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    Jeff Toussieng
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Step-based effect

I hope I can explain this clearly.

I am running an event through a combination of the two DMX outputs of my ION and network through an older style 2 port Touring Node. The particular fixtures in this situation, Blizzard HotStik EXA led RGBAWUv bars are being run from that Node.

I created a Step-based effect using the default timings in each step. Each step contains only one fixture/channel. Lets just use 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on for example. There are 12 fixtures so I used 12 steps and did not repeat any again.

What I want to do is make the bars, which are lined up along a wall end to end to look like a train is starting off slow then gaining speed. So fixture 1 on full, then goes off and fixture 2 on full then off, then 3, and so on all the way to 12 then back to 1 again.

I am controlling the speed by opening the effects status window and changing it there and recording each change as a new cue. So as the train audio goes faster I keep hitting the next cue. I am using anywhere from timing of 50 to 300 and the bars are running all colors to get the brightest white. The cues start off with them chasing very slowly then faster and faster and faster then start back slow again to stop; all on.

So they run great but randomly will pause on one fixture briefly then run fast through the next number of fixtures that got behind then back to normal timing.

Another words 1, 2, 3, 4 normal speed (100 for example) ..........pause on 4 then 5, 6, 7 really fast then 8, 9 10 normal speed again (100 for example). it's very random and happens anywhere in the chain on any fixture.

I am wondering if it is network/node related. Possibly refresh issues or something like that.

 

I am going to try to connect the chain today with direct DMX from the console and see if it repeats but thought I would post this in case someone has other ideas.

  • Network issues wouldn't cause 5, 6, and 7 to run fast. If data is being dropped the effect will resync. Let's say it's supposed to be one second per channel. If the signal drops for 1.5 seconds toward the end of 4, 4 will stay on for that duration, it will skip 5 and go straight to 6, then run 7 normally.

    This feels to me like an Eos bug.

    A good way to visualize what the console is putting out is to make a magic sheet with channel objects linked to intensity and color. This can help you troubleshoot.
  • in reply to John728
    I run on Magic Sheets however unfortunately when I tried it again I could not get it to duplicate and I don't remember what I saw on the MS when it happened. So will have to see what happens the next time.
    I have had a few problems at the particular venue when fixtures run through the old touring node. Strange things are known to happen. So I wondered if it was related since I have not seen it before.
    Has anyone out there run across something like before or know of an EOS bug?
  • in reply to Jeff Toussieng

    Check the network-settings in the Shell Setup.
    Make shure that you are only outputting the communication protocol you are really using and untick everything else.
    I had a similar problem once, when a co-worker broadcasted ArtNet all over our sACN-network, which our gateways didn't like at all.

  • in reply to ChrDuda
    As John728 says, its really unlikely to be a network issue as such that could cause this as both Artnet & sACN are UDP not TCP protocols, which means they operate in a fire and forget kind of mode, just chucking the 512 byte DMX frame out onto the wire with a few bytes of address stuff on the front, so they either arrive real time or not at all, this is unlike TCP which is a transmission control protocol where the data packets are sent and the receiver sends an acknowledge and if the ack doesn't arrive the sender retransmits the missing packets and the data is reassembled into the correct order.

    So if it seems to be doing a delay and then catch up its more likely the console itself had some kind of Microsoft moment and got busy doing something else rather than letting EOS do its stuff. John's comment about using the magic sheet to see what's happen would be the best way to tell if the issue was in the console or downstream from it. If it pauses and then catches up on the magic sheet display you know its the console, if its correct there but lagging on the lights themselves then you do have something weird happening on the network, which is pretty unexplainable unless you've got some very high end telco grade backhall network gear in place, or a VPN or something else strange, as straight network congestion would just cause jumping rather than fast catch up you observed.

  • question about step effects. want to create an effect for all my pan tilt fixtures

    Step 1 Fixture @ full FP 1

    Step 2 Fixture @ full FP 2

    Step 3 Fixture @ 0 FP 2

    would like to do this in a absolute effect. not sure how to include the intensity with the FP. info so it in a repete state.

  • in reply to Chrisap

    Assuming you are actually wanting to set the intensities at the same time as the the FPs then you just add in the extra steps for the intensity so

    step 1 fixture full     (set step time to zero even if the Time for the fade was different if you want the intensity move and the FP move to overlap)

    step 2 fixture FP1

    step 3 fixture full

    etc.

    But I suspect you are are actually trying to do something like

    step 1 fixture FP2  time 3

    step 2 fixture out

    step 3 fixture FP1 time 0.1

    step 4 fixture full

    ie the move slowly from FP1 to FP2 and then out while it moves quickly back to the start again.

  • in reply to Mike A

    ya i dont think that would work as a step effect. It needs to be an absolute effect and i dont see away of telling it to be with the intensity. 

  • in reply to Chrisap

    correct, you can't have an FP including intensity, that's what presets are for.

    but you can also do this in two steps, one for FP, the other for intensity.

  • in reply to ueliriegg

    Thanks- would be cool to have the content effect like cobalt.

  • in reply to Chrisap

    so far the only difference i have found so far is that cobalt has intens, 2nd and 3rd content within one step, eos has step time so you can have multiple steps execute at the same time.

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