Channel Output Editor Add-In

[dpitts]

After reading this thread (http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?14975-How-do-they-know) I decided to write my first add-in. It allows user to reposition multiple channel outputs at once. Just select channels by clicking with or without shift or control keys and drag to new location. Suggestions or constructive criticism welcomed.

[maffeirw]

I tried your ChannelOutputEditor Add-in and it seems to work well as long as the sequence is not associated with a profile. It seems that none of the add-ins can be used with the profile screen open and if you use your add-in on a sequence associated with a profile, any changes to the channel output order you make will revert back when you go into the profile or save the sequence, exit and reopen it.
Nice first shot and when you get it working with the profiles I'll be one of the first to use it. :)

[dpitts]

I was just playing around with the standard output editor and I discovered the ability to set an insert point and then click channels holding down the control key. So maybe mine is not needed.

[dpitts]

The attached add-in file was modified to support profiles. When you edit outputs of a sequence that is attached to a profile the profile is changed. Thanks for the feedback. Before you mentioned 'profile' I had no clue they even existed. Now that i have played with them I see their power.

[maffeirw]

Now that it works with the profiles is a very nice addition to the add-ins.

One minor problem I found is that if the Toggle Channel Output is selected and the output column is displayed, when you use your ChannelOutputEditor_v1001 it does not update the column until you access it another way (toggle it off and on, reorder channel outputs or go in and out of the profile)

The other problem I stumbled across and I am not able to reproduce, yet, is that by attaching and detaching multiple test sequences from a profile and reordering the channel using both your add-in and the built in reorder methods, I somehow managed to duplicate map the first 26 channels and was unable to access or remap those channels. I'm not even sure if it was the add-in that allowed me to do this or it's a bug in Vixen, but if I can reproduce it in the future I will let you know.

Thanks again for your work on this.

[Mangrove]

I'm not sure I'm using this correctly. All of my sequences are attached to a profile. I see the add-in and I can make changes using the editor, but I still get an error message stating the sequence is attached to a profile and if you want to change the order, do so in the profile manager. Again, I'm not sure if this is user error or not...

That said, please keep up the great work... I will NEVER take sorting for granted again. It's a colossal pain to reorder all the channels one at a time (I’ve already spent many hours defining multiple sort orders in my profile). This add-in will be AWESOM once I figure out how to use it with profiles. This will save HUGE amounts of time especially for those with large channel counts.

I am the definition of a new user, so if it can work with me, it’ll work with anybody!

[kychristmas]

If you are not, you should be using it from the Add-In menu. It does not replace the old "Reorder Channel Outputs" functionality.


I'm not sure I'm using this correctly. All of my sequences are attached to a profile. I see the add-in and I can make changes using the editor, but I still get an error message stating the sequence is attached to a profile and if you want to change the order, do so in the profile manager. Again, I'm not sure if this is user error or not...

That said, please keep up the great work... I will NEVER take sorting for granted again. It's a colossal pain to reorder all the channels one at a time (I’ve already spent many hours defining multiple sort orders in my profile). This add-in will be AWESOM once I figure out how to use it with profiles. This will save HUGE amounts of time especially for those with large channel counts.

I am the definition of a new user, so if it can work with me, it’ll work with anybody!

[maffeirw]

I'm not sure I'm using this correctly. All of my sequences are attached to a profile. I see the add-in and I can make changes using the editor, but I still get an error message stating the sequence is attached to a profile and if you want to change the order, do so in the profile manager. Again, I'm not sure if this is user error or not...

To elaborate a bit on kychristmas's answer and maybe really confuse you :)

The add-in works on the Channel Output and is used to remap the channel name and sequence information to another controller position. It does not affect the order in which the channels are viewed on the main sequencing screen. To see the mapping of the channel name to the controller channel number, right click the mouse over the channel names and select "toggle channel outputs". This will cause a grey column to the left of the names to appear with the controllers output number that is mapped to each of the channel names displayed. (i.e. 1 in the grey box would indicate that the channel name directly to the right of it is associated with the first port on the first controller connected. If you were using (2) ren24 controllers, 27 in the grey box would indicate that the channel name directly to the right of it is associated with the third port on the second controller connected. etc.)

I believe you are referring to the Channel Order which is used to change the order in which the channel names and sequences are displayed and accessed in the Vixen main screen. (i.e. grouping of all channels of one color or all arche channels in order) The functionality that dpitts built into this Add-in would be great if it could also be built into the Channel Order but, to my knowledge, it is not available at this time. I know that this functionality has been requested of KC in the past and maybe it will be included in Vixen 3.0.

Ron

[kychristmas]

Thanks Ron,
I have mental block about the naming of these functions. Wayne pointed it out before. Sorry for the confusion. I have updated my post above.


To elaborate a bit on kychristmas's answer and maybe really confuse you :)

The add-in works on the Channel Output and is used to remap the channel name and sequence information to another controller position. It does not affect the order in which the channels are viewed on the main sequencing screen. To see the mapping of the channel name to the controller channel number, right click the mouse over the channel names and select "toggle channel outputs". This will cause a grey column to the left of the names to appear with the controllers output number that is mapped to each of the channel names displayed. (i.e. 1 in the grey box would indicate that the channel name directly to the right of it is associated with the first port on the first controller connected. If you were using (2) ren24 controllers, 27 in the grey box would indicate that the channel name directly to the right of it is associated with the third port on the second controller connected. etc.)

I believe you are referring to the Channel Order which is used to change the order in which the channel names and sequences are displayed and accessed in the Vixen main screen. (i.e. grouping of all channels of one color or all arche channels in order) The functionality that dpitts built into this Add-in would be great if it could also be built into the Channel Order but, to my knowledge, it is not available at this time. I know that this functionality has been requested of KC in the past and maybe it will be included in Vixen 3.0.

Ron

[maffeirw]

If you are not, you should be using it from the Add-In menu. It does not replace the old "Reorder Channel Outputs" functionality.

I think you had it right the first time -
The add-in does not replace the Channel Order
It does replace the Channel Output
This is starting to confuse me :)

See Attachment

Ron

[Mangrove]

Ahh, I get it now... again, I'm new with Vixen so this is part of my learning curve. The good news is I was using the add-in like I was supposed to; the bad news is I was expecting it to change the channel ordering on the sequence screen; oops. Now I understand that functionality is not available (sorting/multiple selection seem like very basic functions which is why I thought I was missing something in Vixen) so I will continue to create various channel orders and save them in my profile. Creating new sort orders is not that tough to do but it's VERY time consuming. The good news is, once it’s done, and creating new channel orders makes sequencing much easier.

However when I have the need to change the channel output, this add-in will be VERY helpful but I’m still not sure how to make the channel output changes to apply to my profile.

Dpitts, thanks for creating the add-in, I’m sure it will get used many times and save countless hours. And thanks to everyone else for the patience and teaching a rookie!

[dpitts]

OK. I attempted to add in the ability to change Channel Order as well as Channel Output order. I have attached the new file called Channel Position Tool.

I am still having trouble updating the User interface automatically. In order to refresh the interface properly the user has to click Profiles->Manage->Ok. I am probably using Add-in interface in a manner not designed.

The add-in interface upon executing receives an EventSequence object. I am manipulating this object. The objects I am working with are EventSequence.Profile.Channels, EventSequence.Profile.Sorts, EventSequence.Profile.OutputChannels,
EventSequence.Channels,EventSequence.Sorts and EventSequence.OutputChannels.

I am certain the objects after being edited are reporting back to Vixen the correct values but i have found no way of refreshing UI. If you save immediately after returning from add-in and reopen the sequence all settings are correct.

Although the UI update procedure is a hack to say the least the add-in may still serve a purpose. Suggestions welcomed.

[maffeirw]

OK. I attempted to add in the ability to change Channel Order as well as Channel Output order. I have attached the new file called Channel Position Tool.

I am still having trouble updating the User interface automatically. In order to refresh the interface properly the user has to click Profiles->Manage->Ok. I am probably using Add-in interface in a manner not designed.

The add-in interface upon executing receives an EventSequence object. I am manipulating this object. The objects I am working with are EventSequence.Profile.Channels, EventSequence.Profile.Sorts, EventSequence.Profile.OutputChannels,
EventSequence.Channels,EventSequence.Sorts and EventSequence.OutputChannels.

I am certain the objects after being edited are reporting back to Vixen the correct values but i have found no way of refreshing UI. If you save immediately after returning from add-in and reopen the sequence all settings are correct.

Although the UI update procedure is a hack to say the least the add-in may still serve a purpose. Suggestions welcomed.

I’m not sure if you have decided to stop work on this add-in, it word be a shame if you have, but while trying out the ChannelPositionTool, I noticed that, when called, the Channel Order side displayed

"You need the create and apply a channel order to either this sequence or in an attached profile"

This occurs in sequences both with and without associated profiles and with multiple channel orders defined. The channel output side seems to work the same as it does in the stand alone version.

Ron

[dpitts]

Ron before you call it up have you selected a defined channel order with the combo box right above thesequence data?

[maffeirw]

I thought I had, but I might have created new Channel Orders after I had already opened the channelpositiontool. I now show the channelpositiontool screen as it should be when I'm trying it on an existing order (one before I initially opened the add-in) but still get the same ""You need the create and apply a channel order to either this sequence or in an attached profile" and I am not getting the UI to update with the channel order changes I made through your add-in. I'll play with it more tomorrow and try to document when what happens, to try and give you something to go on. I think this add-in will be a nice addition to Vixen, especially the channel order functionality, if you can get it working predictably. Thanks
Ron