Congo > Expression Conversion

Hi Nick -

You are right, there is no export function in Congo. This is because ASCII format  is the default format we use all the time, so no exporting is required.

I hope this helps!

Thanks -

Sarah

Great, so I can import the Congo file (.asc?) directly into the Expression OLE and export an Expression show file?

So I tried doing an import with one of the Demo Congo files and it didn't work. I opened up the ASCII file to find that the formatting is completely different than what an ASCII file export from a Eos or Expression looks like.

So its seems like this conversion just isn't possible, unless there is some "guide" to cutting and pasting a Congo ASCII file to be read by the Expression OLE?

Which version Expression are we talking about?  Expression 2 and 3 (v3.11) use a different ASCII format than the original Expression.  I haven't tried to go Congo to Expression v3.11.  I have gone Congo to Ion without a problem.  Also, you might want to use Congo to create a blank play file and import only the presets for the main sequence.  Patch, system and effects info might confuse the offline editor.

If you are trying to get into Expression 1, maybe you can use Word to do a find and replace on the character that is different and then resave it to ASCII text.

Good luck,

John

Can you send me your Congo file and I'll give it a try? sclausen AT etcconnect DOT com

I have many stories from long ago trying to convert files using ETCEdit and sometimes it's just easier (not necessarily faster, but easier) to type the data into the other console. I would expect that transferring the show file will only get you dimmer information as well - if the Congo file has moving lights in it the Expression won't know what to do with that or the effect information. This is often true when moving shows between systems of vastly different age or design.

Thanks -

Sarah

Can you send me your Congo file and I'll give it a try? sclausen AT etcconnect DOT com

I have many stories from long ago trying to convert files using ETCEdit and sometimes it's just easier (not necessarily faster, but easier) to type the data into the other console. I would expect that transferring the show file will only get you dimmer information as well - if the Congo file has moving lights in it the Expression won't know what to do with that or the effect information. This is often true when moving shows between systems of vastly different age or design.

Thanks -

Sarah

I've now done a couple of checks here with Expression Offline 3.11 and some Congo play files I have lying around.

It turns out that Expression Offline can't cope with some of the comments in a Congo file.
- If you delete every line that starts with an exclamation mark you should be OK.

(Assuming you have access to a text editor that can use Regular Expressions this is quite easy to do - the regex "!.*" will find all comments)

- It will probably pop up with a few errors as there are a lot of Congo features that Expression doesn't understand, and it might stop just before the end of the file.
However, the place where it's likely to stop is in the Congo Screen Layouts, which obviously can't be imported into Expression.

Some definite limitations:

• Expression doesn't understand Congo moving lights at all so you will only get Intensity information and dimmer patch.
• Expression will only import the sequence on Main Playback - it won't see any other Sequences.
• Expression will import Presets that aren't in a Sequence as Groups.

Thanks Richard, that worked pretty well.

However, I have just been handed another snafu, I just found out that the new theatre has an Obsession II, not an expression. Upon downloading the Obsession offiline, I notice there is no ASCII import functionailty *sigh*

This seems like the end of the road for this method.

Hi Nick-

Sorry I didn't see this thread earlier, as I expect you have solved this the old fashioned way. For future reference, I offer a conversion service that includes getting shows into Obsession 1 and Obsession II formats (and out of Obsession 1). Check out www.westsidesystems.com . You are correct in your observation that the offline application cannot do this. 

Eric

Unsolicited plug: Eric's conversion rocks the house. He turned an Obsession II opera file into an Expression 3 for me once, and it was well worth the fee. 

An interesting adjunct to this is that I have just had to convert a Congo (6.3) .asc showfile both to Express (3.11) and Eos (1.9.12).  Happily there were no movers in it.

The Express numbers its cue stack using the preset numbers, and the Eos numbers its cue stack using the step numbers.  I wonder if there could be an option?

Congo                              Express                            Eos

S     P

1    0.5                                0.5                                  1

2    0.7                                0.7                                  2

3    1                                    1                                    3

(Before anyone asks why I don't go from 1, 0.5 is a preset, 0.7 is a black-out, and 1 is the first cue of the show.  At the interval, 50.5 is the house-light preset, 50.7 the DBO, and 51 the start of part 2.)

The reason for this is that Congo allows your Sequences to use Presets in any order and even re-use the same Preset multiple times in the same one.

However, Eos doesn't allow you do do either of those things with Cues in Cuelists - they've got to be in order and unique.
So Eos uses Congo's Step numbers for the Cue numbers instead of the Preset, as that will always work.

Express just tries to use the Preset numbers - so it'll work fine as long as your Sequence is in order, and may get confused if they aren't.