request - virtual channel "dimmer" for RGB

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request - virtual channel "dimmer" for RGB

Postby Bobnjul » 24 July 2019, 15:42

I am starting a new thread as it seems the issue got confused in another thread I saw it mentioned. I want to explain this is as clear as possible. Since many of us are making use of RGB LED tape and the inexpensive controllers that allow us to control such lights via DMX, to me it seems this is a feature that would benefit many who use ShowXpress. These inexpensive controllers only provide 3 or 4 DMX channels and are assigned to control the intensity of each individual color channel independently and directly. There is no master dimmer like on regular fixtures. Why no master dimmer channels are provided on these LED tape DMX controllers are provided is a mystery, my guess is so they can be versatile with many different types of LED tapes. The solution to that shortcoming is a "virtual master dimmer channel" that can be added to a custom fixture profile.

I am aware of the assignable Master faders in Live mode. And while assigning a Master Fader in Live mode to the RGB channels of fixture without master dimmers is fine for overall "on the fly" adjustments, they cannot be programmed into step and generator scenes and the effect the overall intensity of the channels that are assigned to it for every cue. That's not helpful. What we need is a "virtual fader" that can be programmed and adjusted so that the RGB can programmed and adjusted in step or generator scenes. Essentially, it allows the separate color channels to be programmed and adjusted in unison and react like an RGB par can. This IS a feature that exists in Pro-Level consoles and software like Vista and Hog.

I like to program cues that vary Master dimmer intensity gradually to create the look of motion on stage, and currently it is VERY difficult to do with RGB tape controllers that don't have master fader channels. I can do it with a single color channel, but not a combination of RGB or RGBW. Since we need to create simple custom profiles to use these DMX LED tape controllers anyway, there should be an option included in the custom fixture profile creation panel for a "virtual master fader"... when added to a custom fixture profile, it would appear in the step and generator editors as a Dimmer fader that is not numbered or in a different color or something that differentiates it from a standard DMX channel, yet It can be programmed as if it were a DMX channel. It would force the fixture to work and act like any fixture that has a Master Fader channel. So, if a Virtual Master fader is added to a fixture profile, and extra fader would show up when I selected that individual fixture in the editor or generator. It could be a different color to indicate that it is virtual and has no actual DMX address, but once it was added to the fixture, it would respond exactly as if it had a Master Fader, so... that fixture will not illuminate until that Virtual Master Fader is engaged (even if the RGB channels are active), just like any other standard RGB(W) fixture.

I can't express just how much I want this!
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Re: Virtual Master Fader for RGB Tape DMX encoders

Postby support » 24 July 2019, 16:20

The virtual dimmer is at the right side of the RGB wheel

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Re: Virtual Master Fader for RGB Tape DMX encoders

Postby Bobnjul » 25 July 2019, 15:59

Yes, but we can't program that in the Generator. Sure that's fine for setting a static value, but we can't automate that independent of color. This only allows me to control the intensity of one color.
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Re: Virtual Master Fader for RGB Tape DMX encoders

Postby support » 25 July 2019, 17:10

The RGB wheel in Generator goes from dark in the center to light in the outline, so the dimmer is not required.
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Re: Virtual Master Fader for RGB Tape DMX encoders

Postby daan44444 » 26 July 2019, 00:46

I think support is having a hard time understanding our problem.
The solution support has shown us via screenshots does indeed dim the color and can be set in steps. Althought, what we want is to set the color in one scene (without the fixture immediately illuminating) and set a dimmer chase in another scene. This way we can play the selected dimmer chase in many colors, sef in different scenes. We cant set the color in one scene, without the fixture illuminating) and set the dimmer in another scrne using the virtual dimmer support showed us. For this to work in a fixture without a master dimmer, we need a virtual dimmer, so we can set the color and dimmer in two different scenes.
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Re: Virtual Master Fader for RGB Tape DMX encoders

Postby support » 26 July 2019, 14:57

Thank you for this explanation ; it is a bit more clear.
But if for instance you need to see in Steps 4 channels (with 4 faders "R, G, B, dimmer") for a fixture which has only 3 channels ("R, G, B"), we presently do not see how to do that without rewriting the source code of the software from scratch.
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Re: request - virtual channel "dimmer" for RGB

Postby daan44444 » 26 July 2019, 15:48

Isn't there any way to add an option in the manual fixture builder that allows users to add a virtual dimmer and select which channels it controls. I am very familiar with programming, but i dont know how showxpress is programmed. It should be pretty straightforward to add a channel that control a couple other ones in percentages in my eyes.
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Re: request - virtual channel "dimmer" for RGB

Postby support » 29 July 2019, 08:11

Your proposition is to change the profile of the dmx fixture from for instance 3 channels (RGB) to 4 channels (RGB + an extra channel).
Which means if the dmx address of the 3 first dmx fixtures were 1 / 4 / 7, then you will have to change them to 1 / 5 / 9.
Could you please confirm that ?

And then the software will have to link this extra channel to the RGB channels.
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Re: request - virtual channel "dimmer" for RGB

Postby Luc Henrion » 29 July 2019, 12:08

This "extra channel" could be very interesting indeed, there are many fixtures on the market where you have a choice of "RGB" only or "RGB + programme, + strobe, + xyz effects, going for example from a 3 channels fixture (RGB) to a 7 channels fixture, without intermediate choice. I would appreciate for sure.
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Re: request - virtual channel "dimmer" for RGB

Postby daan44444 » 29 July 2019, 16:21

It doesn't have to be a hard wired channel. If you have 3 fixtures with 3 channels each (rgb) the addresses can stay 1/4/7 the vietual dimmer is a virtual channel as the name implies. The channel is there to control the master dimmer of the rgb channels so they can be set in a different scene.
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