ION with a trackball?

Sayen

Active Member
Most of the time I like the encoders, but sometimes, especially when live, a trackball is convenient for controlling movers. I've searched the ETC forums but only found threads in January saying trackball functionality was coming - is it implemented? Is there a trick to making it work? We do have the latest update.
 
It's not implemented yet. When I was at USITT, I asked about that. It was an issue of drivers. There isn't one universal driver for trackballs (some have more buttons than others, some map their encoders differently, etc)

I was told it was being thought about, but there was no ETA on that.
 
Sorry ST and the ETC crew. Not trying to be a Strand sales guy here but...

Really? You can't use a trackball with an Ion? My understanding is I can plug in any USB pointing device into my Strand console no problem. I've seen a track ball used in a demo, although I've never used one on my own system. That seems like a really simple problem to solve.

On the flip side when I shut down my Palette I have to go past a Windows menu which is really annoying. Perhaps in order to make everything work, Strand has allowed the Windows to permeate the program deeper than ETC.

Interesting.
 
Because Strand uses windows as the underlying OS, you can load windows drivers for the USB devices. I'm not sure what ETC does.
 
Ion is based on Windows XP Embedded so drivers can be installed and will likely work there, perhaps not supported by ETC and rightfully so.

However, the driver is only one part of the problem. If there is no support for pan/tilt control via the mouse, then there won't be any pan/tilt support via a trackball. You could twirl virtual encoders with the trackball, but what's the value in that?
 
well, remember that a mouse/trackball is just a ball moving two basic encoding wheels on the x/y axis anyway (even if it's optical, it still sends the data like it was encoding wheels)! Where the main issue comes in is that mice and trackballs have different buttons and different numbers of encoders (i.e. mouse with scroll wheel has a total of 3 encoders) So, how do you handle mapping the encoders and buttons to different functions?
 
When 1.5 is released (within a few weeks), it will be possible to use a trackball both as a navigation device and controller for pan/tilt.

Hope that helps!

Anne Valentino
Eos Product Line Manager
ETC
 
Again not trying to start a brand fight here. I just find it an interesting choice that both Strand and ETC are running Windows XP embedded. Strand has apparently left more access to XP than ETC which of course has both positive and negative results.

On an Ion do you have access to other XP features like Internet Explorer?

On my Palette, when I turn on the console it goes straight to the Palette software. However when I turn it off I go to a XP screen first and then select power off (By the way Strand that's annoying!). From this screen you have access to a couple of other support programs for Palette and some Windows things like I.E. and Outlook Express. I guess this is a feature but personally I don't want someone deciding it's a good idea to exit the lighting program to check their e-mail mid-show.

Has ETC chosen to restrain Windows more so there's less access to the basic program?
 
Access to the windows desktop is password protected. So, for the most part, the only access users have is to the application itself, and something we call the "shell", which sits outside of the app and supports device config, maintenance tasks and so forth.

Hope that helps!

Anne Valentino
Eos Product Line Manager
ETC
 
Hey Anne,

Will the trackball buttons be mappable to different functions?

David
 
I feel like an idiot but would someone please explain what kinda of trackball we are talking about and who makes them. Are you all referring to like a standard usb trackball mouse? Or are there ones made specifically for lights boards?
 
What kind of trackball should I buy? I want one :)
Although most higher end consoles (gMA, Hog3, Maxxyz) have a trackball built-in for either screen nav or P/T, an external like the Kensington Expert Mouse
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is great for light boards. Having used trackballs forever, and always prefer them as my primary pointing device, the bigger the ball the better.
 

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