Multi segment bar profile question

Sunlite Suite 2 is a complete re-design of Suite 1. Please discus any issues here

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blaide
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Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

I am now trying to create a fixture profile for an LED bar that has 16 tri LED bulbs in it. It has multiple DMX modes (3ch, 5ch, 6ch,12ch, 12ch, 24ch and 48ch). I made profiles for all modes and the 3ch and 5ch modes work great. The problem is in the other modes that are just multiple segments of RGB. For example, 6ch mode is:

Ch1 Red
Ch2 Green
Ch3 Blue
Ch4 Red
Ch5 Green
Ch6 Blue

In the ScanLibrary editor I dragged the RGB icon onto the mode window 2 times and got R1, G1, B1, R2, G2, B2 in the mode window. So far so good. Save the fixture profile and open sunlite suite2 and install the fixture, but when I goto the fixture window, there is a color wheel and that's it. The light will not go on even after selecting the color wheel dimmer control and sliding it up to full and there are also no individual RGB controls for the light which in this mode is broken up into 2 sections.

So how to I access the individual banks of RGB segments when creating a fixture profile?
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

I've made some limited success. In the scan libray editor, I first select an RGB and drag to the mode window for DMX Channels 1,2 and 3. Then I dragged a Color icon into the mode window, renamed it red 2 and dragged a dimmer into the value/parameter box. Repeated this procedure to make a green and blue value for the second segment. So now I had 16 tri-LEDs broken into 2 segments of 8. The first 8 are controlled by the color wheel but the second 8 are controlled by clicking on the red, green and blue and having to manually adjust the color brightness for each one individually using the dimmer dial I added to the switch. Problem is, it is near impossible to control the individual colors that are noy on the color wheel like the RGB segment is. The largest DMX mode of this light which I plan on using is 48 channel mode. I will be stacking 10 of these bars on top of each other and using Sunlite Suite2's matrix capabilities to use these bars as a pixel mapable display. In this mode (48 channel for individual control of the 16 tri-led bulbs) I would like to have 16 RGB segments that I can use individually or select multiple segments and control with the color wheel. Is there a way to do this?
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

Just to be clear, my ultimate goal is to have 10 bars stacked and controlled by Sunlite Suite2's matrix controller function to generate the built in matrix shapes in sunlite. I think I would need each bulb to be it's own RGB segment. I also use Freestyler DMX which I started with, but I'm trying to get away from it and use Sunlite exclusively. In Freestyler, you can use their fixture profile creator to make RGB segments for each bulb. Once created, you see rgb segments with a check box next to them. click on a check box and you can
then use the color wheel to set your color automatically. Select multiple boxes and you can control multiple RGB segments with the color wheel. Multi-segment LED bars are common and around for a while so there must be a way to do this in Sunlite Suite2, but I can't figure out how to do it so far. If anyone can help by explaining how to do this or pointing me in the right direction I'd be grateful.
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

Looking at the ScanLibrary editor, when creating the LED Bar profile, I can select the RGB icon, drag and place onto the Mode window and RGB comes up on channels 1,2 and 3. If I do the same procedure again, it shows a second RGB segment on Channels 4,5 and 6 which is what I want. Why is it though that when I install the profile in Sunlite Suite2, the individual segments don't show up? It only lets me control all the segments at the same time with the color wheel. There seems to be no way to access the individual segments in the interface.
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

Also, worth mentioning, in the very first dialogue box when creating a new fixture, next to the fixture picture I selected the box labeled "1 light beam" and changed it to 16 light beam count. I assume that is purely for the sake of the 3D visualizer to accurately render the light characteristics, but just in case, I tried it both ways - with 1 light beam or with 16. Made no difference in my results.
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

Ok, something else I didn't report. If I create a fixture profile in ScanLibrary for 3 channel mode (macros, colors and strobe) it works fine, 5 channel mode (Dimmer, RGB, Strobe) it works fine, 6 channel mode (RGB,RGB 2 sections DMX channels 1-6) the interface for that fixture page only shows the color wheel, init switch and color effects switch and nothing else. Turning on the color wheel switch, putting the fader up to full and changing color has no effect on the actual light itself. I checked the starting address and channel mode on the light and both are set correctly.

Now, if I go back into the scanLibrary editor and change the 6 channel mode version of the light by starting with the RGB icon on channels 1,2 and 3 and then adding 3 separate color icons and placing the dimmer icon in the drop down settings window, then when I patch the fixture and control the color wheel, the 1st half of the light responds to the color wheel perfectly and the other half of the bar will respond by clicking on the red, green and blue switches and using the dimmer dials to control brightness. So 3 questions:

1. Why is the 1st profile I made (RGB,RGB) not showing the 2 segments in the page interface?

2. Why is the first profile also not controlling or having any effect on the physical light itself but the second profile (RGB, R,G,B) does work?

3. How can I get individual RGB segments to show on the interface and work on the physical light so that I can use the 48 channel mode to individually control the 16 RGB bulbs of this light and then stack 10 of them and control them using the Matrix effect in Easytime?
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

Question 2 in previous post resolved. I had selected the mode but the light will not respond to dmx until I go back to the ADDress menu and display the starting address. So now using the color wheel will control the light, but even though I have the profile programmed for 6 channels consisting of 2 RGB icons, the color wheel controls the entire light as if it was only a 3 channel (RGB) fixture. Still need to figure out how to separate the RGB segments into individually controllable pixels.
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

Another note, in the 1st profile (2 RGB segments) the color wheel works to control the whole light as I mentioned, but the color effects switch does nothing when selected. I unselected the color wheel just in case it was overriding the color effects switch, but it had no effect. I really don't care about the color effects switch for my needs but wanted to mention this in case it helps you to understand what's going on so I can get this fixture to work in individual RGB segments.
simonB
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by simonB »

Hello, there is a lot of text here! I read through it quickly. Let me clarify a few things:

-To make a multibeam fixture, drag and drop an RGB fixture in scan library, you'll notice 3 channels are created, to create more beams, drag and drop additional RGB channel types
-You can check the right beam number is assigned to the appropriate channel buy right clicking the channel and selecting 'light beams'
-You can change the position of the light beams in the fixture settings by clicking the fixture icon in the top left of scan library
-When you add a page in Suite 2, you always just get 1 color wheel. Remember that these are just auto-generated buttons, to program an effect with a multibeam fixture, create or edit a scene
-to have a color wheel for each beam:
1. create a switch
2. click 'ok and edit'
3. assign the dimmer property to the first RGB channels. More info here: http://www.nicolaudie.com/online_manual ... Js2LoL.htm
4. close and save
5. edit the page layer and create new color mixing zone, add your button to this zone, more info here: http://www.nicolaudie.com/online_manual ... Js2LoL.htm
-the 3D only supports single beam fixtures, to display a multibeam fixture int he 3D, you need to add separate fixtures for each beam
Simon
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blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

Hi Simon, Sorry for the long text but I wanted to be as detailed as possible to help you understand exactly what I was doing to aid you in seeing any mistakes I am making. I will read through your instructions now and try your suggestions. Thanks for your quick reply.
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

still reading through and trying your suggestions. One minor thing, you wrote: -You can change the position of the light beams in the fixture settings by clicking the fixture icon in the top left of scan library". I clicked the icon in the top left as you said and there is a drop down list with and option to see the beam assignments. However in the June 2012 beta you can only see the assignments, not change them. To change them I went to the mode window and right clicked on the individual RGB segments and there is a beam assignment option there where you can assign the RGB segments to whatever number beam you want.
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

Working on getting the individual color wheel for each RGB segment. I guess that will wortk. Use the individual color wheels to control each segment asnd the main color wheel to control all segments at once. Once I figure out the layers and get my color wheels, I will replicate with the other modes. Will this work with the Matrix effect in Easytime though? How do I make the rects? Will Sunlite rects see each pixel?
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

Ok I'm stuck at the moment trying to create the layer. You wrote:

-to have a color wheel for each beam:
1. create a switch
2. click 'ok and edit'
3. assign the dimmer property to the first RGB channels. More info here: http://www.nicolaudie.com/online_manual ... Js2LoL.htm
4. close and save
5. edit the page layer and create new color mixing zone, add your button to this zone, more info here: http://www.nicolaudie.com/online_manual ... Js2LoL.htm
-the 3D only supports single beam fixtures, to display a multibeam fixture int he 3D, you need to add separate fixtures for each beam

I'm at step 5 and created a new layer, see the two windows for the zone, clicked on the Star in the right window to create a new zone, dragged the color wheel from the left window to the right one and then dragged the switch. The wheel and switch diswapeared from the left window when I did that and the layer that was created does the same thing as the original color wheel when I created the page. It controls All the LEDs instead of just the one segment that I added the dimmer to in the channels window.

I re-read the instructions in the link you sent and it says to click the settings button to add a color wheel. Well, when the layers/zone windows are open you can't access the setting button and when they are closed you can but I don't see an option anywhere to add a color wheel.
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

Ok I think I got 2 RGB segments in their own zones with a color wheel each. On the road and have to go home to plug into the light to see if everything works. Wasn't understanding your instructions exactly or perhaps there have been a few changes in software updates as to were and how menu items are but this looks promising. One further question is, now that I have 2 separate zones (labeled 1 (for 1st section or LED) and 2) how do I merge them into one window so I can group them together the nway you group switches by type? If I do it the way I have it now, I will have 16 layers or zone windows for each LED in 48 channel mode and it will be a little cumbersome to have to click between 16 windows everytime I want to change an LED. is there a way to group zomes or layers in one window like a list view or icon group?
blaide
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Re: Multi segment bar profile question

Post by blaide »

Ok, got home and plugged into the light and it worked like a charm. Now just need to know about grouping the layer/zone windows together into one window/group as I mentioned earlier.

The other question I have is about controlling 10 of these bar lights in 48 channel mode (16 individual Tri LED bulbs) with the Matrix effect in Easytime. Will the 48 channel mode be accessed by the matrix effect for each LED so that I can generate the different shape effects in the matrix generator? I only have 1 bar here right now as 9 more are on their way here from China so I can't test at the moment but if you could get me started, I can get the software going.
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