Vixen 3.0 Introduction Series - Part 2

[budude]

I assume that with all the new plug-in development required that there is someone to at least ensure the 3-4 most used plug-ins - Renard, DMX, DMX Pro and AP have a name on them for development?

[ctmal]

Does this mean if I use rs485 instead of rs232 I can move my washer all the way out to the shed? How about if I increase the baud rate, will everything get done faster?

Sorry, couldn't resist. 3.0 sounds awesome, I can't wait. Thanks to all involved.

[dirknerkle]

How about if I increase the baud rate, will everything get done faster?

That's the spin cycle. :smile:

[BF210]

I didn't see anyone mention this amid all the laundry discussion, so...
Does the new channel/effect concept mean it will be easier to share sequences, as it will no longer matter how many segments are in an arch or megatree? I can also see how splitting design and patching makes it hard to convert the old grid-based sequences. What about RGB v. RGBW fixtures?

[sallz0r]

Does the new channel/effect concept mean it will be easier to share sequences, as it will no longer matter how many segments are in an arch or megatree? I can also see how splitting design and patching makes it hard to convert the old grid-based sequences.

Yes, it makes it a bit trickier to go from one display to another, but it will also be better (for the exact reason you describe). We can move from one megatree to another, and the effects should be recomputed and save the user a lot of work.

But to actually *get* there is another problem -- I believe KC has thought about ways to do it. There might be something like a way to export your sequences for someone else, or a wizard to open other people's sequences and "translate" from channels from one display to another. (all speculation for now, though.)

What about RGB v. RGBW fixtures?

Good question. Next week we'll discuss something that clarifies it a bit more for you, hopefully it will make life a lot easier. :-)

(question for you though -- do you have any examples of the way RGBW things are used? Eg. videos showing the effects they are used with, etc.?)

[erm213]

(question for you though -- do you have any examples of the way RGBW things are used? Eg. videos showing the effects they are used with, etc.?)

Typically the RGBW are some sort or flood lights. They are generally, but not exclusively used for wall washing, or lighting up display elements.

Erik

[BF210]

Typically the RGBW are some sort or flood lights. They are generally, but not exclusively used for wall washing, or lighting up display elements.

Exactly. The Rainbow Flood is RGB only, while the MightyMini is RGBW. Frank's Super Strips are typically RGBW, although I believe some have populated them as RGB+UV for special effects. Automatically mapping the color space between them is non-trivial, though certainly possible.
May be jumping the gun here, but if a color could be an Effect, then applying "light blue 40%" to channel Left Wall should work regardless of the fixture in use.

[sallz0r]

Exactly. The Rainbow Flood is RGB only, while the MightyMini is RGBW. Frank's Super Strips are typically RGBW, although I believe some have populated them as RGB+UV for special effects. Automatically mapping the color space between them is non-trivial, though certainly possible.

Interesting. Do you have any info about the mapping, or do you know of anywhere that it's been done? That's the part I'm trying to consider now; how to best model a display, and how it would make sense for it to work with different colored channels (RGBs, RGBWs, etc...)

I just want to make sure that we can do something that "makes sense", although I realize it might not be one-size-fits all.

[intwoit2002]

I would just like to say thanks to KC and the valuable people working with him. Vixen makes this whole thing happen for me and I can't wait.

Thanks so much.
Al

[mschell]

I'm glad to see the separation between channel and controller. The patching concept is fairly widely used, especially in stage lighting, but also in things like LSP, to make the division between logical and physical.

Will one to many mapping be possible?

And will there be "virtual controllers" or something to that effect so that you can combine different physical channels into different groups, possibly overlapping?

It will be neat to see how the "effects" are generated and how they can be applied to different types of channels or "fixtures" or whatever.