Ion wish list

Steve Bailey:

  

5) In the OLE, allow a Browse (the PC Hard Drive) function to the Import/Export ASCII functionality.  Currently if you want to import an ASCII file, any file you have or created in another OLE (Expression of Emphasis, Obsession, Showport, etc..) needs to be copied to the Show File Archive folder.  This is counter intuitive to how most Windows folder functions operate.

 

I just wanted to make a quick comment about this... you don't need to copy an ASCII softpatch to the hard drive. If you have it on your USB thumb drive, the console will map it, and you can import from there as long as it has the .asc file extension. I typically will export an ASCII softpatch from Lightwright, but it will not add the file extension automatically, you have to do it when you are naming the file. In windows, you can turn on "show file extensions" if you need to rename the file or change the extension.

Also...

If you want to be able to "browse" more of your computer, you could set your Show Archive path to be something broader, such as "C:\"

This setting can modified from the welcome screen's settings area, in the "General" section.

Steve, Ion is at the very beginning of its life and we are adding features at a pretty rapid clip.  You can expect to see some of the items that you've mentioned shortly.  Others will go on the list of later consideration.  Thanks for the thoughtful input!

Anne 

I am not sure if it has been said but a select active button would be nice.

I currently am working on an Eos and last week at Usitt I worked all week with the Ion in the light lab. For the price it is a powerful board. The only thing i missed was the select active button.

Todd, solution forthcoming..... 

thanks!

a 

Brian

I was checking import functions in the Off-Line Editor (don't have a console - YET !), mostly to ascertain the methods to do allow these functions without sitting at the console, which is what I currently and successfully can do with Emphasis in the OLE. 

Currently I am not actually able to "merge" a discrete set of cues - I.E. 1-124, from one ASCII file, then 200 - 238 from another, as example.  The most recent import will overwrite the previous.  Ditto with the Lightwright patch file that either has the patch cleared by an imported ASCII cue file, or will load the correct patch, but over-write the cues.  Sigh. 

Not sure if I'm doing something wrong and need to go back to the manual to make sure I'm  following the steps correctly, before contacting anyone at ETC with annoying questions 

SB 

This is a trick I learned when using Expression OLE and working with ASCII files.  Open the files first in Notepad and near the beginning of the text there is a line that says "clear all".  If you delete this line and save your file, then when you open it in your OLE it will not delete the information that is not specifically changed, allowing you to merge files.  I think its even in the Expression manual, or somewhere on the ETC site that I found that information several years ago.

J. R. Lidgett
Salina Community Theatre

Expression Off-Line currently allows the following, which a merge of a single cue file with a patch with a macro/config file.

- Open a .shw file that has a basic configuration, system size, as well as favorite macros, etc... but no cues and a default patch of dims 1-1024 at channel zero.

- Read/Convert an ASCII Lightwright file. The patch file will "layer" on top of the macros and config.

Since I am not at the computer that has the OLE, I cannot remember whether you import the LW file before or after the cues, but try it to see.  It works and is a method I used for years before moving to Emphasis. 

SB

Ah !, got it and that makes sense.

I'll give this a try when I'm back at work Thurs.

Thanks Dan

SB 

As a follow up to this thread: http://community.etcconnect.com/forums/p/1479/5239.aspx#5239

Was any determination made as to whether Supermasters would be a submaster/playback fader feature in Ion ?

Hoping the answer is "Soon".

Steve Bailey

Brooklyn College