QLAB, OSC & Scripts

[Paul Martin]

Hey Guys,

So I'm trying to perform the following action

1. Use my iPad to trigger from QLAB via Touch OSC so that its a user friendly way for guest speakers to cue media. (easy - done)

2. Automatically update the Text Labels on Touch OSC on my ipad with the File Names from the QLAB cues. ( Less easy - really struggling.)

I can send a single OSC message from QLAB to my ipad touchOSC to change the label. EG. "/1/label1 hello" and this will change the label to hello. However, with so many labels, i'd love it if someone knows how i can implement a script that can automate changing the name of all my labels via OSC. The Reason is that my content is changing on a weekly basis and I need my ipad to update with the correct names - allowing guest speakers to easily recognise their content - without using the qlab app. 

Ideally the script would do the following

START

Send OSC command to iPAD

Message = "/1/label [insert cue name of cue 99]"

END

I could then quickly and easily change and update the ipad control in one click - rather then manually entering the names each week. 

Sure this is super easy for someone! Thanks all

Paul

[Kelly Schmidt]

The problem with returning names to TouchOSC (or any value really) is that the reply is formatted in JSON. So when you ask for the name of of a cue in QLab, the response will be ...

/reply/selectedCue/name { "workspace_id" : "u90f889uw98fh8e", "address" : "selectedCue/name", "status" : "ok", "data" : "TheName" }

When what you really want is just the name in the same format that you sent it ... a dumb version persae ... 

/selectedCue/name "TheName"

The later version is what you are able to send to TouchOSC. The folks at Figure53 have this on their radar, so it's not really worth writing the script if  you can just wait. 

If you DID want to create a script, you would just need to make a middleman. A listener on a unique port that would simply pass the OSC message from TouchOSC to Qlab and in reply would strip the "/reply" portion of the address and parse out the data of the JSON string. Seems simple enough, just takes some time to sit down and actually do it.

Alternatively, you could invest in the QLab Remote application. Well worth the money. 

[Andy Lang]

On Wed, Jan 14, 2015 at 1:43 PM, Kelly Schmidt <kellys...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The problem with returning names to TouchOSC (or any value really) is that
> the reply is formatted in JSON.

I'm not sure you're answering the question Paul is asking, Kelly. I
read it that he's trying to actively push the data from QLab, via a
Script cue, which would read the name of the cue, and then plug it
into a Script to push it out as OSC to TouchOSC. It's certainly
feasible, although I can't put an example together right this second.
(I'm recovering from a pinched nerve in my arm/herniated disc, so am a
bit limited in how long I can type at a spell right now!)

In that situation, QLab's JSON doesn't come into play at all. He's not
trying to set up two-way communication, but just pushing the name of
the cue from QLab to the iPad.

> The later version is what you are able to send to TouchOSC. The folks at
> Figure53 have this on their radar, so it's not really worth writing the
> script if you can just wait.

We do, but there are a loooot of things on our radar, so if this is
something you need soon, I would encourage not waiting for us. It's
definitely something we're working on, but I don't want you to get the
impression that it's something that's coming in a matter of days or
weeks, as I can't commit to a timeline for this (or for any other new
feature, for that matter).

I definitely think what Paul is asking for is doable via scripting, so
if somebody else can't get him going, I'll see if I can manage a long
enough spell at the keyboard to try to put something together in the
next day or so. But there are far savvier scriptures here in the
group, so I'm hoping one of them will chime in!

-Andy

[Paul Martin]

Hey Andy - you're exactly right. The script needs to simply send an OSC command to touchOSC as described in the first post. Its not needing a reply. 

@kelly - I've got the QLAB app - its perfect for QLAB operators - but not perfect as a guest speaker interface. It needs to look super simple.  

If any savvy scripters know how to help that would be REALLY appreciated. 

Many thanks

Paul

[Joshua Langman]

Paul, this may not be exactly what you want because it's not for iPad, but do you know about QBee?

http://figure53.com/notes/2014-08-22-the-honey-on-top-qbee/

[Paul Martin]

Thanks Josh - yep seen that and its great - however this does need to be ipad based. Thanks for the recommendation though :)

[nizer]

If you haven't fixed this yet, I built a Qlab file to just this for a custom ipad controller I made for a theater lighting system. its a applescript that runs in Qlab and askes you for labels. once inputed it updates the ipad. You can skip or add labels as needed.