Purchasing Ion Xe, wanting a Designer view solution.

the RVI and Puck can mostly do the same thing, they just come in a different box. both as well as the Xe run the same operating system, but it actually doesn't even matter for the connectivity. and you can also us a laptop to do the same (PC or Mac).

when you decide if you want to run the Puck as client or backup (or even as primary) you need to be aware how licenses work. every "console" (no matter the shape or size of the box, so in your case the Xe, the Puck and the RVI) has an output license. it describes how many addresses (not universes or parameters) the console is allowed to output. backup and primary look at their license and together figure out how big the output license for the whole system is (it's the lower between primary and backup). clients just need the license but don't care about the size of the license. RVI, Puck and Xe come with a license integrated, if you want to use a laptop you will need to buy a license in form of the ETCnomad dongle, but then it can also be primary, backup or client.

from the user's point of view it doesn't matter if you run a station as primary, backup or client. they are all equal interfaces. the only difference is that the primary has the additional job of calculating the output, and the backup needs to make sure the master is still there and if not take over output.but programming can happen from primary, backup and client. which is actually something happening a lot in real life.

regarding the designer looking at what the console does:
yes, absolutely. even with a laptop without dongle

regarding the designer looking at what the console does and changing views:
yes, absolutely, but you need a license for that, so in case of the laptop solution you would need to have the ETCnomad dongle.

regarding the designer looking at what the console does and changing views and programming as well:
yes, absolutely, but you need a license for that (cf. above). and you need to think about how the designer will be able to input his commands. there is no facepanel to press buttons, neither with RVI, Puck nor laptop. you can use the virtual facepanel view in the software (even better with a touchscreen), think about a programmable keybaord (PI engineering's X-Keys come to mind) or depending on budget about an Eos Programming Wing which adds the exact same facepanel like the Xe to your designer's station.

does that help?

This is what I was looking for, thanks. Sounds like there are multiple routes we can take. If we go with a puck we would most likely have touchscreens, and if we can swing it, we would add the programming wing. 

Thanks.

Edit: typo.

This is what I was looking for, thanks. Sounds like there are multiple routes we can take. If we go with a puck we would most likely have touchscreens, and if we can swing it, we would add the programming wing. 

Thanks.

Edit: typo.

two small things:

- depending of your venue uses network to send "DMX" data or actual old-school DMX it's easier or more complicated to make the backup scenario work. but this doesn't change anything about having a second programming station or designer view.

- to connect client, backup and primary you need wired network. it's not supported through wifi. so make sure you have at least one RJ45 that connects the booth with where the designer usually sits.

Just to see you should also compare the total cost of a Puck plus a Programming Wing to the cost of just purchasing a second ION Xe.  I don't think the cost difference will be very large and having a complete second console might be a very good thing.

Doesn't the puck include the license? I was under the impression it was included, and that you just select which version you want, 512 channel or 6144 channel. The later of course costs more.

We have net3 ports all over the venue, just just use "DMX" data as you say. In the past we have run old school DMX out of universe 1 to serve as a backup for our dimmers. But for the most part only thing running on our dimmers nowadays are Relays parked in the on position, so it doesn't really do anything for us now.

yes, the puck includes a license. what answer made you ask that?

Could have sworn Salazar's comment mentioned it, but don't see it now. Probably just read it too fast.