So, let's talk ZerOS & Smart Watches

[Jon Hole]

What would a ZerOS Smart Watch do? What would be it's purpose?

 

Here's my idea for a focus tool.

 

 

The channel in the middle (15) is the currently selected fixture. Next and Previous buttons allow you to select different fixtures. The digital crown on the side allows you to adjust the intensity in steps of 5%. RD = RemDim, HL = Highlight.

[pierotec]

Hi Jon, this is good news.....

The focus tool is the ideal application for smart watch, I had proposed two years ago .

You can also use digital crown to faster scroll the fixtures an push to select.

 

P.

[Edward]

Very nice idea, would see myself using that a lot, and much safer than getting a phone out of your pocket up a scaff tower!

 

Edward

[Jon Hole]

There's no guarantee on this - for now we want to find out how much interest there is, and exactly what the App needs to do, so if we do it, we get it right first time.

 

So, do we need anything else?

 

Display the current cue? If so, of which Playback - the currently viewed playback or only the Master Playback? Do we need a way to press "GO"?

 

With next/previous, do we skip fixtures with Pan/Tilt and assume you won't be focusing those? Do we add the ability to next/previous within a group, so from the console you can select all the fixtures on a truss / bar / stand, and then next/previous only cycles through those?

 

Throw ideas around...

[Edward]

A possible way to do this would be to have a "Focus Mode" and a "Playback Mode".

 

For Focus Mode, I think you need a menu that gives the option for either the Next/Previous Screen as pictured above, a Groups Screen, or a Keypad for basic Syntax.

The Next/Previous screen could use the Digital Crown to scroll through the currently selected fixture, removing the need for Next/Previous soft buttons, these could then be replaced with +10% and -10%, showing the intensity in between them. Every time you advance to the next fixture, the next fixture would automatically come on at the previously selected intensity, and then Rem Dim can be used to kill the previous fixture's intensity if necessary.

Groups mode could then have the screen divided up into 4 soft buttons of groups, which can be paged by the digital crown. These can then be pressed, and then the Previous/Next screen can appear, but this time controlling the groups instead.

Lastly for keypad mode, this could be a simplified keypad to fit on the screen, and so "Full", "Except" and potentially "Thru" are removed, leaving just intensity control.

 

For Playback Mode I think only having control of the currently selected Cue Stack on the console would be best. The screen could be simple, just saying the Active Cue at the top half, and the bottom half saying the next cue. Tapping the "Next Cue" half of the watch could then be used as a Go button, and tapping the "Current Cue" could Pause. The digital crown could then be used to increment what the next Cue will be.

 

Interested to hear what anyone else thinks!

 

Edward

[pierotec]

All excellent ideas. I think for watch may be already sufficient that one shown in the up picture, for focus tool is necessary few things.

For everything else there's the smartphone in your pocket.

 

P.

[pcollins666]

I don't have an Apple Watch yet but I would buy one for this. Anything that would eliminate having to juggle my iPhone up a truss would be great!

Crucial for me when focusing is being able to select any fixture, not necessarily sequentially, and wind up intensity so I don't blow a lamp.

Some way to scroll quickly to the channel you want, as mentioned by Edward above, would be ideal.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[pcollins666]

Also, in the meantime, could Z Remote get a single 'Focus' screen with a quick channel(s) select/deselect option and an intensity encoder wheel? This would eliminate having to swap screens using the menu, when up a ladder!

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Jon Hole]

Thanks for the feedback - keep it coming.

 

I think the real advantage here is as a focus tool. I struggle to see the need to have playback functionality from your wrist (although, potentially the current cue, and any fade / wait times and progress bars could be useful for crew backstage?).

 

Rather than using the digital crown to fade up / fade down, what do you think about just using the programmer time on the console, and then Rem Dim / Highlight would use this time - meaning you can still just press "next" rather than having to fade down the previous channel, select the next channel, and then fade it back up.

 

To change selection, if there are difficulties in using the Digital Crown (need to investigate this) how about press and hold the next / previous buttons to scroll through the channel numbers, and the when you let go, we action the Highlight / RemDim (with the programmer time if enabled).

 

Lastly, I think Next / Previous would only select static fixtures, not Moving Lights. If a selection has already been made, Next / Previous would cycle through that selection in the order they were selected (so if you knew you were focusing channel 7, then 10, then 12, then 15 you could just select those fixtures on the desk / phone app, and then using the Watch to cycle through those four channels).

 

Thoughts?

 

[Edward]

I think pre selecting fixtures may be the best way to do this.

 

That way you can record a "Focus Group" that has all fixtures you need to focus in the order you want to focus them in.

For example not necessarily incrementing in channel numbers, but the logical way you want to move round your lights with a ladder/ tallescope. Before focusing you can then press this group, and then have your Next/Previous buttons to cycle through these fixtures.

Using the programmer time on the console is a good idea for RemDim/ Highlight, however potentially the digital crown could be used to set this time too?

 

If you then come to a fixture you haven't included in the focus group, swiping left can then bring you to the simplified keypad for manual control, but potentially then use the programmer time? For example 1 @@ fading at the programmer time?

 

If no fixtures have been selected, I agree I think pressing and holding Next/Previous to cycle through would be the best option, as the digital crown has the potential to be fiddly for this anyway.

 

In terms of playback I agree it is very unlikely you would want to use the watch to actually playback the show, however having the ability for example the DSM or SM to have it on their wrists may be quite a nice feature. Swiping right or having a different user mode is a possible way to do this?

 

My only thinking is whether Groups should also be accessed from the watch.

To check your front wash after focusing the last fixture you can select your group, rather than go back through and find channel numbers. If so maybe this is what window should appear when swiping right.

 

Interested to hear everyone's thoughts!

Edward

[Jon Hole]

Maybe this style interface would work better? One for individual channels, one for groups.

 

[Edward]

That's a better idea.

Scrolling through rather than pressing Next/Previous is a much nicer user interface.

 

Could we still have a small keypad with this?

 

Edward

[Jon Hole]

It's a little like Christmas in the office...

 

[Jon Hole]

A quick update:

1. App development was put on pause for a couple of days, but has restarted and is progressing well.
   
2. ZerOS now fully supports the messages and flags required for the Apple Watch app
   
3. We've built a development emulator within ZerOS to test these messages and flags
   
   

[Sven76]

You teased me that much, that I bought a watch yesterday 😜

[Edward]

Sadly irrespective of how much it teases me, I just can't afford one 😂

[pcollins666]

My wife bought an apple watch last week, unrelated to my needs obviously, but you didn't hear me saying "Do you really need this?"!!

 

All ideas above developing nicely! I am agreeing totally with Jon's & Edwards's line of thought above to achieve a really powerful focus tool.

 

Swipe selection and Focus Groups options, yes. Also agree with Edward's suggestion for a simplified keyboard as well, for those missed channels!

 

Wow this is exciting! Looking forward to the Beta!

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Jon Hole]

a simplified keyboard as well, for those missed channels!

I've been wearing the 38mm watch for a week now, and I'm convinced more than ever that these things are too small for any form of keypad. To unlock the Watch you need a PIN and the buttons feel just about big enough - we'd need to fit additional buttons onto the screen to be able to access basic syntax, and so I don't think would be nice to use.

[pierotec]

Hi everyone, I remain by my idea. Few things..selection and highlight

[Sven76]

Hi there,

 

how is the progress?

I want to show off with my watch 😜

 

Best regards

Sven

[Jon Hole]

The delay was due to having to work on our other apps which needed to be remade to make them "64bit" (32bit apps will not be compatible with Apple's new iOS 11 soon to be released).

As of last week, we're now back working on the Apple Watch app :-)

[Jon Hole]

Well, who knew this small project was going to take so long! But discoveries and lesson's we've learnt along the way have created some positive changes to our whole App lineup, across iOS and Android too.

We'll shortly be ready to enter public Beta Testing of our Apple Watch app - if you'd like to be part of this, please email me with an email address that's accessible on the iPhone which your Apple Watch is paired to.

Here's a sneak-peak:

 

[Jon Hole]

We have now started testing through Apple's TestFlight. If you'd like to be part of this, please email me with an email address that's accessible on the iPhone which your Apple Watch is paired to.