Version 1.4

Brent, 1.4 is scheduled to be released by the end of May.  It will support NPs on submasters, I-Masters on both submasters and playback faders, but not yet effects on subs.  That will be in a follow on release.

Hope that helps.

anne

So...I've been waking up these last couple of mornings and the first place I log into is right here!  Hoping that I'll see v1.4 update!  I'm taking delivery of my Ion on Saturday (yeah!) and want to update before I start working!

Pat 

As the upgrade seems to have been pulled from the site can we get some sort of comfirmation from ETC as to what the  situation is. I cannot remember this ever happening before and always regard upates as ready to go. Hopefully this is just a minor slip but I am leaving my system alone until someone tells me what is happening.

Malcg

Hi Malcolm (and everyone else!!  Man, you guys are fast).  There was a slight blip in the version numbering that was posted late Friday.  We'll have it back up first thing Monday.   We will also have the Mac Offline download posted.  It is a different download from Windows.  For you the few of you who managed to grab the software before we pulled it, please update to the release build we will post tomorrow.

 Regarding backwards compatibility - we make library changes in each release that could cause problems with certain fixtures if you programmed on a later version of the library and then went to an earlier version... might end up needing to do some reprogramming.  This is the reason for that statement.   

 We will begin shortly posting documents to advise you of library changes, additions and deletions from one release to the next.  

Thanks!

Anne 

Hi Anne,

Thanks for that, I notice what appears to be a new Revolution fixture in the library is this a new all modules included version?

 Malcolm

Yes, that was at the request of several of our users. 

a 

I was one of them - fantatsic. I'm swapping modules mid show at the moment so that will save some fiddling.

Malcolm

Hi Derek,

We run a changing repertoire programme and offer LD's the Revolution as a basic tool but allow them a choice of modules. Sometimes this works well but on other occasions not. At the moment we are running with the shutters in permanently and swapping the iris and gobo modules as needed. On the Obsession it was easy as our profile allowed for all possibilities. Now that the same thing exists for Eos (subject to checking when I install the real 1.4 ) those changes we had to make will no longer be needed.

Malcolm

I downloaded and installed the new version this morning. For Mac:

http://www.etcconnect.com/docs/docs_downloads/offline/Eos%201.4.0.9.0.71.mpkg.zip 

It works!  Of course, I don't know what to do with it, not having access to an Eos or Ion, but still, Mac-native lighting software is a huge step in the right direction.

derekleffew:

I downloaded and installed the new version this morning. For Mac:

http://www.etcconnect.com/docs/docs_downloads/offline/Eos%201.4.0.9.0.71.mpkg.zip 

It works!  Of course, I don't know what to do with it, not having access to an Eos or Ion, but still, Mac-native lighting software is a huge step in the right direction.

Of course porting an offline version of a console that is still under development to another platform is more important that fixing the gaping holes that exist in the Eos / Ion software. An offline version is a LUXARY not a right. Of course ETC must make sure that the Jobs' boys are happy.... who cares about the guys that want more fixes / features on the physical console.  ETC have a finite number of coders therefore a finite ammount of code can be produced. If a coder is working on a port of Eos offline to Mac (or any other platform; WinPC Unix etc) then that is a coder not working on the console software. The more platforms that are deployed increase the no of bugs. That is why there is no Mac version of Hog2PC, Hog3PC, MAXXYZ PC, etc. Those writing code have better things to do than pander to a minority of users (this is not an anti Apple / Unix thing purely statistical) who want to use code written for a different OS. The more platforms (OS's) that are supported the slower builds (and bug fixes) for the real colsole will be as those builds have to be tested on every platform. Hey, can I have Eos OL for my PSP? Of course, but all other builds will slow to a stop, whilst the console OS is ported to the other hardware.

Those professionals in this industry understand this. There was nerer (to my knowledge) a PC port of the Icon or Artisan software. What ETC has done is laudible but at what real cost to the speed of incrementation of the console. Every build now has to be tested on 3 hardware platforms and at least 6 Operating Systems (with all their incremental builds).

To be honest any port to any offline vesion is bad news for the console user. Personaly I would prefer all console manufacturers to work only on the hard version of the console (even if it is MS Windows, OSX based) and get the console version right without having to waste time f&%^ing around with personal computer versions with all the inherent problems with screen resolution, system conflicts etc. In other words give me a fully working bug free console first, then, and only then, think about poorting it to open platforms.

Offline versions are great to pre programme / learn / play with a console OS, but if the Real console suffers, which inevitably it does, why bother? We used to manage before, why not now.

Waiting for a bug free 1.4.0.?

Adam
 

as2k:

Having looked further at the build released (1.4.0.1.0.71) I would recomend reinstalling v1.3.1. There seem to by quite a few interesting thing happening in 1.4.

 Just installed 'official' build - no difference. As I said. Stick to 1.3.1. Less bugs.

A fairly un-warranted attack on the EOS team I feel. In six months of using our EOS/ION consoles
 one of the most frequent questions I have been asked by Lighting Designers coming through our venue is "Is it compatible with my Mac". There are seemingly more and more people in this industry converting to the Mac OS for their personal computers, including myself in recent months. I see ETC's decision to start supporting Macs at this stage in development as a move with the times. I'm sure the development team at ETC have a list as long as all of their arms put together, but as the saying goes "You can't please all the people all the time".

I know I'm not the only one who thinks that the EOS team are doing a sterling job creating a great lighting console. We need to understand that if we buy an EOS/ION we are buying into a product which is still in development and if we don't like it we can take our business elsewhere.

My opinion anyway. ;-)
 

grahamparker:

 We need to understand that if we buy an EOS/ION we are buying into a product which is still in development.....

 I debated for a while as to whether or not to take the bait, but the statement above got me thinking....

What an accurate statement.  I wonder what we would think if it weren't still being developed?

 One of the things that I really love about our industry is the fact that the ideas about how to control lighting is pretty much constantly changing.New ways, new ideas, and new thoughts about how to control what we use as our tools are emerging all the time.  The fact that we have a place to come and speak directly to a manufacturer about what our thoughts are and have those ideas incorporated into a product that we use is a wonderful resource.  I know that ETC is not the only one doing this forum thing, but it is still a wonderful thing and sign of the willingness of a manufacturer to really listen to it's customer base and use that information and respond accordingly.  I am sure, that if she really wanted to, Anne could list the number of features that have been included in the various releases to the point that have been suggested or influenced by what was said here and at trade shows and demos and the like and I am sure that is would be no small number.  The "Mac" thing is another one of those to be sure.  Every time that any one of us has pointed out what we think is a bug, we get a response from either Anne or Doc or another member of the development team either telling us that they agree, it is a bug and that its on the list to be fixed, or even asking us how we would like it to be fixed.  Could those people (of those that respond who are coders) spend that time coding? Absolutely.  But we, as the users of the console, wouldn't feel nearly as much like our questions are being answered and our concerns being listened to.

 
I don't see a whole lot of specifics in the post above about 1.4 to know what those concerns or bugs are.  I know that I, as well as others around here, would be more than willing to listen to those concerns if they could be addressed more clearly.  Some of us just use the console alot and some of us are code writers.  We will all be willing to help when we can.


 

Whoah there Adam.  Let's not attack both Mac users (which while a minority in the larger world, is a fairly large majority in my experience of theatre) and the lovely ION/EOS team who are listening to our problems and feature requests patiently.  I'm a Mac user, an ION user, a PC user and I certainly like off-line editors - they are quite useful.

 Take the anti-Mac wars to Slashdot, please.

Whoah there Adam.  Let's not attack both Mac users (which while a minority in the larger world, is a fairly large majority in my experience of theatre) and the lovely ION/EOS team who are listening to our problems and feature requests patiently.  I'm a Mac user, an ION user, a PC user and I certainly like off-line editors - they are quite useful.

 Take the anti-Mac wars to Slashdot, please.