[QLab] Using Q lab to drive virtually any program

[mic pool]

Hi all

I wanted to automate Boinx TV for a newsreader video system in a show using Qlab.
(BoinxTV chromakeys live, does lower thirds overlays, clocks etc and you can even put skype and facetime up behind the presenter live for remote reporters)

Boinx TV can only be controlled using keystrokes.

I have got Qlab and BoinxTV working together on the same machine using Bome's Midi Translator Pro which I hadn't come across before.
(Midi Translator takes keystrokes or midi filters according to rules and will then output keystrokes or Midi in response.)

Obviously Boinx TV has to be the active application so Qlab has to be contolled by MIDI commands in the background.

Obviously I've only had this working a couple of hours so I haven't tested it extensively but I thought it might be useful to play with if anyone else wanted to use programs without midi controls with Qlab.

--
Best Regards

Mic Pool
m...@micpool.com

Online video portfolio
http://www.micp.tv

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[Rich Walsh]

On 10 Jul 2011, at 17:44, mic pool wrote:

> Hi all
>
> I wanted to automate Boinx TV for a newsreader video system in a show using Qlab.
> (BoinxTV chromakeys live, does lower thirds overlays, clocks etc and you can even put skype and facetime up behind the presenter live for remote reporters)
>
> Boinx TV can only be controlled using keystrokes.
>
> I have got Qlab and BoinxTV working together on the same machine using Bome's Midi Translator Pro which I hadn't come across before.
> (Midi Translator takes keystrokes or midi filters according to rules and will then output keystrokes or Midi in response.)
>
> Obviously Boinx TV has to be the active application so Qlab has to be contolled by MIDI commands in the background.
>
> Obviously I've only had this working a couple of hours so I haven't tested it extensively but I thought it might be useful to play with if anyone else wanted to use programs without midi controls with Qlab.

I've had reasonable success with this bit of freeware before - although I've not tried anything mission critical with it:

http://www.charlie-roberts.com/midiStroke/

You do of course already have a MIDI-to-keystroke application: QLab - with a Script Cue along these lines:

tell application "TextEdit" to activate
tell application "System Events"
repeat with eachCharacter in characters of "Type me"
keystroke eachCharacter
end repeat
end tell

It looks like BoinxTV can be controlled by a Novation Nocturn (http://www.boinx.com/boinxtv/equipment/); I wonder if the MIDI support that implies can be usefully scaled/hacked?

Rich

[mic pool]

Brilliant!

Can I add a line to the applescript to make Qlab the active application after Boinx has done it's thing?

Thanks

Mic

[Rich Walsh]

On 10 Jul 2011, at 19:11, mic pool wrote:

> Can I add a line to the applescript to make Qlab the active application after Boinx has done it's thing?

Yes:

tell me to activate

You can also use expressions like this for modifier keys:

keystroke eachCharacter using {command down}

You may find you need the odd "delay 1" between lines to make sure things happen in the right order - you'll find out by experiment...

Rich

[mic pool]

Thanks Rich

Mic

[Sebastian Frost]

Hi Rich, Mvh,

Thanks for your replies.

I have no MIDI devices patched in the preferences page as I believe that Qlab looks at all incoming MIDI. I've been experimenting with both incoming MTC and LTC, MOTU Mk3 & Digidesign 003 interfaces, several laptops etc. but to no avail. I've also tried inputting via the built-in jack..

However, when MTC is running (via any device), both MIDI Monitor and Timecode Display display the correct incoming MTC. Qlab is not responding to either, but it will respond to MTC generated by Qlab via the IAC bus (thanks for your suggested test Rich!).

For the show in question, I was running Qlab as show master, so it didn't matter. Video, Lights, Water Cannon and Lasers (yes, lasers! - for that 80's retro feel........) were all happily following Qlab, but I wanted to test the system with video as clock source, but that's when I fell over. I'll keep testing here to try and determine whether there's a bug about (Mac OS 10.6.8!), or just my incompetence!

Cheers,
Seb

> Hello all,
>
> I'm trying to trigger cues from the sync input of a MOTU 828v3.
>
> My midi monitor is seeing the MTC generated by the MOTU, and Pro Tools sees the incoming stream as well.
>
> I have set the cuelist to trigger from MTC timecode, and selected 'sync port' as the source.
>
> The cue in question has it's timecode trigger box checked, and a vaue entered.
>
> But it's not triggering.
>
> Any clues?
>
> Seb.

Is "sync port" the source that MIDI Monitor is seeing the MTC on? Can
you get the cue to trigger by generating MTC within QLab and looping
back through the IAC bus?
Can Figure 53's Timecode Display see the MTC (https://github.com/
Figure53/TimecodeDisplay)?

Rich

[Christopher Ashworth]

(For the record, we're doin' our best to help Sebastian too, but via support@figure53 where he also wrote in. Didn't want people to think we are ignoring anyone!)

-C

[Rich Walsh]

On 11 Jul 2011, at 11:44, Sebastian Frost wrote:

> I have no MIDI devices patched in the preferences page as I believe that Qlab looks at all incoming MIDI. I've been experimenting with both incoming MTC and LTC, MOTU Mk3 & Digidesign 003 interfaces, several laptops etc. but to no avail. I've also tried inputting via the built-in jack..

I think QLab accepts any input (without requiring a patch connection) for MIDI triggers - both global and cue-specific - but you have to specify a connection for MTC using the "Sync source" popup on the Timecode tab of the Inspector for each MTC-triggered cue list.

> However, when MTC is running (via any device), both MIDI Monitor and Timecode Display display the correct incoming MTC. Qlab is not responding to either, but it will respond to MTC generated by Qlab via the IAC bus (thanks for your suggested test Rich!).

Presumably you are switching the "Sync source" to the IAC bus for testing? Have you tried switching the sources in MIDI Monitor off one-by-one to establish exactly which port MTC is coming in on, and then selecting that port as the "Sync source"?

I've never managed to get my head round how the routing of MTC works with our MOTU MIDI Express XTs; I've been quietly ignoring it for 8 years hoping no-one ever needs to use it...

[mick ritchie]

Hi Sebastien

Ive used smpte with great success if a little bit flakey with motus
and qlab in the past though it sounds like the motu routing is your
issue and should be checked as Rich suggested.

I did an install with smpte coming off 16mm film last year -
triggering all the cues and fades as needed - to do my setup I
couldnt run the 20minute film over and over as I would have worn out
a print so i recorded the smpte and then did my set up playing it
from QTime via Soundflower and into a little freebie called
"smptereader" which could then route MTC straight to IAC bus 1 in
Qlab. Using a que list provided I could do my set up before running
the film

Motus have always seemed to read smpte differently depending on model
but this little app means I can use any audio input now for smpte and
get a result. I do seem to remember Qlab not doing smpte pick up
though only new triggers - though might have been me missing something

mick

[Rich Walsh]

On 12 Jul 2011, at 10:59, mick ritchie wrote:

> Ive used smpte with great success if a little bit flakey with motus and qlab in the past though it sounds like the motu routing is your issue and should be checked as Rich suggested.
>
> I did an install with smpte coming off 16mm film last year - triggering all the cues and fades as needed - to do my setup I couldnt run the 20minute film over and over as I would have worn out a print so i recorded the smpte and then did my set up playing it from QTime via Soundflower and into a little freebie called "smptereader" which could then route MTC straight to IAC bus 1 in Qlab. Using a que list provided I could do my set up before running the film
>
> Motus have always seemed to read smpte differently depending on model but this little app means I can use any audio input now for smpte and get a result. I do seem to remember Qlab not doing smpte pick up though only new triggers - though might have been me missing something

Doesn't QLab accept LTC directly (eg: from Soundflower), with no need to convert to MTC? You're right that QLab doesn't chase timecode - it only uses it to trigger cues.

I had the Mbox 2 plugged in last night so I stuck a MIDI cable in it and was able to loop MTC out of QLab and back into itself to trigger, so I don't think there's a fundamental issue with hardware-based MTC triggering with QLab 2.3.4 & Mac OS X 10.6.8...

[mick ritchie]

Never even occurred to me but yes qlab does just receive LTC without
converting to MTC - I do like the reassurance of the big timecode LED
though

best
mick