Vizualisation software not responding

[NigelP]

Hi. I use a FLX S24 and am attempting to link it to Capture Solo 2019 visualisation software on a Macbook Pro.

So far I have got the desk to communicate to the Capture software, using a single network a cable link, but that's as far as it goes. I have patched the fixtures in the software and set the channels up but no joy, the desk does not want to operate Capture. Any suggestions for something else to do to get it to talk to the desk?

Attached are a few photos of the setup so far.

 

Edited March 5, 2020 by NigelP
add photos

[Edward Z88]

Hi Nigel,

Thanks very much for giving information on your troubleshooting so far. 

Firstly, you have both sACN and CITP enabled. Only use one protocol to communicate with Capture, otherwise Capture won’t know which stream to connect to. Either protocol can be used to send DMX data to Capture, however CITP allows for selection information and 2 way communication. If you wish to use CITP, disable sACN. This is why you also see the connection status in the System Text. 

After doing this, restart Capture - does Capture respond to the console? If not tap SETUP -> Universes -> CITP -> Reset to Defaults, and start from universe 0.

Hope this helps, let me know how you get on.

Edward

[NigelP]

Thanks Edward.

So now I have a single CITP protocol running, the system text shows Capture is connected and no other info. 

I have reset CITP to default and set it as Universe 0

DMX is on and set as Continuous.

in Capture, I have rebuilt the universe, set the channels up, universe is AUTO, Patch style is INDEXED, Patch base 1.1 - 512 and Name 0

When clicked, the universe show the current outputs as set from Capture and not the desk, so the lights work, but are not yet being driven by the desk.

I then tried resetting the CITP universe to start from 1 but that also made no difference, ... still no worky!

Surely somewhere there is a switch or setting I have missed, but the Capture manual does not seem to say what.

So, up against a brick wall still. What should I try next please?

 

 

[drscoop]

Maybe a silly question - is capture set to listen to the correct IP address?  It may be set to automatic in the options, or might be set to a specific IP address listener?  (Options -> Connectivity)

 

[Edward Z88]

Hi Nigel,

In the Universes area of Capture, can you see the FLX S? In this area there should be an option for “Project Console Link”.

Have you restarted your Mac after configuring any IP address settings? If not this would be worth doing. 

There aren’t really any switches or settings required - Capture is pretty good at detecting the stream of DMX data, and connecting to it. 

As a side note, the DMX area of SETUP -> Universes on FLX S is purely controlling the physical DMX ports on the back of the console, not Ethernet DMX. 

Usual DMX trouble shooting applies, of ensuring the patch in Capture matches on the console. This includes addresses and mode, and also fixture number when using CITP.

If you have any questions let me know.

Edward

[Nigelpye]

Thanks to both drscoop and Edward for the very helpful advice above.  I found that no matter what I tried, Capture refused to link to the desk, the main problem being that its name was not being displayed under the universe tab.  So, after trying everything I could think of to get the IP address recognised by Capture, without any luck, I tried using a spare old router and created a hotspot.  Then by linking the computer to this and restarting everything it eventually brought up an entirely new IP address in the CITP link (this was expected) and by clicking on this, suddenly the desk was recognised and its name now appeared in the universe tab.  Clicking on this connected everything and off it went. 

What I don't understand is why i could not view the desk's address in Capture's  CITP when using the specific method, but when I used the router and automatic DHCP, it behaved perfectly. Anyway, all seems OK for the moment.

Thanks again, and here's to the next problem yet to be encountered!

Nigel

[Edward Z88]

Hi Nigel,

OK thanks for the information. Without knowing everything used for your small network, I wonder if Macs block less traffic if using DHCP, rather than a static IP? If that is what affected the system to work, it doesn’t sound like it was anything wrong with the settings on Capture or FLX S. 

If you have any questions let me know. 

Edward