Best way to automatically start Qlab/projectors/video cues on and off at specified time everyday ?

[Anhtu Vu]

I would like to get some suggestions for achieving the following:

I have set the Mac Pro turn on and off at specific time everyday (everyday it turns on at noon and off at 22hr10)

1- Once the Mac Pro is on, i would like Qlab to automatically open….can this be done via an apple script ?

2- Once Qlab is open, i would like it to fire the first cue, i believe this can easily be set in the preference under ''When workspace open start cue number''

3- The cue will be a video looped indefinitely until closing time (22hr00), at this point i the video stops (fade out if possible)

4- Qlab will then send a cue to turn off all 4 projectors

5- Qlab will quit

6- Mac pro will automatically turn off at 22hr10 

what are your suggestions for steps 3 - 4 and 5. Thx

[Joshua Langman]

#3 is easy, just put a wall clock trigger on your fade cue (Basics tab).

Others will suggest solutions for the other steps. But note that you don't have a step to turn the projectors on.

[Joshua Langman]

And this might be the solution to #1:

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11177

Set your QLab workspace file as a Login item.

[Anhtu Vu]

I found solution 1 and 2 already, as for solution # 3 your suggestion won't work as it's only for triggering a cue…i need it to stop a cue at specific time...

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[Joshua Langman]

And I feel like #5 could just be a script cue in QLab telling the application to quit, but someone who's more familiar with scripting will have to confirm.

[Anhtu Vu]

Btw, when i put a Qlab session (let say i name it xyz) in the log in items so it starts automatically at login, Qlab will open xyz but it will also open an untitled blank session…is this a bug ???

[Angus Turner]

You can use the wall clock trigger to trigger a fade (out) cue I believe...

Thanks
Angus Turner
angus...@gmail.com

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[Joshua Langman]

I found solution 1 and 2 already, as for solution # 3 your suggestion won't work as it's only for triggering a cue…i need it to stop a cue at specific time...

Yes, you're still triggering a cue. A Stop cue. Or, as you seem to want, a fade cue that targets the cue that's playing. 

[Anhtu Vu]

My bad i had the auto continue turn on 

On Wed, Sep 17, 2014 at 11:39 PM, Joshua Langman <jlangma...@gmail.com> wrote:

I found solution 1 and 2 already, as for solution # 3 your suggestion won't work as it's only for triggering a cue…i need it to stop a cue at specific time...

Yes, you're still triggering a cue. A Stop cue. Or, as you seem to want, a fade cue that targets the cue that's playing. 

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[Andy Lang]

On Wed, Sep 17, 2014 at 11:30 PM, Joshua Langman
<jlangma...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Set your QLab workspace file as a Login item.

This can occasionally be problematic, as the OS may get to launching
the workspace/QLab before the audio device/driver has fully
initialized. We've had a few customers have problems with that, and
have suggested they use Automator to create a workflow to delay an
appropriate amount of time (10s?) and then open the workspace file in
QLab, which is pretty simple to do.

-Andy

[Anhtu Vu]

The problem i'm having when putting the Qlab session (let say xyz) in the log in is it first launches an empty workspace then it launches the xyz workspace so i end up with two open workspace/Qlab on my desktop. Any idea why or is there a way to tell Qlab to launch a particular template and save my session as that targeted template

[Pierre-Luc Brunet]

As Andy suggested, if you use Automator and make an "Automator application" (that will launch on login) to wait 5-10 seconds then launch a specified Qlab workspace, it takes care of that issue as well as making sure the OS is fully booted before starting QLab.

I've joined a screen shot of an Automator application I've just made to do that.

[Pierre-Luc Brunet]

4- Qlab will then send a cue to turn off all 4 projectors

For this can do it a couple of ways.

a) Probably the easiest one is to setup the projectors with a timer where they turn off automatically after not receiving signal for say 5 minutes. This is a standard option in most projectors. That way when the Mac Pro turns off, 5 minutes after, the projector will turn off automatically.

b) If your projectors have the PJ-Link protocol, use this application: "Projector Midi Remote" http://halfdanj.dk/projectorremote/ to control your projectors. You send midi to the application and it then talk through ethernet to your projectors.

5- Qlab will quit

Make an applescript cue that follows your Automatically time triggered fade out which is:

tell application id "com.figure53.qlab.3" to tell front workspace

quit saving yes

#Saving can be: yes/no/ask

end tell

[Pierre-Luc Brunet]

And also:

4- Qlab will then send a cue to turn off all 4 projectors

For this can do it a couple of ways.

 

c) If your projectors support UDP commands, you can send an UDP message to them through the OSC cue change the Type to "Raw UDP message"

[Anhtu Vu]

Hi Pierre-Luc

I got the Automator figure out already BUT as mentioned in my previous post, Automator will only launch the app Qlab itself and NOT a specific saved workspace. How can i automatically launch a saved workspace ??? Thx

[Lucas Krech]

Automator is just user friendly apple script. It can target a specific file rather than an application. If you target your show file (workspace) it ought to just open that. 

-L

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[Anhtu Vu]

No, for some reason it only target the app itself, i tried targeting the saved workspace and it was grayed out..strange! anyone knows why ? Thx

[Lucas Krech]

Just tested and it works. Make the Automator program as follows:

Get Specified Finder Items -> Open Finder Items

That's it. 

The only config is navigating to the file in the first step to set it. 

-L

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[Pierre-Luc Brunet]

Hi Anhtu Vu,

Have another look at the screen shot I posted in my previous post. It's all in there in 3 steps and it works on my computer. That is to open a specific workspace.

Steps:

1-Pause (10 seconds maybe - to let the OS boot completely)

2-Get Specified Finder Item (this is where you select your Qlab workspace file)

3-Open Finder Item (Open with: QLab - It tell automator to open the file with QLab)

It should do the trick.

[Anhtu Vu]

Ah my bad i used ''launch application'' instead of Specified item. thx

[Anhtu Vu]

Pierre-Luc…sorry for this newbie question…how do you make Qlab execute an apple script ?

1-I copied and paste the command lines you posted in the AppleScript editor and save it as a Script file, called Quit_Qlab 

2-In Qlab in inserted a script cue (pointing to Quit_Qlab) after the stop cue…It does not seem to work. Any idea ?? Thx

[Dave "luckydave" Memory]

On Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 2:07 PM, Anhtu Vu wrote:

how do you make Qlab execute an apple script ?

Put the script itself into a Script cue. Script cues don't have file targets, so a saved script file won't work. Just put the script directly into the script cue.

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luck...@figure53.com

[Anhtu Vu]

You mean paste the command lines into the script cue ? if so, i did that and it does nothing :(

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[Dave "luckydave" Memory]

On Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 2:10 PM, Anhtu Vu wrote:

You mean paste the command lines into the script cue ? if so, i did that and it does nothing :(

Where did you paste it into the script cue? In the Script tab, paste the script itself, and press the Compile Script button. Press GO on the cue, and it will execute the script.

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luck...@figure53.com

[Anhtu Vu]

Got it thx

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luck...@figure53.com

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[Mike Post]

Hey Brain Trust,

So I’m struggling with a Mac Pro that doesn’t like to hold it’s monitor settings (several factors involved here: 5770s, lack of EDID, possibly slightly fried video card, inexperienced operators…) In discussing this with people, one of them said there’s a way on a Windows box to store system settings like monitor configuration et. al. and recall it as desired. I said I didn’t think the Mac had anything like that, but I’d ask around. Anyone know anything like that?

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

[micpool]

It seems most  Macs with multiple monitors will occasionally, usually  at the most inconvenient moment  decide to start up with the screens in a different arrangement order, or with the start up screen on a different monitor, or with changed resolutions.

I don't know of any software solutions to alleviate this, but have found the following things helpful.

Firstly shutting down and restarting everything in the correct order often sorts it out.

If using DVI then Bromley Technology DVI Parrots allow EDIDs to be permanently attached to the computer outputs regardless of the physical output device connected, which is often helpful.

SwitchResX puts a lot of display related controls at your fingertips in the menubar, although you still need  to use display preferences to alter any arrangements

And most importantly individual Line up grids for each output device  with the projector name clearly visible so that  problems can be caught at the beginning of the pre show checks rather than when Q1 is run. They are really useful when things re arrange themselves as you can see exactly what going on as you change things.

Mic

[Drew Schmidt]

Try switchresx?
It has a 14 day trial, so no risk involved.

I've used this a number of times to store settings as well as to create resolutions that didn't show up in the system preferences, even though my projector had that native resolution.

[Mike Post]

Thanks Mic - I’m aware of all that - I’m in a budget versus problem place.  Already do the restart order (that was part of the inexperienced operator issue).  Also have the alignment cues in place, but there’s a more subtle issue…  This is QLab v2 and part of my effects rely on placing a clip across 2 projectors which is simple to do on the stage.  Here’s the real problem - the mac will occasionally reverse the placement of those two projectors without changing the actual output paths.  This means, as far as QLab is concerned it has all it’s same outputs, but when the cue plays, the imagery actually shows up at the far sides of the projectors instead of at the overlap.  The alignment slides look fine but the placement on the stage is wrong.  Interesting issue - great fun…

I have an overlap alignment slide in place and need to train people about how to shuffle the screens in System Settings in case of issues.

I’ve mentioned the parrots and hopefully the theatre will jump for it.  I’d also like to axe the 5770s but I doubt they can commit the money to something better.  Near as I can tell, the cost difference for something decent is in the thousands.

Mike Post

mdp...@mac.com

http://mdpostdesign.com

(601) 307-8657

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[Mike Post]

Mic mentioned that too - have to check it out. Might be just the thing. Thanks!

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

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