kgallen

Hi Amy, See attached. I've set ch 3 and 4 as Beamshape parameters so you can have a play to see what they do. As I think this is for your Illusion, I've set wheels for each C/B parameter. Do you know about the Fixture Editor tools? Load this one up and have a look, then you'll be able to create any new ones you need really easily. http://zero88.com/support/index.php?/de/Knowledgebase/Article/View/49/0/zero-88-fixture-tools---version-26 Good luck! Kevin partypar7ch.ift

I was working through the 7.9.1 User Manual recently released and thought I'd give the effects engine another try with some RGBW/RGBAW LED fixtures, from a fresh install of 7.9.1. I triggered the Effects window "Auto generate palettes" and was playing with the Step-On Red palette. Playing with this "live". I got the red come on, then it went blue then magenta then back to red which faded out. I looked in the DMX output window and the red was at 128, then the blue came on at 68 then went to 1. The intensity channel was doing the step on then fade out as expected. Nope, didn't solve it, no change (I used Shift+Z to enter Blind, then Z to exit). Nope, didn't solve it either. In fact made it worse. I recorded to PB1 then Cleared down the programmer. Then pushed up PB1 fader. Effect started but the garbage states (blue, magenta) were even more pronounced. I'm going to try again now, but I'm sorry my conclusions so far from various playing with RGB fixtures and the Effects engine is that it is unusable and not fit for purpose. As from my posts in various threads where I've tried to get something sensible out of it, I've not managed to achieve anything that behaves as documented and that would be vaguely useful or usable in a show I'm glad you're rewriting it, the current one just doesn't work on FLX. Kevin

Sounds like the Playback setup, although it's surprising the default behaviour is not like a sub! Can't remember exactly (will check the manual in a mo) but might be Setup+Button. Edit: http://www.zero88.com/manuals/flx-user-manual-version-1.pdf Yes it's Setup+Button. p23 General tab, select Fader Function=HTP Master (should be the default!) p25 Raise/Lower Tab, Trigger on Raise=Enabled, Release on Lower=Enabled (should be the default!) Trigger/Release level should be OK at 5% and Raise/Lower time should be 0 to follow the fader. Back on the General tab, under Fader Controls... you could enable Colour if you want the fader to cross fade the colour as well as the intensity. Also on General, maybe Button Function needs to be Flash (and not e.g. Go) Please let us know what works! Kevin

Hi Jon, Sure, makes sense.... but it does mean the folks who are actually helping you out with this stuff don't know the new releases exist... Thanks, Kevin

The User Manual is published here: http://www.zero88.com/manuals/flx-user-manual-version-1.pdf Jon - would be good if you could note this in the Forum - I rarely look on the product pages, it's always the forum, so I'm still using the draft versions. I only know about the release from your follow up post on Blueroom after I'd pointed the user at the version 1 draft. The same happened the other month with 7.9 software release. Thanks, Kevin

Jon - it's "partly" because we've been plotting against you on the quiet! As you know I've also discussed the effects engine with you (certainly in respect of RGB) and also posted in other related topics here. However, JW, and Lufferov in http://zero88.com/forum/topic/7770-understanding-effect-waveforms/ have captured the details in a much clearer and complete form than I ever have/could! So just to add support to JW above with his observations and suggestions and also to Lufferov's post, where I see you've already noted that you're working on a new interface to this aspect of FLX, which is great news. Regards, Kevin Yes please and noting I don't have pins for fingers so some slightly more touchable button areas would also be nice - and also being able to map the screen to the external monitor where the mouse could be used!

Hi Jon, It wasn't in a cue stack I was just playing with it as per your screen shots (from a fresh install of 7.9.1RC, patch one RGBAW fixture and have a fiddle). However I'll try and get round to doing the same but capturing as cues and seeing if that changes anything and get you a showfile. Regards, Kevin

I'm just trying Jon's waveform above with a RGBAW fixture... (I realise only RGB is used). So it mostly works but I get a fade to black between green and blue, as in fade up to blue-fade into red-fade into green-fade to black- then back to fade up to blue. Where did the fade to black come from? Using the 0/33/66 offset it surely should fade green into blue. Hence I see magenta and yellow but not cyan. I changed the sine on all to step and I get blue-magenta-brief flash of white then yellow-green-short off-back to blue. This can't be right! All steps do change duration with speed but the brief white and short off aren't as long as the 'correct' colour steps. Using 7.9.1RC on FLX. Kevin

I had cause to use MAC250s with my FLX. I patched the fixtures from the profile built into ZerOS7.9 but found there were errors in the Prism attribute details. I've corrected this in the attached replacement profiles. The error in the fixture profile was due to an error in the MAC250 manual - the detailed description for Prism had the error, whereas the DMX map in the back of the manual documented the behaviour seen with the actual MAC250 (latest 1.4 firmware). Kevin mac250.ift

Here you go. You wanted it ASAP so I've only done the 21ch profile and not added gobo pictures, but other details are all coded. Regards, Kevin adj_fs3z.ift

Thanks Jon I'll have a good read! Kevin

[ that's the best I can do, this Forum doesn't have rolling-around-on-the-floor-laughing smiley]

What? That's what he looked like when I was in Cwmbran last October!

I would hope not, that wouldn't be useful! It would need to be on a per-fixture instance basis. Maybe the OP could clarify exactly what is happening and what the settings are. This function has been available on many Zero88 consoles so I'd expect Jon or Keith to spot an issue like this pretty early on.

I think there is some middle ground here. This is such a complex product it just must have a manual for users to have the vaguest chance of using it, however intuitive the developers might think it is. As we're discussing, a paper based manual is probably impractical due to the rate and extent of changes to the platform, and as users we like these enhancements. Documentation that is up to date is always a challenge, particularly for a small company. Maybe Jon would consider a 'softer' form of manual, maybe published and maintained online rather than on paper. Maybe such a format would be easier to maintain and keep up to date with software changes, but at the end of the day is going to take some effort and commitment to get together. The console has been out for well over 18 months now. An official complete manual in whatever form is really a reasonable expectation by now before we really do scare off new customers for an excellent product, and that will be bad for all of us. Just my 2p worth...

Hi Emrys, Just use Load File as if you were reloading a show. Kevin

A quick answer before Jon gives us a better more complete explanation (which will certainly be useful for me too): Smart Tag is the desk working out what fixture parameters have changed since the last cue/current state in order to only record the changes. Advanced Tracking requires the user to control the fixture parameter "tag state" manually thus having total control over what is and what is not recorded in the cue. ...that's how I understand it anyway! Kevin

I think I'd try again in a new set of PBs as the programming on PB21-23 looks really confusing. If you are wanting to use your 3 PBs to mix R and G and B freely then you'll need to be in one of the Teacking modes and make sure only the required colour parameter is touched before hitting Record. Kevin

This page http://www.zero88.com/software/index.shtml and http://www.zero88.com/software/zeros/ seem to list 7.9 for FLX only so looks like you're correct on x86/OrbXF. I didn't actually realise for a while that 7.9 was out - and only then because the last beta 7.8.5.33 (or whatever it was) got locked from access, although 7.8.5.33 was for OrbXF in addition to FLX! Kevin

(I'm sure Jon will have a better explanation soon, and sorry if I'm about to point out the obvious and you're and experienced user!) All of the LEDs seem to be recorded with Blue=100 in all programmed P/Bs 21-23 and you're in Non-Tracking mode so all attributes will always be recorded - so activating any P/B will set all LEDs to blue regardless of what they were before. I don't see any programming in P/B1 or P/B2. If with ch101 thru 115 selected, I choose a green palette then the Intensities/Live window says C6:Green for the R/G/B. Activating a playback doesn't change them to Blue=100. Source/Live shows the source as P i.e programmer. So it seem the programmer takes priority over the activated playback. If I release the programmer overrides with Shift+Clear (clear the programmer but leave the selection intact), then the LEDs revert to Blue=100 even without touching the P/Bs. This is probably all as intended, will leave for Jon to confirm or otherwise! OK so I'm poking around a bit more now and I'm now confused! If I set Source/Live for the Output Window and press the PB21-23 buttons I do get other selections up on the Output WIndow. If I press PB21, the internal screen gets the red bar top right. Clear+PB21 clears the colour. Likewise, Green on PB22 and Blue on PB23 and Clear+PB can clear the colour. But this doesn't really seem to correspond with the Output Window. With PB21, R,B columns are blank and Green colums says "D" (I need to look up what this is, maybe default?). With PB22, R,G=C 22/1 and Blue is "D". With PB23, Green=C 23/1 and R,B columns are blank. So now I'm as confused as you as in Non Tracking I would have thought all colour attributes would be recorded always! Over to Jon...! I was using PhantomOS(FLX)7.9 so didn't have any real lights connected! I was just looking at the Intensities/Live window with ch 101 thru 115 selected so I could see the LTP attribute information.

"As Kevin says you can use a forward slash (which is easy IF you have an external keyboard, or use a showfile loaded from Phantom FLX). I've added an issue to make this easier - ZOS-7310 - thanks for pointing it out :-)" Hi Jon I think I asked a while back if THRU could be used for this, because as you say otherwise it needs an external keyboard. So you might already have this logged.

Default times can be split, in Setup you can type 3/5. I found this by accident myself just playing around!

Ok, can't offer to fix it for you as you're not local to me. If your Tech department can't fix this then get a better Tech department because if the resistors are the fault then it's a straightforward fix! Kevin

If you can solder, swapping the resistors is pretty straightforward. You have to remove all of the screws holding the PCB into the chassis to get to the solder side. I've done 4 Betapacks (1's and 2's) and I don't recall them being hard - the Betapack 1s I think were a bit easier as there is more room. Just make sure you get the correct VR rated components as per my link. Don't just buy any old 100k 1W resistors as they are across mains voltage. If you've got an ohmmeter, you can get an idea if there is a problem with the resistors - there are 4 in there so you can compare readings - but don't expect to measure 100k when they are in-circuit. Replace all of the 100k resistors not just the ones you think have failed. It'll cost you a couple of pounds to buy the correct resistors. Kevin ps Where are you in the UK?

Did both channels fail at the same time before you replaced the triacs? If so, maybe a sync circuit problem rather than triacs? I'd take a look at the infamous 100k sync circuit resistors. http://www.blue-room.org.uk/wiki/Betapack_Servicing http://zero88.com/forum/topic/3709-betapack-1/#entry27190 Kevin