Calling All Code Slingers - LOR to DMX Channel Mapping

[bob_moody]

I was wondering if any of our talented code slingers have written a script/pgm to input a LOR Channel Config File and output a remapped DMX Channel Config?

For example:

LOR Controller ID 1, Channel 1 = DMX Universe x channel 1
LOR Controller ID 2, Channel 1 = DMX Universe x channel 2
...
...
LOR Controller ID 2, Channel 1 = DMX Universe x channel 17

Where x is a user suppiled DMX Universe number.

I dont think it would be that difficult to create and was wondering if it already existed somewhere?

Bob

(Disclamier - I did also post this over in the LOR forum)

 

[kane]

Not an LOR user so no idea what those files look like, but if you post an example of the input and output, couldn't see it being very difficult to write?

 

[bob_moody]

Hello Kane,

Basically the LOR LLC file (Channel Config) is an XML file.
For example, here are a couple of lines from the file....

<channel name="MT Green 2" color="32768" deviceType="LOR" unit="1" circuit="10" savedIndex="55"/>
<channel name="MT Green 3" color="32768" deviceType="LOR" unit="1" circuit="11" savedIndex="56"/>
<channel name="MT Green 2" color="255" deviceType="DMX Universe" circuit="10" network="2" savedIndex="55"/>
<channel name="MT Green 3" color="255" deviceType="DMX Universe" circuit="11" network="2" savedIndex="56"/>

What I see needing to happen is

1. deviceType needs to be changed from "LOR" to "DMX Universe"
2. The colors would have to be mapped (still working out the relationship here)
3. Network would have to be added ( this is the Universe #)
4. Circuits would have to be mapped. Eddy has a map in one of the power point presentations. But basically Unit 1 covers circuit (lor channel) 1 thru 16. Unit 2 covers 17 thru 32 etc etc up to I believe unit FF.

I agree, I really dont see this being difficult. Read in a line, analyze the changes, update and write it out. My code slinger skills are a bit tarnished but I think its doable.. and with the DMX explosion of late, I can see a real need...

Thoughts???

Bob

 

[kane]

Hello Kane,

Basically the LOR LLC file (Channel Config) is an XML file.
For example, here are a couple of lines from the file....

<channel name="MT Green 2" color="32768" deviceType="LOR" unit="1" circuit="10" savedIndex="55"/>
<channel name="MT Green 3" color="32768" deviceType="LOR" unit="1" circuit="11" savedIndex="56"/>
 <channel name="MT Green 2" color="255" deviceType="DMX Universe" circuit="10" network="2" savedIndex="55"/>
<channel name="MT Green 3" color="255" deviceType="DMX Universe" circuit="11" network="2" savedIndex="56"/>

What I see needing to happen is

1. deviceType needs to be changed from "LOR" to "DMX Universe"
   
2. The colors would have to be mapped (still working out the relationship here)
   
3. Network would have to be added ( this is the Universe #)
   
4. Circuits would have to be mapped. Eddy has a map in one of the power point presentations. But basically Unit 1 covers circuit (lor channel) 1 thru 16. Unit 2 covers 17 thru 32 etc etc up to I believe unit FF.

I agree, I really dont see this being difficult. Read in a line, analyze the changes, update and write it out. My code slinger skills are a bit tarnished but I think its doable.. and with the DMX explosion of late, I can see a real need...

Thoughts???

Bob

I would think it would be pretty easy to throw together. Easiest would be a quick webpage that you paste in the xml, select universe number and hit "submit" and it spits out the fixed up xml.. (or if the file is quite large, allow an upload instead, but probably wouldn't be necessary)

With the color attribute, 32768 is green - but where did the 255 come from in your example output?

Cheers

Kane

 

[jeffrae]

Here is a quick and dirty MSExcel2010 file that will convert lor unit nos to DMX only does universe one


No error checking is done


Just an exercise to show you how it could be achieved. Limited support available




Regards Jeff Rae

 

[bob_moody]

Here is a quick and dirty MSExcel2010 file that will convert lor unit nos to DMX only does universe one


No error checking is done


Just an exercise to show you how it could be achieved. Limited support available




Regards Jeff Rae

Jeff.

That looks great.. I will have to pull this to my laptop... The system I am on is running Office 2003. Laptop has 2010.. I'll give it a run and let you know what happens on this end.

Thanks again..

Bob

 

[bob_moody]

Kane,

Not 100% on where the 255 came from. When I converted one of my channels that was the result in the Channel Config. I'll have to do some more reseach maybe ask DevMile over on the LOR forum.
In the mean time take a look at what Jeff came up with.

Bob

 

[AAH]

I have thought there is a need for something like this but on steroids. What i wanted was the ability to pull out all the channel data and then be able to edit it with an excel like interface. I wanted to be able to swap controllers, set or change colours, change from lor to dmx, change channels, print lists ordered by controller type and also have the ability to have a list of notes like voltage, location etc as part of it. The last few options obviously couldn't be put back into the sequence but would make it easier for hooking up lights.
For this year i have used a pdf printed output of the channel list to get the list into excel and I have made many dozens of changes which I am going to have to manually enter back into my sequence file before creating a template that i can use for my existing sequences.

 

[jeffrae]

Guys as I said this was a quick and dirty solution to the problem

I use notepad ++ search ans replace to change unit ID and names.

Because I want to use the superstar instant sequencer to help shortcut my sequencing time.
I wrote a number of MSexcel vba routines to build props. I found a number of issues with superstar and The use of non LOR CCD

1 Keep your pixel strings at 50 pixels or below
I found that even though I had enter 61 pixels (max 64 objects/pixels) when I used MY Roofline Prop 2 X 60 pixels visualiser into superstar it broke the pixels into 1 group 50 -1 group 10 - 1 group 50 - 1 group 10
the problem was It was right to left and it put the extra 10 pixels before the start
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-60-59-58-57-56-55 etc
this affected the chases produced by the super star sequencer.

2 I have some renard Dmx controllers that I start at DMX address 129
when superstar exports to a lms file it fills in the all the Dmx channel data to 129 it has no data in it.
this makes it hard to touch up the sequences in the editor.
so I have a modified LCC config file the that I load in and it hides all the empty channels in not used Channel groups.

3 I use 2 different visualiser files one for use in the sequence editor and another That I use for superstar
I found that to get the best results from Superstar I need to move the visualiser props up and down the screen to
produce multiply levels in the superstar grid

I currently have 10 levels and then I map these to the default instant sequence setting.

The two attached pictures show better than words

I tend to ramble so I hope these help some one

Regards Jeff Rae

 

[bob_moody]

AAH,

This may not be exactly what you need, but it REALLY helped me.
Its a spreadsheet lights (load) calculator from QuartzHill Chistmas.

http://www.quartzhillchristmas.com/12.html

Its pretty granular and accurate. I measured my total system load and compared to the output of the spreadsheet and it was pretty much right on the money.

Bob