Allow overpatching of DMX channels.

[John_Schlick]

I LIKE to control some features of my moving lights on fader handles.

 

I also have some fixtures that are designed to look like one fixture but it's really a group. (Take a sign... channel 1+3+5 is an A, channel 1+3+4 is a B, etc...), and I'd like to be able to create a handle that brings up the "A", and a fader that brings up the "B".

 

Right now, you REQUIRE that once a DMX channel is in use, that it cannot be used again. AARGH. This makes my life grief. PLEASE allow me to patch the same dmx channel multiple times on the fader handles, and in the automated instruments.

 

YES, you may ask me if I want HTP or LTP for conflict resulution when two things that reference that handle are used at the same time.

 

This is an easy fix, but one that will make this desk far more flexible. for instance, this would allow us to build more (admittedly) 100% pallates on fader handles if we really needed them. (yeah, this is the hard way.)

[K-Nine]

I suggest that you check out the following thread for a discussion on this subject : http://support.zero88.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=320

In particular Tim's comment posted on June 3.

[John_Schlick]

I just read that string. He asked for the same thing I'm asking for and for much the same reasons. There is confusion over what is being asked for and a diversion over the fact that another desk didn't do it either. There is also a statement that the Frog doesn't do this, but no coherent discussion as to why not and what the merits are.

 

Let me try again. I want to overpatch DMX channels. I want to patch dmx channel 53 to fader 6 and have that channel in use in one of the automated fixtures. I want to patch dmx channel 11 onto fader 13 and onto fader 23. I understand that this means that there are possible conflicts in processing that dmx channel for it's eventual output. You may either use HTP or LTP I don't care which for conflict resolution, but it would be a cooler feature if you ASKED me what to use for that channel at the time you detect that I'm overpatching it.

 

Is there anything inherent in the desk that makes this impossible? (by the way I've written software for showlites for motor control systems, ran the alderham dimmer manufacturing operation for a few years, and have a degree in software engineering, so, if you want to get technical in your answers, please don't be afraid of leaving me in the dust. I'll also offer to do some of the work on your desk software if you like and don't have the development resources at your company right now... need a resume?)

 

John.

[NZ]

John

 

Thank you for your offer of help.

 

I am afraid that I can't see the point in this feature. I see where you are coming from but it is not going to be a thing high on a list of upgrades. There are many people asking for many things, we try to go with what the majority want.

[richard]

I think, although I may be wrong, that what John would like is the facility to control LTP channels via a fader and treat them as LTP in only that one fader -

 

For example, to put the colour wheel on to a sub, and push up that sub to fade through the colour wheel (or the same for the gobo wheel), it is very nice for live situations where you want to be able to just whiz through the colours without thinking - I know it can be done using the wheels etc, but that isn't the easiest of things.

 

The easiest way that I can see to implement this would be to have a field in the submasters screen where you can set each sub to 'treat LTP as HTP' or 'fade through LTP'.

 

It would be a nice feature to have!