Idiotproof play-only mode for club install?

[sherz]

The nightclub that I look after has a full rig of moving heads and LED stage cans etc that I program using Freestyler and a cheap Enttec box, the output of which I record into a rackmount DMX recorder in the DJ booth. The club has no lighting desk or a light jock, so it has to be completely idiot-proof! While the dmx recorder achieves this, it is also rather limiting - no sound to light, no manual controls as such, just 4 preset shows on 4 replay buttons.

What would be fantastic would be to have a PC permanently set up in the booth running FS, but running some kind of "play-only" mode - a simple-looking user interface with a page of cuelist buttons, the dmx400 controls for the stage cans, that kind of thing, but with NO option for the DJ to mess with the programming and generally mess things up! Maybe it could be an option when freestyler loads, you can open in replay mode, or if you enter the password, fully open freestyler.

I remember setting up systems like this years ago for nightclubs using the Pulsar Masterpiece desks, they had the option to lock out anything you didn't want touched, and the replay units made it even simpler for DJs who knew little or nothing about lighting control. That was 10 years ago, and I'm still seeing masterpiece replay units being installed in venues! A modern equivalent to this for Freestyler would be a fantastic addition... any thoughts?

Regards,
John

[Spirit]

hi

look at the userinterface 2 this way you can create your own interface with only the buttons/sliders that a dj can use.

and lockup freestyler with a password.

/spirit

[sherz]

Hi Spirit, thanks for the response!

Been using FS for years, can't believe I never knew about the userinterface2 option!

From what I've seen though, it seems to be expected that this runs as a second screen, with the main freestyler program running on another monitor. Is it possible to set it up so that the touchscreen display is the ONLY screen the DJ sees when he loads up freestyler? If I'm going to set up a PC in the dj booth, it has to be extremely user friendly, ie, boot PC, start FS, touchscreen display appears.... Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions here, I only discovered the existence of userinterface2 an hour ago...

Cheers,
John

*edit* - been having a play around, got it to load up showing the touchscreen, and password out the mess-up-able stuff, is there any option to get rid of the "minimise" command in the top left hand corner, so that it's impossible to leave the touchscreen display without a password? If somebody hits the minimise button in the booth, they may not know how to get it back again! (Yes, they are that stupid when it comes to computers!)

[Spirit]

yes i see your point but there is now way to clear that.

but it realy hard to press on that small tab with you finger.

/spirit

[sherz]

Hehe, fair enough then. Cheers for your help!

[djSupport]

I've suggested this before its a shame I don't know much about programming, because this would be possibly easy to create as an external app that uses the sendmessage system