Ion Improvements

[meatpopsicle]

I understand from associates at work that ETC is having representatives in the field get feedback on the Ion console. I was hoping to speak to one who is visiting here in NY. tomorrow. Sadly he is overbooked I hear. Sooo....

The console has been released in the wild for a couple of years now and has started to make great inroads into the lighting control markets here and abroad. After my latest project, programming and operating on the desk for the last 3 months (my second), I have a couple of observations and requests. I will repost on ETCs forum as well but I thought I could elicit some great feedback from the members here in "the booth".

#1 A hard release button for every fader. Each fader on the wing should have buttons go, go back, and release. Being able to assign different actions to those buttons would be optimal (ie MA) but we could start with just release. I would even be ok with hitting both buttons while a cuelist is loaded to release it. I find it incredibly cumbersome having to go to the programmer to release a running cuelist. This single change would, IMHO, make the console so much easier in a wide variety of applications.

#2 Allow access to the settings of the console while the console is booted and in operation. I can't even check the name of the console with out shutting down the dmx output. Correct me if I'm wrong.

#3 Light up the LED under the fader on the wing when a cuelist is loaded. Make it a different color than the Sub LED? Or just light it. Piccyune I know but...

So who else has suggestions, corrections, or comments?

 

[SteveB]

- When running an effect on a sub, pressing the upper bump button sends that effects rate control to the encoder. No more having to punch "Effect, XX, Enter". Or Shift and upper bump to do same.

- Use Shift and the upper bump button to clear a cue on a fader (see meatpopsicles #1 comment). Shift is new in 1.98 and there's a whole lot of things you can do with it.

- A Lightwright import that brings in data to the patch section should put a definable text into the channel buttons in the Direct Select section. Thus Purpose populates the channel buttons in a DS.

- Bring back the Supermaster capability to the submasters as was available in Emphasis. Thus a particular sub could master/control other subs. Turns a 2x20 fader wing into a 19 channel 2 scene. Also allows better control of a system with a ton of fader wings and lets you group all the subs/faders for a set (TV-Film) as example.

To Ted, check, but pressing About might get you the console name as well as other info.

- Shift and RemDim to release all manual level values in red back to cue or zero. Not NIP's though.

 

[icewolf08]

What I would love to see is the removal of extra keystrokes from commonly used features. I dislike that I can't turn on a channel and then use next/last to step through channels. The fact that you have to hit the "channel check" soft key is annoying.

Also, and I may have just missed a setting here, but when you use the [FULL] button it should auto-complete the command. Why do I have to hit enter after full?

One feature I have wished for on every console I use is the ability to enter multiple channels at different intensities in one command line. It is inevitable that an LD will call levels this way and then want to undo or +/-10% to all of them. Would just be slick I think.

 

[Gern]

I dislike that I can't turn on a channel and then use next/last to step through channels. The fact that you have to hit the "channel check" soft key is annoying.

One possible work around would be to flexi back to either: All Channels, Patched Channels or Show Channels when you want to "next/last" channels from a starting channel.

Also, and I may have just missed a setting here, but when you use the [FULL] button it should auto-complete the command. Why do I have to hit enter after full?

Yes, that would be quicker, but, when you want to modify the command(ie. timing), it would change the syntax.
Personally, I double tap Full to set the level Full. The [At] key is user definable in settings too.

One feature I have wished for on every console I use is the ability to enter multiple channels at different intensities in one command line. It is inevitable that an LD will call levels this way and then want to undo or +/-10% to all of them. Would just be slick I think.

I always either update or record another cue before the next set of adjustments(maybe just a point cue for my purposes I can throw away later, comes in handy when they are trying things and say: go back to the look we had a bit ago.) Then if the LD runs out a line of channels I didn't group before, I can [flexi] to manual channels, tap them on my touch monitor, and record a new group.

 

[icewolf08]

One possible work around would be to flexi back to either: All Channels, Patched Channels or Show Channels when you want to "next/last" channels from a starting channel.

This solution does not reduce the keystrokes required to do this.

Yes, that would be quicker, but, when you want to modify the command(ie. timing), it would change the syntax.
Personally, I double tap Full to set the level Full. The [At] key is user definable in settings too.

The thing is, it doesn't have to alter the syntax. I would see this way: when you just press "chan# [FULL]" it would autocomplete the command. If you press "chan# [@] [FULL]" then it would wait for further input and [ENTER] to finalize. While it may only take fractions of a second to double tap [@], over a week of tech it would save a lot of keystrokes.

 

[meatpopsicle]

- When running an effect on a sub, pressing the upper bump button sends that effects rate control to the encoder. No more having to punch "Effect, XX, Enter". Or Shift and upper bump to do same.

- Use Shift and the upper bump button to clear a cue on a fader (see meatpopsicles #1 comment). Shift is new in 1.98 and there's a whole lot of things you can do with it.

- A Lightwright import that brings in data to the patch section should put a definable text into the channel buttons in the Direct Select section. Thus Purpose populates the channel buttons in a DS.

- Bring back the Supermaster capability to the submasters as was available in Emphasis. Thus a particular sub could master/control other subs. Turns a 2x20 fader wing into a 19 channel 2 scene. Also allows better control of a system with a ton of fader wings and lets you group all the subs/faders for a set (TV-Film) as example.

To Ted, check, but pressing About might get you the console name as well as other info.

- Shift and RemDim to release all manual level values in red back to cue or zero. Not NIP's though.

Ahh. 1.98. I was running 1.96 I think. I have heard about the shift key (use to be follow?) But my consoles hadn't been upgraded. Will it release the cue list? If no other cue list is running it would release to CL1/0?

A hard button would still be faster but I'll take it. And make sure my desk is upgraded to 1.98 for the next one. Supermaster! That would be cool.

 

[avalentino]

Ahh. 1.98. I was running 1.96 I think. I have heard about the shift key (use to be follow?) But my consoles hadn't been upgraded. Will it release the cue list? If no other cue list is running it would release to CL1/0?

A hard button would still be faster but I'll take it. And make sure my desk is upgraded to 1.98 for the next one. Supermaster! That would be cool.

Hi everyone. Thanks for the comments. A few thoughts:

Shift + Load (in 1.9.8) releases content from playbacks/subs. This is easier to get to than the release SK, which is found under Fader Controls (On Ion).

The Device name can be found under "About" when the command line is empty. This display also gives you information about the number of patched/unpatched outputs, the user ID, IP address and ACN/EDMX priority. This also includes a tile to access system about functions.

The current fader wings only have red/green LEDs. We agree it would be great to light the LED white when a cue list is loaded (and Gio supports this). A few years ago we attempted to address this by lighting both LEDs, but the results were not satisfactory, as the color shifted depending on your viewing angle.

Next/Last and Channel Check. Legacy ETC desks did not support the ability to next/last to an adjacent channel just for selection purposes. This is critical when working with multiple parameter devices. When that function was added to the Eos family, we had to add a separate channel check function. Without it, the desk would have NO idea when you were trying to do a channel check and when you were simply trying to select the next channel. Same is true for access to output addresses.

Syntax and auto-terminate commands. 10 different people will give you 10 different commands that they think should auto-terminate (today) - tomorrow that list would be different. At the NYC ETC holiday party on Wednesday, I ended up in a long discussion with a number of programmers who use a variety of different desks. One of the things that they all said they appreciated about Eos was the consistency of the command structure. Because there are very few exceptions to that structure, you don't have to think about how to enter commands in different situations. They felt that although in some instances this meant an extra keystroke, that was offset by the fact that the command structure is always the same.

Thanks for the comments! Hope this helps.

Anne Valentino
Eos Product Line Manager
ETC

 

[JWilsonLX]

A small one, but [Shift]+[Number] to bring up addresses would be nice. Saw the address/patch key in the 1.9.8 key cap kit and got even more jealous of Eos and Gio.

 

[bdkdesigns]

I still don't understand to this day why Full doesn't auto-terminate. It is the one that gets me all the time while programming. Am I just forgetting about something obvious because Out auto-terminates.

Now if we could only add discrete channel timing into the Element I'd be ecstatic, I do love the new set of keys though! I always ended up hitting unwanted numbers while typing because I have most of the key placements memorized so I rarely look down at the console. That has gone away entirely now.

 

[sk8rsdad]

I still don't understand to this day why Full doesn't auto-terminate.

Suppose you're in playback mode instead of program mode. There's a huge difference between {stage wash}[Full][Enter] and {stage wash}[Full][Sneak]10[Enter].

Were you aware that [Full][Full] is equivalent to [Full][Enter]?

 

[jglodeklights]

Agreed. Also, big difference, often, between [1] [THRU] [20] [FULL] [ENTER] and [1] [THRU] [200] [FULL] S**T! [CLEAR] [CLEAR]......

Get my point?

 

[icewolf08]

Suppose you're in playback mode instead of program mode. There's a huge difference between {stage wash}[Full][Enter] and {stage wash}[Full][Sneak]10[Enter].

Were you aware that [Full][Full] is equivalent to [Full][Enter]?

While I agree that there is a difference in your example, it is easily solved. I would set up the syntax such that if you hit {stage wash}[FULL], the command auto completes. However, if you hit {stage wash}[@][FULL] then the console waits for any other commands. This should be a realatively simple couple lines of code creating an IF/THEN. Then you don't have to double tap any keys.

Also, most of the time when I have a designer who wants to sneak levels around during a run, they just ask for them on the wheel, which saves a lot of keystrokes.

Agreed. Also, big difference, often, between [1] [THRU] [20] [FULL] [ENTER] and [1] [THRU] [200] [FULL] S**T! [CLEAR] [CLEAR]......

This, what I like to call a "fat fingered moment," probably would happen anywhay because most of us program so fast that by the time you nitced that you hit 200 instead of 20 you probably would have already hit [ENTER]. This is the reason the console gods gave us the [UNDO] button.

I still don't understand to this day why Full doesn't auto-terminate. It is the one that gets me all the time while programming. Am I just forgetting about something obvious because Out auto-terminates.

This is my point exactly. It seems to me that the same logic that sk8rsdad applied to the [FULL] button should then apply to the [OUT] button. Since [OUT] autocompletes the command, what if I want to sneak a channel out? Makes no sense. [FULL] and [OUT] should both behave the same for consistency.

Not that I have anything against ETC, I think they make wonderful products and have amazing support, but I find that in terms of console usage they would rather just dictate the console's logic even if it seems illogical when you are sitting programming. While I appreciate the goal of consistent syntax in all aspects of programming, it has never bothered me on any older desk that when you were in different modes the syntax was slightly different. When you spend enough time in front of the desk, you just know; "if I am in mode x then the command is y." This is why I would rather have the fewest number of keystroke to execute the most common/basic commands. It gets really convoluted when you need to double tap keys or move to the enter key, or find a modifier key or softkey to actually execute the mundane.

I don't actually understand the logic that avalentino gave about why there needs to be a separate channel check button if you want to next/last through channels with a level. It seems to me that there is a big difference between just selecting the next channel and hitting something like [1][FULL][ENTER][NEXT]. There are countless times that I am sitting programming where an LD will need to hut for the channel they want by going next/last. That is a lot of extra buttons all the time. I have never encoutered a situation where I needed to set a level for a channel, then hit next and set a level for the next channel.

Running a channel check is probably one of the most common things that I ever do. Every singe day before a show (so eight times a week for 7-8 months each year) I run a channel check, so having to hit the channel check softkey every time, adds up to a lot of extra keystrokes.

 

[jglodeklights]

What I would like to see with the EOS family is some form of customizations table allowing for the set up of snapshots of keypad settings, a la the shortcut tables of Draft Sight. This would solve many of these debates. Magic Q has similar mappings for keyboard inputs that alter the functions of keys to match whether one is running a show or programming. Just a thought.

 

[rochem]

One feature I have wished for on every console I use is the ability to enter multiple channels at different intensities in one command line. It is inevitable that an LD will call levels this way and then want to undo or +/-10% to all of them.

Out of curiosity, how would you suggest that you would put this onto the command line? The only way I could see it working would be if you put a comma or some other sort of dividing symbol to distinguish between "1 @ 75" and "1 @ 70, 5...". But if you're doing that, you might as well just use Enter. I've just never really noticed the need for something like this, although that could just be the LDs I've worked with.

What I would love to see is the removal of extra keystrokes from commonly used features. I dislike that I can't turn on a channel and then use next/last to step through channels. The fact that you have to hit the "channel check" soft key is annoying.

Running a channel check is probably one of the most common things that I ever do. Every singe day before a show (so eight times a week for 7-8 months each year) I run a channel check, so having to hit the channel check softkey every time, adds up to a lot of extra keystrokes.

If this is the case, why not write a macro for it? One of my favorite things about the Eos family is how easy it is to create and execute macros. Just write a simple one-line macro, put up the macros on your direct selects, and you can start your channel check with a single touch or click.

Speaking of channel checks though, the one thing I'd like to see is to have channel checks go through all patched channels, instead of just going through the current flexi mode. I usually keep two Live tabs open, with Active on tab 1 and Patched on tab 3, so every time I try to channel check, I get really confused when I jump from 1 to 900. Not a big deal at all, but it'd be nice.