Posts by paulthom

paulthom · audio cues questions paulthom January 26, 2016 at 12:27 AM

Thanks for that - I'll have a look at your file and try it out.

paulthom · audio cues questions paulthom January 25, 2016 at 10:19 PM

Had our technical rehearsal and plotting session today... using DMXControl v2, we got the most of job done although it was not a positive experience. (more on that later).

I have some questions about Audio Cues in DMXControl.

1) Why is there no way to set a level/volume and audition the audio within an audio cue? (you have to create an audio cue to play the track and then a control cue to set the level/volume - this slows down work a lot).

2) What units are the level set in? What is the range of volume/level? (There doesn't seem to be much relationship between the number you put in the control cue to set volume and what you hear. Normally I would expect -6dB to be half as loud).

3) How do you fade out an audio cue? This should be simple - with two parameters a level/volume to change to and the time to do it over. eg fade to 0 over 2 seconds. Instead there are multiple confusing options - "use given value", "use fade in time", "decrease value during fade in", "set to 0 after fade in". I've noticed if you don't set the "use given value" to the current value, the volume can increase before it fades out! This means you have to search back to the previous cue where you set the level for that "channel" to find the value. Grrrr

4) How do you run and audio cue (sound effect) and AT THE SAME TIME fade out two previous audio cues; this is the sequence:
start sound 1 in audio cue on channel 1; set level via command cue
start sound 2 in audio cue on channel 2; set level via command cue
... some other stuff happens (lighting cues) .. then I want this to happen at the same time:
start sound 3 in audio cue
set level of sound 3 in command cue
fade down to 0 sound 1 over 5 seconds
fade down to 0 sound 2 over 3 seconds
I've tried various arrangements, different orders of the various command cues but nothing seems to do what I want. I tried putting this in a "composite cue" to hide the detail but that just slows things down further, as there more clicking. (I have used QLab in the past but this company doesn't have a Mac available to run it).

5) Can you send different "channels" to different physical outputs on a multichannel sound card?

This show is not that busy but still has about 70 lighting and about 50 sound cues, and 10 performers so not have a slick working environment for plotting can really affect how the day goes.

paulthom · Enttec USB DMX Pro paulthom January 21, 2016 at 10:44 PM

DMX uses EIA-485 serial protocol at 250,000 bits per second. A DMX frame is made up of 512 "bytes" of 10 bits (1 start, 8 data, 2 stop)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMX512#Protocol

So that gives 5120 bits per frame, which at the data rate of 250 kpbs gives a MAXIMUM DMX frame rate of about 48 frames per second. Hence, I think this is why the standard DMX frame rate of 44 Hz.

Of course USB is a different serial standard (more complicated to allow PnP etc) but if you send more than 48 frames of DMX data over USB to any interface where is that data going to go? It will probably get lost or corrupted! Now some equipment sends shorter frames (of less than 512 channels) - but this is non-standard (as I understand it) and may cause problems with some equipment. I'm slightly confused about the USB VCP speed thing - I didn't think that was relevant if you are using the FTDI drivers.

Today I bought an Enttec Open DMX USB interface - which does not have buffering (generating the DMX frame internally, like the Pro version does). I want to try this, as there will less likely of confusion over frame rates. I will let you know the results.

Paul

paulthom · Enttec USB DMX Pro paulthom January 20, 2016 at 10:08 PM

The Pixel Strip made with WS2812 in in strips of 1.5, 1 and 0.5m. Each strip has 5v fed from the top; data is daisy chained from bottom to top of each strip. At first I though it was a power/load issue - but measuring the voltage at the end of the first longest (1.5m) strip it is 4.2v and that works fine. It is the two strips at the end of the daisy chain which are affected by the flicker, and it is DMX pattern dependent - which is why I suspect it is data problem. I have tried reducing the length of the data cabling between strips and adding power to the bottom of the affected strips but this has no effect.

The WS2812 has a supply voltage of 3.5-5.3v and every voltage measured at the top and bottom of each strip is between 4.2 and 5v. I thought if the voltage was lower at the bottom (where the data signal is regenerated by the WS2812) than at the top of the next chain that might cause problems, but this does not happen on the second strip in the chain, despite the voltage at the bottom of the first strip being 4.2v (it is the longest strip at 1.5m).

The timing of the LED controller (Enttec Pixel Driver in this case) is fixed by the WS2812 specification. The test patterns while sent via USB direct to the driver (rather than via DMX) work flawlessly. [I can't use USB in the theatre as the distances are too long and I need to be able to program cues/effects in DMXControl or some software].

They are Enttec Pixel Tape and an Enttec Pixie Driver; the problem does not occur if I used the test patterns sent via USB direct from the Enttec utility program (Pro Manager) - there is no flicker even with high load/fast patterns. That is why I now suspect it is a software problem - and Enttec Support though it might be because DMXControl sends data at a non-standard rate - which is what JPK said.

As I understand it the USBDMX Pro interface generates the DMX signal via onboard mirocontroller, compared with say the Enttec OpenDMX interface which is more of a level/protocol converter. I don't have a DMX analyzer so can't really investigate this.

JPK - is there a way to fix or change the rate at which DMXControl sends frame out to USB? (to limit to the 44Hz standard). Perhaps it could be an user option in the driver config?

paulthom · Enttec USB DMX Pro paulthom January 19, 2016 at 10:41 PM

I have a similar problem to the one described here. I am using some Pixel Tape (a long string of WS2812 GRB LEDs - so it is like having 150 RGB LED fixtures. They have their own protocol which is driven from DMX by a driver) together with 24 dimmers. In am using DMXControl 2.12 with EnttecPro output plugin ver 1.0.0.68 and an Enttec USBDMX Pro.

The LEDs near the end of the string with some DMX patterns will flicker randomly - this happens particularly with changing patterns. I have tried different hardware combinations and am now thinking it might be the (DMXControl 2) software.

A few questions..
What is the latest version of the EntecPro output plugin? [there are several versions on this page]
What data rate is DMXControl sending over USB? [Enttec suggested it might be different from the 44Hz standard that their dongle is using by default]

Do you have any other ideas about what could cause this problem?

Thanks very much

paulthom · DMXControl 2.12 crashing on start up paulthom January 18, 2016 at 10:28 PM

Hi JPK
Is there any update on this?
I imagine as it was working and then stopped after I installed another VB program, it might be a clash of DLLs, related to the permission enhancement needed for control of the plugins.
I really like DMXControl, it does things in a reasonable sensible manner, so I would like to get this fixed.
Thanks.

paulthom · DMXControl 2.12 crashing on start up paulthom January 14, 2016 at 1:46 PM

Ah yes, here is the error file, from C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\DMXControl
also attached with cfg file from same folder as zip file.

When I have all the output plugins check in the Plugin Administrator, DMXController crashes on start up (even if Run As Administrator). When they are unchecked in Plugin Administrator the program will start the the Output Plugin menu says <Plugin not supported> to everything.

I tried reinstalling again in different directory but the problem is the same. Here is the error file:

Thanks

----------------------------------------------------------------------
F E H L E R P R O T O K O L L
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DMXControl V2.12.2 - Fehlermeldung
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEHLERBESCHREIBUNG
Fehler-Nr: 340 (Control array element '1' doesn't exist)
Modul: frmFormParser
Prozedur: cmdCtl_Click
Zeilen-Nr.: 50080
Datum/Uhrzeit: 01-09-2016 / 12:14:33
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CALLSTACK
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SYSTEMINFO:
Plattform: Windows NT
Version: 6.0
Build: 6002 Service Pack 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------
F E H L E R P R O T O K O L L
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DMXControl V2.12.2 - Fehlermeldung
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEHLERBESCHREIBUNG
Fehler-Nr: 340 (Control array element '1' doesn't exist)
Modul: frmFormParser
Prozedur: cmdCtl_Click
Zeilen-Nr.: 50080
Datum/Uhrzeit: 01-09-2016 / 12:26:19
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CALLSTACK
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SYSTEMINFO:
Plattform: Windows NT
Version: 6.0
Build: 6002 Service Pack 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------
F E H L E R P R O T O K O L L
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DMXControl V2.12.2 - Fehlermeldung
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEHLERBESCHREIBUNG
Fehler-Nr: 340 (Control array element '1' doesn't exist)
Modul: frmFormParser
Prozedur: cmdCtl_Click
Zeilen-Nr.: 50080
Datum/Uhrzeit: 01-09-2016 / 12:26:24
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CALLSTACK
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SYSTEMINFO:
Plattform: Windows NT
Version: 6.0
Build: 6002 Service Pack 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------
F E H L E R P R O T O K O L L
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DMXControl V2.12.2 - Fehlermeldung
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEHLERBESCHREIBUNG
Fehler-Nr: 340 (Control array element '1' doesn't exist)
Modul: frmFormParser
Prozedur: cmdCtl_Click
Zeilen-Nr.: 50090
Datum/Uhrzeit: 01-09-2016 / 12:26:26
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CALLSTACK
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SYSTEMINFO:
Plattform: Windows NT
Version: 6.0
Build: 6002 Service Pack 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------

paulthom · DMXControl 2.12 crashing on start up paulthom January 14, 2016 at 12:30 PM

Update: Ran the Plugin Administrator (comes with DMXControl) and this ran,
selecting DMXUSB Pro and clicking Configure Plugin button did nothing.
so I unchecked the Enttec DMXUSB Pro (#9) and exited the program.

Now DMXControl will start but when I go to Settings menu and select Output Plugins the entire list says "Plug in not supported"

I can't find the place where the configuration of plugs is stored (file? registry?)

paulthom · DMXControl 2.12 crashing on start up paulthom January 14, 2016 at 11:40 AM

I can see any file called DMXControl.EPT in folder C:\Program Files (x86)\DMXControl or anywhere else on C: when I searched.
could it be something else?

Is there some command line switch I need to use to get it dump the error log?

thanks
Paul

paulthom · DMXControl 2.12 crashing on start up paulthom January 14, 2016 at 11:10 AM

I have DMXControl 2.12 working fine for about a week. Then I installed Q Light (another lighting control software) and now when DMXControl starts, it crashes with a message

"Error during activiation of plugin 'Enttec DMX Pro Driver': Error 2147417848: Method '~' of object '~' failed. Try again?"

Quote

The Windows 'problem details' says

Quote

Problem Event Name: APPCRASHApplication Name: DMXControl.exe
Application Version: 2.12.0.2
Application Timestamp: 538cdbd9
Fault Module Name: MSVBVM60.DLL
Fault Module Version: 6.0.98.2
Fault Module Timestamp: 4791a724
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 0000a210
OS Version: 6.0.6002.2.2.0.768.3
Locale ID: 2057
Additional Information 1: 6cc1
Additional Information 2: 6104006b40071a30d36a0474d47054f7
Additional Information 3: db8c
Additional Information 4: 43fe4074a138ed8bbab01693fa95c203

Display More

I am using Windows Vista, DMXControl 2.12.2 with Enttec USBDMX Pro.
I have uninstalled Q Light, uninstalled DMXControl, rebooted, re-installed DMXControl - same problem. I have reinstalled the FTDI driver, rebooted, reinstalled DMXControl. Done all that twice.

Any ideas on how to get this working? I have a show to rig and plot next Tues.
Thanks
Paul