Active Cue List in iOS remote

[Eoin O'Grady]

Suggestion for the iOS app - could there be a full screen page on the app just with the active cue list including the countdown timers and progress bars. Would be very handy to pass an iPad to LX or SM's so they could see remaining time on tracks.

A password or some sort of authorisation from the main computer would also be nice.

[Sam Kusnetz]

On April 24, 2014 at 9:55:45 AM, Eoin O'Grady (eo...@ampsoundsystems.com) wrote:
> Suggestion for the iOS app - could there be a full screen page on the app
> just with the active cue list including the countdown timers and progress
> bars.

We already do have a list of just active cues; tap the cue lists button and you’ll see “Active Cues” among the cue lists.

We do not include times or progress bars, because that could potentially be a huge amount of data to push across the WiFi network (what if there are 30 active cues? My shows often have that many or more) and could contribute to pretty serious battery drain on the iPad. We may look at some kind of solution on this in the future.

> A password or some sort of authorisation from the main computer would also
> be nice.

We do in fact already have this! In QLab, go to Settings and then choose OSC Controls. In the upper right corner is a checkbox and text field labeled “Use Passcode” which lets you choose or generate a four digit passcode which QLab will require of any other software trying to communicate via OSC.

QLab Remote, naturally, supports this.

Cheerio
Sam

—
Sam Kusnetz
QLab Field Operative
s...@figure53.com

[Eoin O'Grady]

Thanks for the reply Sam, and sorry for missing the passcode! That's great.

Could there be an option to maybe send progress bars and times (even if it's just for say up to 3 active cues). Would be very handy for simple shows with just one track at a time.

[Sam Kusnetz]

> Could there be an option to maybe send progress bars and times (even if
> it's just for say up to 3 active cues). Would be very handy for simple
> shows with just one track at a time.

It’s good to know that this is something folks want to see. We can’t say now whether we’ll add something like that or not, but it’s definitely interesting.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Rusty Wandall]

I'll put a second in for a progress bar on currently playing cues.  I also understand the potential drawbacks over wifi. 

Thanks for your amazing product!

Rusty

[Chris Wenn]

Sitting in tech rehearsal right now, I can *absolutely* put my vote in for the usefulness of such a feature!

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Chris Wenn
Sound Design for Performance
http://about.me/chriswenn
christop...@gmail.com
+61410504735
                                                                     
site:   http://www.chriswenn.net                     about.me:    http://about.me/chriswenn
last.fm:   http://www.last.fm/user/prismatic7  soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/prismatic7

 'Smiling John dangled his face out on the long stalk of his neck and knitted his face into an intentionally stupid smile.' (Speer Morgan, 'The Freshour Cylinders', 1998)

[fishmonkey]

i don't think that bandwidth or battery issues are a barrier.

there are various iPad controller apps that happily support dozens of updating progress and volume meters, e.g. Touchable for Ableton Live.

On Friday, April 25, 2014 12:02:10 AM UTC+10, sam kusnetz wrote:

We do not include times or progress bars, because that could potentially be a huge amount of data to push across the WiFi network (what if there are 30 active cues? My shows often have that many or more) and could contribute to pretty serious battery drain on the iPad. We may look at some kind of solution on this in the future.

[micpool]

Bandwidth Pah. If my wifi network can support 3 family members watching 1080p content on Tvs plus younger son gaming on call of duty with half his school in real time then updating 50 numbers a couple of times a second seems trivial.

Mic

[Patrik Wipp]

Just maybe the iPad could generate the progress bar by itself if it just received appropriate data on Go and hold/stop?

[Mike Post]

How about processor on the Mac side? Genuine question - not being snarky. I always turn OFF WiFi for a production machine so the mac isn’t distracted by network requests like “ping” or “Hey, how much more time on this cue?"

Mike Post
mdp...@mac.com
http://mdpostdesign.com
(601) 307-8657

On Apr 25, 2014, at 5:00 AM, micpool <m...@micpool.com> wrote:

> Bandwidth Pah. If my wifi network can support 3 family members watching 1080p content on Tvs plus younger son gaming on call of duty with half his school in real time then updating 50 numbers a couple of times a second seems trivial.
>
> Mic
>

[Eoin O'Grady]

There's obviously issues to work out, but it would be very handy to have the option if you want - with the 'recommendation' that you turn off wifi etc on the production machine. But at your own risk, if you're running one backing track at a time, you can give an iPad to the SM or LX.

[micpool]

On Friday, April 25, 2014 2:58:45 PM UTC+1, Mike Post wrote:

  I always turn OFF WiFi for a production machine 

So do I for performances. But for set up and rehearsals  i generally have it on. If there is too much general traffic on a network  I'll just get the main Qlab machine to create a network.

Often I am using this for full non adaptive screen sharing and don't find too much of a hit. Scrubbing with the mouse in numeric fields is usually the first casualty on a general building wide wifi network and there may be some delay to  go's if initiated from a wifi networked machine. But I don't find the performance of the main Qlab machine is compromised too much by demoting or screen sharing.

Mic

[Chris Wenn]

Sure - but if you're turning off WiFi on the Mac you're not using the Qlab Remote on the iPad, right? And if you've got it connected by wired Ethernet then it's still likely to be 'distracted' by ping...

----
Chris Wenn
Sound Design for Performance
http://about.me/chriswenn
christop...@gmail.com
+61410504735
                                                                     
site:   http://www.chriswenn.net                     about.me:    http://about.me/chriswenn
last.fm:   http://www.last.fm/user/prismatic7  soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/prismatic7

 'Smiling John dangled his face out on the long stalk of his neck and knitted his face into an intentionally stupid smile.' (Speer Morgan, 'The Freshour Cylinders', 1998)

[micpool]

No, I wouldn't use Qlab remote as an operators remote for performance. Although for certain types of application it's not necessarily a complete no no.

To put this into perspective, I have just opened a single projector video show with sound cues in Qlab3

I have 2 iPads connected on my office   wifi network. 1 running Qlab remote and 1 running screens 3 in  with just the operator screen selected.

Regardless of which machine I trigger the Gos on there is no visible performance hit on the main Qlab machine.

The iPad with Screens 3 is pretty much updating in real time. The hundredths of a second is going like the clappers in the action column and there is no significant delay. This is of course an alternative to Qlab remote if you really need to see the timers (editing in the inspector is nigh on impossible though on an iPad screen with fat fingers.)

Now streaming netflix to my phone on the same network as well. No visible performance hit.

And now to screw it up I change the screens 3 program to display the operators screen and a 2560x1440 monitor with the Qlab video output on it. 

Triggering GO is still near instant. There are the odd dropped frames on the video and the iPad with screens 3 is about 1 sec behind and has dropped its frame update to 2fps.

But with a complex sound only show there is no discernible performance hit on the main system regardless of what I try.

I can even put quicktime player on my second screen playing a 1080p video file. Qlab is still fully  responsive on the main machine and all remotes and there are no sound glitches.

On the iPad running Screens3 the screen update on the iPad for quicktime player is  slow and delayed  but the remote screen for  Qlab is still updating pretty much instantly

[micpool]

And you can use 2 iPads both running Qlab remote on the same workspace. I've only done quick test but you seem to be able to edit on any of the machines and trigger play on the others without it getting in a mess. And for good measure I ran screens 3 on my iPhone as well and that played along quite happily

So all in all it's very robust for rehearsals, but you would have to carefully evaluate and test any wifi methods you were going to use with an audience in.

Mic

[Mike Post]

I also don’t kook up production machines to a wired Ethernet :-)  The only time they get to be on the Web is when I’m downloading updates or content.  I also do use the Shared Screen trick, but it’s on a dedicated wire from my laptop to the QLab system.  After tech, the show box is isolated from the rest of the world until that show closes (or something dire happens…)

Mike Post

mdp...@mac.com

http://mdpostdesign.com

(601) 307-8657

[micpool]

I think you need to differentiate between networks that just have production equipment on them, general networks, and networks that have routers to the internet.  On a video show I'll often have a main and a back up computer, Midi triggers coming from the sound computer system over IPMidi , a NAS drive, LAN connections to projectors for remote control and shutters, a wireless router for remote access and a laptop at the production desk. On the sound side there might be a similar setup  with the addition of network connections to the console and mix engines.  Usually these are on a Ethernet switch or switches which only have production equipment connected. I'll normally arrange for internet access wirelessly only on my production desk laptop.  

I think networking and LANs are an integral part of video and sound design, and entertainment technology in general. Properly implemented and maintained they are often an essential part of the production workflow and infrastructure. You need to be methodical and exact in deploying them but I think they are one of the more robust and proven aspects of computer technology in the theatre and are not to be feared.

Mic