Remote Control Resolume w/ Clip Control and Advanced Output
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 07:24
I've been using tightvnc/resolume quite happily for advanced mapping and show triggering (with clip display, unlike osc). It doesn't seem to be affected by the theme syncing issues others have mentioned when using air display and other screen sharing solutions. It is not a great way to preview clips and do more of the things that make you a cool vj with really dynamic content, but it can help significantly with screen setup and simple triggering. In my experience, as long as you follow the directions below, the remote won't have a noticeable impact on FPS, but it is probably also dependent on your host processor/gpu, ymmv.
NOTE: Windows only for this, I've only used windows machines as the server and viewer. Tightvnc has an android app, and there are plenty of vnc ios aps, but I haven't tested those. I have a windows tablet that lets me use tightvnc on both ends for free. I have also used a laptop to walk around while controlling a desktop resolume server.
NOTE 2: Tightvnc also supports a web based java viewer, but I also haven't tested this under show conditions for resource usage. It is built into the software though, so maybe someone else will try it.
NOTE 3: These directions are long and complicated, but only because I tried not to omit any steps that would trip someone up. Give it a try (not on show day), its not so bad..
Steps:
1. Use a wifi system that can fully cover your space-especially while there are a couple hundred/thousand cell phones in the area (setup your network to have a hidden ssid!!) and who knows how many other wifi networks. I use a ubiquity picostation http://www.ubnt.com/airmax/picostationm/ because of its high power and good coverage-also very reasonably priced for professional equipment. It can be setup to be an all in one router, like a consumer unit. If anyone needs some help setting up a picostation (and only a picostation, I'm not a real network guru) let me know. As always, try it BEFORE the show day.
Alternatively, run a cat 5 cable from the server position to wherever you are actually going to be hanging out; even with a bunch of punters wandering around any consumer level access point should work from 5'.
2. Download tightvnc http://www.tightvnc.com/download.php to both your resolume computer and your remote. (its the same install file, so you can download to one and copy to the other)
3. While installing vnc uncheck run server as a service, this will keep it from being automatically started every time you turn on your computer. You can also choose to install only the server on the resolume computer and only the viewer on the remote, should you so desire.
4. You need to start the server with it only trying to share the interface screen-before I figured this out it would try to send all of the other monitors as well (unsuccessfully) and kill your fps.
To do this (Windows 8 server side)
A. Open the cmd prompt
Windows 8- Push the windows button (to get to the metro interface) then just type in "cmd". The search bar will pop up on the right side, select Command Prompt.
Windows 7- Open the start menu, type "cmd" in the search box, select Command Prompt.
B. Copy these 3 separate lines of text and right click in the command prompt to paste, pushing enter after each
then
and finally
Note 4: Attachment cmd.png
Note 5: If you forgot to uncheck "install as service" just the previous code to
Don't close the command prompt just yet!
5. If this is your first time running vnc server, its a good idea to add a password so no one else will be able to jack your show. In the icons area of your screen, click the V icon. Click the Set button under Primary Password. This step is optional, but recommended.
6. Now you need to find the IP of the server so that the viewer/remote computer can connect to it over the network. This will be a string of numbers, and if you aren't familiar with networking jargon it can look completely meaningless.
~3 ways to find this
Easy Way-Scroll over the V icon again without clicking. It should show a string of numbers like 192.168.0.2.
Medium Way-Go to your control panel and find it, search google for exact directions.
Hard Way-Go back to your command window and type
It will come back with a whole mess of stuff and you have to find the number you need. Please note attachment cmd.png below. Most of the information onscreen isn't important to us, the only thing we are looking for is the IPv4 Address. If you have more than one network adapter connected (ie wireless and Bluetooth and wired) you will have to know what you are looking for or google another way to find your ip (short description-control panel-view network status and tasks-connections-details-IPv4 Address). Mine is 192.168.0.2, as shown in the attachment. (I blocked out any actual identifying information, the hookerbot must remain at large 
)
7. Turn on your view/remote computer, get vnc viewer installed and open it up.
8. Under Remote Host type in the ip you found in the previous steps, including the dots. Ips can look like 169.254.1.24 or 169.254.001.024, it should work either way.
9. Hit connect, enter your password if you made one, and bobs your uncle if everything is setup correctly.
10. Press play and have a bit of fun.
This is a pic from EDC Orlando 7up Dome, which I mapped the exterior of in this way (4 projectors). This is the only pic I could find, and its at a silly moment in the content were everything was only green, but I assure you, it did more than that. The ugly white/green/purple thing in the foreground is my projectors covered with trashbags to save them from the rain.
The "Live it up" graphic in the center is a shaped curving trapezoidal slice of white to make that graphic pop. For the record resolume team, that shit is hard to do with the current advanced output abilities, here's looking forward to more bad assery from Res 5 (and thanks for your hard work to get us to this point).
Thanks everyone, I hope this helps someone, it took me way too long to write up to go unused
NOTE: Windows only for this, I've only used windows machines as the server and viewer. Tightvnc has an android app, and there are plenty of vnc ios aps, but I haven't tested those. I have a windows tablet that lets me use tightvnc on both ends for free. I have also used a laptop to walk around while controlling a desktop resolume server.
NOTE 2: Tightvnc also supports a web based java viewer, but I also haven't tested this under show conditions for resource usage. It is built into the software though, so maybe someone else will try it.
NOTE 3: These directions are long and complicated, but only because I tried not to omit any steps that would trip someone up. Give it a try (not on show day), its not so bad..
Steps:
1. Use a wifi system that can fully cover your space-especially while there are a couple hundred/thousand cell phones in the area (setup your network to have a hidden ssid!!) and who knows how many other wifi networks. I use a ubiquity picostation http://www.ubnt.com/airmax/picostationm/ because of its high power and good coverage-also very reasonably priced for professional equipment. It can be setup to be an all in one router, like a consumer unit. If anyone needs some help setting up a picostation (and only a picostation, I'm not a real network guru) let me know. As always, try it BEFORE the show day.
Alternatively, run a cat 5 cable from the server position to wherever you are actually going to be hanging out; even with a bunch of punters wandering around any consumer level access point should work from 5'.
2. Download tightvnc http://www.tightvnc.com/download.php to both your resolume computer and your remote. (its the same install file, so you can download to one and copy to the other)
3. While installing vnc uncheck run server as a service, this will keep it from being automatically started every time you turn on your computer. You can also choose to install only the server on the resolume computer and only the viewer on the remote, should you so desire.
4. You need to start the server with it only trying to share the interface screen-before I figured this out it would try to send all of the other monitors as well (unsuccessfully) and kill your fps.
To do this (Windows 8 server side)
A. Open the cmd prompt
Windows 8- Push the windows button (to get to the metro interface) then just type in "cmd". The search bar will pop up on the right side, select Command Prompt.
Windows 7- Open the start menu, type "cmd" in the search box, select Command Prompt.
B. Copy these 3 separate lines of text and right click in the command prompt to paste, pushing enter after each
Code: Select all
cd C:\Program Files\TightVNC\then
Code: Select all
tvnserver.exe Code: Select all
tvnserver.exe -controlapp -shareprimaryNote 5: If you forgot to uncheck "install as service" just the previous code to
Code: Select all
tvnserver.exe -controlservice -shareprimary5. If this is your first time running vnc server, its a good idea to add a password so no one else will be able to jack your show. In the icons area of your screen, click the V icon. Click the Set button under Primary Password. This step is optional, but recommended.
6. Now you need to find the IP of the server so that the viewer/remote computer can connect to it over the network. This will be a string of numbers, and if you aren't familiar with networking jargon it can look completely meaningless.
~3 ways to find this
Easy Way-Scroll over the V icon again without clicking. It should show a string of numbers like 192.168.0.2.
Medium Way-Go to your control panel and find it, search google for exact directions.
Hard Way-Go back to your command window and type
Code: Select all
ipconfig7. Turn on your view/remote computer, get vnc viewer installed and open it up.
8. Under Remote Host type in the ip you found in the previous steps, including the dots. Ips can look like 169.254.1.24 or 169.254.001.024, it should work either way.
9. Hit connect, enter your password if you made one, and bobs your uncle if everything is setup correctly.
10. Press play and have a bit of fun.
This is a pic from EDC Orlando 7up Dome, which I mapped the exterior of in this way (4 projectors). This is the only pic I could find, and its at a silly moment in the content were everything was only green, but I assure you, it did more than that. The ugly white/green/purple thing in the foreground is my projectors covered with trashbags to save them from the rain.
The "Live it up" graphic in the center is a shaped curving trapezoidal slice of white to make that graphic pop. For the record resolume team, that shit is hard to do with the current advanced output abilities, here's looking forward to more bad assery from Res 5 (and thanks for your hard work to get us to this point).
Thanks everyone, I hope this helps someone, it took me way too long to write up to go unused