DMX fading response

[-klb-]

I fit in the category of not having tested everything that completely yet. I have three Chinese IP-44 LED light bars, and have done ramps and color cross fades on them with no noticeable issues. The only thing I have seen that I consider odd, is that while the iDMX is off, there is an occasional white blink from one of the units...

It does sound like the iDMX does have a longer pause between frames than most DMX controllers, so it is possible that the misbehaving fixtures have some sort of software bug when the frames are so far apart...

- Kevin

[Greg Young]

Charles Belcher wrote:

Everyone,

I just finished bench testing one of my iDMX-1000 units set to ID# 10. I did the following tests:

1) Powered the unit with a external power supply
2) Used a hard lighting console, the HWU and a program via the sequence editor for testing
3) I came out of the iDMX-1000 into a DMX test unit which records channel activity
4) The lighting console, the HWU and the program sequence gave the same results.
5) Whether I changed value on one channel or a series of channels simultaneously, no unintended channels changed value.
6) Included in the test were constant value changes, twinkle and shimmer.

So, the conclusion for me is that this particular iDMX1000 set at an ID #10 worked correctly.

I wish I could offer more, but it is what it is.

Charles

Thanks Charles:

What you describe seems to confirm there may be a compatibility problem between the Chauvet products I have (the COLORstrips) and the IDMX1000.

As I mentioned earlier, I also got the same (untoward results) using either the HWU or a programmed sequence (which is why I thought it was the IDMX unit itself, not the LOR software) in contrast to a good result using a lighting console (DMX control board) my theater technician buddy has.

When I received the replacement IDMX1000, and the pattern was different (in fact just about the opposite patterns of errors) it seemed to confirm that, as nothing else had changed on my end.

The only difference in my setup, from what you described above, was that I was powering my IDMX1000 directly off the LOR USB 485B unit, and I did not use a separate power supply, but I doubt that would have contributed...

Dan mentioned to me that DMX has relaxed requirements for timing and not every DMX fixture follows the exact rules. A DMX console could have slightly different timing and the fixture would work fine with it it, but not with the timing coming from the IDMX1000.

Apparently some fixtures require a minimum frame size that is not a DMX requirement. For example, they might not work with small frames even though DMX says they should.

Dan will be testing a COLORstrip with the IDMX1000, and hopefully we can figure out a solution, as I have 3 of these babies.

As soon as Dan comes up with something I will let everyone know!

Thanks for taking the time to do the testing Charles!

Greg

[Greg Young]

-klb- wrote:

I fit in the category of not having tested everything that completely yet. I have three Chinese IP-44 LED light bars, and have done ramps and color cross fades on them with no noticeable issues. The only thing I have seen that I consider odd, is that while the iDMX is off, there is an occasional white blink from one of the units...

It does sound like the iDMX does have a longer pause between frames than most DMX controllers, so it is possible that the misbehaving fixtures have some sort of software bug when the frames are so far apart...

- Kevin

Hi Kevin:

I just caught your note, after I posted my reply to Charles. What you are describing as far as timing seems to fit with what Dan was saying.

Sounds like the problem is being identified.

That's half the battle. The second half (and hopefully the easier half;)) is the solution..

Thanks!

Greg

[LightORamaDan]

We have received delivery of one of the LED color strips. We will start testing ASAP.

Dan

[WayneKremer]

Any update to this? I'm wondering if any progress has been made. Thx!

[Greg Young]

I haven't heard back from Dan on this yet. Last we chatted it sounded to him like it was a timing issue.

Greg

[-klb-]

Also, to date, I do not remember seeing reports with any other fixture. The Wiedamark Colorbar 19's do not appear to exhibit this behavior.


- Kevin

[Greg Young]

-klb- wrote:

Also, to date, I do not remember seeing reports with any other fixture. The Wiedamark Colorbar 19's do not appear to exhibit this behavior.


- Kevin

That's good to know.

My high school AV guy told me he could use more COLORstrips, and is willing to purchase 2 of mine (for a little less than I paid for them), so I probably will sell him 2, which leaves me with only one.

If we find that doesn't work after Dan is done with his investigation, it will be easier to sell only one (as opposed to all 3).

Next time I will move a little slower on DMX purchases for LOR!!

Along those lines, maybe we should start a thread here in the DMX section, of products that folks have found to work with LOR without issue, as well as those that have some issues.

That might help a lot of folks out, and save others from purchasing items that have compatibility issues...

Greg

[Dr. Jones]

Greg - That sounds like a good idea

I have several devices that work well with LOR

[Charles Belcher]

I have personally used the following DMX devices with LOR software in conjunction with the iDMX-1000 without a problem:

High End F-100 fog machine
American DJ S200 snow machine
Chauvet SM150x snow machine
Blue Point Engineering DC motor controller
High End Studio Color 575 automated moving yoke fixture
High End Studio Spot 575 automated moving yoke fixture
High End Studio Spot 250 automated moving yoke fixture
High End Technobeam automated moving mirror fixture
Martin Mac 300 automated moving yoke fixture
Martin StageBar54 LED color wash
Elation X-Curtain LED tube lights
Martin Maxedia Media Server
Chauvet LRG55 laser
Chauvet Colorado 3 LED wash lights
Pathways Interconnect DMX Manager
Color Kinetics Color Blast 12
Martin DMX Splitter

The one problem I had today was SQUIRRELS.



Charles




Attached files

[Texan78]

I have seen all that Charles listed ether last year or this year in a sneak preview talking with him one day so it indeed works with iDMX.

Charles have you started your DMX programming? I would like to see how you do it if you haven't done it yet.

[Charles Belcher]

Nick,

This weekend I will be flipping my days and nights and working with the laptop from a table in the front yard beginning around 9:00pm or 10:00pm until 3:00-4:00am.

Programming automated fixtures is just fades and intensities; turning the dimmer up or down and the shutter on or off. No biggie.

Charles

[Texan78]

I have never seen how DXM works with LOR II yet since that is the one thing I have not messed with and need to do. Hopefully I can try to do some sort of display this year and not scratch it all together. If I can I would atleast like to add my color wash with my bushes, mega tree, and mini trees with the projection since I at least have that done. I know it would be better to wait until I can get it all together but it is hard to just wait a year when I have done so much for this year.

[-klb-]

Until the native DMX support is out, it looks exactly like programming a block of 16 standard LOR controllers. Anything new to learn is just remembering to count out the channel associations, and any requirements of the DMX fixtures. I don't expect that native DMX will change things that much...

If you only have one iDMX, leave it at the default E0 base address, and it extends through EF. The first 16 DMX channels are, of course the 16 channels on "LOR" controller E0. DMX channel 17 is channel 1 of "LOR" controller E1.

The wall washers I am using are 5 channel devices, so I am aligning three of them per LOR address to make things a bit simpler... The DMX addresses I assign to the fixtures gets offset this way, but the addressing within the LOR controller number is nice and consistent. The DMX fixtures get assigned as 1,6,11,17,22,27,33,38,43,49,54,59,65,70, & 75. But this leaves Red as always LOR channel 1,6, or 11, out of 5 different controller ID's, and just offset up each for the Green, Blue, Dimmer, and strobe channels.

As for an example of things to learn with the fixtures, this particular layout requires that you have non zero values on at least two channels in order to get any light out of it. You can do whatever you want on RGB, but if Dim is set to zero, no light is produced. But this is kind of nice, in that you can just set values on RGB for the color you want, and just fade the dim channel to fade up or down... It saves having to have two different ramps to fade in/out orange for example, and this saves on the 64 intelligent channels on the iDMX...

- Kevin

[Texan78]

Well I also have moving yoke fixtures as well. I would like to see how those are done too. So if you want lets say your colorwash on red then you would just turn on I.E. channel 1, then place it where you want it in the time line?

I am familiar with DMX and setting up, running them etc in a live setting, just not in a LOR setting so it is a little new. It sounds a little overwhelming but I am sure once I see it I will probably go DOAH.

[-klb-]

On my fixtures, to get red, I would go into the channels for red, and dim, and put in values, including any fades, or intensities that I want, and I would get red light.. (Dim is sort of misnamed on these fixtures. 0 is off, 100% (255) is full on) So controller E0, channel 1 to 100%, and E0, chan 4 to 100% gives me full red output on the first colorbar. Channels 6 and 9 would do the same for the second colorbar..

Setting a time range with E0, chan 1 at 100%, E0, chan 2 at 20% (steady intensities) and then ramping E0, chanel 4 from 0 to 100 results in a fade from off to 100% orange...

For moving yoke fixtures, in the associated LOR sequencing channel, typically 0% brightness is all the way to one end of motion, and 100% is the other, with 50% brightness being about centered. This is one place where native DMX will help, in that currently, you only have access to 100 unevenly spaced steps. Once native DMX is set up, you will have all 255 native positions..

[Texan78]

I am lost, sorry...LoL Without seeing it on screen I am not sure what you are talking about. I know DMX channels but I am having a hard time incorporating what you are saying on LOR. All I have done up to this point is just place a simple block to turn on or off a light in the timming marks for the Christmas lights. I haven't hooked my DMX up since I got them.

[-klb-]

I think you are trying to make it more difficult than it is...

Here is part of my channel properties from one of my Halloween sequences...



Here is a little of the sequencing for 4 of the channels on one of those LED light bars... It flashes orange light 4 times, then ramps from zero light out, to full orange...

[Texan78]

Ok that makes more sense now, thanks...

[Texan78]

Ok so I know I am understanding this correctly. I have LED colorwash fixtures that are 4 channels, Strobe / Dimmer, Red, Blue, Green. So for each fixture I need to set up each effect with it's own channel in S2 if I am seeing that correctly from your screenshot. Is that right?

One other thing, how are you knowing what the color values are and how are those addressed within the sequencing? That is what is has me puzzled. Are you setting these in the HWU? I have tried but every time I do it crashes and closes.