Control/Dimming ETC Ion Design Monitor Setup

[Garrettgb]

Hi There,
So, during my summer layoff, the theatre I work for purchased a new ETC Ion. Great! I'm very eager to begin using this console after the next production closes.
Here's the thing, no setup was purchased for allowing designer's video monitors in the orchestra. Our previous (and current) setup involves a Strand 520 in the booth, and an SN100 node that hooks into 2 vga monitors downstairs. We have a dedicated ethernet line running through the wall for shownet.
We've looked into the ETC Net3 Remote Video Interface and found it to be 3000$, so naturally my superiors have asked me to look into a cheaper solution. I know a computer running the offline software in mirror mode with dual monitors should do the job.
So, I thought I'd come to you guys, and see what the folks in the industry are doing for this kindof thing. Any thoughts?
-Garrettgb

 

[icewolf08]

You can use a computer logged into the network as a client. If you have a computer and the displays, then this is a pretty simple option.

While the RVI can be expensive, it may be a worthwhile investment as it can be used as an interface to your system wherever you set it up. You could plug in a keyboard and touch screens and run your console from anywhere there is a network drop.

Of course the other option is to get a KVM extender (or two depending on hom any displays it supports) and just use that. It will allow you to mirror your displays at a remote location, usually connected via dedicated Cat5 cable (not through hubs and switches). Odds are this solution would fall in between the compter/client solution and the RVI in terms of price.

ON a side note, if you want to get rid of the SN100, I would be very interested in it!

 

[SteveB]

If you have a client dongle, you can use any computer with the off-line editor and have the design computer not mirror screen changes from the console. The design table 'puter will need to either connect to the Cat 5 port on the Ion (if it's using it's DMX ports), or will need a connection via a network switch to the Ion. But you do need a dongle for client mode and as this seemingly is a new buy, ETC now sells the client dongle as a separate item.

Or with no dongle, the OLE can connect in via Cat5 in Mirror Mode ,which will track display changes made at the Ion.

Note that if you are using DVI touchscreen monitors, I don't think you can extend the DVI signal. If you have standard VGA you can use splitters. You can clarify your options by calling ETC tech support as well

[EDIT], It occurred to me that the Ion only has 1 VGA port so you will only be able to split one VGA monitor as design table send.

 

[chausman]

Or with no dongle, the OLE can connect in via Cat5 in Mirror Mode ,which will track display changes made at the Ion.

That's an important note, that the computer can make changes to the stage and/or control the Ion if you buy a dongle. If you don't pay anything (just download the software for free from etcconnect.com) the computer screen(s) will be able to control what they see, but not the "stage" look.

(see below)


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[jglodeklights]

Chausman/Steve B, that is not true.

Client mode without the dongle can exit mirror mode (although it usually defaults to it upon log-in). It will then be able to navigate the system, but not make any changes.

You can use the list of EOS Family hot keys to navigate successfully.

 

[chausman]

Ok. I was thinking, "can't control the lights" but it apparently didn't come out that way. I'll go edit my post.


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[SteveB]

Correct and to clarify, you can ONLY run in mirror mode without a dongle. With no dongle, the computer keyboard (and mouse) has no input back to the console.

If you have a dongle you can still run mirror mode OR can run as a client, which allows the computers screens to be set and/or changed as desired (not mirroring the console) as well as the keyboard providing input back to the console. With a dongle and set to Mirror this only affects the remote display and is provided so the LD does not have to locally change the display, but instead can ask the console operator to do so.

According to ETC:

Mirror Mode is used to mirror the displays of another device. When a device is in mirror mode, the
only action allowed from that device is paging via the page keys and shut down/start up. When a
device in mirror mode pages, it also pages the host.
Mirror mode is intended primarily to allow a designer or assistant to see the exact same displays as
a programmer on the system.

 

[jglodeklights]

Further clarification. EOS Family consoles essentially have two different mirroring modes (going by the ETC definition SteveB posted). MIRROR MODE actually mirrors exactly what the console sees. With a single monitor, whatever display the board is tabbed to is what the mirroring device will see. Dual monitors allows you to see everything.

Client mode (No Dongle) gives you full navigation to almost ANY display the host console has, but only mirrors what is there. No dongle, you can't edit any of that information. You can navigate all you like without bothering the host console, but should the host console bring up the browser you will be kicked back to live (at least with the ION w/ EOS Family 1.9.6).

Keep in mind, this all applies to software version 1.9.6. Other versions do not all behave the same.

 

[Garrettgb]

Thank you everyone for the input. Mirror Mode (without dongle) will suit our purposes just fine. We've explored the KVM extender option, but using 2 DVI signals complicates things, almost to the point where the RVI is the same expense.
I'd like to explore the OLE in mirror mode option, trick is to find a dual monitor pc that we can dedicate to the task. Does anyone know the minimum system requirements for the EOS family OLE? Doesn't seem to be anywhere on the ETC site, nor in any of the documentation included with the program either.

 

[JWilsonLX]

From the Eos client software kit quick guide:


• Processor with clock frequency higher than 2.0 GHz
• Windows XP system (SP2 is not required) with 80 MB free disk space
• DVI/SVGA screen resolution of 1280x1024
• 512 MB of RAM minimum (1 GB recommended)
• 64 MB Video Card
• Network adapter (required to communicate with an Eos network)

 

[SteveB]

From the Eos client software kit quick guide:


• Processor with clock frequency higher than 2.0 GHz
• Windows XP system (SP2 is not required) with 80 MB free disk space
• DVI/SVGA screen resolution of 1280x1024
• 512 MB of RAM minimum (1 GB recommended)
• 64 MB Video Card
• Network adapter (required to communicate with an Eos network)

Since your DVI monitors are staying at the console, I suppose, any LCD VGA monitor on the remote terminal will work. FWIW, my 4 year old XP Pro HP laptop runs fine with 1.6GHZ processor and screen resolution at 1280/800. So I'd give it a go with anything XP or more recent you have that has a dual monitor card.