Lighting software compatible with Q Lab

[Patrick Spadrille]

I'm looking for a software to do what Qlab is, for the moment, unable to do; controlling light by itself. Right now i use Luminair on iPad and i control it with MSC in QLab. it works great but i'm a little bit worried about the wifi connection between the Mac and the iPad. And i really would prefer a software on my mac. Which one do you recommend? I would like to be MSC compatible so that i can change the fade timing in QLab and if, possible to be remotely controllable on iPad.

[Freddy Komp]

My personal fave, though currently not OSC based, is http://lx.claudeheintzdesign.com/lxconsole.html ... and it's free... and not too far from i.e. ETC Express syntax... but does more complex patching...

Or, if you want, check out D::Light: http://www.nicole-banana.com/

Both work with things like NanoKontrol (2) or similar inexpensive midi controllers, and both accept MSC :)...

:) have fun!

[Freddy Komp]

and both work with Enttec USB DMX Pro dongles...

[Mike P]

There's also Q Light Controller - an open source solution. Works with the Enttec dongle and MSC.

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

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[Joshua Langman]

I'll second LXConsole for simple shows (conventionals only).

[Mike P]

Yeah, That's why I went to QLC. I was trying to control movers :-)

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

On May 12, 2013, at 10:13 AM, Joshua Langman wrote:

> I'll second LXConsole for simple shows (conventionals only).
>

[Patrick Spadrille]

Thank you for your response. i will take a look at those.

[mic]

For simple shows, check also JV Lightning DMX control form the applestore - there's a free and a payment version. Interfaces with qlab via midi.

cioa

michele

[Patrick Spadrille]

I have checked these different solution and i don't find what i'm looking for. All those software looks very complicated and not very user friendly. I'm used to luminair on iPad. A great app, very ergonomic, very visual, easy to use, intuitive. Its only problem is that you have to rely on Wifi and it scares me a bit. And also the fact that you have to carry an ipad when i already have my mac with me. An integrated Mac solution seems more logical and secure. But i haven't found any mac software that come close to Luminair. Am i wrong?

Le dimanche 12 mai 2013 13:22:11 UTC+2, Patrick Spadrille a écrit :

[Joshua Langman]

LXconsole emulates the older ETC boards pretty closely. So no, it's not very "visual," but I also wouldn't call it complicated. If you're familiar with how a traditional console works (channel # @ level, enter; record Q #), you'll find it easy to figure out.

Can't speak to the other programs, sorry.

[Patrick Spadrille]

Yes, that one seems simple but the visual part is important for me. Loojing at a wibdow full of number doesn't tell me anything unless i read closely the numbers. Looking at faders, i immediately know what i'm doing.

[Mike P]

I'm not sure if QLC will suit you. It takes a bit of set up. But it can be more visually oriented

Mike Post

Sent from one of thousands of internet enabled devices scattered around the planet.

--

[Johan]

Looking at faders, i immediately know what i'm doing.

Im bound to disagree.
If you are looking at more than a hundred faders, I would say youd need a very, very big monitor to know what you are doing.
There's a limit somewhere around 30-60 faders on a screen,like in DMXis (32) since you also need to see the masters, times and such in the same window if you truly want an overview.
If you have a look at a program like Chameleon it shows only 16 faders at a time. The necessary overview is also in this case produced by a compact list of numbers.

I´ve tested them all, plus a few more, but none is cheaper nor more competent and userfriendly than LXConsole I think.
 
In Lxconsole, (which supports OSC) there is even a built in applescript that sets up all your lightcues in Qlab automatically.
The integration of lightingcues into Qlab is done very simple. Just look under the scriptsymbol in LXConsole and choose the command: "Send cues to qlab.scpt"


Good luck!

[Patrick Spadrille]

Hi Johan,

I've spend some time with LXConsole yesterday. Nice software, very complete. I wouldn't call it user friendly. The command control are a lot of things but not really intuitive and i definitely lack some faders to visualize but other than that, i like it. Could you help me. I discovered that LXConsole doesn't support the MSC command Timed_Go. Do you know a way to trigger a cue in LXConsole with the ability to choose the fade duration in QLab? Any help would be very appreciated. :-)

[Johan Söderberg]

Im not sure its such a good idea, but AppleScript can do that...

That would require taking some parameter (The fadetime ) From some field in qlab, or written into a scriptcue in Qlab and then inserting it into a field in LXConsole.
That specific Lxconsole field would have to be identified somehow so that its the right cue (The next one) in a list of cues that receives the new value.
Or if you plan to use the technic throughout your show, you could change all fadetimes in LXConsole everytime you run a cue. That would make the script more simple to write I guess.

But as stated before, Im not sure its such a good idea. Applescripts are great for some things, being trusted responsibility for perfect timing in live events is unfortunately not one of them.

Why not write the same times in LXConsole as in Qlab and just trigger from Qlab?
Delays and waiting times are easily handled in Qlab, so I dont really get the point here.

Why would you want to do this?

...............

Skickat från min iPad

[Johan Söderberg]

I agree... I use the scrolling only. Never the commandline to control channels.
Just mark The channels you want to change and then scroll up or down.

With a scrollwheel or with two fingers on a laptop.

Skickat från min iPad

5 jun 2013 kl. 14:36 skrev Patrick Spadrille <patrick....@gmail.com>:

[Patrick Spadrille]

The reason I want to select the fade time in QLab is that I often use the same light cue with different time value during a show. Yes, I can create as many cues as I have fade times but that means that if I change what's in that cue I have to change every other same cues. That's time consuming and a source of mistakes. With Luminair I create light cues without any fades and I just used the command MSC Timed-Go and it works great. Really simple. I want to find that kind of ease of use withou having to enter into complicate apple script programming. I don't wanna become a computer geek. Anyway not more than I already am. I just want something that is easy to operate and powerful enough for my need which aren't big. I just run some little theatre play with never much than 20 channels, only dimmers. I just want a program in which I create cues that I can repatch when we are on tour and who can be remotely triggered with QLab. LXconsole is not far from being that but I misses the Timed-go command.

[Patrick Spadrille]

I had my answer on the LXConsole. A much easier one that Apple script. An OSC solution. I thought i would share it. It works allright but you can't send the 2 cues at the same time. You have to set a prewait of 5/100 th of second before the second cue (the Go). LXConsole doesn't seem to handle well two command at the exact same time.

With QLab 3 you can send OSC messages to LXConsole. You can either use the Setup window to capture received OSC messages and define actions for them or you can send messages that LXConsole recognizes. In either case, you can have an OSC action perform any command that you might type into the command line. 

To set the crossfade time of cue 101 to 12 seconds, send the following OSC message: "/cmd.lxconsole/cue:101time:12" 

To set the time of cue 42 to 5 seconds up and 10 seconds down, send the following OSC message: "/cmd.lxconsole/cue:42time:5downtime:10" 

To set the time of cue 15 to a 10 second crossfade with a 10 second follow time, send the following OSC message: "/cmd.lxconsole/cue:15time:10downtime:10follow:10" 

To run cue 15 send the following OSC message: "/cmd.lxconsole/GO:15" 

The latest version has a preference that allows LXConsole to respond to QLab style OSC messages. With this option enabled, to run cue 15 you could also send: "/cue/15/start"

It works allright but you can't send the 2 cues (the duration setting and the go) at the same time. You have to set a prewait of 5/100 th of second before the second cue (the Go). LXConsole doesn't seem to handle well two command at the exact same time.