Issues I've been experiencing

I am a relatively new programmer on Congo (V 5.0.1), but I have experienced some interesting anomolies. I was wondering if anyone else had experienced the following:

 1. For some apparant networking glitch (cables/switch) I had the dual server message appear in the middle of my performance. I had the Congo set as server and the Lightserver set as backup. This in itself was no huge deal, but the weird thing was that all my snap (.1) time q's did not snap, but seemed to X-fade in about an 8 count. This really messed up the performers and had me scrambling to the lightserve and make it the backup again.

2. I went away for a lunch break, came back to find a couple of conventionals on in the rig. There were no level indications in LKive or the "A" tab. I did a clear and the light remained on. I cut to a preset and the lights turned off and I seemed to have control again. I cued for about 15 minutes making changes until i came to a moving light Q. At that point, I realized I had tilt control, only one side of the pan. It was quite odd. It took a reboot of the congo to regain fulkl Pan/Tilt control.

3.I have had great issue importing some ascii files, or even opening them for that matter. In one instance, I was able to impoert the main sequence, execute Q's, but if I tried to save the file in Congo, I was immediately booted to the grey Congo screen of Death and had to manually power cycle the desk and restart Congo. That file came from Safari 3.7.1

4. I had a show with multiple effects (chases,content) that obvioulsy were supposed to run as part of the Q's in the sequence. I had to reboot, as a result of a lockup (since learned about the esc,esc,esc,esc fix) and when I ran my first Q (which had an effect in it) I saw the effect master run up to full, but the effect did not work. I manually activated the effect master and looked at the parameters of it and they all looked fine. I did not get the effect working until I manually changed the channel source parameter from Group to SET and then back to GROUP. At that point the effect functioned and all subsequent effects functioned. I exited Congo and tried repeated times to see if this was a one-time error or consistent. To my dismay it was consistent.

5. When I import parts of an ASCII file, my channel track seems to be hit and miss. Sometimes it functions and other times it brings up the preset track master, but not the selected channel I wish to track. Very annoying!

6. When opening an ASCII file and them importing Congo Dynamics, the parameters of the dynamics do not import. You only import the names of the dynamics. You must then import the tables, which are at the bottom of the import list. Boy did that take me a long time to figure out. I do not understand why the parameters would not import with the actual Dymanic templates. Seems very odd to me, which is why I missed it.

Thanks and hope someone out there can help me out.......

  • Hi Jim -

    Some of these will require input from Anders, some I can comment on.

    1 - Not sure why your timing would change - we haven't heard of this before. In general if you see the dual servers message it's a good thing to try and get the backup converted back as soon as you can.

    2 - Very strange. Not heard of this one either. It sounds like something somewhere got quite confused, but I'm not sure there's enough info here to make any determinations of cause.

    3 -   We have found a bug when importing Safari files that is fixed in the upcoming v5.1 software. In the mean time, please send us any Safari files you need translated and Anders will take care of it and send a clean ascii file back to you . (You can use the Congo@etcconnect.com address to send the files.)

    4 - Please send us the show file. Is it possible that the effect did not have the SetGroup parameter recorded into it in that preset?

    5 - What kind of ascii file? Is it a Safari source file or another Congo file?

    6 - Anders will have to speak to this one - do you mean when you import dynamics that the "tables" don't get imported as well? We made a change in this area (old dynamics) in v5 so it's possible that this broke the import...

    Thanks much -

    Sarah

  • Hi,

    Some additional comments:

    5. For the Track List to work properly, it is important that the Parameter Definitions are available. If you are importing parts of a Safari file, this might be the problem.

    6. The Import Wizard does not automatically import related data. This would be extremely difficult and unpredictable since this might require renaming new or existing data to avoid conflicts with existing data. For example, importing a preset doesn't import referenced palettes, device definitions, corresponding templates etc. The same goes for Dynamic Templates and their referenced tables. You have to import this in several steps.

    I am interested to know a little more about your working method. It seems like you are transferring data from a VLC system. Could you describe how you do this and the reason that you have to use the Import Wizard. Are you merging data from different show files? Maybe, we can find an easier way for you to do this if we know a little more.

    Thanks for your help

    Anders



    [edited by: Anders Ekvall at 1:53 AM (GMT -6) on Mon, Dec 15 2008]
  • Are you trying to load lots of Safari files into Congo?

    The Import function is for when you only want a small subset of show data from another show - it's not for doing a wholesale import from another console.

    When you want to load the entire show into Congo from another console such as Safari, use the Open function. This automatically detects the source console and performs the required transformations.

    That said, there is a known issue with the Safari transformation under certain circumstances, which is corrected in v5.1.0 which should release 'soon'.

    In the meantime, if you have a few urgent Safari showfiles that you are having trouble with, please send them to congo at etcconnect dot com, and we can do the transformation in the release candidate.

  • Hi there,

     

    Thanks to you and Sarah for the prompt responses.

     

    5. The files I have had issue with are imported from a Express 48/96 , converted with the offline converter.

    6.  I see the ationale, just didn't get it right away and as a result, drove myself a little crazy trying to figure out why my dynamics did not work. Good news is that it will never happen again!!!

    In terms of the way I operate, I have now taken to building a Master file on the Congo, which I then use as the base for any new show files I might have to import. I then inport only those parts of the show that are relevant. I do realize there is a specific order in which presets must be imported if Dynamics or effects are in the file. I do transfer some VLC files, but only if the previous stop was a Safari house. Is there a more efficient way to work for me? I am all about making my life a little easier and more efficient. LOL

    Thanks again

     

    Jim 

  • Hi Sarah,

    I'll go point by point to try to explain what I can.

    1. I did convert ASAP after realizing what had happened. It was of course the part of the show where there were a series of autofollow point Q's that the system decided to do this. Upon converting back, all was well.

    2. It was bizarre and not show file related, or I would have sent it to you. That file, once the re-boot happened, worked fine.

    3. Noted and I will send files if I need to import.

    4. I'll send it. I hope it is something as simple as that, although I did read the set group  as it should read, just no actual output of the effect. I was able to read all parameters of the effect, which led me to believe it was recorded.

    5. It was an express 48/96 file converted with the offline editor

    6. Anders answered that. It is a 2 step process, with regards to Dynamics. I'll never forget that again!!!!

    Thanks again,

    Jim

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