I'm fairly new to Resolume and hitting a bit of a brick wall trying to use the Layer Router. I understand the principle, but it doesn't seem to be working as it should. It's possible I'm doing something simple like not using the right blend mode, but I've tried a load and it still doesn't seem to work.
I've got 10 layers with a bunch of movie clips on them. I set up and mapped some layer effects on each layer, but thought it would be easier to just add a layer 11 with a Layer Router set to play Layers Below, and only have the effects on this layer to save having to do multiple tweaks every time I want to change something.
When I trigger a clip on Layer 10 then trigger the Layer Router on Layer 11 and turn up it's opacity, the clip on Layer 10 disappears. If I set the Layer Router to specifically show just Layer 10, the same thing happens.
I've currently got all Layers set to Add, but have tried multiple combinations of blend modes to no avail.
For reference, I'm running Avenue 4.6.4 on a 2011 MBP (OS X Sierra, 2GHz i7, 16GB, AMD Radeon HD 6490M 256 MB)
Any help greatly appreciated!
Need help with basic Layer Routing
Re: Need help with basic Layer Routing
Hi, Fableist! Welcome to the Resolume Forum. While we can help you patch up the small pot holes on your VJing path, we hope you find yourself getting sucked ever deeper into a VJ black hole of new techniques and more complex setups, which you can never escape.
I'm not sure what's causing your specific issue, but one rule you learn deep within the vortex is: there's more than one way to skin a cat.
If all your effects are on your top layer (a Layer Router set to "Layers Below"), then these effects will apply to the combined output of all active layers, after they are blended together. If you place effects on individual clips or layers, then those effects will modulate each clip/layer before it gets blended. So your new setup will produce visuals that look different from your first setup.
If you are cool with having your effects modulate the entire blended output, then you could just place all effects in the Composition panel, and forget the Layer Router completely. This way, no matter what clips you trigger, all your effects will remain visible in the Composition panel. (This should also save you some GPU power, and headaches.)
As bonus food for thought, you can also drop effects into Clip slots and trigger them like Clips. This is referred to as an Effect Clip. DocOptic explains them wonderfully here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsLIHYd ... Fram_EcXc4. Effect Clips can modulate all layers below, or take a specific layer as input. You can set an Effect Clip to take the bottom layer as an input, place it on the top layer, and set it's blend mode to Luma Key or something, and get wild results. You could place all your different effects as clips along the top layer, and trigger them on/off as you go. The catch here is that with all Effect Clips on the same layer, you are only activating one effect at at time. (But an Effect Clip can combine multiple effects! They will just be triggered together.)
I would place effects on each clip until it "looks right" to you, that is, set it and forget it. I would do the same with the layers, taking into account that layer's blend mode. (i.e. if a Layer is set to "Add" or "Lighten," maybe bring down the brightness on that layer a bit, so you don't end up with a white blurry mess after 3 layers.) Then, place any clips you want to mess around with live (and you want to modulate the entire Comp) in the Composition panel.
OK, there's my good deed for the day, off to have a pint now.
I'm not sure what's causing your specific issue, but one rule you learn deep within the vortex is: there's more than one way to skin a cat.
If all your effects are on your top layer (a Layer Router set to "Layers Below"), then these effects will apply to the combined output of all active layers, after they are blended together. If you place effects on individual clips or layers, then those effects will modulate each clip/layer before it gets blended. So your new setup will produce visuals that look different from your first setup.
If you are cool with having your effects modulate the entire blended output, then you could just place all effects in the Composition panel, and forget the Layer Router completely. This way, no matter what clips you trigger, all your effects will remain visible in the Composition panel. (This should also save you some GPU power, and headaches.)
As bonus food for thought, you can also drop effects into Clip slots and trigger them like Clips. This is referred to as an Effect Clip. DocOptic explains them wonderfully here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsLIHYd ... Fram_EcXc4. Effect Clips can modulate all layers below, or take a specific layer as input. You can set an Effect Clip to take the bottom layer as an input, place it on the top layer, and set it's blend mode to Luma Key or something, and get wild results. You could place all your different effects as clips along the top layer, and trigger them on/off as you go. The catch here is that with all Effect Clips on the same layer, you are only activating one effect at at time. (But an Effect Clip can combine multiple effects! They will just be triggered together.)
I would place effects on each clip until it "looks right" to you, that is, set it and forget it. I would do the same with the layers, taking into account that layer's blend mode. (i.e. if a Layer is set to "Add" or "Lighten," maybe bring down the brightness on that layer a bit, so you don't end up with a white blurry mess after 3 layers.) Then, place any clips you want to mess around with live (and you want to modulate the entire Comp) in the Composition panel.
OK, there's my good deed for the day, off to have a pint now.
Re: Need help with basic Layer Routing
Many thanks for the welcome and in-depth reply. I hope the pint was tasty 
I've had 20+ years going down the audio production rabbit hole and am now discovering the VJ hole is just as deep!
I went and tried adding an FX clip on to Layer 11 above the other layers, but it still resulted in a black output. However, I thought I'd try moving it up to Layer 12, leaving a blank layer in between and lo and behold, it now works as expected. Is that a part of the program where you need to have a blank layer that combines everything below before sending to a router (or FX clip) on a Layer above? I guess it's possible there's just something weird going on with layer 11 in general, but either way, I'm happy it now seems to be working.
Ideally, as the project progresses I wanted to at least leave the option of adding some sort of overlays that weren't affected by the Layer FX, so this is a better option than just putting them on the Composition level. It's good to know that's a possibility if I struggle with CPU loads though.
I would assume that the signal flow is similar to audio programs, where you stack plug-ins from top to bottom, and then you might send this to a buss, where you could stack more effects, with each plug-in working in series. I'm just struggling to get my head around how the clip and layer Transform controls sit in this signal path, as they seem to work separately from the FX. I've got the FRParameters plug-in that helps with this though as I can insert the Transform controls into the effects path.
Anyway, thanks again for the reply. Even if I don't totally understand what I've done, it now appears to be working! I'll also definitely try out some of your suggestions.
I've had 20+ years going down the audio production rabbit hole and am now discovering the VJ hole is just as deep!
I went and tried adding an FX clip on to Layer 11 above the other layers, but it still resulted in a black output. However, I thought I'd try moving it up to Layer 12, leaving a blank layer in between and lo and behold, it now works as expected. Is that a part of the program where you need to have a blank layer that combines everything below before sending to a router (or FX clip) on a Layer above? I guess it's possible there's just something weird going on with layer 11 in general, but either way, I'm happy it now seems to be working.
Ideally, as the project progresses I wanted to at least leave the option of adding some sort of overlays that weren't affected by the Layer FX, so this is a better option than just putting them on the Composition level. It's good to know that's a possibility if I struggle with CPU loads though.
I would assume that the signal flow is similar to audio programs, where you stack plug-ins from top to bottom, and then you might send this to a buss, where you could stack more effects, with each plug-in working in series. I'm just struggling to get my head around how the clip and layer Transform controls sit in this signal path, as they seem to work separately from the FX. I've got the FRParameters plug-in that helps with this though as I can insert the Transform controls into the effects path.
Anyway, thanks again for the reply. Even if I don't totally understand what I've done, it now appears to be working! I'll also definitely try out some of your suggestions.
Re: Need help with basic Layer Routing
Hm...I'm really not sure what is messing up your Layer Router! But your experience with audio routing will likely come in handy very often. I hadn't thought of a Layer Router as analogous to an Audio Bus, but that is pretty accurate. Not a bad way to think about it!
It is possible that your Layer 11 had some funky setting on it. You should not need a blank layer between your Layer Router and your content layer(s) for the Router to work properly. There is a parameter for Layer Routers called "Input Opacity," which does exactly what it says. When selected, if the Opacity of your source layer is set to 0, then the Layer Router will return blank visuals. When deselected, the Router bypasses the Opacity setting and just routes the content at full Opacity. (This would be analogous to routing an audio channel as "pre" or "post" gain.)
"Input Opacity" is not selected by default, however. In any case, it would not explain why a clip would disappear when setting the Layer Router to full Opacity. Are your layers below set to an Opacity of 0 by chance? In that case, your Router on Layer 11 may have had that selected, and then upon creating a new Layer Router, with Input Opacity deselected, voila – your visuals appear.
It is possible that your Layer 11 had some funky setting on it. You should not need a blank layer between your Layer Router and your content layer(s) for the Router to work properly. There is a parameter for Layer Routers called "Input Opacity," which does exactly what it says. When selected, if the Opacity of your source layer is set to 0, then the Layer Router will return blank visuals. When deselected, the Router bypasses the Opacity setting and just routes the content at full Opacity. (This would be analogous to routing an audio channel as "pre" or "post" gain.)
"Input Opacity" is not selected by default, however. In any case, it would not explain why a clip would disappear when setting the Layer Router to full Opacity. Are your layers below set to an Opacity of 0 by chance? In that case, your Router on Layer 11 may have had that selected, and then upon creating a new Layer Router, with Input Opacity deselected, voila – your visuals appear.
Re: Need help with basic Layer Routing
Right... well.. on closer inspection it was human error (as is often the case)!
I copied the FX chain over, but there was a Bright.Contrast effect with Brightness attached to a MIDI dial which must have been down at the time I copied it over. I guess over time as you learn these things you build up a process of elimination to trouble shoot... Next time I will bypass all effects before assuming Resolume is broken!
Many thanks for taking the time to reply though. It has helped me to understand the layer routing a bit better.
I copied the FX chain over, but there was a Bright.Contrast effect with Brightness attached to a MIDI dial which must have been down at the time I copied it over. I guess over time as you learn these things you build up a process of elimination to trouble shoot... Next time I will bypass all effects before assuming Resolume is broken!
Many thanks for taking the time to reply though. It has helped me to understand the layer routing a bit better.