Channels dropped when patching Mac Viper Profiles and Performances.

OK, another interesting thing that we have found out. When building a new file with the new software the fixtures patch fine. When trying to patch them in a showfile that was originally built on an earlier software version, the bug pops up. 

Hope this helps with any bug catching. 

I agree with Mike.  I believe the profile issue is resolved in the newer code, but using the older show it is still using the older profile.

Thank you both for your responses.

Whenever we have patched these fixtures at any stage in the past the Performance had taken up 40ch, the Profile 34. This only changed after the software and library update, 

The upshot of whatever change has been made is that we have now had to rebuild all our venue defaults and so on from scratch based from the new software version in order to make sure that these fixtures patch in using the full listed DMX footprint. It also means we will have to reconstruct any returning shows that have been built previously but may need fixtures swapped out in future iterations. There is also the question of what other fixtures have been affected that people just haven't come across yet.

This is not an ideal result of a software or fixture library update.

The Mac Viper Profile 16B Extended fixture in the 2.8.0 beta (build 56) is still a footprint of 29 channels.

After loading an old show file into 2.8.0, when I go to update the Viper fixture profile, in the list of changes it shows:

2. DMX Footprint changed from 34 to 29

-Todd

Because the newer profile is a smaller footprint, you might not need to redo your patch.

Just keep the old files as-is with the larger footprint profiles.

Going forward, decide if you want to switch to the smaller profile or patch the larger footprint using offset. If you go with the smaller profile footprint, it doesn't matter if the unused last 5 channels (as shown on the fixture dmx range) overlap with another fixture address, as they never get data for that fixture from the console.

-Todd

I'm pretty sure the footprint will go back up again as soon as this is fixed

I hope so - as that would be the best resolution (unless you have a show patched consecutively using the smaller profile ranges now)

-Todd

the manual says 40, so that's the correct number and it should go back there.

From what you've said it sounds as if the issue is the new software reading an old library (ie the one in the show file) interprets the total wrongly,   but using a new library its ok.

I don't think its going to effect things very much  at all as old show files will work ok,  but just if you add new fixtures they will not offset correctly automatically and if they are upgraded to the new lib it will probably work correctly anyway if it was working ok for you in a new show file.

The way it doesn't upgrade the library is there as a way to keep old show files working as is, even if they change the standard lib in the update.  So I don't think the concerns you have will turn out to be an issue.

From what you've said it sounds as if the issue is the new software reading an old library (ie the one in the show file) interprets the total wrongly,   but using a new library its ok.

I don't think its going to effect things very much  at all as old show files will work ok,  but just if you add new fixtures they will not offset correctly automatically and if they are upgraded to the new lib it will probably work correctly anyway if it was working ok for you in a new show file.

The way it doesn't upgrade the library is there as a way to keep old show files working as is, even if they change the standard lib in the update.  So I don't think the concerns you have will turn out to be an issue.