Expression 3 Mouse

[RileyChilds]

We are borrowing an Expression 3 and are planing to use some moving lights (HES Technospots to be exact) from what I understand you need a mouse to do pan and tilt, specifically a serial mouse. I have a serial mouse somewhere, but because I need it I can only find PS/2 mice (normally it is the other way around!). I was curious if anyone has had any success using a PS/2 mouse plugged into the keyboard port (with the adapter). Worse case I put it on the encoders...
Thanks
//Riley

 

[Footer]

I don't think you can do that. You can either put it on the encoders or put it on the wheels. It all depends on how you set up your encoders and your patch. Technospots and an Expression 3... sounds like a bear... If you are renting the movers might be in your best interest to rent a console to run them. Not having a track ball will be the least of your worries.

 

[derekleffew]

I've found that a trackball works better for P/T than a mouse.

Here's the one I used to use on Exp3 as well as HogII. Note that it came with a PS2 to Serial adapter, which should still be able to find this at most places.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HGI5JPA/?tag=controlbooth-20 two for $6.
I've also used the serial Kensington Turbo/Expert Mouse with both.

Not sure if USB to Serial solutions would work, as those tend to be very hit or miss.

I understand you need a mouse to do pan and tilt,

An external pointing device is NOT 100% required to use moving lights on Exp3, it's just that the default encoder setups (or each personality, I can't remember, Px, Ty?) maps P/T to a mouse. It's easy to remap to the Rate & Level wheels for P/T, but one loses two encoders that might have been useful for some other function.

 

[RileyChilds]

Thanks for clearing that up, as much as I would like to rent a diffrent console we are renting the TSpots because we have the Expression... I guess I need to go digging in the booth at the place where we are barrowing the console.

 

[JohnD]

Make a trip to your local charity thrift shops, most of them have boxes full of older tech goodies.

 

[Amiers]

You don't need a mouse, just make pan and tilt on you wheels. You will get the hang of it just takes practice.

 

[lwinters630]

We are borrowing an Expression 3 and are planing to use some moving lights (HES Technospots to be exact) from what I understand you need a mouse to do pan and tilt, specifically a serial mouse. I have a serial mouse somewhere, but because I need it I can only find PS/2 mice (normally it is the other way around!). I was curious if anyone has had any success using a PS/2 mouse plugged into the keyboard port (with the adapter). Worse case I put it on the encoders...
Thanks
//Riley

From ETC support page.

• Mouse Or Trackball... on Expression 2 or 3 Console
  
  The pointing device needs to be a DOS compatible Mouse/Track ball that does not need to have any drivers loaded in order to work. Logitech Mouse/Trackballs usually work well. The console uses a DB-9 connector (as opposed to a DIN-style).
  Devices known to work: Logitech M/N T-CM14 Serial Marble Mouse.- Kensington Serial Track Ball for IBM PC Model 64215 Version 5
  
  Note: These Mice are getting harder and harder to find. If you find others that work, please contact ETC Technical Services at 1-800-688-4116.
  Also, in the ML Encoder Setup, a given attribute can only be assigned to one encoder per page, including TX and TY. In other words, you cannot have Pan on X and on TX on the same attribute page. (TX and TY are trackball/mouse device, X and Y are the Rate and Level wheels built into the console).

 

[RileyChilds]

We have an ETC Expression 3 and 2 HES Technospots, we cannot locate a mouse to use to do P/T and we have to put those channels on the encoders, issue is when I got them on the encoders the values don't change...I am somewhat perplexed. We can control them by direct entering channel values (eg [CHAN] 102 [AT] 50) and the P/T will change as we change those values. Not sure if I am missing anything...
Thanks
//Riley

 

[RileyChilds]

We have an ETC Expression 3 and 2 HES Technospots, we cannot locate a mouse to use to do P/T and we have to put those channels on the encoders, issue is when I got them on the encoders the values don't change...I am somewhat perplexed. We can control them by direct entering channel values (eg [CHAN] 102 [AT] 50) and the P/T will change as we change those values. Not sure if I am missing anything...
Thanks
//Riley

After rereading this thread I realized that I have Pan and Tilt on both X/Y and TX/TY...whoops!
//Riley

 

[James Gardner]

After rereading this thread I realized that I have Pan and Tilt on both X/Y and TX/TY...whoops!
//Riley

Riley, when do you need this for I have a bunch of serial mice I could send you one?

 

[RileyChilds]

Riley, when do you need this for I have a bunch of serial mice I could send you one?

Yes please! I just messaged you.

 

[derekleffew]

After rereading this thread I realized that I have Pan and Tilt on both X/Y and TX/TY...whoops!

I suspected that might be the case, but didn't want it to appear I was insulting your intelligence. As a Mod., I'm glad that combining the threads served some purpose, besides attempting to keep the forums "tidy".

As to the offer of a free serial mouse, of course go for it, but as I said earlier, I think you'll find a trackball easier. Trackball is excellent for moving mirror units; neither trackball nor mouse works especially well on moving head units--it's too easy to get the head spun 'round the wrong way (and on Exp3 there's no convenient [Flip] key/function, as found on better consoles). Does anyone really need 540° of pan?

Riley, you've probably already been there, but just in case: http://www.controlbooth.com/wiki/?t...ogramming-Moving-Lights-on-an-ETC-Express-ion . Feel free to add to/edit the collaborative article once you get your show up and running.

 

[James Gardner]

Riley I shipped out the mouse this morning, it is on it's way to you.

For everyone else, my offer had nothing to do with whether this was the best option or the right option. I just noticed that Riley was asking about one and I had just come across a whole box of them in my collection of stuff that is eventually going to be trashed if it does not find a home.

Jim