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    grobermatic
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V5 Effect Engine Problems

Hi,

I've recently upgraded my Congo 1000 to V5 and on the whole found it to be a vast improvement on the previous versions of the software.

 However I have found some problems when recently trying to program a few chases for a show using the new V5 Effects Engine... 

1) After programming the effect, getting it to run (start the chase > CH + [Master Assign Key] to assign it to a master) and linking it to a cue (or main sequence step) I found that when playing back the show the effect would start successfully and run ok, but only for the duration of the fade. After the fade has completed the effect stops. I have tried altering all manner of timings etc but still the same ... always quits as the fade completes.

2) Having programmed a few chases and assigned separate effect playbacks to each effect, I find that certain cues in the show make the effect playback change the effect it is assigned to. Sometimes.. in fact usually it assigns a name that isn't even the name of a valid effect in the show. usually just a number... I got 96 and 97??? Obviously this isn't and effect in the show so nothing happens when I hit GO. 

So I ended up programming chases the classic Congo way (Seq Wizard etc) which works ok but its not so easy to program organic chases (flickers etc) On the flip side of this I've not found a way to program the BPM in to a new V5 chase... has this been left out or am I missing something?

Any comments welome :0)

Cheers

 

Craig

Wakefield Arts Centre  - West Yorkshire - UK 

  • Hi,

     

    1) Do you see if it's still is active on the master? (On the master display it should have a Bold frame, or if you open the Master View)

     

    2) When you say "effect" what do you mean? The Effect playback or series?

    There is a issue in 5.0.1 that if you edit a group it will shift groups after that up a number 96 will be shifted to 97 see http://community.etcconnect.com/forums/thread/8660.aspx

     

    Hope that helps

     

    Bullen 

  • Hi Craig -

    It seems there might be some misunderstandings about the way an effect playback works. 

    1) If you assign an effect playback to a master in the way you describe, it's no different than assigning a device channel to a master - you have control of intensity on a fader, intensity via the flash key, and a select key but nothing else. All the other parameters of the effect have to come from somewhere else (either played back in a preset or manually set). It sounds like you're using a master link to raise the fader, but I'm not sure where all the other settings (or the chase setting, in the case of a chase) are coming from. It's better to treat the effect playback like a channel and record it and all its settings into a preset, then place the preset on the master (or in the case of chases, you can skip all of that and just include them in the main preset itself). Could you send us a copy of your play so that we can try to figure out why the chase would stop after the master link? You can send it to me at sarah "dot" clausen "at" etcconnect "dot" com.

    2) This may be a function of never recording your effect playbacks into any presets. The effect playbacks do not have to be "stuck" to the chase you originally created them for. If you send me the play I'll take a look for those strangely named objects to see if I can figure out where they came from. We have added some text to the chase effect tab to help make this clearer in the next version of software. In the mean time, I've attached a pdf containing some effect overview and tutorial information that is also posted in the announcements section of the forums. Hopefully this will clear up some of the confusion.

    Thanks -

    Sarah

     

    Congo v5 Effects Overview.pdf

  • Does nobody have any advice to offer here? Anyone from ETC have any feedback on the problems I've been having??

    Regards

     

    Craig 

  • in reply to grobermatic

    Ignore my last post .. for some reason the replies to the original post did not show.

    Craig

  • in reply to grobermatic

    If you use the "Search" function, the forum software only shows the post that matches - you need to click the "Show Complete Thread" link to see the whole thread.

    It seems to be a limitation of the "Community" forum software.

  • HI Craig

    I think the problem was you work the chase on a Master linked to a cue and now you don't need that. You have to work the Effects like a moving device ( a channel).

    Try just select an Effect with a chase give some level and press Record. While you record some presets with the #Effect with some level you see that the chase is running. To stop the chase on the sequence just bring the # Effect to 0% and ...voilá it end the chase.

    Like a moving device whenever you record a preset it's always a good idea to record a pallete also so that if you have to do some change on a Effect you just select that pallete.

    I hope that helps you

     

    Pedro Alves

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