Expert mysteries

[jhld]

OK. I have re-patched all the spot 250's. Initially this seemed to work. I've spent the last couple of hours re-doing my pallets for these fixtures. As I started to fix up some of the old cues and experiment around, I have traced the problem to the pallets.

That is, if I record the cue by changing attributes with the wheels and recording it, the fixtures work as I expect in Mode 2 -BUT- if I do the same thing using pallets, the problem is there.

[niclights]

Ok. In some ways I'm glad since your solution was bugging me and palettes was high on my suspicion list. Not that this helps!

I am still quite confused that they worked ok in mode0 but this will perhaps be useful.

Palettes are the one area I am currently having problems with. It became apparent that some attributes of some fixtures do not store in memories when recalled from palettes, even though the palettes themselves output correctly to stage. I could find no consistency over fixture type/attribute/handle or palette placement though there undoubtedly must be. Further problems have been seen to manifest themselves through storing/deleting of palettes but, again, this is still something of a mystery. I do know that an attempt at wipe palettes does some horrendous things!

This is based on a large show/patch that has lived over various 2004 builds (including many betas) thus complicating the matter. Prior to this I had discovered a strange bug where some parts of chases would, seemingly randomly, disappear after patching. Eventually this was tracked down to a fault with deleting fixtures by preset add & has subsequently been fixed (although I'm uncertain if released yet).
Note that this was/is present in standard Pearl builds and the workaround is to delete by DMX address.

The reason I mention this is I cannot be sure if it is related to the palettes issue. Though the patch bug is fixed I still have the palettes problem but the theory is it is likely due to the show having already been corrupted by this fault.

Starting fresh appears to solve but I can't be absolutely sure.


This is being investigated. I am hoping that your findings can help solve.


Some questions:

Did your show originate on a 2000/2004?

Are you likely to have deleted fixture patches?

If you perform a wipe palettes do some of your palettes now contain strange information?

If you wipeall and start from scratch does everything appear to work ok?


Note that nudging values into the programmer is the workaround for this palette problem for anyone encountering it.

[jhld]

It does seem to be that the pallets are not storing info when recording to a cue even tho the pallets appear to work correctly.

The problem is only happening to my StudioSpot 250's. All other fixtures are OK.

The problem affects color and color functions, gobo and effects. All other attributes work as planned.

Yes, my show is originally from a Pearl 2004. As explained earlier, I did delete the 250's from patch and re-patch/re-create pallets, which worked for a bit then all went south again.

I'm a bit limited on time, so probably wont be able to do a wipe all and start completely from scratch to see if the problem persists, but you do seem to have a handle on the situation.I will also try a wipe pallets and see what happens.

Thanks again for be awesome about this.

[jhld]

PS - I can send you my show file if you want.

Pearl Expert 1.1

[niclights]

The showfile's no use to me but I have spoken to Olie about this. I'm sure he will contact you if needed. Ta!

[jhld]

OK, I've finally had the time to wipe all and start from 0. As you predicted, this has solved the problem for the most part. However… I still am not getting the results I used to have on my Pearl 2k using mode 2.

Previously, on the 2k, when in Mode 2 I could have a cue with the movers in position 1 and color 1 and gobo 1, and another cue with the movers in position 2 and color 2 and gobo 2.

If I bring up cue 1 and leave it up, and then bring up cue 2 - the lights would change to cue 2. Then if I bring cue 2 down - the movers would return to ther position 1 state in cue 1 but the color and gobo would remain until I hit the Add button which would return the light to the cue 1 state.

Now on the Expert, same as above - but hitting the Add button accomplishes nothing - UNLESS - I'm in takeover mode.

???

Again, I'm using non color mixing fixtures, but this used to work on my old 2k.

I noticed another thread about stuck takeover mode. Possible connection?


Again, thanks for all of your help

PS - fixture reduction does not work

[niclights]

I can't say I've ever had two playbacks in mode2 that share fixtures & attributes so I don't know how it did behave or how is is intended.

I'm wondering if the colours and gobos don't return to value 1 because they are set to instant? If that is the case and you would prefer it to return without pressing the add button then maybe you can set attributes to fade.

I was not aware of PB Add having any different function other than bumping unlinked chase steps. Similarly this only works in Takeover, otherwise it works as standard 'flash'. Are you sure this worked in Normal mode on the 2000?

I don't think there is any connection with getting stuck in Takeover. That was almost certainly due to corrupt showfile by bad floppy on 2000.

Reduce Fix Intesity worked last time I tried it. Are you sure you are doing correctly? It has always been a bit of a weird one. I think procedure should be raise handle to full, [shift]+reduce, bring fader to proportional level (maybe need to bring to zero, full and then back to level?) and [shift]+reduce to exit mode.

When in Fixture Reduction the VDU should turn red. IIRC reduced handles are then highlighted on the VDU in normal view.

[niclights]

Update:

Ok. I was curious about the whole concept of mode2 cue interaction and so played with the sim for a while. What fun... not. Darn key's in the wrong place for a start!

As ever, it only helps confuse me but I did learn some on the subject.

Firstly, it is definitely having attributes set to instant that stops them from going back. But perhaps you have done this deliberately?

Secondly the sim does allow you to bump LTP values from raised faders in either run mode. So this confirms it should (or did) previously work in Normal. Strangely enough Normal also allows advancing of unlinked chase steps.
Now I'm convinced the latter is not possible on the Expert and so would show some correlation in not being able to bump LTP values in static memories either.
I am surprised though since the Expert is effectively running the sim, albeit much updated and fixed.

Anyhoo, I need to check this on the actual console and see.

I was also unable to get Reduce Intesity to work in the sim, but I am absolutely certain it's ok on the Expert as I have used successfully.

[jhld]

thanks for your reply and interest.

Yes, I have my fixtures' color ands gobo attribute assigned to INSTANT. I have/want it this way, because if i ride the fader up or down in Mode 2, I don't want to scrolll thru all of the other colors. Because these units are not color mixing (StudioSPot 250), that is not something I want to see.

Yes, this did work on the old Pearl 2k, and it does work as I want on the Expert - but only in takeover mode. On the old 2k, it worked in either Normal or Takeover.

[niclights]

Yep. Understood. Tried it on the console to confirm and I believe this is probably wrong, as is the stepping through unlinked. I will raise the issue.

I did also double-check reduce intensity and it seems to be working fine. Have you figured this out now or are you still having difficulties?

[niclights]

(moved:)

I decided to start anew rather than continue the thread.

I see Expert v2 is available, and am wondering if any of the issues I addressed have been fixed.

It's difficult to keep in sync with things, so I could easily be wrong, but I do not think the two issues raised here have been fixed. At least not according to release notes or in relation to the version I am running (which is somewhere in between).

The two issues being:

PB 'Add' not behaving as expected in RMN - inconsistency with 2004 build.

Some palettes not storing in PB's. It remains to be confirmed whether this is a legacy of the delete patch bug/previous builds/consoles or a separate problem.

I was surprised that the delete patch fault wasn't mentioned in the v2 release notes. I was sure this had been fixed after 1.1. Perhaps not?

Hopefully Olie or others can confirm some of this officially when there is time.

[jhld]

Seriously, when can we expect a true Expert software? When, at least, will these "minor" issues be addressed? Don't get me wrong - I love my Expert, but when fellow lampys com through and are excited to use it, they are dismayed as I am about it's shorcomings.

[Olie]

We are continuously working to improve and update the software in all active consoles in our range. The Pearl Expert is certainly high on our list of priorities for a future software update.

I am sorry but I can not give you anymore information than this.

The minor problem you mention is one I am aware of but have been unable to reproduce in testing. This makes it very hard for me to fix. I will however continue to look at it and make every effort to fix it in the next version of software.

[jhld]

Thank you all for your help on all the previous postings. I have a new prob now on the Expert: I'm now having problems saving/loading shows. here's the time line.

Got the Expert in October, all is well but the things I;ve already posted. Created and saved many shows to hard drive and back ups to memory sticks.

installed v2 update in Dec. Saved/loaded more shows + backups.

3 weeks ago, I powered up the desk and could not find any shows that were saved after upgrading to v2. They had all been there before, but not now. I looked within the folder structure in Windows and the can not be found there either. The strangeness of it all is that all shows saved prior to v2 upgrade are all still there. All shows that were saved after v2 upgrade - that were there - are now not. Even though they were there.

I can save/load from the memory sticks.

If I save a show to the hard drive, all prompts go as they should - it appears that I have saved a show. But if I go to load it, it is not to be found.

Nothing of the preciously existing shows or any new can be found in Windows.

I called Brad about this - he has no idea. I have also had my IT guy look thru Windows, but this makes no sense to him either. Any ideas?

[CoenCo]

Did you perhaps save all those shows on a USB stick that is now no longer present? Or did you change the default save-directory after the software-upgrade? Sometimes the strangest errors, are the user errors.