Connecting to GrandMa2

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joshuatanuseputra
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Connecting to GrandMa2

Post by joshuatanuseputra »

Hi,

I'm a total beginner on this matter, but I would like to integrate Arena 5 with our lighting console which happens to be GrandMa2
Can anyone guide me step by step on how to connect between them, and possibly what hardware(s) would I need to achieve it?

Thank you

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5AMvisual
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Re: Connecting to GrandMa2

Post by 5AMvisual »

Hi Joshua,

This is all well documented in the manual (RTFM!): http://resolume.com/manual/en/r5/controlling#dmx
Basically you set up a networkhub with the GrandMA and the device that runs resolume,
Set a fixed IP on the Device.
Next you can either use the default DMX mapping with the fixture file in MA or
you can define your own custom DMX map.

Good luck !
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Oaktown
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Re: Connecting to GrandMa2

Post by Oaktown »

If you want to map your own DMX, make sure you uncheck [DMX Auto Map] under the DMX preference menu or you'll get unexpected results!

If you need more info on IP address configuration for Artnet, check out page 9 of Art-Net 4 Protocol Release V1.4 PDF:
IP address configuration – Static Addressing wrote:
The use of Class A addressing is allowed within a closed network. It is important to ensure that Art-Net data is not routed onto the Internet.

Products implementing Art-Net should default to the Primary IP address of 2.?.?.?.

.......

joshuatanuseputra
Is taking Resolume on a second date
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Re: Connecting to GrandMa2

Post by joshuatanuseputra »

Hi Guys,

Thank you so much.
I got it running, apparently I also needed to upgrade the firmware to get the DMX profile for the Arena 5 from the Grand MA2.
Followed all the IP stuffs and it worked well.

Now there are 2 images in the Grand MA2 that I needed to choose to patch Arena, 1 being the 27 channel and the other being the 38 (I forgot their names).
The 27 channel image works fine and accurately, but limited to some features, such as the transition speed/time.
The 38 channel image was all over the place, for example the "Opacity" dial at the GMA2 controls the audio volume of the Arena.
I tried to edit the fixture image at the GMA2 with no success, then I tried what Oaktown mentioned, the DMX automap switched off and map myself.
But then I got a bit confused at how to map, for example how to choose the video at the columns at a Deck, because even though I map each column at a different value at the same category of the GMA2, it reads it as the same command. (For example I map 2 columns at the dimmer value at the GMA2, for example I chose column 1 at 5% dimmer and column 2 at 10%, it reads as the same command, so when I scroll through the dimmer at up to 5%, column 2 will also trigger)
Do any of you have a successful mapping or mapping tips that I'm missing? Maybe I'm doing this completely wrong so once again I need you help!

Thanks guys!

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Oaktown
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Re: Connecting to GrandMa2

Post by Oaktown »

I'm not sure how many attributes you need to control Arena using DMX but if you plan on using the DMX Auto Map, you should dedicate a full DMX universe to Resolume or you will get confusing results. Now, if you are only planning to use a few attribute, then you don't need to worry about that.

So let's say you're planning on using only a few, as I mentioned in my first post, you'll want to turn off DMX Auto Map and if it's your first time mapping DMX, make sure you remove all the DMX mappings for the Composition by pressing 'Remove All' so that you can start from scratch.

As a disclaimer, I'm not a GrandMa2 expert but it's a light board so essentially it'll be the same as any other light board that can control moving intelligent lighting. You could think of Arena as a a collection of independent channels you control individually or create a fixture with all the channels you want to control as a whole or create several fixtures with any group of channels you want to control as a subset. That decision is really up to you and should match your work flow.

Whether you use DMX Auto Map or not, make sure you look at the Resolume Arena DMX Auto Map Sheet.pdf document to understand how DMX works in Arena.
All DMX channels are described in a separate PDF document. The most recent version of this document can always be found in the application folder next to the PDF version of this manual.
In order to control Arena precisely, you'll need to express DMX in decimal 8-bit values (0 to 255) not percentages (0 to 100) but sometimes you might find that using percentages is easier if what you're controlling is express in percentages in Arena such as Opacity which goes from 0.0 to 1.0.

There'll be 3 case scenarios in Arena:
  • 1- Arena requires a value such Playmode (0, 1, 2, 3) or Trigger Column (0 to 255)as then use Decimal
    • As a note, Trigger Column will be a bit confusing because a value of 0 will trigger Column 1, 1 will trigger Column 2, etc.... but you'll' get use to it!
    2- Arena requires a range such as Opacity from 0.0 to 1.0 or Transition Time from 0.0 to 10.0 then use Percentage

    3 - Arena requires a range from a negative value to a positive value such as Pan from -1.0 to 1.0 or Rotate X from -180˚ to 180˚ then you can use either Decimal or Percentage that's really up to your personal preference but chances are you'll need to create a cheat sheet if you need precise values.
    • As a note, keep in mind that in Decimal 8-bit, 128 will be your center (0 value) and 0/255 your extreme values whereas it'll be 50 and 0/100 in Percentage
So, in GrandMa2 make sure you select Decimal/Percentage for each channel based on what makes the most sense to control any given Arena function.

Good luck :D

dmx
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Re: Connecting to GrandMa2

Post by dmx »

Oh boy, where do I even start.. I've been meaning to write an email to the developers for a while about this, and it just hasn't happened. So I hope I can leave a detailed reply that is helpful to both them and the users.

A quick background. I am primarily a MA2 programmer and lighting designer. I came into this business doing video installations at raves using old analog equipment doing vector graphics and using what I think was the first version of Resolume for raster graphics (with a handful of Betacam decks and other crap). Through the years I moved into lighting, and eventually made it my full time career as a freelancer. I've toured with V Squared Labs and done shows using Resolume at everything from small warehouse raves to EDC. I'm as comfortable behind the MA punting a rock/EDM show as I am programming a stringent live corporate video production. I've been using Resolume since V1 and MA since the Scancommander.

How my Resolume servers are used with MA2:

Main server is a rack system. The rack system has Datapath FX4 units installed that allow me to split 4k signals into multiple 1080 signals, these HDMI outs then go to 3G-SDI converters. A laptop is connected to the second input of the FX4, this is running as a tracking backup. If the main machine goes down, the FX4 automatically switches to the laptop coming in on the second input. If I'm using more than 4x outs, the remaining outs are fed to the production switcher and backup transition for those signals takes place there.
Both machines have 2x network interfaces. One for artnet and control of network appliances, the other for MA2Net. When the machines are being used without a dedicated console, MA2 OnPC is used locally on each machine 'in session', maintaining the full tracking backup infrastructure. There are some tricks using networked storage I won't get into.

The DMX profiles in MA2, and every other console I've used are not correct. Something must have been published incorrectly because they are all seriously messed up. Blend modes are all out of order and there are some other issues I can't remember off the top of my head. I have completely re-written the profiles on MA2, Hog, and Avolites Titan.
It's been brought up before, but 8bit values are really not enough for Resolume control. But there are bigger issues I've found like trying to change possition via Artnet and having the default values of POS X be -5000 thru +5000 or whatever. You are scaling 10,000 values from 255! It's insanity!
I ended up building a patch in TouchDesigner that converted sACN (much better protocol) with 24bit (3x DMX per channel) into OSC, that got piped into Resolume. I was dealing with packet loss and delay that was never resolved.. It was a good effort but a complete nightmare in the end.. I gave up. I do plan on getting back on this project when time allows.

The solution (for now):

*I completely re-wrote the DMX profiles in MA2 based on my immediate needs.
*I created a custom 'start' compostion with all of my mappings how I want them.
*Instead of mapping directly to parameters that scaled 255 to 10,000 values, I use the dashboard controls and scale the values to something manageable. I then map DMX to the dashboard controls. I still find the resolution to be too low for some things, in which case I spout in Touchdesigner and map 24bit values to parameters there..

Conclusion:

Something that has been brought up here in the past, and seems to be confusing to the developers is why we would want to control every aspect of the software from a light desk. Well, other than the obvious benefits of working within our 'preset' and 'tracking' based environment, one thing that is never discussed is that by using a light desk you can control multiple Resolume servers for backup. This way you don't have to constantly transfer the composition to the backup machine.
It's clear that the developers adapted their mapping methodology from midi controllers to DMX, and have implemented the feature as a way to remote control the software in the same way you would with a midi controller. It's not set up in a way you would expect if you are used to Hippo, D3, Catalyst or the like.

I love a lot of things about Resolume. DMX control isn't one of them. I've been using the software for years so I do use it in large scale events, and try to push it as far as I can. I hope there are developments on this in the future..

Move In Black is your friend.


Hope some of this is helpful,

Max McDougall

Joris
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Re: Connecting to GrandMa2

Post by Joris »

We've had quite a few talks with LDs over the past years about how other media servers implement DMX control. There are definitely a lot of good ideas there.

In general, with most servers, the focus seems to lie on allowing access to parameters, using the least amount of channels possible. A great example is how on a Hippo, each clip can have two effect slots, with 4 parameters each. This is great way to allow an operator access to different effect combinations, using up only 10 channels. Another is the two channel approach to first choose a folder with the first channel, and then a clip from that folder with the second channel. This way, you can access 262144 clips with only two channels. It's a very smart way of approaching things, and I can see its appeal. It's very, very fast to do what you want, and you can get some colordy masks and kaleidoscope effects up in no time.

But the real power is going beyond the basics. In Resolume, all the power is in the way you visually build your composition, and visually build your looks with effect stacks. Personally, I would hate to be limited to 2 effects, out of which I can only access 4 parameters each. I run a few shows here in the Netherlands where we share the screens with an LD running a D3. We creatively use stacks of 3 of 4 effects to create looks that make the LD turn green with envy. Can't blame him, because I could never create those looks either if the controls were so limited. Likewise, swapping out content inside my "layer cake" is a drag and drop action in Resolume, which is the closest you can get to pointing and saying "I want this content to go there instead of here". Why would I be up all night programming cues for that if I already see everything I need, layed out on my screen.

To be clear, I'm not knocking the need for a more LD oriented control paradigm. We're just not sure on what form that should take without losing what makes Resolume special and turning video into glorified lights with fancy gobos. So we've traditionally gone with the Midi controller analogy, where we leave it up to the user to make your own control personality. Being able to run things from a desk would be amazing. The way I see it, the real power of a desk like an MA is the programmer, and how it can be combined with effects to create patterns on huge sets of fixtures. This is where we vidiots can still learn a lot from LDs, and this is the direction I'd like to see DMX control of Resolume heading.

dmx
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Re: Connecting to GrandMa2

Post by dmx »

Joris,

I appreciate the visual aspect of programming Resolume. To be honest, if I had the ability to apply fade times at the start and end of individual clips, it would eliminate the need for the light desk 90% of the time. I feel like that would be an extremely useful addition to the software. That way I can trigger columns without the need to fade opacity of update transition times via the desk.

I don't see how adding 16 or even 24 bit support of DMX mappings would effect usability of the software. I only see it as being beneficial to those of us needing to have precision synchronization between departments. Again, if fade times were available at the clip level I wouldn't even need this precision a majority of the time, but believe me it would get put to use!

Thanks for making great software

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