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    rossmck
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Eos controlling Selecon PL3

Does anyone have any advice (or better, still can ETC implement something in a future version) on how to control the remote focus (pan/tilt/zoom) module for the Selecon PL3 LED Fixtures?

More information is available in the documentation at http://www.strandlighting.com/clientuploads/directory/downloads/02-9693-0005_A_PL3MKIT%2520Install.pdf but unlike most moving fixtures they use some completely odd method of control for remote focussing discussed below.

Any advice anyone can give would be much appreciated

[the following is extracted from the manual]

Under DMX Control, the PAN and TILT are interlocked, you cannot move both at the same time. In order to move PAN, TILT and BEAM the level for each axis of movement must be set to 50% (DMX 127) to start. To initiate movement, from the starting point of 50% (DMX 127) the user must set values above or below this level. Increas- ing the value above 50% starts movement in one direction and entering a value below 50% moves the luminaire or the focus in the opposite direction. The greater the change in value the faster the luminaire will move (see table). To stop movement return the control to the 50%.


The very ends of the DMX ranges 0-15 and 239-255, represent the end of travel stop ranges; if that range is entered you must return to 50% (DMX 127) before it will move again. This was done so that if a DMX control device uses sliders, 0 is stopped and moving back towards 50% (DMX 127) will not cause the fixture to move.

 

17 (16-bit mode)

11 (8-bit mode)

Pan

(See "Pan & Tilt DMX Operation Notes" on page 12 for more information).

0 - 255

0 - 100%

DMX 127 (50%, Motor Stop)

Controls Pan motor in 3 speeds, forward and backwards as follows . . .
Motor Stop = DMX 0 - 15
Motor <<< Fast = DMX 16 - 49

Motor << Medium = DMX 50 - 84 Motor < Slow = DMX 85 - 119 Motor Stop = DMX 120 - 135
Motor > Slow = DMX 136 - 170 Motor >> Medium = DMX 171 - 204 Motor >>> Fast = DMX 205 - 238 Motor Stop = DMX 239 - 255

18 (16-bit mode)

12 (8-bit mode)

Tilt

(See "Pan & Tilt DMX Operation Notes" on page 12 for more information).

0 - 255

0 - 100%

DMX 127 (50%, Motor Stop)

Controls Tilt motor in 3 speeds, forward and backwards as follows . . .
Motor Stop = DMX 0 - 15
Motor <<< Fast = DMX 16 - 49

Motor << Medium = DMX 50 - 84 Motor < Slow = DMX 85 - 119 Motor Stop = DMX 120 - 135
Motor > Slow = DMX 136 - 170 Motor >> Medium = DMX 171 - 204 Motor >>> Fast = DMX 205 - 238 Motor Stop = DMX 239 - 255

  • 0

    I would put the Pan and Tilt options (patched as simple intensity channels) on shielded submasters.  It sounds like this fixture is designed for remote focusing, but not random access to different locations like a real "moving light".  It doesn't really know what position it is at... it just knows "pan to the left until I tell you to stop"

    ~P

  • 0

    I thought the PL3 was a fresnel style fixture that did not have pan or tilt capabilities. If I recall correctly it only had a spot flood feature that you could remotely control but the modes of operation were slow or fast flood/spot and not indexable. Fine feature if you are looking to spot or flood during a focus but not really reproducible in a live situation. The pan and tilt parameters are probably referencing this feature.



    [edited by: andrewt at 9:19 PM (GMT -6) on Wed, Mar 28 2012]
  • 0 in reply to andrewt

     

    andrewt said:

    I thought the PL3 was a fresnel style fixture that did not have pan or tilt capabilities. If I recall correctly it only had a spot flood feature that you could remotely control but the modes of operation were slow or fast flood/spot and not indexable. Fine feature if you are looking to spot or flood during a focus but not really reproducible in a live situation. The pan and tilt parameters are probably referencing this feature.

    Pan / Tilt is made available by an optional kit as per the documentation linked to - it works in the same way as the spot/flood feature and is intended for remote focus only,  its a profile to control it during remote focussing that I'm looking for, it certainly cannot be used in the same way as a mover.

  • 0 in reply to rossmck
    I had a brief chance to work with the pl3 although it did not have the pan/tilt mechanism the zoom function is crippled in their hardware/firmware. there was no way to tell it to go to a specific zoom all you could do is to tell it which direction and what speed to zoom at. This is a problem with the fixture and without the manufacturer changing this I consider the fixture useless. The VLX3 uses some of the same components but has much more control over the pan/tilt and the zoom. These 2 products are built under the same parent company. They just need to figure it out and fix it. just my opinion.
  • 0

    There's never going to be a better way to control a fixture like that, because the only control is "speed of movement".
    The current position of the fixture can't be back-calculated (even in principle) because the console cannot know where the fixture is starting from.

    It's the same as the difference between rotating gobos and indexable gobos.

    If you want to use encoders to control Pan/Tilt and Zoom, then the 'best' way will be to nudge an encoder to start it moving, then [Home] the attribute to stop the fixture in the right place.

    Try to imagine these attributes as accelerators rather than the Pan/Tilt and Zoom that you're used to, and Home is the brake.

    The "Shielded Sub" method sounds like a very good idea - especially as that will prevent you from accidentally recording non-static positions.
    I think that's what I would do with these fixtures.



    [edited by: Richard at 8:45 AM (GMT -6) on Fri, Mar 30 2012]
  • 0 in reply to Richard

    Richard said:
    There's never going to be a better way to control a fixture like that, because the only control is "speed of movement".
    The current position of the fixture can't be back-calculated (even in principle) because the console cannot know where the fixture is starting from.

    If you want to use encoders to control Pan/Tilt and Zoom, then the 'best' way will be to nudge an encoder to start it moving, then [Home] the attribute to stop the fixture in the right place.

    Try to imagine these attributes as accelerators rather than the Pan/Tilt and Zoom that you're used to, and Home is the brake.

    Would there be any way of making a custom-profile for these (perhaps in a future version of the software which handled the, somewhat odd, channel values in the background and allowed you to use the encoders by implementing a bit of intelligence in the software - e.g. by setting the pan / tilt attributes to 127 by default and then dropping towards 0 depending on how fast the encoder is turned anti-clockwise and closer to 255 the faster it's turned clockwise, reverting to 127 when it stops moving ?

    I appreciate you can't do this with a simple fixture profile, but it should be something that *could* be implemented and these are quire popular fixtures.

    There is a 'proper' interface like this for controlling them in the consoles made by Philips Strand Lighting (same company as Selecon now) but I can't be the only person to work in a venue where they like the colour mixing of PL3s (same engine as a VLX) but have sensibly picked EOS or ION for control.

    Perhaps you could put the suggestion to your software team?

    The "Shielded Sub" method sounds like a very good idea - especially as that will prevent you from accidentally recording non-static positions.
    I think that's what I would do with these fixtures.

    That makes sense for now

     

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