QLCplus with VirtualDJ, via Artnet

[PeterK]

Hello Ralph, a great extension ...
Would you also upload the profile file ("artnet input profile")?
Many Thanks

[bluescreen25]

Hello Ralph, a great extension ...
Would you also upload the profile file ("artnet input profile")?
Many Thanks

Hello, i will do a summery of files next days.

For QLC+ i made a workflow to get macros working in steps without cuelist and without loopback.
The steps are working in dependence of playing beats counted by VDJ on each playing track.

So Macro 1 playing from Beat 1 to 31, Macro 2 from Beat 32 to 63 and so on.
If you load VDJ with new track while playing or crossfading to other deck with track on beginning, it jumps to the correct macro of new track. That is not possible with cuelist but with buttons.

Wish to QLC+ is that buttons can also be in flash mode for chaser and collection. At the moment only to scenes possible.

Video of result with little show (only to see whats possible):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZd0wtWfTm0

Video of look on theQLC+ workspace and VDJ controller:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OzAxBxU54U

regards, Ralf

[EXELBONSAI]

PERFECT !!!!!

[bluescreen25]

Here my new VDJArtnet package to do thinks which you see in Video. Have fun.




regards, ralf

[EXELBONSAI]

Hello Ralf

As always a great pleasure to watch your progress

[bluescreen25]

Hello Ralf

As always a great pleasure to watch your progress

Thanks,

now my last things i have done with VDJArtnet. I think also my last postings about, until VDJArtnet goes to V1.0 and/or QLC+ in future have more support for these things.
The show-manager is a cool feature but i think that for audio and video other software can do better in playing and performing. So my meaning is, that lighting software should do the best job in lighting and should only catch data, sent from audio/video software and then perform great shows.

It would be very great to have a widget for these things similar to audio widget but with some changes. (If someone is interested in this, i would make some brainstorming about design and function)

Sooooo, now my last workspace , input-profil , presets and a second Youtube manual (sorry its in german. If wanted, i will try in dirty english,too )

regards, Ralf

[juski]

I've thought about VDJ's ethos behind starting OS2L & my conclusions were basically two things:

1. they really wanted autoconf (yeah yeah you may scoff but many VDJ users aren't very clever)
2. Being able to give functions NAMES is a big deal. Trying to remember if your strobe build chase sequence is on artnet channel 243 or channel 230 can get tricky.

Point #2 is a big one. Eg rather than mapping a blackout button to artnet channel 200, it's much more elegant (and memorable) to be able to say "send BLACKOUT". I remembered OSC can use strings, but then I looked in QLC & saw only support for numbers in the UI. Being able to use button or function names instead of numbers would be really cool!

All the vdjartnet plugin does is send artnet channels & values based on the result of VDJscript actions. It could just as easily send OSC or any other protocol with some simple alterations.

A side note here - I'm happy VDJartnet has found some users & that I've been able to help in some small way - I recognise some names here from comments on my own YT videos. Regarding the plugin itself.. as far as I recall the most recent code is being restructured so may not work as expected. I have an early version I'm using - as far as I'm concerned it isn't broken & there was no need to 'fix' it.

[juski]

Alright, then I'm missing something about this VDJartnet plugin architecture.
I thought VDJ exposes some kind of hook when a button is pressed/knob rotated/etc.
If that is the entry point, then ArtNet or OSC is just a different incapsulation of the message into a network protocol.
And for our purposes, OSC would be richer than ArtNet.

I spent some time evaluating OS2L, believe me. I first wanted to see how it works and found this: https://www.virtualdj.com/wiki/OS2L.html
So I downloaded VDJ and Sunlite...installed a gazillion of MB of stuff in my computer...followed the instructions....and....NOTHING !
They don't talk to each other! I traced the network packets on loopback....and....NOTHING !
OS2L advertise this amazingly awesome thing such as auto-connect via mDNSresolver (an Apple project). And it simply doesn't work.
While I understand the theory, I don't see any single good point for reinventing the wheel when existing network protocols are there since ages. All for what ? Auto connect ? Please... Given the proper configuration dialog aren't we all able to enter an IP address...where 99% of the times that IP address is 127.0.0.1...

Plus, mDNSresolver is an Apple alien thing and has cross platform issues. If I remember correctly, it doesn't even compile with MSYS2, which is the QLC+ Windows build environment.

So yes, I don't intend to drag into QLC+ stuff like that for a protocol one single software uses on earth.
I'd rather invest my time writing a OSC plugin and maintain it, if that's even possible.

This is the same principle of those who reinvented the wheel on fixture definitions. There were several open formats available where we could have worked together and eventually improve them, but no, they had to write a new one and then say "this is the new 'open' standard"
Problem of these guys is that they change the specs without any notice, and guess what, from one day to another they change the license and cut you and your little project out.
I'm against that.

For the record: if someone wants to attempt writing a OS2L plugin for QLC+, I will give him support. Just don't expect me to merge that upstream. That will be kept as a separate plugin one will need to install manually. I am even willing to offer some QLC+ website space to host it an advertise it. I just don't want it in the sources.

Massimo, when you tried Sunlite & VDJ, were you using an unlicenced (not paid for) VDJ? It probably won't output anything without at least a PRO licence (they do stuff like that all the time).

I've been tempted to adapt the code for vdjartnet & make it use OSC instead but I've contributed to open source projects before & I know full well what the user support experience feels like (If you were me, QLC+ would not exist, so I admire you greatly!) so I'd be reluctant to publish it.

[Nicotux]

Massimo, when you tried Sunlite & VDJ, were you using an unlicenced (not paid for) VDJ? It probably won't output anything without at least a PRO licence (they do stuff like that all the time).

I've been tempted to adapt the code for vdjartnet & make it use OSC instead but I've contributed to open source projects before & I know full well what the user support experience feels like (If you were me, QLC+ would not exist, so I admire you greatly!) so I'd be reluctant to publish it.

I've contributed to open source projects before too... and closed source too and got much more greatings from the first one

So i can say I tryed to use VDJartnet and quickly went to the git and try to fix the code which doesn't need fixes - June 2018
Recompile - for windows only - both 32 & 64 bits:
- Skip packets does not work
- VDJ freezes or restart
- VDJ crask closing prevent VDJ to save its config
....
By the way, I added support for universe

As it was almost impossible to make it stable I splitted it in 2 parts :
- the fixed & working backend plugin
- An external configuration tool with SkipacketsLimit, RefreshSpeed & Universe added

Re done almost the same with 2018 december 08 GIT version

All is online for those who need it

[yokosuna]

well - wanted to give it a try ... do i have to have the "pro" version or is the free / home enough ?
since, if the free is enough, I´m not getting anything out ouf vdj
thx.

[Nicotux]

well - wanted to give it a try ... do i have to have the "pro" version or is the free / home enough ?
since, if the free is enough, I´m not getting anything out ouf vdj
thx.

Well yes it was GPLv3, No reason to modify this
and it is compatible with VDJ whatever the version 8.x you have as the original is
You can find it here : https://tinyurl.com/y5usv9h9

[yokosuna]

Well, thx.
I think I was not clear enough - my fault:
Do I have to use VirtualDJ Pro or is Virtual DJ Free enough ?
The download page of VirtualDJ is saying VirtualDJ 2018 - is this the same/compatible to VirtualDJ 8 ?
I´m pretty sure that VDJ will NOT load the DLL in the ../plugins/Autostart folder since I can easily delete
the DLL whilst VDJ is running. This should not be possible as long as the DLL is in use, I think.
Thx again

[Nicotux]

Well, thx.
I think I was not clear enough - my fault:
Do I have to use VirtualDJ Pro or is Virtual DJ Free enough ?
The download page of VirtualDJ is saying VirtualDJ 2018 - is this the same/compatible to VirtualDJ 8 ?
I´m pretty sure that VDJ will NOT load the DLL in the ../plugins/Autostart folder since I can easily delete
the DLL whilst VDJ is running. This should not be possible as long as the DLL is in use, I think.
Thx again

There is no need of VirtualDJ Pro and yes VirtualDJ 2018 is simply a new name convention for VirtualDJ v8.3. However the ../plugins/Autostart folder effectively may not work with Home version thus put it elsewhere i.e. in ..\plugins\VideoEffects or more secure in a subfolder as I do ..\plugins\VirtualDJ\Plugins\VideoEffect\TESTS this way you can access to configuration Home version disable for autostart plugins. This is one of the limitations in free version.

Note the config files still are in Autostart folder

[yokosuna]

Yes - I put it in a subfolder of SoundEffects. Now the plugin ist listed.
Thx.

[yokosuna]

just out of curriosity:

(...) v1.0.0 which is almost ready for release

any news on that ?
thx

[Nicotux]

You may want to test these ones :

VDJartnet1.03bNtx.zip

VDJartnet v1.03b_Ntx 32 & 64 bit. More stable
These ones are coded as Sound Effects not as Base plugin

(276.1 KiB) Downloaded 563 times

Unusual config folder plugins[64]/VDJartnetData not to interfer with other or fill AutoStart folder with junk
It uses external presets file and can use different config files when used Deck Base to control more than one universe
Some crashes freezes are still reported
Buttons are less funky

[yokosuna]

Hmmm....seems I´m missing something: Windows 10 Home with Virtual DJ Pro 2018 (think 32bit, but I´m not sure)

[Nicotux]

Hmmm....seems I´m missing something: Windows 10 Home with Virtual DJ Pro 2018 (think 32bit, but I´m not sure)
Unbenannt.png

Right there are problems
- at first run fresh install with 64bit version. it is using an alternative config file due to wrong infos from VDJ VDJartnet_1.conf
- and it seems there is always bug with some malformed files
after what everything seems to work

config 64bit version raise this error multiple times opening the preset window. with big config ?

after what everything seems to work

Maybe 32 bit version have same kind of first run problem either but didn't had the other ones

[Nicotux]

I really hate this kind of bugs... ALL works fine while debugging

[yokosuna]

Jup, it´s working now ! Many thx, great work !