G3-MP3 Interactive Triggers help....

[coasterbp]

Hi. I'm used to using a PC to control my shows and my interactive elements.

 

I've been contracted to program and install a museum piece. I'm using a PLC to control the moving bits and parts and I want to use the PLC to trigger the different lighting sequences. I'm using a G3-MP3 to store and direct the other controllers.

 

I've used interactive triggers on regular PC driven shows, but I haven't used a director before. I've read through the documentation in regards to setting up a show with interactive triggers. I've tried looking at the Hardware Utility and I see where I can assign the different inputs. But when I click on input 1 and put Sequence 1 in the playlist and then click on input 2, it keeps Sequence 1 in the playlist... am I assigning these wrong?

 

Basically, this is what I need to have happen:

 

Trigger 1 - plays Sequence 1

Trigger 2 - plays Sequence 2

Trigger 3 - plays Sequence 3

 

and so on....

 

Do I have to make each sequence its' on Show?

 

Thanks.

 

-=CoasterBP

[Don]

But when I click on input 1 and put Sequence 1 in the playlist and then click on input 2, it keeps Sequence 1 in the playlist... am I assigning these wrong?

 

Basically, this is what I need to have happen:

 

Trigger 1 - plays Sequence 1

Trigger 2 - plays Sequence 2

Trigger 3 - plays Sequence 3

 

and so on....

 

Do I have to make each sequence its' on Show?

 

Thanks.

 

-=CoasterBP

 

If memory serves, that's what you are going to have to do.

 

Schedule a 'show' to run when triggered. That show would have only one song in it. Have it play through showlist one time only. 

Schedule the other shows with the other songs, to start on a different trigger input. Save each show to the MP3 with "Show01" "Show02" etc.

[coasterbp]

So basically I have to "Create a Show" for each assignable trigger, download it to the card, create the next show, download it to the card... Seems a little tedious, but i guess I will give it a shot.

 

Thanks, Don!

 

-=CoasterBP

[Vince4xmas]

I have a G3-MP3 with 5 shows I want to play. I also have the Input trigger board plugged into the MP3 with 5 pushbuttons. I want the 5 shows to continuously loop unless one of the pushbuttons is pressed. If button 1 is pressed it interrupts show playing and plays show 1, if button 2 is pressed it interrupts show playing and plays show 2, etc. One pushbutton selected show is played completely, the original 5 show continuous loop begins again.

 

I see now way to do this using the Hardware Utility. You can either run a continuous loop of songs OR trigger them. You can't do both.

 

I believe there must be a way to do this. If not, I just wasted money on the input trigger board, pushbuttons and enclosure as well as time trying to figure this out.

 

Any assistance is much appreciated!  Thanks!

[Orville]

If you're trying to use a Director to run multiple shows at the same time, it can't be done.  One show will have to finish {if memory serve me right} before the next one starts, or if the second button is pressed, show01, show03, show04 or show05, whichever show is running is cancelled and the show that was triggered will start {again if memory serves}, can't have more than 1 show operating at a time from a Director units triggered inputs

 

I used to run my show from a Director and just don't recall being able to do what you're trying or seem to be attempting to do with it.  Even with a PC you still couldn't run multiple shows at the same time, the scheduler won't allow it and will error with a conflict.   

 

As it sounds like you want all 5 {different} shows to run at the same time, just not possible with one Director, you'd actually need 1 Director unit for each show and trigger if you want all 5 shows to run concurrently, as the Directors can only run shows sequentially to my knowledge of them.  So for what you'd want to do would require 5 Director units.  Providing I am understanding what you're wanting to do.

 

The only way I know to run a triggered show during a regular show that does not get interrupted is you can run a music al sequence and an animation sequence at the same time, with only the animation sequence being triggered while the show sequences continue to run continuously.

 

Other than that, I know of no other way to do what you're trying to do with only a single Director unit. 

[plasmadrive]

I have a G3-MP3 with 5 shows I want to play. I also have the Input trigger board plugged into the MP3 with 5 pushbuttons. I want the 5 shows to continuously loop unless one of the pushbuttons is pressed. If button 1 is pressed it interrupts show playing and plays show 1, if button 2 is pressed it interrupts show playing and plays show 2, etc. One pushbutton selected show is played completely, the original 5 show continuous loop begins again.

 

I see now way to do this using the Hardware Utility. You can either run a continuous loop of songs OR trigger them. You can't do both.

 

I believe there must be a way to do this. If not, I just wasted money on the input trigger board, pushbuttons and enclosure as well as time trying to figure this out.

 

Any assistance is much appreciated!  Thanks!

I hate to disagree with Orville, but I do. 

 

I just did a commercial job with an MP3/g3 Director and you can run a loop of background shows (your 5 shows) that will play until either the time is up by the timer, or a trigger input happens.  When you trigger a show, that show will play until either it ends or you activate another trigger.  Triggers are immediate.  They do not wait for the end of anything.  Keep that in mind. 

 

So when your triggered show is complete it will revert back to the background show (your 5 shows) and it will start at the beginning.

 

Some things to watch out for.  Don't put a triggered show into a loop or it will never stop.

 

There is also one thing to watch out for.. for some reason when you go to save the triggered shows, you will need to hit "Create Show"... let it pop up and then look out for what show it says it is saving.  I had to close that window the first time every time and reopen it in order for the correct trigger to be saved. (I sent a ticket to LOR about that but don't know if they fixed it).

 

So the bottom line is that is sounds like the Director will do what you want. 

 

Craig

[Orville]

Like stated Craig, "if memory serves", I used the older G2 MP3 Director, it won't do it.   I haven't had the opportunity to buy a new G3 MP3 Director, but going by what I could recall from reading about it.   So it sounds like the newer G3 MP3 Director has quite a few more options that maybe could not have been done with an older Director {which is what my main experience was with}.  Quit using it last year when it went belly up, fortunately it did that BEFORE I started my actual display operation, so switched over to using a PC after that.

 

I need to find what I did with it and send it back to LOR to see if it could be repaired, funny thing is HWU finds it fine, but it run anything from the SD Card when inserted, no LED's change, nothing, it's like it's not even seeing the SD Card when it's inserted.   I can change the time on it, just can't make it read any of the SD Cards I was using, and they all work fine {SD Cards} in my camera and card readers, just not my DC-MP3 Director.   And yes, tried cleaning the contacts, checking to see if any were bent or touching, everything was fine, just refuses to read ANY SD card I insert in it.

 

But glad you chimed in to correct what I thought was true of all the Director units, good to know the G3 is actually capable of this, but that's just "animation sequences" isn't it?   I'm still not sure you can do it with "musical sequences" like what you described, can you?

[plasmadrive]

Like stated Craig, "if memory serves", I used the older G2 MP3 Director, it won't do it.   I haven't had the opportunity to buy a new G3 MP3 Director, but going by what I could recall from reading about it.   So it sounds like the newer G3 MP3 Director has quite a few more options that maybe could not have been done with an older Director {which is what my main experience was with}.  Quit using it last year when it went belly up, fortunately it did that BEFORE I started my actual display operation, so switched over to using a PC after that.

 

I need to find what I did with it and send it back to LOR to see if it could be repaired, funny thing is HWU finds it fine, but it run anything from the SD Card when inserted, no LED's change, nothing, it's like it's not even seeing the SD Card when it's inserted.   I can change the time on it, just can't make it read any of the SD Cards I was using, and they all work fine {SD Cards} in my camera and card readers, just not my DC-MP3 Director.   And yes, tried cleaning the contacts, checking to see if any were bent or touching, everything was fine, just refuses to read ANY SD card I insert in it.

 

But glad you chimed in to correct what I thought was true of all the Director units, good to know the G3 is actually capable of this, but that's just "animation sequences" isn't it?   I'm still not sure you can do it with "musical sequences" like what you described, can you?

Hey Orville.. In my case these days.. "if Memory Services" is a common occurrence!   ha ha..

 

The new Directors seem pretty good over all.  They will also do two 500k networks as well.  Once I got the hang of how they worked, it was pretty straight forward..  I have never used one of the old Directors so I have no reference points to compare from.

 

As for "just animation sequences".. I am not sure, now that you mention it.  I did not do any music sequences.. So CoasterBP, Take my input cautiously.  I have not done any musical shows with the director at all.... Good catch Orville! 

 

Craig

[Orville]

Craig, that was my concern with what he's trying to do, if musical I do believe it won't work with a Director, heck, won't even work with a PC, I've tried to do it on the PC and get errors with "Show conflicts with another shows time" or some such error, and the DC-MP3 Director can't do it at all, the PC there may be a possible way to do it, but I haven't succeeded in doing it, each show has to run on its own without another one running, unless it's a background animation sequence, then you still only have 2 shows operating, the background animation and the foreground musical sequence.   That's the only way I've been able to do it.   So if they want 5 shows running at the same time, just don't think that can happen.

 

If it can be done, I'm sure one of the LOR Folk, like Dan Baldwin will chime in here and give us the scoop on how to do it, again, if it's even possible.  Me, I don't think it is without multiple computers or director units.

[Vince4xmas]

I did get it to work (with some assistance from LOR Help Desk). Made (Show 9) 5 sequences playing in a loop. Then added a separate show (Show 1 - Show 5) assigned to a single sequence and single trigger (did this 5 times with different sequence and trigger). Had to save each of these SEPARATELY to the SD card. Works like a charm.

 

Thanks

[plasmadrive]

Craig, that was my concern with what he's trying to do, if musical I do believe it won't work with a Director, heck, won't even work with a PC, I've tried to do it on the PC and get errors with "Show conflicts with another shows time" or some such error, and the DC-MP3 Director can't do it at all, the PC there may be a possible way to do it, but I haven't succeeded in doing it, each show has to run on its own without another one running, unless it's a background animation sequence, then you still only have 2 shows operating, the background animation and the foreground musical sequence.   That's the only way I've been able to do it.   So if they want 5 shows running at the same time, just don't think that can happen.

 

If it can be done, I'm sure one of the LOR Folk, like Dan Baldwin will chime in here and give us the scoop on how to do it, again, if it's even possible.  Me, I don't think it is without multiple computers or director units.

Hey Orville,  I don't think he meant 5 shows at one time.. but rather a 5 sequence show..  

[Orville]

I did get it to work (with some assistance from LOR Help Desk). Made (Show 9) 5 sequences playing in a loop. Then added a separate show (Show 1 - Show 5) assigned to a single sequence and single trigger (did this 5 times with different sequence and trigger). Had to save each of these SEPARATELY to the SD card. Works like a charm.

 

Thanks

 

Glad to hear you got it worked out!   LOR support is awesome.

 

And now the rest of us know too!   Learned something new, thanks!

[Vince4xmas]

Yep. My error. 5 sequence show.