Amie Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I was asked to design a lighting sequence for 8 trees behind a stage to a song played at the end of an outdoor community play...no big deal. I have a showtime minidirector, so I figured I would add a switch that could be hit when it was time for the song to play. The mini-director would just have to be hooked into the sound system.Come to find out, they also want a few other things throughout the middle of the show, ie. the trees in the back to 'flicker for just a second' when a person says a certain line in the script, or have a certain tree's trunk light up when an actor is talking about the growth of the tree, then make the tree 'grow' as he talks.This is a little more complicated than just a song and it is dependent on the script. Can someone help me implement this? I can have a laptop connected instead of the mini-director, but I still don't know how I would do it.Thanks,Amie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBullard Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 If only 3 effects, the mini-director can handle 3 input triggers. Just make your sequences, music or silent, and assign the triggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHolmes Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 If more than three effects, however, here is what I suggest:Get a laptop and run the entire thing from your computer.Figure out what they need and re-name them the CUE numbers they give you.Because most of them are non-musical animation, open them all up in the sequence editorThen, when you're on headset, they'll say "ready cue XX," that's when you right click and hover the "play" button (the play single, not play all).Then the stage manager will call the cue and you hit play.Just keep your computer muted incase you make a mistake until the musical number (don't want a Windows "DONG" to go off during the show). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmoore60 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 You can also use triggers with a laptop. If you had more than one controller. you get 3 inputs per controller. There is one of the director cards that will do as many as 6 inputs.Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 cmoore60 wrote: You can also use triggers with a laptop. If you had more than one controller. you get 3 inputs per controller.This is only true for some of the controllers...you only get two inputs on the CTB16PC and CTB16K.Connect up to 3 inputs to your CTB16 based controller. Use of inputs requires version 2.1.2 or higher of the Light-O-Rama S2 Software Suite.Will work with any CTB16 based controller which has a 18 pin header. This includes later models of CTB16D, CTB16K, CTB16KD, CTB16PC, LOR1600W, LOR1602W and LOR1602MP3.Check that your contorller has the 18 pin header (to the right of where the CAT5 cables plug in).Provides connections for +5, +10, Gnd and 3 Inputs. Input-1 cannot be used on CTB16PC and CTB16K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Young Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 jimswinder wrote: cmoore60 wrote: You can also use triggers with a laptop. If you had more than one controller. you get 3 inputs per controller.This is only true for some of the controllers...you only get two inputs on the CTB16PC and CTB16K.Connect up to 3 inputs to your CTB16 based controller. Use of inputs requires version 2.1.2 or higher of the Light-O-Rama S2 Software Suite.Will work with any CTB16 based controller which has a 18 pin header. This includes later models of CTB16D, CTB16K, CTB16KD, CTB16PC, LOR1600W, LOR1602W and LOR1602MP3.Check that your contorller has the 18 pin header (to the right of where the CAT5 cables plug in).Provides connections for +5, +10, Gnd and 3 Inputs. Input-1 cannot be used on CTB16PC and CTB16K.Ah yes, but you get 6 inputs with a mp3 director/player! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amie Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 Okay, this is awesome information, you guys have given me a lot to work with. I didn't realize that the controller themselves accepted inputs. Plus, I didn't know that I could run the show from my laptop either. That may be the most simple option. Thanks for the advice about the sound, I'll mute the computer tones as well.This is when I really wish that LOR would put a PAUSE feature in their Sequence Editor play utility. I am going to have to figure out how to keep one section of lights on from the first cue, as it goes into the next. Can you play 2 shows at once? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Amie wrote: This is when I really wish that LOR would put a PAUSE feature in their Sequence Editor play utility. I am going to have to figure out how to keep one section of lights on from the first cue, as it goes into the next. Can you play 2 shows at once?You can pause the Editor by using the space bar...if you highlight the first cell, you can then start and stop using the space bar.Nope...can't play two show simultaneously...but you can load more than one show... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amie Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 Fantastic...all these tricks I never knew. Thanks everyone for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amie Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 I am close to having this figured out. I have my sequences all programmed, I have LOR installed on a laptop and connected to the LOR boxes. I can get the lights working using the hardware utility, so I know that I am connected. But when I play a sequence in the LOR Sequence Editor, it doesn't light up the lights. Is there a trick to having the Sequence Editor control the show? I've always just used the Schedule Editor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisquit476 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Do you have "control lights" in the play menu checked? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTechLights Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 First, you can only have one application "controlling" the communications port on the computer or the controller. Check to make sure Hardware Utility or Control Panel aren't active and have the comm port in use. In this case the only LOR software that should be running or accessing the comm port for LOR should be Sequence Editor. In Sequence Editor make sure that you have told Sequence Editor to actually control the lights and LOR controller(s).... goto Play menu and make sure Control Lights is checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmoore60 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 In addition. When you constructed your sequence. Did you assign the software channels to the hardware channels?Never hurts to cover all the bases.Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amie Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 Again, you guys have come through for me, thank you! I didn't know that I couldn't have the Control Panel running, I thought I had to. It was the only thing keeping the light blinking on the controller, UNTIL I toggled the 'Control Lights' in the Sequence Editor. This stuff is written down somewhere, right?I've learned more this week than I have in the past 5 years. Maybe I can advance out of the beginner's arena in the new few years and move into the 'know just enough to be dangerous' stage.Okay....one FINAL thing, I hope. The pause. It isn't going to work because when I hit the space bar to pause, the lights go out completely until I hit the space bar again. I need them to stay on.Here's the situation...in the play, the person is talking about a tree. He talks about the roots, then the trunk and then the branches and leaves. When he talks about the roots, the roots lights up. When he talks about the trunk, the trunk lights up, and the roots stay on. When he talks about the branches and leaves, they turn on, while the roots and trunk stay on.This would be a pretty simple concept if they were simply hooked up to a regular stage production on-off switch, but they aren't. Plus, since the tree is a major part of a song in the show, the branches are composed of 24 channels, trunk has 6 channels and roots have 6 channels.The sequence is easy enough to write, it is the execution that is the issue. I am going to play around with triggers today, now that everything else working, and see if there is something that can work there.I am sure you are getting tired of me, but any advice is appreciated. Thank you so much for getting me through this, I never would have made it this far without your help.Here's the sequence that I programmed for the main song, if anyone is bored and curious what I'm working on. The main tree will be on stage, the large trees are about 100 feet tall and surround the stage. It still needs some tweeking. I used Twinkle when I should have used Shimmer, stuff like that.ShineOn LOR Video Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Amie wrote: Okay....one FINAL thing, I hope. The pause. It isn't going to work because when I hit the space bar to pause, the lights go out completely until I hit the space bar again. I need them to stay on.The sequence is easy enough to write, it is the execution that is the issue. I am going to play around with triggers today, now that everything else working, and see if there is something that can work there.I am sure you are getting tired of me, but any advice is appreciated. Thank you so much for getting me through this, I never would have made it this far without your help.I think you answered your own question...sounds like Triggers are your answer...IF you only need 2 or 3 triggers...since that is all you can have PER controller (depending on your controller) as stated earlier...and we'll never get tired of questions...least I won't!!unless you take my job of asking the same ones over and over and over again!! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amie Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 Yes, I agree, I think triggers are my only option. Too bad I don't have any on my boards. I guess I need to have LOR overnight the CTB16 for me?Almost all of my controllers are CTB16PC's and most, I think are V2.I have the Showtime Mini Director with MP3, but could I have that plugged in as well as the computer? I know it was designed to be a standalone. I still need to be able to control the tree with the computer so I can start the song with the Sequence Editor.Have a mentioned that I can't wait until this is over? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Amie wrote: Have a mentioned that I can't wait until this is over?Ahhh...but once you have figured out triggers, then you will want to incorporate them into your Christmas display...It is NEVER over....the fat Lady NEVER sings in the mighty and sacred halls of LOR... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amie Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 jimswinder wrote:Ahhh...but once you have figured out triggers, then you will want to incorporate them into your Christmas display...It is NEVER over....the fat Lady NEVER sings in the mighty and sacred halls of LOR...Well, yeah...that was implied. ;-) I am just a little nervous having over 1500 people sitting there, waiting for me to hit the right button. It's a one-time shot, then it's over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Amie wrote: It's a one-time shot, then it's over.sounds like my...well...never mind... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amie Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 I'd ask, but I am not sure I want to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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