Martin MX4

[PinCup]

Hello all,

I just started using FS and I'm trying to set up my show. (Replacing the old AmericanDJ Show Designer)
I have;
-6, Martin MX4 (set for 6 ch)
-2, Martin Acrobat 6ch
-4, AmericanDJ Rainbow 250
-4, AmericanDJ PP20 (chaser/powerpack) for rope lights
-2, AmericanDJ PP20L (chaser/powerpack) for stupid fixtures (raptor, mace, agressor, ect)
We are a 32 lane Bowling center.
This package is for our Rock-N-Bowl every Fri and Sat night.

My problem starts at the begining with the MX4's.
The optional 7th channel is a jumper inside the MX4 to enable.
FS software see them as 7 channel, and 3D viewer sees them as 6 channel.

This is really messing me up!

There seems to be no way to tell FS that I'm only using 6, or tell 3D I'm using 7.

Now, for the actual show, I could jumper all my fixtures to 7 channel.
But this removes the 3D feature from my grasp. I like that I can program my show without any lights on, then hook them up and just need little tweeks to the cues here and there to get the look I was after.

Is there a 6 channel profile for the Martin MX4?
Can I use fixture creator to make my own MX4 profile?

I'd prefer to run the fixtures in 6 channel rather than take them all down, open them up, just to set a jumper.
And then, How can I tell 3D that MX4 is a 7 channel fixture?
_________________________________________________________________

Also, I haven't yet purchased my interface.
Which one work best for you? Why?
I'm looking at the EntTec Pro.
But all the pictures of it show a 5 pin out and my fixtures are the old 3 pin XLR.
Does the EntTec come in a 3 pin XLR?

Thank You for helping a newby,
PinCup

[Mavi]

Hi there.

Bowling - long time not played... Where is your center

What are the differences between 7 and 6 channel mode? Is the 7th channel only an addition, but all other channels stay with the same function as in 6 channel mode? If so, creating the 6 channel mode fixture is simple:
Open the 7 channel fixture in Fixture creator. I did so, and here the 7th channel is used for gobo rotation 1. Simply blank that field and set "total channels" to 6. You may add a little note to the discription that you edited the file (not necessary) and change the "Fixture name" to something like "MX-4 (6 channel mode)". Then hit File -> Save as (that way you will not override the existing 7 channel mode fixture). Restart FreeStyler and the new fixture file should be in the fixture list next to the existing 7 channel fixture.
If you tested the file and everything works fine you should upload the file to the User Created Fixture Files Section in this forum so other looking for a 6 channel mode can use it.

If you want to use the 7 channel mode you can create it in Scan Library Editor. But as you said you prefare 6 channel (and I do not realy know that editor good) I will not explain how


The EntTec Pro seams to be a good choice. Many user in this forum own one. If it only has 5 pin output you will need an adapter 5 to 3 pin.
I own a DMX4ALL 3rd generation interface and have had no trouble with it.
Anyway, what interface you will purchase, get one with it own processing chip! Otherwise you PC has to do the output processing as well, which could slow it down.

[PinCup]

Thank you Mavi,
(Your english is just fine )
Where is my center? Oklahoma,USA http://www.redapplebowling.com



Our little bowling mechanic's hole-in-the-web, http://www.bowltech.com/content/btubb/u ... p?ubb=cfrm


GO BOWLING! It's great fun, good exercise, and we need to eat almost every day!


I will try to mod the fixture to 6 channel, test and post.
Thanks for your help,
PinCup

[wardomon]

I used a Show Designer for many years. It blew up late last year, about 6 weeks before a major gig. Forty bucks later I was told that it couldn't be fixed because it was too old and parts weren't available. I struggled by on an even older Show Designer that couldn't be upgraded to a newer firmware version. It was a nightmare!

So, I tried every lighting software program I could find. Some are actually pretty good and many of them are free. Once they've got you hooked on their free software they want as much as $1000 for an interface housed in a plastic box.

I downloaded Freestyler, bought an Enttec Pro and haven't looked back. Best combination ever. The Pro creates the DMX signal chain so it isn't affected by the speed of the computer or the number of lights/channels. It's reasonably priced and very well built. Get an adapter to change the 5-pin to 3-pin and you're on the way.

I can't thank Raph - Freestyler's developer - enough for all the work he's put into it. Looking forward to actually start making some money with this so I can send some his way. I encourage everyone else to do the same.

[PinCup]

I have come to the conclusion that it's 3D viewer that's junk.

As a test, I patched an MX4 in 3D viewer, and 7 par cans in FreeStyler just so I could see the DMX value rise and fall in 3D viewer.
Channel 1 and 4 do nothing!
2 is shutter, 3 color, 5 pan, 6 tilt
I get no control over gobo wheel.

So, I'll have to wait to get my Enttec Pro and program my shows live.
Magic 3D viewer is of no use.


PinCup

[LJ_krede.dk]

You can edit the fixture for magic so it works as you want.

Sent from my HTC Hero using Tapatalk

[wardomon]

Trackspots don't render properly for me in Magic3d. The beams are always white and the gobos don't show. One of the other software programs that I initially tried (LumiDesk? DasLight? MyDMX?) worked perfectly. I think the problem is that the DMX numbers sent to Magic3d by FreeStyler has to be exactly the same as the numbers used in the scanlib file. I don't believe the problem lies with Fixture Creator, but with the files created by Scanlib.exe. Because the lights use a range of numbers for each color and gobo setting, one person's idea of "middle" and another's could be different.

I looked into correcting it a couple of months ago, but programming for my upcoming gigs took precedence. I'll get back at it when I get the time. It would be nice if the rendered stage looked like the real world.

[GaryBonaducci]

Trackspots don't render properly for me in Magic3d. The beams are always white and the gobos don't show.....

Out of curiosity, I've just tried adding the MX4 to FreeStyler and EasyView to my setup. Whoever created the MX4 EasyView model did a great job and it does show the gobos. With a little tweaking in Scan Library Editor, it should be easy to add Channel 7 (Gobo Rotation) to it.

As a test, I patched an MX4 in 3D viewer, and 7 par cans in FreeStyler just so I could see the DMX value rise and fall in 3D viewer.

I don't understand why you are going about it this way. For testing, just use one FreeStyler 7-Channel fixture, and one EasyView 3D 6-Channel fixture. (These are the default fixtures in each program.)

Channel 1 and 4 do nothing!
2 is shutter, 3 color, 5 pan, 6 tilt

These channels are off by one address space. You must have mapped the fixtures to different DMX addresses in each program.

I get no control over gobo wheel.

In the "Rendering Options" tab, is the "Advanced" box checked? Gobos won't render in Easy View if you're not using Advanced mode. Since 3D rendering can slow down older video cards, there's many options in Easy View to "dumb down" the rendering to very crude and basic views.

[wardomon]

Just for fun, I dialed the rendering options to maximum. If I increment the color slider one number at a time I can get some of the colors to render. However, green renders as yellow, red renders as pink and some don't show up at all. Some of the gobos will render, but not all of them. Clicking a color or gobo preset button still produces a plain white beam.

I still think the issue is with the scanlib file. I'll have to download and reinstall all the other programs on my test box to see if I can figure out which of them worked correctly. Maybe I could copy in the working version to the Freestyler directory, but it seems to me I tried that already and it didn't work. I haven't messed with any of this for a while.

[PinCup]

I was able to solve this problem.
Thanks Mavi!

I opened the martin MX4 in fixture creator and edited "7 channel" the 6, and backspaced out the channel 7.
Renamed the fixture MX4_6ch, Save as, MX4_6ch.

Work and renders perfectly.


My second issue was the "AmericanDJ Rainbow 250" a simple 2 channel color changer.
I have figured out how to gain control over it.
I still need to map the colors for rendering before I post it here.
My only issue with them is when I first power-up the lights, the FS DMX value for the Rainbow 250s is maxed at 255.
Anyone know how I can set the boot value for them to 0?

Thanks,
PinCup

[Spirit]

Go to Fixture creator open your fixture file go to Channel description now you see you have a Locate value and a Default Values.

and with the "default value" you can chance the value that controls the value when fs is starting.

maby this helps..if you post the .pff file it's easier to see what the problem can be

[Mavi]

In fixture creator on the "Channel discription" tab you can set up default values.

There is also a "Save as Startup values" button in FS --> Edit. You can set up all your fixtures to specific values and than hit that button. Next time FS startes the values are restored.