Preview's

[pjpilker]

Sorry I am so full of questions.  Good thing I started learning now.  Never would have made it for Christmas otherwise.    OK here we go.   I plan on buying the CMB dumb controller so I can light up my windows and maybe a few other things.  Don't want to get into the pixel thing yet. I am going to run a mini director.  Anyway  when I build my preview I have tried adding the 3 regular controllers and the dumb controller and the channels show up as little stars across the top of the preview.  When I try to change these to my props or try to draw one I just get channel conflicts.  I've tried everything I can think of and can't fix it.   Next I tried just drawing without adding the controllers and that seems to work.  No conflicts. I guess my question will be how will the software no if it's a dumb controller or a regular ac controller if I don't tell it?  Not sure what I'm doing.

Thanks 

PJ

[Jimehc]

Double click on the Star - and "Modify" the Prop - turn the Star into a "Shape" .. The Star represents a Channel - thus turning that Star into a Display Prop in your Preview and that Prop being assigned to that Channel... Hope that did not confuse you to much..

Edited May 8, 2021 by Jimehc

[PhilMassey]

Just to expand. When you double click on the star, in Preview, the Prop Definition window will open. In the center you can change the shape from the dropdown list with many choices to play with. This includes things like Window Frames, which you might choose for some of your RGB channels. 

[pjpilker]

This is what happens when I change the shape.

[Jimehc]

If you also have another Controller in your Preview - then you need to Change the Unit ID of one of the controllers to 02, or something other then the default Unit ID 01

Edited May 8, 2021 by Jimehc

[pjpilker]

I have all 4 of the units named different.   Unit 1, Unit 2 etc.  It just keeps saying they are using the same channel.  But doing the rgb thing makes it use 3 channels.  I am getting a headache. LOL  in the picture I posted.  I don't know what to do about it.   Do I have to add the controllers or can I just draw and set things and name the channels appropriately.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by pjpilker

[PhilMassey]

Your CMB 24 uses one LOR ID, set using the dip switches on the board. If your three AC controllers are 1,2 and 3, then the CMB needs to be 4. At the moment you have a conflict.

The 24 channels of the CMB can be used as 24 individual channels for non RGB DC devices, or 8 RGB Devices which use 3 channels for each string, or prop.

For example.

Chan 1  Window Red

Chan 2 Window Green

Chan 3 Window Blue.

Chan 4 Prop 2 Red

Chan 5 Prop 2 Green

Chan 6 Prop 2 Blue

and so on up to chan 24

Window Prop will be set up in the Prop definition as.

Dumb RGB

RGB Nodes 1

Device type LOR

Network and ID, then start and end circuit of 01 and 03

 

The next prop will use start and end circuits of 04 and 06

The next prop will use 07 and 09

and so on up to 24

 

 

[pjpilker]

I understand all that. The naming units different names. It only happens when I load them darn stars.  So I am trying in manually and not having a problem

 

[PhilMassey]

What do you mean by "loading stars" There is nothing to load.

[PhilMassey]

Try this prop def setting.

Then adjust the size of the prop in the bottom left of the Preview until it looks right

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6woxx134tv4019d/Propdef 1.jpg?dl=0

[pjpilker]

These stars.  LOL  I try to use that screen capture but it doesn't seem to work.  I got to new preview.  Add a controller and then all the stars show up in the preview.  If I don't do that I seem to be able to get things working. If I can ever get a pic I will load it.

 

 

[Jimehc]

Normally we add the Prop and assign the controller ID - no need to add a "Controller" - as we assign the prop to the controller

If you are going to assign the prop to a controller yourself - then do not add the "Controller"

Edited May 8, 2021 by Jimehc

[k6ccc]

Same here.  I never add controllers.  I add props and assign channels to the props.

 

[pjpilker]

OK thanks all.  That's what I'm doing and it seems to work. I just thought you were suppose to add the controller.  Now I know better.  LOL That's why we are called newbies. Thanks again.

PJ

[k6ccc]

You CAN add controllers, but there is no need to, and for the most part (especially in S5), it is easier to add Props rather than controllers.  This is particularly true if a prop either has more than one controller, or one controller has more than one prop.