Lesson 20 Tut3

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Lesson 19 Lesson 21 table of content Lesson 1: Installation and configuration Lesson 2: The Panel concept of DMXControl 3 GUI Lesson 3: The Project Explorer Lesson 4: The Stage view Lesson 5: Device properties and its control Lesson 6: Configuration of output plugins Lesson 7: Summary and some more details of setup Lesson 8: Cues and cue lists Lesson 9: Fanning, Chasers and other effects Lesson 10: The Programmer view Lesson 11: Triggers in cue lists Lesson 12: Edit of cues and cue lists Lesson 13: Presets Lesson 14: Summary and details - Programming Lesson 15: Executors and use of cue lists Lesson 16: Softdesk Lesson 17: Audio analyser Lesson 18: Multimedia Support Lesson 19: Other DMX Clients Lesson 20: Create new device definitions Lesson 21: Summary and details for Execution Lesson 22: Input Assignment Lesson 23: Create a RGB Matrix Lesson 24: Transfer DMX values via ArtNet to DMXControl 2 Appendix 1: Commands and Shortcuts Appendix 2: Tips for Testing and behaviot in error case

Overview

In this lesson we will learn how to create and add new device definitions. You need to do this activity only, if your device is not yet defined in the default set of DMXControl 3 device definitions.

Lecture 20: Create new device definitions

A device definition file (short: DDF) is used to inform DMXControl about the properties of a device. A DDF is written in XML language and stored in the path

<DMXControl program path>\kernel\devices

If you are familiar with DDFs of DMXControl 2.0 you will see some important differences:

• There is no GUI description part, because DMXControl 3 doesn't provide the device context menus.
• Some syntax elements are very similar (esp. in information part). I.e. you can reuse the existing DDFs
• The function part is much more abstract. You make the definition mainly by properties and not by DMX channels

Currently there is no "DDF creator" available for DMXControl 3. We recommend using a text editor or XML editor tool. (Hint: We need support for adaption of an existing DMXControl 2 php tool towards DMXControl 3)

At first lets look at a very simple DDF ("Generic RGB Par"):

---

01 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> 02 <device image="bild" type="DMXDevice"> 03 <information> 04 <modell>Generic RGB PAR</modell> 05 <vendor>Generic</vendor> 06 <author>Arne Luedtke</author> <comment>KLEINER TEXT</comment> 07 </information> 08 <functions> 09 <rgb> 10 <red dmxchannel="0" /> 11 <green dmxchannel="1" /> 12 <blue dmxchannel="2" /> 13 </rgb> 14 </functions> 15 </device>

---

Line 01 is a mandatory default line for describing the XML version. Lines 02 and 15 provide the frame for the device definition that contains two parts:

• Information part (lines 03 to 07). No need for further explanation.
• Function(property) specification part (lines 08 to 14)

The "image" can be replaced by another .gif or .png file.

The example device possesses one property: RGB color mode. The mapping to DMX channels is described in lines 10 to 12.

That's all!

Following table shows the supported properties:

Property	Description		Comment
switch	fixture has a switch channel		<switch dmxchannel="0" />
dimmer	fixture has a dimmer channel		<dimmer dmxchannel="0" />
matrix	Fixture ist ein Matrix-Gerät		<matrix rows="2" columns="3"> <rgb> <red dmxchannel="2" /> <green dmxchannel="2" /> <blue dmxchannel="2" /> </rgb> <rgb> <red dmxchannel="2" /> <green dmxchannel="2" /> <blue dmxchannel="2" /> </rgb> <rgb> <red dmxchannel="2" /> <green dmxchannel="2" /> <blue dmxchannel="2" /> </rgb> <rgb> <red dmxchannel="2" /> <green dmxchannel="2" /> <blue dmxchannel="2" /> </rgb> <rgb> <red dmxchannel="2" /> <green dmxchannel="2" /> <blue dmxchannel="2" /> </rgb> <rgb> <red dmxchannel="2" /> <green dmxchannel="2" /> <blue dmxchannel="2" /> </rgb> </matrix>
fog	fod property		<fog dmxchannel="0" />
shutter	fixture has a shutter		<shutter dmxchannel="0" />
strobe	fixture has a strobe channel		<strobe dmxchannel="0" />
iris	fixture has a iris channel		<iris dmxchannel="0"/>
focus	fixture has a focus channel		<focus dmxchannel="0"/>
zoom	fixture has a zoom channel		<zoom dmxchannel="0"/>
rgb	fixture has RGB function		<rgb> <red dmxchannel="0" /> <green dmxchannel="1" /> <blue dmxchannel="2" /> </rgb>
cmy	fixture has CMY function		<cmy> <cyan dmxchannel="0"/> <magenta dmxchannel="1"/> <yellow dmxchannel="2"/> </cmy>
position	fixture has Pan and/ or Tilt		<position> <pan dmxchannel="0"> <range range="540" /> </pan> <tilt dmxchannel="1"> <range range="246" /> </tilt> </position>
color wheel	fixtures contains color wheel		<colorwheel dmxchannel="0"> <step type="color" val="#ffffff" caption="white" mindmx="0" maxdmx="0" /> <step type="color" val="#00bd52" caption="green 203" mindmx="32" maxdmx="32" /> <step type="color" val="#080094" caption="blue 108" mindmx="64" maxdmx="64" /> <step type="color" val="#8e10bc" caption="UV" mindmx="96" maxdmx="96" /> <step type="color" val="#eedefe" caption="1/2 Minus Green" mindmx="128" maxdmx="128" /> <step type="color" val="#ffffff" caption="white" mindmx="160" maxdmx="160" /> </colorwheel>
gobo wheel	fixture with Gobo wheel	Gobo rotation	<gobowheel dmxchannel="0"> <goborotation dmxchannel="12" finedmxchannel="13"> <step type="stop" mindmx="0" maxdmx="2" /> <step type="stop" mindmx="253" maxdmx="255" /> <range type="cw" mindmx="3" maxdmx="127" minval="0,1" maxval="8" /> <range type="ccw" mindmx="252" maxdmx="128" minval="0,1" maxval="8" /> </goborotation> <goboindex dmxchannel="8" finedmxchannel="9"> <range mindmx="0" maxdmx="255" range="395" /> </goboindex> <step type="open" caption="Open" mindmx="0" maxdmx="11" /> <step type="gobo" caption="Gobo 1" mindmx="12" maxdmx="15" val="gobo1.png"> <step for="goborotation" mindmx="36" maxdmx="39" /> <step handler="shake" mindmx="60" maxdmx="71" minval="0,1" maxval="3" /> </step> ... </gobowheel>
		Goboposition
		Rotation Gobo 1 Shake Gobo 1

If the fixture has a color / gobo wheel that can rotate continuously, then write it as follows:

<gobowheel dmxchannel="0">
  <step type="open" caption="Open" mindmx="0" maxdmx="0" />
  <step type="gobo" caption="Gobo 1" mindmx="11" maxdmx="11" />
  ...
  <wheelrotation>
    <range type="cw" mindmx="221" maxdmx="203" minval="0,1" maxval="2" />
    <range type="ccw" mindmx="222" maxdmx="240" minval="0,1" maxval="2" />
  </wheelrotation>
</gobowheel>

If the fixture has a color / gobo wheel, which can rotate at random positions, then write it as follows:

<gobowheel dmxchannel="0">
  <step type="open" caption="Open" mindmx="0" maxdmx="0" />
  ...
  <random>
    <step type="fast" mindmx="241" maxdmx="245" />
    <step type="medium" mindmx="246" maxdmx="250" />
    <step type="slow" mindmx="251" maxdmx="255" />
  </random>
</gobowheel>

If a device has fine channels for eg zoom, then write it as follows:

<zoom dmxchannel="0" finedmxchannel="1"/>

That works for any property.
The different intervals in a DMX channel are defined by the "step" tag:

 <step val="0" mindmx="0" maxdmx="127" />;
 <step val="100" mindmx="128" maxdmx="255" />;

or:

 <step type="color" val="#FFFFFF" caption="Weiß" mindmx="0" maxdmx="31" />;
 <step type="color" val="#FF0000" caption="Rot" mindmx="32" maxdmx="63" />;

A DDF Creator for DMXControl 3 is already in the works. Until then, please create your own DDFs with an XML editor of your choice, or simply a text editor. Sometimes it helps to copy an existing DDF and to adapt it. Please send us your new DDFs, so we can add them to the library.

Exercise

1) Have a look into several device definitions before creating your own DDF.
2) Open the DDF for TS255. Separate the different properties by blank lines to get a better understanding.
3) Create the DDF for your own device.

Lesson 19 Lesson 21 table of content Lesson 1: Installation and configuration Lesson 2: The Panel concept of DMXControl 3 GUI Lesson 3: The Project Explorer Lesson 4: The Stage view Lesson 5: Device properties and its control Lesson 6: Configuration of output plugins Lesson 7: Summary and some more details of setup Lesson 8: Cues and cue lists Lesson 9: Fanning, Chasers and other effects Lesson 10: The Programmer view Lesson 11: Triggers in cue lists Lesson 12: Edit of cues and cue lists Lesson 13: Presets Lesson 14: Summary and details - Programming Lesson 15: Executors and use of cue lists Lesson 16: Softdesk Lesson 17: Audio analyser Lesson 18: Multimedia Support Lesson 19: Other DMX Clients Lesson 20: Create new device definitions Lesson 21: Summary and details for Execution Lesson 22: Input Assignment Lesson 23: Create a RGB Matrix Lesson 24: Transfer DMX values via ArtNet to DMXControl 2 Appendix 1: Commands and Shortcuts Appendix 2: Tips for Testing and behaviot in error case