"Fake 3D" visualization

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tornel
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Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 2:54 pm
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Real Name: miGagXD
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Hi,

I know there has been numerous requests to implement a 3D visualization for QLC+. And indeed it is a arduous task to design that kind of thing. However, having some help to visualize what are you doing with your lights would be great.
For this reason I propose a "Fake 3D" visualization in the current 2D monitor.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words in this Youtube link you can find what I'm talking about.

A few points to consider:
- This kind of visualization is not intended to be 100% accurate, but to give you a rough idea of what you are doing. This is specially true if the fixtures are not hanged (ie. set on the floor, or worst... hanged horizontally)
- Since there are already indications of Pan and Tilt in the 2D monitor it should not be too difficult to implement some of the ideas, I hope ;-)
- It is not a pressing issue at all, maybe it can be implemented for QLC+ 5

I have a more developed concept (in my head), so if the developers like this idea we can further discuss on how it should behave, what can be done, some pitfalls I have found, etc.

Luis
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pipolino419
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Real Name: Rodolfo

+1
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mcallegari
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Real Name: Massimo Callegari
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Hi Luis, thanks for sharing that nice video.

I already thought to do what's in that video a long time ago.
However, this is what stopped me to do it:
1- I am afraid of the performances, especially when 20-30 lights are on
2- the 2D view is a generic view, so it's not necessarily a top view. For some shows that I designed I preferred it to be a front view. Actually what you see now in the 2D view are the physical height/width of a fixture (top view would be depth/width), so it's an implicit front view.
Right now there is no information about the point of view, so that would mean further effort to do something properly.
3- the beam length should respect a bit the real propagation of a light, including overlapping between lights, which might be a wanted thing and where it would be necessary to preview the resulting colors
4- there are positions that become invisible (in your video when tilt is pointing up or down) and that would look awkward. So what I thought some time ago was to draw an ellipsis at the end of the beam, so that when tilt is pointing down, you would still see a projected circle.
Thing is that, again, there is an information missing to properly render the projected circle size, which is the height of the fixture from the floor. You understand that this belongs to 3D stuff
5- lack of time, as always

In conclusion, I hear what you say and I appreciate it. I believe I can work on something like that in QLC+ 5, where I will have more spatial information that I will use for a native 3D rendering.
It's just a matter of time before everything goes into place.
kchroma
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 3:59 pm
Real Name: Paul Kluber

Hi:

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a question in the forum about what the 2D icons reference? I head nothing back from anyone until this post I saw just now. I understand that the outside rings of the 2D move to show tilt and pan. I understand that they change, depending on how many limiting degrees are required of them.

My question, which I think you partially answered, is what is front and back? For example: I've been told the general rule is that the back side of a moving light is the digital display/fan side. If you hang a moving light in a truss, generally the rear is the fan side toward the audience and the front points towards the stage. If you put the same light on the floor, pointing up at a curtain for example, the back side (fan side) is pointed to the curtain. That way the audience doesn't see it. You are then pointing the light in the opposite direction from how you did it when using truss.

When I try to preset some movement limit ranges to my lights pan and tilt degrees, I need to have some idea of what is front and back on the 2D. Is the 2D capable of changing it's reference of what's top, bottom, front or back when I change the limits in the XY pad widget? If so, I don't see it happening and I might not be doing something right in the system preferences.

You mentioned it is now designed to be a front , 2D view. Would it be possible to add a side view and a top down view as options? That way, I know what's front and back from my pan and tilt degree limiting?

I know your video tutorial #7 tried to explain this dilemma and why you waited until now to do the tutorial. My goal is to rough in some limits and fine tune them on location.

Thanks,
paul
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