Automated Fixtures Etc Element Serial Programming

Eric K

Member
We have an element in our theater, and over time we have acquired quite a collection of moving lights. At this point, the virtual ML controls have become a bit of a pain and I am looking for other options. The idea occurred to me that I could get a momentary joystick and wire each of the directions into one of the serial input switches. The trouble is that I don't know how to program the console so that say for every second the contact is closed, the fixture pans 3 percent. This should in theory be possible, but I cannot find pan in any of the macro editing menus, nor can I have it learn a macro in which I change a pan value.

I would also be open to other suggestions about physical moving light control mechanisms. We have tried the trackball, but it's not that great. There is also no way to make the ML controls default to trackball control.

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
OSC wiill be implemented in software version 2.3 It is fairly broad and input wise should cover you. I would wait for 2.3 to really try what you are doing.

Macro Wise - You can Learn a "Parameter" @ +1 or @ +-1 (you've got to add the plus before making the number negative.) Does Element have the filter menu - bottom left of the CIA? Pan should be there as key to hit.
 
Thanks for the information about 2.3. Do you have an estimate on the release date?

Unfortunately, unlike in eos, it does not appear to be possible to select pan from the filter menu. I looked at eos offline, and it is in fact there, but that does not appear on my element. Do you have any Idea where else I might find it?
 
Update: I was able to add pan by typing it in. Right now what I have in the macro command line is the following {Open_ML_Controls Pan @ +1} it opens the ml controls, but it does not change my pan value. Any Ideas?
 
Update: I was able to add pan by typing it in. Right now what I have in the macro command line is the following {Open_ML_Controls Pan @ +1} it opens the ml controls, but it does not change my pan value. Any Ideas?
Build your Macros in EOS Offline and then open the file in Element. As long as the idea is supported by Element, it should work.

I made this Macro in EOS offline

Macro_Loop_Begin
Pan @+01 *
Macro_Loop_End

Select your channels and fire the macro - seems to work in Element Offline.

As for 2.3 - Open Beta should begin fairly soon. If you're really interested in building OSC related tools I would contact Anne as per the Beta program.
 
Not for nothing, but have you considered an iPad (the larger the better) with the $50 iPad ETC app ?. It has a trackpad control as well as fairly refined controls for ML's. I use either my aRFR or iRFR controls all the time when refining positions from on-deck.

Personally and at this point, I'd be looking at trading in the Element for Ion with touch screens.
 
Build your Macros in EOS Offline and then open the file in Element. As long as the idea is supported by Element, it should work.

I made this Macro in EOS offline

Macro_Loop_Begin
Pan @+01 *
Macro_Loop_End

Select your channels and fire the macro - seems to work in Element Offline.

As for 2.3 - Open Beta should begin fairly soon. If you're really interested in building OSC related tools I would contact Anne as per the Beta program.
Won't the macro you just described run for an infinite amount of time which means that the pan value will keep increasing even after the contact closure is no longer closed?

Earlier I somehow was able to put pan into an element macro by simply typing it in. I can't seem to replicate what I did...

Not for nothing, but have you considered an iPad (the larger the better) with the $50 iPad ETC app ?. It has a trackpad control as well as fairly refined controls for ML's. I use either my aRFR or iRFR controls all the time when refining positions from on-deck.

Personally and at this point, I'd be looking at trading in the Element for Ion with touch screens.
We already have a touch screen connected to the element but even that is not perfect, and we just can't justify purchasing an ion for the sole reason that it has faders.
 
The touch screens don't have the same functionality of the aRFR and iRFR apps, which have the same trackpad for pan/tilt that the ML section has. Only on the iPad, especially a 10" version, you can use your finger on a larger screen. The increased real estate allows greater refined control, in my experience.
 
The touch screens don't have the same functionality of the aRFR and iRFR apps, which have the same trackpad for pan/tilt that the ML section has. Only on the iPad, especially a 10" version, you can use your finger on a larger screen. The increased real estate allows greater refined control, in my experience.
I agree with your point, and I have the iRFR app on my iphone. Its Ok, but it's not the same as encoders. In a few years we will upgrade to either Ion or whatever ETC is selling at that level, but until then, we will have to make do with whatever we can invent to control moving lights on our element. I had this idea of using a joystick and the contact closures , and I've been working through making it work.

If you have contact closure one execute a macro, how do you make it so that when that contact closure is re-opened, you stop running the macro?
 
Won't the macro you just described run for an infinite amount of time which means that the pan value will keep increasing even after the contact closure is no longer closed?

Sorry - yes it would. Missed the point on the contact closure. My guess is your contact closure Macro solution is having a problem because you are firing your macro on user 0 and light selection is happening on User 1. something to play around with anyway...

If you mess around with Scroll lock on an external keyboard you can put it into direct typing mode. Allows you to type your command out by hand.
 

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