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Thread: Newbie with questions about DMX and ILDA.

  1. #21
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    Yes, definately the animation laser will have to run on the ILDA it looks like. Thankfully it looks like DB-25 cable is relatively inexpensive as well. I'm just trying to figure out how to sync up music from a timeline that uses DMX for the DMX star and motor projectors, and have that same music sync with my single ILDA projector. I'm probably looking at some sort of SMPTE setup I guess.
    I believe that Pangolin sell a package of QS2+FB3+Enttec pro, which makes me suspect that QS supports DMX out. In that case, you just do your timeline in QS and trigger DMX/midi cues at the right times.
    Alternatively, do your DMX timeline in an appropriate program, and trigger QS via midi in or DMX in (the Enttec can work as in or out)
    Frikkin Lasers
    http://www.frikkinlasers.co.uk

    You are using Bonetti's defense against me, ah?

    I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain.

  2. #22
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    I was thinking Ethernet for a couple reasons. One is that my entire house is wired for Ethernet. I could set the projectors up in a larger room away from the computer, Remote to the computer, and set scenes in a large area of the house or even outside without laying down long cables. Laptop could fix this, but my laptop is aging. Second reason is that if the system works using TCP/IP it would be simple enough to set up a wireless bridge with some of my old network gear laying around. That way I could virtually go wireless to the display for the DMX part. One last reason is that whenever a new operating system comes along, there tends to be driver issues. Especially with USB devices. If the controller works totally on TCP/IP there never would be a driver issue. Does that make sense? I'm still on a learning curve with all this stuff with the lasers.

  3. #23
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    Here is a link to the Enttec. It appears that the controller is 5 pin. Don't I need 3 pin?

  4. #24
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    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XLR-5-PIN-...item4cf8fc793b

    Or the appropriate other one, depending on if you're going in or out. DMX only uses 3 of the 5 anyway.
    Frikkin Lasers
    http://www.frikkinlasers.co.uk

    You are using Bonetti's defense against me, ah?

    I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain.

  5. #25
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    Enttec sells 3 and 5 pin adapters.

    Also, if plan to buy something that will work with Pangolin QS, you need the DMX USB Pro:

    http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main...name=dmxusbpro

    QS supports DMX In or Out, and MIDI in.

    BTW -

    MIDI can be setup to work over ethernet with nothing but virtual drivers - no adapters would be required!!


    I combined lasers & Christmas lights for a show I did this year.

    The laser software (I used Pangolin LD2000, but QS would work) was the primary controller for lasers and all the audio.
    Christmas lights were controlled by a single 16-channel Light-O-Rama system.

    To trigger the Light-O-Rama sequences, I used a "midi event" on the show time lines to trigger a momentary MIDI relay.
    (A DMX event could also be used)
    The relay would trigger a feature in the Light-O-Rama that would sequence and start the next light seqence.

    Took a few days to get my head around the sequencing process, but in the end it work quite well, and really wasn't that difficult to make changes.
    For the show, I just preloaded the Light-O-Rama sequences, loaded up the corresponding Christmas shows in LD Autoplay.
    Click play once, and 45 minutes of non-stop, synchronized, Christmas Lights & Lasers!!

    PM if you would like some details!!
    Last edited by Stuka; 02-11-2012 at 09:23.
    RR

    Metrologic HeNe 3.3mw Modulated laser, 2 Radio Shack motors, and a broken mirror.
    1979.
    Sweet.....

  6. #26
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    Dear Sir,
    I just purchased a ClubMax 3000 from Pangolin and I am using QuickShow to operate it. I also have purchased 5 light-o-rama controllers and am using their software to controll them. These two systems by themselves seem straight forward and I have had no trouble operating them separately. I am attempting to do exactly what you have described in your set up and I am completely baffled on just exactly how to do this. I would like to use the Quickshow to operate the laser and also have it trigger the light-o-rama software to run its sequence. I have also purchased an Enttec DMX USB PRO. The problem is just how to interface the two? Is there a diagram that might show how this is done? After spending a week on the internet looking, you are the only one that has done this. Can you be of any help or can you direct me to someone or company that can help me with this. After spending $4000.00 on the laser and $1500.00 on the light-o-rama, if I do not get this to work for this years Christmas llights my wife is going to really upset more that she already is. Thank you for any help that you can give.

  7. #27
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    Bradfo69 is offline Pending BST Forum Purchases: $47,127,283.53
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    I'm fairly certain someone will be along shortly to help protect you from your wife. I didn't know anything about Light-O-Rama but, I'm going to join her camp now that you've forced me to investigate their web site. Great..... another money pit! LOL
    PM Sent...

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bradfo69 View Post
    I'm fairly certain someone will be along shortly to help protect you from your wife. I didn't know anything about Light-O-Rama but, I'm going to join her camp now that you've forced me to investigate their web site. Great..... another money pit! LOL
    Last night I discovered how to interface the Enttec DMX USB PRO to the Light-o-rama controllers. After viewing the following page from Light-o-rama http://www1.lightorama.com/dmx-controllers/ , I discovered that an interface cable was needed. I went to www.holidaycoro.com and ordered the following: http://www.holidaycoro.com/product-p...-5xlr-cat5.htm . This is a 5 pin XLR to cat5 cable which will connect the DMX out on the Enttec to the cat5 plug on the Light-o-rama controllers. Now I can control the Light-o-rama controllers using DMX protocal. This will allow me to use Pangolin's QuickShow to control the laser and also to operate the Light-o-rama controllers via DMX. So now the physical connection is figured out, time for the next challenge.

    What is still confusing is how in post #25

    "To trigger the Light-O-Rama sequences, I used a "midi event" on the show time lines to trigger a momentary MIDI relay.
    (A DMX event could also be used)
    The relay would trigger a feature in the Light-O-Rama that would sequence and start the next light seqence."

    I have had the laser for 2 weeks now and the QuickShow software is easy for me to get accustomed to. I am still trying to figure out what a "midi event" is and just how it can be used to trigger the Light-o-rama software. I am new at this but I have almost all the pieces in place. I am in the process of obtaining a variance. The laser is FDA approved and I have the paperwork to support this. I am very aware of the concerns of using this outside. It will only be displayed on the front of my 2 car garage with none of the display exceeding the size of my garage. I will only operate this with the Christmas lights when I am present outside with the emergency kill switch in hand. It's going to be some cold nights but this is the only way I can think of to be as safe as possible. I don't want to vaporize the kids or the dog. The wife.....well....

  9. #29
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    Wow - flashback!!


    When I originally posted that, I was using a "MIDI event" (an event being a timeline effect object you can use when programming shows from the LD2000 - and now, Beyond - timeline) to trigger a MIDI-controlled relay.
    That relay would act as an external trigger switch that was connected to the LOR controller.
    Since I was running the Pangolin AND LOR software on my computer at the same time, the LOR controller was still using all the features of the LOR software suite to run that Christmas lights; my LD2000 link was just providing the "interactive trigger" to cycle through different LOR show modules, just as if someone had walked up to an interactive LOR display and pushed a show start button.

    LOR is capable of generating some REALLY cool timeline-synced effects with Christmas lights.
    The problem with the LOR system (at least, as of the version that was available last Christmas season) is it will not time-sync to any other external sync source, being MIDI clock, SPMTE, etc.
    So, you couldn't program the Christmas lights on the LOR timeline, program the lasers on a Pangolin software timeline, and truly sync the software packages.
    My MIDI relay method is a work-around, but it's a very labor-intensive way trigger LOR sequences from a Pangolin timeline, and trying to keep performances synced between two independently-running software packages, even if running on the same computer, can be a real PITA, depending on the complexity of your show!!

    It sounds like way you're doing is controlling the lights directly, and basically using the LOR system as a 16-channel DMX controller.
    Cool - that should work fine; it just means you'll be manually creating all the lighting effects using DMX commands, instead of using the built-in programming capability of the LOR software system.
    Nothing wrong with that!!

    If you wanted to use something similar to my method using QuickShow, you could use a DMX-controlled relay, triggered by a DMX cue on the QuickShow timeline, to essentially do the same thing.
    The key to keeping this manageable is to program your LOR show into small "modules", instead of one big show, and treat these LOR modules as lighting effects that you are triggering as needed from the QuickShow/Beyond/LD2000 timeline - otherwise, it will be nearly impossible to keep everything in sync. On the LOR side, all these modules would need to be assembled into an interactive show (a feature of the LOR software), with each module of the interactive show sequentially called into action when the LOR controller receives the external trigger - in this case , from a DMX- controlled relay that was activated by QuickShow.

    Gets tedious at times!!!

    Last year, I used Pangolin BEYOND as my master controller, with Enttec D-Pro software controlling all my DMX lighting (including some moving head fixtures), and the (then) latest version of the LOR software running my 16-channels of LED Christmas lights; everything was running simultaneously from one laptop.
    All my DMX lighting effects scenes were programmed in D-Pro, and triggered by MIDI cues from the BEYOND timeline - no external hardware required, other than the Enttec DMX USB Pro that was connected to the DMX fixtures.
    As in previous years, all the Christmas lighting scenes (effects, modules, however you want to refer to it) were programmed in the LOR software.
    However, since the LOR software won't accept MIDI or DMX input triggers at the actual software timeline level, I still had to revert to the external trigger method.
    SO from one computer, I had Pangolin software sending a trigger out via an external MIDI relay; this is connected as a switch trigger to the external LOR controller box, which sends a signal via a CAT-5 cable back to the LOR adapter connected via USB on the laptop, which tells the LOR software to start the next show module in the interactive sequence.

    Crazy, but it works!!

    Good luck with your project!!
    Last edited by Stuka; 10-23-2015 at 14:45.
    RR

    Metrologic HeNe 3.3mw Modulated laser, 2 Radio Shack motors, and a broken mirror.
    1979.
    Sweet.....

  10. #30
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    @Kelly -

    Looks like you're jumping head-first into the lasers AND the LOR system (starting out with 80 LOR channels - dang!! )
    If you plan to program everything yourself, you have a LOT of work ahead of you, and truthfully, you're getting a bit of a late start -
    The Christmas season is just around the corner!

    PLEASE give yourself PLENTY of time to get familiar with the laser projector and control system -
    at the end of the day, if anything goes wrong (and remember, Murphy was an optimist!! ), it's the laser gear that can get you or your guests hurt.
    Don't get so wrapped up in the rush to get everything working that you cut corners and take chances where the lasers are concerned!

    Also, be aware that cold weather can possibly impact the performance of a laser projector and related equipment ~
    Even if exposure to moisture isn't a problem, the dropping temperatures could possibly cause a noticeable decrease in laser performance, depending on the type of laser modules used in your particular system.
    Be sure to check everything out well ahead of time, and expose all your gear to cold temps so you can determine if cold-soaking is going to cause any problems.
    All my shows have always been performed inside an enclosed garage, with portable heaters running, and my graphics projector (which uses DPSS laser modules) would still lose power because of the cold temps.
    RR

    Metrologic HeNe 3.3mw Modulated laser, 2 Radio Shack motors, and a broken mirror.
    1979.
    Sweet.....

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