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.....