zeros functionality question for Solution

[Ed75]

Can someone tell me which functionality zeros has on a Solution desk? The same full-functionality as on a FLX ? Or some software limits  like on the FLX S desks?

I have been searching the zero88 site and manuals and this forum for more than an hour now, but couldn't find any exact answers on this.

[kgallen]

Mostly FLX I believe. Any limitations are down to lack of processing power rather than a ‘license’ limitation is my understanding.

The only reference is possibly the online manual switched to ‘Solution’.

ETA: sorry the Solution had its own manual, not the ZerOS selectable one. Last update was 7.9.2 which is a while back now:

https://www.zero88.com/storage/downloads/328c7204-9e39-4eb2-9913-2ded1b75ef0c/IM9210---Solution-Manual-Issue-2.0.pdf

[Ed75]

I'm pointing at this 'licence' limitation indeed.

I can imagine (but I hope not) there will be some issues about the processing power etc. 

Thanks for the link tot the manual, didn't find it yet. I'll dig into it.

[Ed75]

After having a quick glance through this manual : I understand the preset faders (in channel mode) are only assignable to 1-address fixtures? (eg dimmers) ? Multi-channel fixtures need to be patched to the mfk's? or is this changed during some updates of zeros?

The reason for these questions is I might consider searching for a Solution, because there is no need to switch pages then, between channel and playback mode, because of the seperate playbacks. Which is a little pain for me on the FLX range

[Jon Hole]

The capabilities of Solution are detailed on the webpage, and the datasheets towards the bottom of the page: https://www.zero88.com/control/solution

The key things are:

• 248 fixtures. These are numbered 1-48 (assigned to the 48 faders) and 101-300 (assigned to the 20 Multi-Function Keys ("MFKs") across 10 pages). They can all be anything - there's no limitation of the faders only being dimmers.
• 400 of each palette type / groups / macros
• 201 playbacks (10 faders, 20 pages, plus the "Master Playback")
• 2048 DMX channels (4 "full universes", but can be spread across 64 universes).

[Edward Z88]

3 hours ago, Ed75 said:

The reason for these questions is I might consider searching for a Solution, because there is no need to switch pages then, between channel and playback mode, because of the seperate playbacks. Which is a little pain for me on the FLX range

If the only reason for looking at a Solution console is the separate Channel and Playback faders, it might be worth taking a look at the ZerOS Wing instead...

https://www.zero88.com/control/wing

This can then be plugged into your FLX S console via USB. ZerOS Wing will not increase the number of Channels or Playbacks your console can control, but would allow you to set the ZerOS Wing faders to Channels, and the console faders to Playbacks for example, to access both at the same time.

For more information on ZerOS Wing, please see the link below...

https://www.zero88.com/manuals/zeros/zeros-wing

Hope this helps.

Edward

[Ed75]

Thank you both for your answers. I knew the key features of the Solution , after reading all info, only some things which are not directly mentioned in the zeros or the solution manual were not clear to me. I just wondered if you have put some software-limitations into the Solution software, like on the FLX S range.

And of course I am aware of the wing possibility, but being honest I think it's slightly  overpriced so to say....... which brings the step of buying a complete (used) desk a bit closer.

A)  sometimes it is handy to have an extra desk B ) it gives me backup possibilities.

[Jon Hole]

59 minutes ago, Ed75 said:

I just wondered if you have put some software-limitations into the Solution software, like on the FLX S range.

There are some features that won't make it to Solution - but we try to keep those to a minimum. For example, most recently we couldn't bring Philips Hue support to Solution. We no longer update documentation for Solution, but we do note all of these in the release notes - so you would need to read through each of those for the "full picture".

We also made the decision a year or so ago that we would "stop supporting" Solution being used without a touchscreen (or alternatively a monitor and mouse together). Whilst most things are still accessible without using anything other than the console itself, it started becoming too complicated to design modern interfaces whilst still supporting Solution front panel hardware without a touchscreen.

 

[Ed75]

Hi all,

Managed to get my hands on a very reasonably priced near mint Solution. So at the moment I am discovering it, together with the possibilties of the Zeros software on it. 

Last months I was too busy to get to updating my FLXS, so I updated both desks now to 7.13. 

Both seem to work fine, and on the Solution I am discovering the handy things I sometimes miss on the FLXS.

The FLXS has flawlessly run a pretty big theatre  show for it, last september/october, (10 "complicated" movers, of 2 different types, 10 LED wash movers, of 2 different types and about 32 dimmers) . The programming for this was mostly "on the fly" during rehearsals, and countless times I've done the "update-GO" action almost immediately followed by a "GO" for the next cue to appear. The FLXS never stopped , crashed or hiccuped or whatever.  This included triggering effect playbacks and so on. Great! 

But Yes, programming could have been easier on an fullsize. (FLX or Solution) Now I finally found one nice Solution.

Going through it, and trying to find everything, I found the "Fixture levels window"  Is this only a Solution thing? or also on the FLX? Couldn't really find the answer in the manual or this forum.

Is there any possibility of selecting several cues and editing a value in all these cues at once? Like sort of spreadsheet behaviour? I couldn't find it, and maybe this is not possible, would be a nice feature. I can imagine it is not possible because of tracking-issues?  

 

 

[Edward Z88]

Hi @Ed75

Thanks very much for the update. Pleased to hear you were able to pick up a Solution console.

31 minutes ago, Ed75 said:

Going through it, and trying to find everything, I found the "Fixture levels window"  Is this only a Solution thing? or also on the FLX? Couldn't really find the answer in the manual or this forum.

The "Fixture Levels" window is available on Solution series and Orb series consoles. It is not available on FLX series consoles.

32 minutes ago, Ed75 said:

Is there any possibility of selecting several cues and editing a value in all these cues at once? Like sort of spreadsheet behaviour? I couldn't find it, and maybe this is not possible, would be a nice feature. I can imagine it is not possible because of tracking-issues?  

The Fixture Levels window can be used as a "track sheet", to allow you to edit cue values in spreadsheet form. This allows you to make a change to a value in a cue, and then decide whether to make the change cue-only or with tracking. 

Hope this helps,

Edward

[Ed75]

2 minutes ago, Edward Z88 said:

The Fixture Levels window can be used as a "track sheet", to allow you to edit cue values in spreadsheet form. This allows you to make a change to a value in a cue, and then decide whether to make the change cue-only or with tracking. 

Yes, I am aware of this, I just wondered if one could change values (of the same attribute) in more than one cue at once.  I used to work with some lighting-sofware on a laptop which had this possibility in the "track sheet" . can be very convenient. If this is not possible I do not expect this to be changed, given the fact it is only an "outdated" Solution/Orb feature 

[Edward Z88]

Hi @Ed75

15 hours ago, Ed75 said:

I just wondered if one could change values (of the same attribute) in more than one cue at once.

By allowing that change to track, yes.

In the example below, I have double-clicked on fixture 2's intensity value in cue 3, which is currently @ 0%...

I am given the option to remove the value cue only, meaning the next cue's value stays as it is, or remove the value with tracking, meaning changes from previous cues can track through. I am also given the option to edit the value. In the example below, I have edited the intensity to 20%...

This intensity change then tracks down through subsequent cues. This logic also applies to all other parameters that may have been recorded.

Hope this helps,

Edward

[Ed75]

Ah, yes I have seen this option. Thanks for your answer as always !

As I understand there is no way of selecting cues (for example cue 5 , 17, 21 , 45 ) and changing one value in those?

 

[Edward Z88]

Hi @Ed75

2 minutes ago, Ed75 said:

As I understand there is no way of selecting cues (for example cue 5 , 17, 21 , 45 ) and changing one value in those?

This is not possible in the Fixture Levels window. However for this, you could of course perform a normal tracking update, by going into your cue, selecting fixtures, tweaking them, and then tapping UPDATE -> Track Forwards -> GO.

Edward

[Ed75]

Thanks! Yes of course this is the way of doing it now. I was just curious, because it would be a very fast and convenient way of changing values fast in more than one cue.

[Ed75]

Hi all,

It seems Zeros monitor doesn't work on my Solution. I can connect to the desk, after that I get the black Zeros screen, but it doesn't give me the option menu  which screen to show. Any idea's?

 

 

[kgallen]

11 minutes ago, Ed75 said:

Hi all,

It seems Zeros monitor doesn't work on my Solution. I can connect to the desk, after that I get the black Zeros screen, but it doesn't give me the option menu  which screen to show. Any idea's?

Ed, record here the versions of ZerOS / ZerOS Monitor you're using and seeing the problems with, it's the first thing Edward will need to know before he can help you.

[Ed75]

Thank you. Not at the desk at the moment, (and the rest of the day) I guess it's the latest version . I downloaded it together with 7.13 lately.

The desk runs 7.13.

 

 

[Edward Z88]

Hi @Ed75

4 hours ago, Ed75 said:

It seems Zeros monitor doesn't work on my Solution. I can connect to the desk, after that I get the black Zeros screen, but it doesn't give me the option menu  which screen to show. Any idea's?

Upon connecting ZerOS Monitor to your Solution, you should see the screen below...

This allows you to choose which desktop to view. After choosing a desktop, you can then use the desktop switcher bottom-left of the screen to change desktop.

Are you running ZerOS Monitor on Windows, iPadOS, or Android?

Are you connecting to the console via Wi-Fi or Ethernet? If you are connecting wirelessly, does your device have strong signal?

Let us know if you have any questions.

Edward

[Ed75]

21 hours ago, Ed75 said:

 

 after that I get the black Zeros screen, but it doesn't give me the option menu  which screen to show. Any idea's?

 

 

Hi Edward, I do not see these options. I connect via ethernet, on a windows 10 laptop. Which setup worked flawlessly with my FLXS . (before I installed the last version of Zeros monitor it did) I have to check if it still works now. I hope I have time for this today.   

[Ed75]

I just connected the FLXS . works fine. Also running 7.13  (the same version as on the Solution)

[Edward Z88]

Hi @Ed75

If it works fine on your FLX S48, please ensure the Remote connection on your Solution is using the same IP address as your FLX S48.

If you want to have both the FLX S48 and Solution on the same network, change one of their IP addresses by 1.

Edward

[Ed75]

1 hour ago, Edward Z88 said:

please ensure the Remote connection on your Solution is using the same IP address as your FLX S48.

Just did, it didn't do the job.

For now, I do not use the desks together on the same network.

[Edward Z88]

Hi @Ed75

38 minutes ago, Ed75 said:

Just did, it didn't do the job.

For now, I do not use the desks together on the same network.

If the Solution and FLX S48 network settings are configured identically, and you simply plug the Solution into your PC rather than the FLX S48, the Remote app connection should work on both consoles.

Have you ever used the network connection on your Solution console? If not, it would be worth pinging the console from your PC, to check the network interface is working correctly.

Edward

[Ed75]

Not yet, I'll try this. later today I can send you some screenshots of what is happening