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    swalecda
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Forward/Reverse/Rate control in a Step-Based Effect.

It seems that I have an effect vs cuelist question: I need to build a chase that is completely controllable by the artists we are working with both in terms of speed, and in terms of direction. Basically I need to program a 24-step-based linear effect, but then need to give them a single button (ideally) to change direction, and some type of rate thruster for speed control.  Two effects, 1 "forward" and 1 "reverse" won't work because the effect needs to change direction from its current step and not re-start from the beginning.
I wrote a macro to go into blind and change the direction of the effect, but it takes the console into blind, and doesn't return it to live, plus, it's clunky, with displays flashing into blind, and the effects editor, etc. Surely there is a better way to program this. Any thoughts out there??


Many thanks in advance!


---D


  • 0

    At the very least, you could change the mode of the macro to "background", that way it won't change any displays.

  • 0 in reply to luke.delwiche

    Luke, 

    I have selected this to run in "background mode", but the macro still switches my screens over into blind and leaves me there.  Any ideas on what I could change to get this to actually run in background?  The macro is below:

     

    Effect open_blind Clear_CmdLine Clear_CmdLine Blind Effect 1

    Clear_CmdLine Effect 1Attributes Clear_CmdLine Effect 1Reverse

    Escape Clear_CmdLine Clear_CmdLine Live

  • 0

    I took a crack at this - let me know if it doesn't work.

    Using 2.0 (Offline Editor  - sorry no desk today)

    I built an Absolute effect and put it in an Effect Sub.

    In the Effect I selected the Entry and Exit as Immediate, Fade by Rate

    The Subs Timing is 1/Hold/1

    Make the Cycle time of the effect the fastest it ever wants to get.

    Place the Sub's Fader at 50% (for starters)

    The Bump Button will start the effect (it'll fade in 1 sec as per sub timing)

    The Handle will rate thruster.

    I built 2 Macros (1 Reverse and 1 Forward) that look just like yours in Background mode and they seem to work fine.

    _Clear_Cmd _Clear_Cmd Blind Effect *

    Effect 1 *

    Clear_CmdLine Effect 1Reverse *

    Clear_CmdLine Clear_CmdLine Live *

    I used the learn key to build it with keystrokes and then edited it to clean out the garbage.

    If needed you could then build a little 2 step Q-List that Executes the Forward and Reverse macros and use a link so it just plays back and forth.

    Your gig is probably over - but if not - hopefully this works for you.  seems to work great Offline.

    Patrick

     

  • 0 in reply to PatrickBoozer

    Patrick.  This is by far the closest that I have come to the solution that I am looking for.  Just a few issues that I came up with:  With an absolute effect, my reverse and forward macros were unable to change the direction.  I was, however, able to modify the direction of the 24-step effect that I created with 1 ch in each step.  The issue that I came up with was when executing the rev/fwd macros for that effect, it jumps a few steps in each direction.  not a smooth change of direction.  Any thoughts?

    ---D

     

  • 0 in reply to swalecda

    I was a little concerned that this would be the case - it's hard to see a "hiccup" like that with the offline viewer.  

    Honestly I don't think we really support the forward/reverse thing at this time - at least not seamlessly.   

    Here are my thoughts - but I'm grasping at straws......

    I'm curious how you structured your absolute effect - if it was an ordered group and a 1 or 2 step ABS effect - reverse wouldn't change the direction - it just changes the order or those 2 steps.  You could try building a 24 step ABS effect with 24 presets that are the steps in the effect and then run the effect with a grouping of 1.  I have no idea if this would clean up the hiccup.

    Have you tried running the macros in Foreground mode?  Just curious.

    You could also try using an ordered group and a linear effect - not sure if this would do it, but worth a try.

    If your dancers could live with a little bump of white light in between transitions you could add a Q to your Fwd/Rev Q list that bumps all the lights in the chase to the high level of the effect and then auto-follow's them to 0 - your Step effect will take over.   I know it's not the answer to the problem - but for now I think you have to come up with a way to cover the transition.

    Sorry to get so close.... and yet so far :-)

    Patrick

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