PJLink and QLab

[Jeromy Hopgood]

I'm curious how people are using QLab to talk to their projectors. Are you going directly to the projector through an AppleScript, or using a middle man application like Projector Manager and talking to that? What have you found to be the pros / cons of your method? Thanks! I have a student who is working on a PJLink project and we thought a bit of polling would be useful.

Jeromy

[James McConkey]

Hi Jeromy,

I have used both an AppleScript and Projector MIDI Remote to control my projector through PJLink. Both work fine. I have not used Projector Manager and could not find the actual application (only the manual) in an internet search. I would be curious to know more about it.
Here are my thoughts on pros and cons of what I have used.

Projector MIDI Remote
This is a great little app that runs off to the side, taking MIDI commands and translating them to PJLink. It costs $20 which was something to think about on my tight budget but I have had excellent experience with it. I have used it with many shows and have been very pleased. I generally prefer it as it gives me a small, very clear, colored display of the status of the projector and if the shutter is on or off. It can be used to easily switch inputs and turn on or off the projector as well.

The AppleScript (found on this forum-Micpool) I have been using lately to compare and have had good luck. I may be detecting a slight delay comparatively but tolerable.

I usually have PMR running off to the side anyway to check status and take manual control in case of inaccurate QLab programming so I would recommend it if the budget allows.

[Andrew Moyer]

I've been using an AppleScript to talk to the projector and it has been working great. I'm using it for shutter and power commands and love the way it works. Once I have the projector focused, there is really no need for me to have another remote lying around. Also being able to close the shutter to achieve a complete blackout is critical for some shows so not having to remember to open or close it manually make the show run smoothly too.  And it has been flawless for me too.

Regards,
Andrew

[micpool]

It's maybe worth saying that PJ Link is a universal protocol and some of the scripts used (including the one I generally use) only work with Panasonic projectors by utilising the web server that is built into them.

Mic

On Monday, January 16, 2017 at 8:56:33 PM UTC, James McConkey wrote:

The AppleScript (found on this forum-Micpool) I have been using lately to compare and have had good luck. I may be detecting a slight delay comparatively but tolerable.

[Jeromy Hopgood]

Thanks, Mic. Have you used Projector Manager at all? I just downloaded it from the App Store and it seems rather cut and dry. 

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[micpool]

Yes, I have. It seems quite solid. The applescript solutions sometimes cause glitches in running video. If you are using a single projector this is rarely an issue as generally you will shutter once the video has  faded, but if you have multiple projectors that you wish to shutter independently this can sometimes cause problems. Using MIDI from QLab MIDI cues through the IAC bus to Projector Manager seems to be a good  solution.

For some shows with lots of  projectors I have used wired GPIs triggered through a MIDI controlled relay box to ensure all the shutters close exactly together.

On newer high end Panasonics (and some other manufacturers units) you can set the shutter close to operate a mechanical dimmer to dowse the projector slowly over time. This is brilliant as it allows cues to be genuinely faded to absolute black instead of murky grey video black followed by a shutter close,instantly. and often  obviously. snapping  from murky grey to absolute black.

Mic

[Stephen Harrison]

I've also had good results with Projector Manager, on a show with dual projectors.

Unlike Mic, I used AppleScript to trigger cues, rather than MIDI - the syntax is really easy, e.g.

tell application "ProjectorManager"

AvUnMute 1

end tell

much nicer, and more reliable, than the previous shell scripts I was using to telnet into the projector to activate the commands.

[Drew Vaxination]

Hey Jeromy, here is how I've been using it with applescript to swap shutters between two projectors to handle a redundant situation like a general session where the image cant go down period. I found this script in another thread with a single projector, and I hacked it a bit so that it does a swap for 2 projectors now since most shutter situations I'm dealing with pairs. thought I would share it here in case people miss the other thread

Drew 

<<< begin script >>>>

set powerOn to "/cgi-bin/power_on.cgi"

set powerOff to "/cgi-bin/power_off.cgi"

set shutterClose to "/cgi-bin/proj_ctl.cgi?key=shutter_on&lang=e&osd=on"

set shutterOpen to "/cgi-bin/proj_ctl.cgi?key=shutter_off&lang=e&osd=on"

#Do not change anything above this line!

set theServer1 to "192.168.1.8" -- set this to the ip address of the projector 1

set theServer2 to "192.168.1.9" -- set the IP of projector 2

set theUsername to "admin1" -- set this to the username for the projector

set thePassword to "panasonic" --set this to the password for the projector

set theCommand1 to shutterOpen --set the command required, option are, powerOn, powerOff, shutterClose, shutterOpen

set theCommand2 to shutterClose --set the command required, option are, powerOn, powerOff, shutterClose, shutterOpen

#Do not change anything below this line

set theProtocol to "http" -- vs https

set theUserPass to theUsername & ":" & thePassword -- your Indigo remote access username/password

set theURL1 to theProtocol & "://" & theUserPass & "@" & theServer1 & theCommand1

set theURL2 to theProtocol & "://" & theUserPass & "@" & theServer2 & theCommand2

set theFinalURL1 to "\"" & theURL1 & "\""

set theFinalURL2 to "\"" & theURL2 & "\""

with timeout of 1 second

do shell script "/usr/bin/curl" & " " & "--connect-timeout" & " " & "1" & " " & theFinalURL1

do shell script "/usr/bin/curl" & " " & "--connect-timeout" & " " & "1" & " " & theFinalURL2

end timeout

<<<<end script >>>

On Monday, January 16, 2017 at 6:17:01 AM UTC-8, Jeromy Hopgood wrote:

[Pierre-Luc Brunet]

Adapting a script from other fellow QLabers to control Christie H series I was successfully able to control 2 BenQ MH760 projectors via PJLink directly from QLab with script cues! :D

Here are the commands which I've tried and made work.

Close Shutter (or AV mute)

do shell script "echo \"%1AVMT 31\" | nc -w 0 192.168.1.2 4352"

Open Shutter (AV unmute)

do shell script "echo \"%1AVMT 30\" | nc -w 0 192.168.1.2 4352"

Lamp OFF

do shell script "echo \"%1POWR 0\" | nc -w 0 192.168.1.2 4352"

Lamp ON

do shell script "echo \"%1POWR 1\" | nc -w 0 192.168.1.2 4352"

And I've joined the simple workspace as well.

Note: I tried the ProjectorManager app and it was crashing with these projectors.

[Mark Burke]

 Maybe you can help me with my situation. I am using a script to control Barco RLM14w pj's and it works great, but when I try to use it with Barco F32 i have no luck.

the script I'm running is:

do shell script "curl http//192.168.42.6/tgi/general.tgi?pauseon" 

I'm running 4 house pj's and 4 on stage pj's. i currently have to use widget designer by paradors's box to control the on stage pj's.  I'm a numb at scripts and had Luckydave come in from Qlab to get working what is working, but he was stumped on the F32 pj's.

Thanks!!

Mark

[Mark Burke]

Maybe you can help me with my situation. I am using a script to control Barco RLM14w pj's and it works great, but when I try to use it with Barco F32 i have no luck.

the script I'm running is:

do shell script "curl http//192.168.42.6/tgi/general.tgi?pauseon"  pauseon closes shutter, pause off opens shutter

I'm running 4 house pj's and 4 on stage pj's. i currently have to use widget designer by paradors's box to control the on stage pj's.  I'm a numb at scripts and had Luckydave come in from Qlab to get working what is working, but he was stumped on the F32 pj's.

Thanks!!

[Joseph Heil]

Stephen,

where did you find what commands to send to Projector Manager?  I'm working with a Panasonic PT Rz 970 and the section on PJlink control in the manual suggests using 'AVMT' as a command to control the shutter.  So AVMT 31 would be shutter close and AVMT 30 would be shutter open.  I also tried with the '%' character precedeing the command but that through a compile error in Qlab's apple script cue editor.  

many thanks for your post below using AVMute and AVUnmute.

[Stephen Harrison]

You can see all the supported AppleScript commands via the Library in Script Editor. There aren't many though:

PowerOn v

PowerOff v

AvMute v

AvUnMute v

Inpt i v

where v is an index for the projectors configured in ProjectorManager -- 0 is all projectors, 1-n is individuals (1 at the top)

In more detail:

PowerOn v : Power on.

PowerOn integer : Use 0 to power on all projectors and 1 to n for each one.

→ text : ProjectorManager answer

PowerOff v : Power off.

PowerOff integer : Use 0 to power off all projectors and 1 to n for each one.

→ text : ProjectorManager answer

AvMute v : Shut image and mute sound.

AvMute integer : Use 0 to mute and shut all projectors and 1 to n for each one.

→ text : ProjectorManager answer

AvUnMute v : Display image and unmute sound.

AvUnMute integer : Use 0 to unmute and show all projectors and 1 to n for each one.

→ text : ProjectorManager answer

Inpt v : Change source.

Inpt list of integer : Use a list of two integers. The first one for the input number (0 to n). The second parameter is the projector to apply the change (1 to n). Use 0 for all projectors

→ text : ProjectorManager answer

[Joseph Heil]

Thanks!

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[Jkar Fernández]

ProjectorManager (SIGMASIX) implements MIDI? ....... how? ... I do not see the mapping mode (learn) .... any help? .... I use IAC BUS 1 .... projector ( Hitachi CP-WX8255A).

[aroom]

Hello

You won’t use MIDI to control the VP via ProjectorManager. You’ll have to connect to the VP via RJ45 and configure your computer and VP IP address to be on the same network. 

You could use telnet to control the VP, but ProjectorManager will work as well. You need to add the VP IP into Projector Manager and you will get control and some infos from it. And then use a Script Cue into QLab to communicate with ProjectorManager.

You could also use a regular browser and type the VP IP to see some control and infos.

Of course, your VP need to have an RJ45 input and some network ability implanted, like PJ Link or something else.

[Jkar Fernández]

Hello.

First of all, thank you very much for the help and the prompt response ... I have done almost everything what it says, and I received an answer from the projector through the ProjectorManager ... where I get lost, because I am a beginner, it is about developing the code of the script that I have to place in the Qlab cue script, so that the projector responds ... any clues or suggestions? Any help is well received ..... Thank you.

[micpool]

I think you are confusing Projector Manager with Projector MIDI remote which eponymously does support MIDI

However it seems to now be unavailable from its original developer www.halfdanj.dk/projectorremote/  so it may well be obsolete.

Projector manager is scriptable and can therefore be controlled from QLab using script cues:

PowerOn v : Power on.

PowerOn integer : Use 0 to power on all projectors and 1 to n for each one.

→ text : ProjectorManager answer

PowerOff v : Power off.

PowerOff integer : Use 0 to power off all projectors and 1 to n for each one.

→ text : ProjectorManager answer

AvMute v : Shut image and mute sound.

AvMute integer : Use 0 to mute and shut all projectors and 1 to n for each one.

→ text : ProjectorManager answer

AvUnMute v : Display image and unmute sound.

AvUnMute integer : Use 0 to unmute and show all projectors and 1 to n for each one.

→ text : ProjectorManager answer

Inpt v : Change source.

Inpt list of integer : Use a list of two integers. The first one for the input number (0 to n). The second parameter is the projector to apply the change (1 to n). Use 0 for all projectors

→ text : ProjectorManager answer

Generally if a projector has a built in web server then you can just see what the URL string  for each control consists of and send that directly from a script

[aroom]

Hi

you have all the infos in this thread, just a few posts above (here: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/qlab/aALjnecDMG8/rJC456eICAAJ and here: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/qlab/aALjnecDMG8/M4GNX34AFwAJ)

you can try this in your Cue Script

tell application "ProjectorManager"
 AvUnMute 1
end tell

here are the commands available : (you simply change them in your script to change the commands)

PowerOn v

PowerOff v

AvMute v

AvUnMute v

Inpt i v

where v in the number of the projector, from the top of the list. use 0 if you want the command to be send to all projectors

aroom

[Anja Hose]

Has anybody had any luck getting the AppleScript to talk to an Epson projector? 

I'm really not familiar with scripting, so I don't really know what it's talking to. I've seen a version of it that opens the web interface in Safari (or whatever browser) and then lists the script, so now I'm curious if it's supposed to be interacting with the web remote.   

The group I am working for don't want me to download ProjectorManager onto their laptop which is the QLab machine, so no luck using that as a solution (though it works great from my laptop!)

[Richard Williamson]

I’ve made PJLink work with Panasonic projectors - sample file at https://www.dropbox.com/s/23c5u56ddv38b3o/PJlink%20qlab%20file.qlab4?dl=0

You need to have telnet installed, on later macs will involve installing through homebrew- you can see if you have it by going into terminal and typing telnet 

Sent from my iPhone

On 8 Jan 2020, at 13:56, Anja Hose <anja...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Chet Miller]

Anna, in a pinch like that I usually use a one scene izzy file, especially because izzy can open and close the telnet connection. Then it’s just a network cue to trigger.

(I still want to try artnet, for the controllable lamp dimming)

[Joseph Heil]

Using Light cues over ArtNet worked really well for me to control lens
shift, focus, and brightness of a Panasonic RZ12K.  A created the
projector as a custom light fixture, but you could equally treat it as 1
dimmer for each function you want to control.  As has been frequently
suggested on this forum "Projector Manager" implements the PJLink
protocol and responds to simple Apple Script Cues from Qlab.  I use this
for shutter control and power on and off.  ARTNet and PJLink can also
coexist.

Good luck,

Joseph

[Alexander (Mailing List) Taylor]

I just used this method to control a Sony projector on Catalina with the latest version of QLab.  Had to install telnet through Homebrew as you stated, but this is still a viable method.

There was an application that showed a lot of promise (Electron) a while ago, but doesn’t work anymore.  Did that ever become a commercial product?

Alexander

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