try changing the 'mode' input of the comparator to 'always' and see if that solves the problem.

Best Wishes,

Mark

CraigAlfredson

Tonight I ran my first show slaving Isadora to LX Console by claudeheintzdesign.com. It worked like a charm. Although typically I run everything (LX/Sound/Projections) natively in Isadora, for this particular show the lighting designer built the show on an ETC ION and then exported the show to ASCII, which imported fine to this free, full function lighting program. The show can now tour running everything off of my laptop.

Craig

mark

Dear Craig,

Thanks for sharing the success story. Good to hear!

Best Wishes,

Mark