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Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2023 10:07 am
by DJ2MN
Hi .. I have a couple of pretty simple functions set up to rotate moving head spots and washes, and they've been working fine for the longest time but they stopped working when I upgraded to 4.12.7. I played around with it for a while and couldn't get any movement at the station, so I've just gone back to 4.12.6 and the rotations are all happily rotating again. Not sure what else I can add to the report except I'm running on macOS 12.7 with an Enttec DMXIS interface. Otherwise, have been slowly getting my head around the app (as a musician it's no easy task) and gradually happier with the results I've been getting from my kind of nuts little rig. keep up the good work! :)

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2023 11:49 am
by mcallegari
What is a rotation function?

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 8:33 am
by DJ2MN
I do beg your pardon, it's an EFX I set up in a circle pattern that rotates the moving head fixtures. None of the movement EFX patterns seemed to be working until I downgraded. Does that help? I have a screenshot but I'm very new here and can't see a way to attach it.

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 8:45 am
by Yestalgia
DJ2MN wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2023 8:33 am I do beg your pardon, it's an EFX I set up in a circle pattern that rotates the moving head fixtures. None of the movement EFX patterns seemed to be working until I downgraded. Does that help? I have a screenshot but I'm very new here and can't see a way to attach it.
That's strange!

To add an attachment to your reply use the "attachments" tab. Screenshot below:
Capture.PNG
Ideally we'd need you to post your .qxw showfile and if it has any custom fixtures please include those as well.

Cheers

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 9:47 am
by DJ2MN
Ah. I see it now.. Use the full editor, Luke. :)

Screenshot and Showfile/fixtures attached.

FWIW the project is on GitHub at https://github.com/dj2mn/blmII - the ReadMe (hopefully) explains a lot of what's going on.

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 9:59 am
by mcallegari
Double check if in your fixture definition Pan and Tilt channels are properly set to coarse and fine (or MSB and LSB)

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:33 am
by DJ2MN
Yes I think so, like this? The definitions haven't changed since I first set them up quite along time ago, it's only with the new QLC version that it doesn't work so unless something major has changed in this update I'm not sure the fixture defs can be the problem, TBH.

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 12:19 pm
by DJ2MN
Here's something interesting.. I fired up ArtNetView to see if there was any actual output happening on the tilt/pan channels and.. in version 4.12.7 it seems to be flicking the 'fine' controls between 0 and 255.. which I wasn't expecting. Here's a quick screen cap (13Mb .mp4) showing the two versions behaving quite differently when running the exact same .qxw.

(The "Rotate" button activates the 'Rotate Spot Heads' EFX function that I screen capped in my earlier post)

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8a1nb7h0 ... qcqr7&dl=0

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 3:05 pm
by mcallegari
You need to inspect the channels one by one.
Reading "(coarse)" or "(fine)" in the channel name doesn't guarantee that the definition is well made.
See "Role" here
https://docs.qlcplus.org/user/pages/10. ... hutter.png

Please share the definition so we can have a look

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 3:35 pm
by Deece
Just an observation.
Have you set the Pan/Tilt channels to 'Not Fade'?
( In 'Channel Properties Configuration' untick 'Can Fade' )

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 8:03 pm
by DJ2MN
mcallegari wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2023 3:05 pm You need to inspect the channels one by one.
Reading "(coarse)" or "(fine)" in the channel name doesn't guarantee that the definition is well made.
See "Role" here
https://docs.qlcplus.org/user/pages/10. ... hutter.png

Please share the definition so we can have a look
My definitions are in the .zip file attached above. I get your point about checking the individual channels and will do so shortly.

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 8:21 pm
by DJ2MN
mcallegari wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2023 3:05 pm You need to inspect the channels one by one.
Reading "(coarse)" or "(fine)" in the channel name doesn't guarantee that the definition is well made.
See "Role" here
https://docs.qlcplus.org/user/pages/10. ... hutter.png

Please share the definition so we can have a look
OK there is a bunch in the .zip I attached earlier so I'll attach the minispot one here so it's clear which one I'm talking about. Pretty much all of my fixtures are cheap Chinese ones off ebay and I've had to make my own definitions for them. I'm dead curious why this definition works in 14.12.6 and not .7 as per the screen recording I posted above. Is there some major change to the way the EFX functions are being generated or something.
Deece wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2023 3:35 pm Just an observation.
Have you set the Pan/Tilt channels to 'Not Fade'?
( In 'Channel Properties Configuration' untick 'Can Fade' )
I can't find any "can fade' checkbox in the Fixture Definition Editor, should it be in the screenshot I've attached to this message?

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 8:55 pm
by DJ2MN
Here's another, possibly unrelated thing - while poking around in the Fixture Definition Editor I noticed that the channel mapping in the Mode dialog wasn't correct.. but when I set the values and saved and reopened the definition, the settings aren't being saved. Confirmed this is happening in both 14.12.6 and .7 and AFAIK it isn't affecting anything because, again, everything has been working fine for a number of years up until I got 14.12.7 anyway here's a screen recording (sped up a bit to save space & time) of what happens when I set up the channel mapping for the mode and save and reopen.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5x3ih4vl ... k6mr6&dl=0

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:24 pm
by Deece
I can't find any "can fade' checkbox in the Fixture Definition Editor, should it be in the screenshot I've attached to this message?
It's not in the the Fixture Editor. It's the QLC main program.
QLC, Fixtures Tab. 2nd Row from top, 5th button. Channels Fade Configuration.

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 9:50 am
by DJ2MN
Deece wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:24 pm
I can't find any "can fade' checkbox in the Fixture Definition Editor, should it be in the screenshot I've attached to this message?
It's not in the the Fixture Editor. It's the QLC main program.
QLC, Fixtures Tab. 2nd Row from top, 5th button. Channels Fade Configuration.
Ah ok cool.. using the program for 2+ years and never noticed that before. Anyway, Spots 1 & 2 'can fade' was off, it was on for 3-5 but turning it off hasn't made any difference to the DMX output, all of them are just switching the LSB/Fine channel between 0 and 255 as per the screen recording I posted earlier.

At this stage I'm happy to just call it one of those mysteries that may never be solved, and stick with 4.12.6, unless anyone has any other suggestions. I mean I'm curious to know but not so curious as to waste a whole bunch of time on something if it's only just me having the issue..

and now that Sonoma's out I might start thinking about upgrading to Ventura and you never know it might just come good on its own then. Computers, huh? :D

(My day job is in Enterprise IT - computers not working properly has paid for all the gear I have in my studio lol)

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 7:31 pm
by orelop
Hello everyone,

I have the same problem, all my EFX no longer work since upgrading to 4.12.7
The Pan and Tilt seems to be blocked on all my Lyres, although I have 2 types of lyre in my program. Both models no longer work.

If I reinstall version 4.12.6, everything works correctly again.

I use the Windows version, and I encounter the problem regardless of the computer used

Sorry for my English, I use a translator.

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2023 8:46 pm
by DJ2MN
DJ2MN wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2023 8:55 pm Here's another, possibly unrelated thing - while poking around in the Fixture Definition Editor I noticed that the channel mapping in the Mode dialog wasn't correct.. but when I set the values and saved and reopened the definition, the settings aren't being saved. Confirmed this is happening in both 14.12.6 and .7 and AFAIK it isn't affecting anything because, again, everything has been working fine for a number of years up until I got 14.12.7 anyway here's a screen recording (sped up a bit to save space & time) of what happens when I set up the channel mapping for the mode and save and reopen.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5x3ih4vl ... k6mr6&dl=0
OK going off track a bit here it seems but I think I've figured this issue out at least.. the mode section of all of the xml for the fixture definitions I've made myself looks like this:

Code: Select all

 <Mode Name="6CH">
  <Channel Number="0" ActsOn="5">Strobe</Channel>
  <Channel Number="1">Red/Purple</Channel>
  <Channel Number="2">Green/Orange</Channel>
  <Channel Number="3">Blue/White</Channel>
  <Channel Number="4">Motor Speed</Channel>
  <Channel Number="5">Programs</Channel>
 </Mode>
(I hadn't noticed there was a problem because after setting up the fixture def and saving it I had never looked at it again...)

When I edit the xml so it reads

Code: Select all

 <Mode Name="6CH">
  <Channel Number="0" ActsOn="0">Strobe</Channel>
  <Channel Number="1" ActsOn="1">Red/Purple</Channel>
  <Channel Number="2" ActsOn="2">Green/Orange</Channel>
  <Channel Number="3" ActsOn="3">Blue/White</Channel>
  <Channel Number="4" ActsOn="4">Motor Speed</Channel>
  <Channel Number="5" ActsOn="5">Programs</Channel>
 </Mode>
..then the correct mappings are shown in the mode dialog when I load it back into the Fixture Definition Editor. I'm not saying I think there's a bug - I can conceive how the program might read the first single "ActsOn" as a shortcut for a 1-to-1 mapping, but the fact it isn't showing like that in the UI of the Editor until I change the xml code does make me wonder. :)

FWIW most of my definitions were actually created with QLC 4.12.5 according to the header in the xml.

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2023 7:08 am
by DJ2MN
orelop wrote: Wed Sep 27, 2023 7:31 pm Hello everyone,

I have the same problem, all my EFX no longer work since upgrading to 4.12.7
The Pan and Tilt seems to be blocked on all my Lyres, although I have 2 types of lyre in my program. Both models no longer work.

If I reinstall version 4.12.6, everything works correctly again.

I use the Windows version, and I encounter the problem regardless of the computer used

Sorry for my English, I use a translator.
Hello orelep.. this is very interesting! I downloaded your .qxw file and ran it on my system, watching the output with Artnet View. I could see your EFX are doing the same thing as mine.. the Tilt/Pan channels don't gradually change, they just switching from 0 to 255 and back.

But you have one EFX with a Lissajous pattern and that IS working as expected, at least as far as the DMX data goes (I think it was EFX3 on your virtual console)

After a bit more digging and doing things I won't bore you with, I think I have found the problem by comparing my existing EFX to a newly created one (see the attached screenshot) To cut a long story short.. I opened your .qxw in a text editor and replaced all instances of 'FadeIn="4294967294" FadeOut="4294967294"' with 'FadeIn="0" FadeOut="0"' and now when I run your .qxw in my system I can see the dmx values are changing correctly.

Unfortunately the same didn't quite work with my .qxw file, but I feel like we're making progress towards understanding what's going on. I will attach my modified version of your file, please try it for yourself and see if it works...

I hope your translator can make sense of what I said there :)

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2023 8:14 am
by mcallegari
Oh yes, fade in and fade out on EFX do actually make a huge difference in 4.12.7 (see changelog)
If you don't need them then remove them.
i was about to check that on your projects but didn't have the chance yet

Re: Rotation function(s) not working in 4.12.7

Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2023 11:00 am
by DJ2MN
OK great, the changelog doesn't really explain anything for me but I figured out that if I click on the timer icon in the EFX and un-tick 'infinite' now my rotations are working again, which is great. Glad we got there in the end...