Technical Focus1 Artistic Licence

Transcript

TECHNICALFOCUS1 FEATURING DALI Art-Net Colour-Tramp Interfacing Artistic Licence Introduction 2 Artistic Licence - An Overview Established in 1988, Artistic Licence is the industry expert in lighting control. We design products that control light in all its guises, from traditional sources to the latest eco-friendly technology, such as organic LED. Our range also covers test equipment and data distribution, and we are a major supplier of OEM solutions worldwide. ™ Artistic Licence Welcome to Artistic Licence Technical Focus 1, which has been produced to outline some Artistic Licence products and their use in a practical context. Here you will find technical detail to help you get the best from your system and generally demystify what is too often perceived as complex technology. You will see how sophisticated lighting control and integration can be achieved easily - and, most importantly, reliably - using Artistic Licence networking and control devices. The Technical Focus covers the functions and features of a number of products and gives working examples within project settings. It also shows you how to overcome common problems and brings you up to speed with the latest versions on offer. We have included sections dedicated to DALI & DMX, Art-Net & RDM, ColourTramp and solutions to common interfacing problems. For project work, our in-depth technological knowledge enables us to offer custom-build solutions where no off-the-shelf product would be suitable. We routinely work with Art-Net (the public domain Ethernet protocol that we invented), DMX512-A, RDM, sACN, KiNet, ZigBee and DALI, and offer a host of other services such as computer-aided design and materials research and certification. From stadium rock to sculptural art, and municipal works to designer hotels, we offer an eclectic and international outlook. For reliability and innovation, the reputation of Artistic Licence is second to none. Our thanks go to: Pablo J. Rodriguez P. of Epsilom, Venezuela for the Plaza Venezuela Fountain project. Ptarmigan Integration Ltd & Artistic Licence Integration Ltd for the City of Dreams project, Macau. Guy Dyke-Price, Cadisch GIGB Lighting. Photography - City of Dreams project, courtesy James Goldenberg. Contents: Front Cover From ‘The Dragon’s Treasure’, The Bubble Theatre, Macau Page 3 - 5 DALI & DMX – A Two-Way Conversion Page 6 - 7 Art-Net Project: City of Dreams, Macau Page 8 - 9 Art-Net Technical Outline Page 10 - 11 Colour-Tramp Project: Plaza Venezuela Fountain, Caracas Page 12 - 13 Colour-Tramp Technical Outline Page 14 - 15 Interfacing Back Cover Rail-DMX-DALI & Rail-DALI-DMX – The next generation of DMX / DALI conversion Artistic Licence Engineering Ltd. Studio 1, Spectrum House Contact: Wayne Howell 32-34 Gordon House Road CEO London Email: [email protected] NW5 1LP Web: www.ArtisticLicence.com United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 8863 4515 www.ArtisticLicence.com Technical Focus 1 DMX512 & DALI - A Brief Overview 3 As the entertainment, architectural and commercial lighting industries continue to merge, the need to integrate the various control protocols increases. Until recently this integration could only have been achieved through Building Management Systems using several interface devices. Artistic Licence is working to improve this and has created sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, products which bridge the gap between the different lighting sectors. Two main protocols are used for dimming control across the 3 industries, namely DMX from the entertainment industry and DALI from the architectural and commercial industries. DMX is fast, handles large amounts of data and is designed primarily to enable real time fading. DALI was designed as a lowcost, easy-to-use system which does not demand a great deal of technical knowledge from end users. It is not bound by the specific wiring constraints to which DMX is subject, however, it is neither fast nor designed to handle many channels. DMX512 – Digital Multiplex DMX512, released in 1986, was created by the entertainment industry as a means of standardising the many different, existing lighting protocols into one single protocol which would allow separate manufacturers to ‘talk the same language’. It was designed to control 512 channels per cable at near-video rates, so could produce smooth dimming and lighting effects. Since then DMX has been used in the majority of lighting fixtures and, due to its qualities in fading RGB devices, has also migrated into architectural fixtures. Advantages: • Fast data rates • Widely used in the entertainment industry • Large choice of controllers and fixtures • 512 channels per cable • Can be converted for transportation over Ethernet allowing multiple universes (Art-Net) Disadvantages: DMX Controller • Wiring is restrictive and expensive when using large quantities of fixtures • High cost of DMX interfaces • Most DMX equipment is not fully isolated Splitter • Dimmers are relatively expensive compared to DALI fixtures How it works - Electrical Device 1 Device 1 Device 2 Device 2 The wiring infrastructure for DMX has been precisely defined and all installers must follow these rules. At the beginning of every DMX line there must be a DMX controller / transmitter. This can have a maximum of 32 standard devices connected over a maximum cable length of 300m. If more devices are required then a DMX splitter should be used. The output of a DMX splitter is considered a new DMX line, with the same rules applying. At the end of each DMX line a terminator should be fitted. Max 300m Device 3 Device 3 Device 4 All devices are given a starting channel, called the Start Address and, as they receive data, respond only to the channels that apply to them. For example, a device that uses 3 channels with a Start Address of 4 will respond to channels 4, 5 & 6. Device 31 Values are represented in their decimal form: i.e. 0 to 255. For example, dimming curves are usually linear which means a decimal value of 128 equals 50%, which signals the fixture to be at half power. Device 32 Device 32 Terminated Terminated Above: an example of a simple DMX system Below: a simplified DMX packet Begin Start 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Values 10 How it works – Data DMX controllers send out packets of data up to 44 times a second. Each packet starts with a start code (0 for intensity) and then 512 slots of data values. Device 4 Device 31 DMX fixtures are linked by ‘daisy-chaining’ cables; Y-Splits are therefore not possible and a DMX splitter must be used instead. 508 509 510 511 512 End www.ArtisticLicence.com With pure DMX all communications are one-way, so the controller talks and everything else listens. More than one fixture can listen to the same channels. DMX512 & DALI - A Brief Overview 4 DALI – Digital Addressable Lighting Interface DALI is used mainly in the commercial lighting industry to enable office lighting to be controlled in an intelligent and resourceful manner. It was developed to provide two-way communication between controller and ballast, providing both control and feedback of standard lighting products. The International Standard was released in 2002 and has been widely adopted. The most common DALI device is a fluorescent ballast, around which most of its development has been concentrated. Speed has been sacrificed in favour of flexibility, ease of use and to facilitate two-way communication, so it has developed as a rather slow protocol when compared to DMX. Advantages: • Low cost data infrastructure and easy to understand DALI Controller Ballast 1 Ballast 2 DALI BUS PSU Ballast 5 Ballast 6 Ballast 3 Ballast 7 Ballast 4 Ballast 8 • Fully isolated in both fixtures and controllers • Flexible control techniques Ballast 9 Ballast 10 • Feedback from ballasts can be used for identifying faults (requires DALI controller) Ballast 11 Ballast 12 • Multi-manufacturer support offering a good range of DALI ballasts Disadvantages: • Very slow when fading • Limited to 64 channels Above: a typical DALI system. All systems must include a DALI BUS PSU. • Commissioning of lamps requires additional equipment How it works – Electrical Unlike DMX there are no strict wiring guidelines for the layout of a DALI system. The DALI controller, and ballasts, can be positioned anywhere on the DALI BUS. Data lines are powered by a BUS Power Supply Unit (PSU) rather than the DALI controller. This separation keeps the DALI system flexible and allows two-way communication between all equipment on the data circuit. The BUS PSU should be situated at the centre of the installation. A maximum of 64 ballasts can be used on one DALI circuit. If additional ballasts are required then a separate DALI circuit must be used. The minimum wire diameter for a DALI installation is AWG18 (1mm²), with maximum run lengths being 175m for AWG18 wire and 700m for AWG12 (2mm²) wire. The maximum permissible voltage drop for efficient operation is 2V between the BUS PSU and the furthest ballast. Below: a simplified DALI packet. Address Command Data (who) (what) (how much) How it works - Data DALI uses a range of commands such as Query, Lighting Values and Configuration, the most common of which is the Direct Value command as used in Artistic Licence Rail-DALI. The DALI data packet is divided into three parts: Address (which ballast it is talking to), Command (what type of message is being sent), Data (the value associated with the command). A DALI ballast can be controlled with four methods. • Channel Commands – Individual control over the 64 separate ballasts (Values: 0% to 100%) E.G. Channel 32 @ 100% • Group Commands – Each ballast can be assigned to any of 16 groups. It can be assigned to more than one group E.G. Group 10 @ 95% • Scene Recalls – Every ballast can store up to 16 scenes that can be controlled via a single command E.G. Scene 2 Go • Broadcast – A broadcast message can be sent to to all fixtures to respond to the given value E.G. Broadcast 50% Only one command can be sent per packet so, in order to change all 64 ballasts to different values, 64 separate commands must be sent. DALI runs at 1200Hz which is a relatively slow method of communication but suitable for the simple on / off controls for which it was designed. A typical use for DALI ballasts is commercial lighting www.ArtisticLicence.com Technical Focus 1 For more information about DALI please visit www.dali-ag.org Converting DMX to DALI Integration between DMX and DALI equipment requires careful planning as a number of issues must be considered to ensure a successful system. These include the type of integration required, speed differences between the two protocols, type of DALI control, dimming curves and the commissioning of fixtures. Dimming Curve Comparison Light Output The need for a cross-over between DMX and DALI has become evident so control systems can benefit from DMX’s capabilities and DALI’s simplicity of operation. 5 • DMX • DALI 1 16 31 46 61 76 91 106 121 136 151 166 181 196 211 226 241 256 Decimal Value Type of Integration The differences between DALI and DMX means it is not possible to obtain DMX-style control over a DALI ballast cost-effectively. If this level of control is required then a DMX ballast should be considered. However, in most instances, with correct understanding and implementation, good results can be achieved using a DALI ballast. Speed DMX runs at a much higher speed than DALI and, even though it transmits more channels, it easily out-runs DALI. When this happens a time lag appears and data will start to be ‘dumped’, resulting in a step or ‘bump’ on the dimming curve. Commissioning of Fixtures Unlike DMX fixtures DALI ballasts do not have a default start address. This is because they need unique addresses so that only one ballast replies to the controller at once. When new DALI ballasts are used they must be commissioned by being given a unique start address. This requires a DALI commissioning tool such as an Artistic Licence DALI-Scope, a hand held tool that is low cost and easy to use. DALI cannot be made to operate quicker so the best alternative is to send fewer commands. This can be done in several ways: • Fades can be programmed to step in larger increments • Use Group Commands to control multiple fixtures • Broadcast Channel Values to all fixtures • Up to 16 scenes can be programmed into the ballast memory and each scene triggered with a single command Control DALI ballasts can be controlled in three ways: Channel Address and Value, Group Value or Go to Scene commands either in Unicast or Broadcast modes. Best results are achieved by sending the lowest number of commands. Using ‘Go to Scene’ commands allows all ballasts on a circuit to change using only one command. ‘Group Value’ is the next most economical method as it can control several ballasts at once, while the ‘Channel Value’ gives the most control but is the most bandwidth-hungry. Controlling individual channels can cause problems if a large number of ballasts are being controlled due to the high number of commands that need to be sent. If this method is to be used, careful consideration should be given to the loading of each circuit. Dimming Curves The majority of DMX devices operate using a linear dimming curve with the level selected using a decimal value between 0 to 255. DALI works with a non-linear (exponential) curve. As the graph shows, each method produces a different light output. It is therefore strongly recommended that DMX and DALI fixtures are not controlled by the same method. For example, a DALI ballast operating next to a DMX controlled house light will fade down at different speeds in relation to the same data. www.ArtisticLicence.com DALI-Scope was used to configure the DALI ballasts for this trade show stand DALI BUS PSU For DALI to transmit over a data cable there must be a separate DALI BUS PSU. This provides a voltage on the data line which enables communication. Without this PSU the ballasts will go into a fail mode and switch on as this is considered a fault condition. Artistic Licence offers Rail-PSU-D4, a four-BUS PSU device designed to work alongside Rail-DALI and other DALI controllers. Overall, there is no true solution to the complete integration of DMX and DALI due to the differences between the two protocols. However after listening to customer feedback, Artistic Licence has responded by upgrading Rail-DALI, more details of which can be found on the back cover. Art-Net Project - City of Dreams, Macau 6 The City of Dreams casino complex in Macau comprises of several key areas that required a sophisticated lighting control network. These areas include the site’s iconic landmark, the Bubble Theatre, the Main Gaming Floors, the Ray of Light sculptures, the Virtual Aquarium and the external lighting to the Bubble. Artistic Licence Asia, working with Ptarmigan Integration Ltd of Hong Kong, created the integrated lighting control network across all areas, overcoming a multitude of restrictions and requirements along the way. Unicast v Broadcast The Bubble Theatre The majority of work centres on the Bubble Theatre, where the 360° multimedia show, the Dragon’s Treasure, involves a wealth of video, animation and lighting technology across a variety of areas. Two extensive control networks underpin the show - one controlling 60 Art-Net universes of LEDs that form part of the huge projection surface on the Bubble’s domed roof. A second network of 55 Art-Net universes controls the moving lights and non-screen LEDs. The main control is via two media servers - a grandMA2 replay unit and Green Hippo’s Hippotizer - with an Artistic Licence Art-Net system merging the data streams from the two at the node end - a standard feature for Art-Net. Secondly, careful consideration was given to network speeds and layout significant factors in a system of this size. The City of Dreams network of 115 universes was in danger of swamping the Ethernet switches with data if Broadcast signals were used. Art-Net II was therefore brought in so data could be Unicast to the individual nodes, significantly reducing traffic across the network. Data Merging The third requirement was that of data merging. The server controlling the 7-channel RGB fixtures embedded in the floor had lamp libraries for only 3-channel devices, so the second media server was brought in to control the additional 4 channels. This was done using several Art-Net to DMX converters to merge the two streams of DMX to their output using either HTP or LTP, both of which are present as standard features in all Art-Net converters. To convert all of the Art-Net data to DMX, a selection of Art-Net to DMX converters were used, the main one being a Data-Lynx O/P which can convert up to 12 DMX universes and be connected directly to an Ethernet network. The individual outputs from the Data-Lynx O/P, each of which has the capability of merging two streams, were connected to Iso-Split RDM splitters and the data then relayed to the fixtures. Art-Net was chosen for the project as it is a proven technology, capable of meeting all the varying requirements of this massive integration system, as illustrated in the system diagram opposite. Ethernet Distribution Network The first consideration was that the system should operate across a standard high-speed Ethernet distribution network. This allowed great flexibility whilst reducing costs since the many remote and diverse areas within the complex could be connected using standard Cat5 cable; only small amounts of the more expensive DMX512 cable were needed to connect the Art-Net nodes and splitters to the fixtures. www.ArtisticLicence.com Technical Focus 1 7 The biggest challenge was the four sea-themed chandeliers that fly in and out during a show. Data cables were neither practical nor permissible in this situation so standard wireless access points were used. These were compatible with standard Ethernet equipment with the added advantage of being easy to source. Each chandelier carried both LEDs - controlled by the Hippotizer - and strobes - controlled by the grandMA2 – the Art-Net data streams from which were merged into a single DMX universe using Net-Lynx O/P converters, and then fed into the fixtures. Taking the Art-Route An additional complication presented itself when it was discovered that the wireless access points were unable to handle Broadcast data correctly which resulted in data loss. Art-Route software was used to overcome this problem by converting Broadcast data to Unicast, thus reducing the quantity of data routed through the wireless access points. In total 35 Down-Lynx, 18 Net-Lynx O/P, 20 Candle-Power LED controllers, 2 Rail-Split RDM (Bubble Exterior), 2 Rail-Pipe, 4 DMX-Fix Splitters and 2 LightSwitch units were used with a further 2 Data-Lynx O/P, 13 Iso-Split RDM and Art-Route Software being employed in the control room. All photos of City of Dreams project courtesy of Jason Goldenberg Net-Lynx O/P Art-Route DMX Art-Net DMX Fire-Brand RGB Fixtures - controlled by Hippo & Grand MA Iso-Split RDM Art-Net Wireless Access Point Art-Net Art-Net Art-Net Data-Lynx OP Net-Lynx O/P DMX Wi-Fi Net-Lynx O/P Chandelier LEDs controlled by Hippo, Strobes controlled by MA Art-Net Net-Lynx O/P DMX DMX Art-Net DMX Ethernet Switch Various moving heads controllled by MA Art-Net Various LED pixels controllled by Hippo Various strobes controllled by MA www.ArtisticLicence.com Hippo MA 2 Replay Ptarmigan Integration Ltd & Artistic Licence Asia for the City of Dreams project, Macau. Art-Net & RDM Technical Outline 8 Lighting Console DMX Art-Net DMX cable Lighting Console Cat5 cable ™ Net-Lynx I/P Art-Net was created by Artistic Licence to overcome the channel restriction of DMX while still utilising its structure. It allows multiple DMX universes (within limits) to be transported over a single Cat5 cable using the Ethernet technology. In the beginning, DMX signals from a lighting desk were converted to Art-Net by using a DMX/Art-Net converter. The signals were then transported over an Ethernet network and converted back to DMX before entering each fixture. Manufacturers quickly saw the benefits of Art-Net and started to support the protocol in their new lighting controllers. DMX Next came Art-Net RDM COMMANDS DMX was designed to control up to 512 channels (a universe) of lighting values over a single cable. It worked well for many years but eventually outgrew its 512 channel limit and desks with several DMX universes began to appear. Soon even this was not enough as the development of channel hungry fixtures progressed and designers needed more channels than DMX could offer. Net-Lynx O/P Net-Lynx O/P DMX cable RGB Fixtures Fixtures An early use of Art-Net. The desk would transmit using DMX which is then converted into Art-Net, transported to the fixture and then converted back again. And now: The controller transmits Art-Net directly over an Ethernet network. It is then converted back to DMX for the last part of the journey to the fixture. And finally Art-Net 3 Even after the release of Art-Net II it was quickly realised that the 256 universe limit was going to become a limiting factor. With Art-Net 3’s release users are able to utilise upto 32,768 universes; that is over 16 million DMX channels. Then RDM….. Art-Net Features The key benefits of RDM, amongst a host of others, are remote start addressing and sensor monitoring – features which suddenly opened up a huge opportunity for the technical knowledge within the entertainment industry to translate across to the architectural lighting environment. Artistic Licence immediately incorporated RDM into Art-Net and was one of the first companies to implement RDM fixtures in a large scale installation. • Transports up to 32,768 DMX universes over a single network Followed by Art-Net II Like DMX, Art-Net assumed that its Broadcast limit of 40 universes would be enough for most installations. However, with the wide scale adoption of LED RGB devices and the Broadcast method of sending data, 40 universes became inadequate. To overcome this Art-Net II adopted Unicast transmitting, which broke through the Broadcast barrier by selectively sending data only to the destinations where it was needed. www.ArtisticLicence.com Technical Focus 1 DMX cable DMX First came DMX LIGHTING VALUES Art-Net is a protocol that transports DMX and RDM over an Ethernet network. The RDM protocol works alongside DMX allowing two-way communication between fixtures and controllers. Art-Net What are Art-Net and RDM? Cat5 cable • Uses standard Ethernet technology equipment • Full support for RDM (node dependent) • Transmits using Broadcast & Unicast techniques • DMX merging allows use of two controllers • Remote configuration of nodes (universe selection, merging etc) • Free network tools available (DMX-Workshop, Net-View) • Numerous converters available • Multi-manufacturer support • Protocol released, free of charge, in the public domain • Perfect for large scale LED installations • Distribution options include: - Wireless - Fibre (long distance) - Routers to send data over WANs and internet 9 This diagram illustrates some possibilities when using Art-Net Data Distribution. As Art-Net is an Ethernet protocol, a wide range of data distribution equipment can be used, such as Wi-Fi, Fibre Converters & Routers to bridge WAN’s. COLOUR -TRAMP Fibre is generally used as the backbone of a network connecting two locations that have high data throughput. It is capable of high speeds over long distances. An example would be connecting a controller to the main distribution switch. Ethernet Switch A simple DMX desk is used to trigger shows within the controller. Art-Lynx I/P Art-Net Preset 6 Art-Net DMX Art-Net Wireless Access Point Router Ethernet Router Ethernet Fibre Art-Switch PoE 4 Art-Net PoE Art-Net PoE WAN DMX Art-Net DMX Router Art-Net Down-Lynx Net-Lynx O/P Wi-Fi Ethernet Router Wireless Access Point Art-Lynx O/P Art-Net DMX Art-Net Products Available Art-Lynx I/P Occasionally it is not possible to run data cables between two locations. To overcome this standard Wireless Access Points can be used to bridge the gap. Art-Net Two-Universe Converters: Art-Switch PoE 4 • AL5001 and AL5002 - Art-Net/DMX converter modules • Art-Lynx (I/P & O/P) – DIN Rail mounted • Net-Lynx (I/P & O/P) – Portable desktop housing • Up / Down-Lynx – Wall mounted panel • Cata-Lynx (I/P & O/P) – 1U 19” Rack Mounted Pixi-Power F1 Pixi-Power F1 Multi-Universe Converters: • Ether-Lynx II – Two DMX inputs & four DMX outputs, housed in a 1U 19” rack case • Data-Lynx (I/P, O/P & IO/P) – 1U 19” Rack mount unit with up to 12 universes of conversion www.ArtisticLicence.com Pixi-Web Pixi-Web Colour-Tramp Project - Plaza Venezuela Fountain 10 One of the more challenging projects that Colour-Tramp has been used for is the Plaza Venezuela Fountain in downtown Caracas, Venezuela. This installation was driven by Architect Pablo J. Rodriguez P. from Epsilon, Venezuela for PDVSA La Estancia. Colour-Tramp was used to control not only the extensive LED RGB and halogen colour changer fixtures, but also the water pumps, pressure solenoids and music for the External PA. As additional support, Artistic Licence provided three days of ‘on-the job’ training and a custom lamp library for the LED fixtures. Emails Mobile Phone COLOUR -TRAMP TRIGGERS Time A programmed Colour-Tramp workspace showing the complexity of the fountain installation Art-Net USB to Sound Module Virtual Set-Up with Colour-Tramp DMX Fountain Pumps Art-Net to DMX Converter DMX Art-Net to DMX Converter Fixtures Schematic illustrating the component types used for the Plaza Venezuela Fountain www.ArtisticLicence.com Technical Focus 1 Art-Net USB Audio Date The first challenge came from the complex system layout which was addressed with the aid of the fixture programming within Colour-Tramp. As most of the programming was carried out before the building works had been completed, it was imperative that ‘show’ programming be started remotely, virtually and in advance. Four resources were used to make this possible: • Layout Wizard – The Circular Wizard was used to aid the lay out of individual pixels around the fountains circles • Import Background – This provided a bitmap diagram of the water system to enable accurate programming • Import Patch – Fixture names and start addresses were imported from a spreadsheet which subsequently allowed ‘on-site’ changes to be quickly added • Fixture Library – A pixel can be either an RGB fixture or a single onechannel device such as a relay for a pump. The majority of the fixtures used for this project were BRG fixtures so a custom library was created. The combination of these features allowed a virtual system to be programmed and visualised before the installation was ready. 11 Show Programming The day-time show is composed of water effects in slow rotation; however, at 7pm the roundabout transforms into a well-choreographed show of music, light and water. It starts with H&S announcements and then quickly progresses into a series of different shows, pre-programmed to run for different occasions, with each sequence requiring a different piece of music. Music files can be played back within Colour-Tramp for true integration. Colour-Tramp’s ‘building block’ approach allows up to ten simultaneous playbacks, so sophisticated shows can be created by using multiples of simpler sequences which are then played back at the same time. Macros and Stacks, which can respond to various triggers such as an astronomical clock, can also be used for final control. For the Plaza Venezuela Fountain project, macros were triggered by events happening throughout the day and by emails. This gave the flexibility to run different shows on different days, each of which could be manually triggered. For example, a typical day could run as follows: Example of a stack within Colour-Tramp • 6am – Pumps turned on with slow rotation of effects (1 sequence running) • 6:50pm – Macro used to start H&S announcements accompanied by basic single colour fade & basic water control • 7pm onwards – a 20min show is triggered every half an hour. Different shows can be used depending on triggers such as daylight, function keys or emails. Each show runs sophisticated lighting sequences that are perfectly synchronised with water effects and music. Occasionally the system needs to be triggered to cater for special events, such as a visit from VIP guests. Rather than cueing a show from the control room, Pablo set up Colour-Tramp with an email account, and programmed Macros to trigger a particular show when it received an email with a specific text string within the subject line. In return Colour-Tramp can send emails to report that a show has started and that the system is running. The major advantage of using Colour-Tramp as the central control system to control all aspects of the installation is that programming for the entire system can be done off site and timings between sound, lighting and water features can be matched perfectly. www.ArtisticLicence.com Pablo J. Rodriguez P. of Epsilom for the Plaza Venezuela Fountain project. Colour-Tramp Technical Outline Colour-Tramp is a lighting control system specifically designed to handle the complexity of two and three dimensional lighting arrays and combines the concept of a lighting controller with a graphic editor. Since its initial release in 2002, Colour-Tramp has been improved continuously with the addition of new features which help users achieve the maximum potential from their systems. Colour-Tramp’s graphical interface allows designers to create an array of lighting fixtures on screen and program a ‘show’ within this virtual environment so all visual effects can be viewed before a fixture is even purchased. Following installation, Colour-Tramp uses Art-Net to transmit DMX values over an Ethernet network to control the lighting array. It also takes on a new role: not only will it control the fixtures and respond to external triggers, it will also monitor the installation of all RDM compatible fixtures and report back information such as lamp life and temperature. Of course it doesn’t stop there. All customers are encouraged to download each new version of Colour-Tramp from the Artistic Licence website so they can take advantage of the latest developments. 12 Installation Colour-Tramp’s “What You See Is What You Get” approach, enables anyone to set-up a lighting array easily. Simply draw the pixels on screen, give them an address and start programming. There are numerous wizards to help: • Array Wizard - Create circular and rectangular arrays of pixels with just a few clicks • Layout Tools - Resize, move, duplicate and align individual nodes • Import Patch Wizard - Import fixture details (including start address) from a spreadsheet. • RDM Patching - Choose from a list of RDM devices and simply drag and drop them into the layout. Each device will locate when selected • Visual Patching - Automatically finds and plots nodes on screen • Background Graphic - Import a background graphic into the workspace • Lamp Library - Personalities for pixels, e.g. RGB, BGR, white etc Screen Workspace The main screen has numerous tabs to change the function of the screen area and the pixels. • Workspace - The main screen used for setting the fixtures and programming the show. Workspace is independent of the “live show” output but can be transmitted to the fixtures when required • Preview - Used to preview entities in the Stores Palette • Output - Visualisation of the output from all Sub-Masters • Play x - Visualisation of Sub-Master x • Diagnostics - Highlights any errors such as duplicate start addresses. If RDM fixtures are used, their sensor info is display within the screen • Sense x - Displays sensor x results, (RDM fixture required) • Pipes - Shows used pipes (DMX Universes) by colour coding each fixture Programming Colour-Tramp has a collection of tools and functions that make programming shows and sequences quick and painless, along with an option for manual programming. • ‘Select’ Tools - Select pixels using a variety of methods, including random www.ArtisticLicence.com Technical Focus 1 13 • Video Import - Import video files and overlay them onto workspace • Still Image Import - Overlay image and render to workspace • Group - Assign pixels to different groups • Pixel Colouring & Rendering - Various Fills including Drop Shadow effect and Rainbow effects • Pixel Manipulation - Move, wipe and push effects through your array • Palettes - An array of different palettes for colour selection • Macros - A set of 6 instructions that can perform a variety of tasks, such as: - Playback Music File, Sequence Control - Send Diagnostic Emails, Serial Strings & Art-Net Macros - Use internal timers and variables • Stacks - Used to link a series of sequences together with various options on triggers. In essence, a sequencer for the sequences Live Video Along with the pre-programming of shows within Colour-Tramp, there is also the option of overlaying live video, without the use of a media-server, onto the grid to produce some stunning and unexpected results. • Live Programming - Live programming & program while a show is running • Overlay up to four live video feeds over all or any part of the array Triggering / Interface • Pre-programmed effects on Live Video include: - Flip (horizontal and vertical), Time Lapse, Invert Colours, Monochrome, Comet Trail A major strength of Colour-Tramp is its number of triggering options. • Real Time Clock - Program cues according to date, time, week or day • Live Video can be used as part of a sequence or stand alone Monitoring • Astronomical Clock - Reacts to certain times such as sun rise / sun set Monitoring permanent installations can be a difficult process. Colour-Tramp has a number of tools that can help, saving time and money. • Function keys - Used primarily for manual over-rides • Internal Log Files for RDM fixtures • Serial Input - RS232 & MIDI input to connect to the outside world • Email - Define text within the subject field for remote triggering • Art-Net Macros - Trigger packets sent between Art-Net devices • Internal Variables & Timers - A selection of internal variables & timers, e.g. Macro Execution Count, can be monitored and used as a separate trigger. And if these are not enough, then the simple addition of a Common-Sense unit covers all remaining possibilities! • Outgoing emails for remote monitoring • Diagnostics Screen for RDM fixtures Product Variants The latest, full version of Colour-Tramp is a free of charge download from the Artistic Licence website at www.ArtisticLicence.com. A security key is required to unlock the outputs. Colour-Tramp is available in a variety of configurations depending on the number of pixels required. Options vary from 1 universe to 40 universes. There is also a Site Licence option with unlimited channels. Please see the web-site for more details on the different configurations available. Shows The main sections of Colour-Tramp responsible for programming and running ‘shows’. • Workspace - This screen is used to prepare each step within a sequence when programming a show manually. Once completed it can be recorded to a sequence step • Step - Record current ‘Workspace’ values to a single step in a sequence • Sequence - A set of steps that are played back one at a time - All steps are user-configurable, eg. sequence direction, playback mode, controls, in / out times - Sequence steps can include conditions, calls to macros, stacks and other commands • Playback Faders - A maximum of ten sequences can be run at one time; these can be assigned to the playback faders either statically or dynamically www.ArtisticLicence.com Colour-Tramp training courses are available from Artistic Licence: email [email protected] for more details. Interfacing 14 Installations often require a number of interface options to enable different devices to work alongside the main control system. Triggers can vary according to the devices being used and the main control system. They include: • IR Remote Control • Simple Switch Panels, Keypads • Sound & Light Meters • RS232 strings from remote systems, such as Building Management Systems • RS485 strings • Real Time Triggers/Astronomical Time (sunset) • MIDI • DALI The result can become quite confusing but a simple solution is to use an interface device to trigger a more sophisticated controller via either: • DMX • RS232 • MIDI • RS485 Here are some examples where a little Common-Sense can go a long way! IR Remote Control An example of an installation by Cadisch GIGB lighting that uses CommonSense to interface between Colour-Tramp and various external triggers. This allows Colour-Tramp to be locked away and protected but still allow the customer control over the installation. Application: Using an IR Remote Device to trigger a system from several remote locations. Real Time Triggers Solution: Application: An installation requires sophisticated real time programming for a simple controller to trigger a show at specific times and dates, for example, every Monday at 8pm. Artistic Licence Common-Sense can accept IR commands from the Common-Sense IR remote control. Multiple locations can be used by adding an IR Repeater Module in each location and connecting them to Common-Sense. Standard Switch Panel Application: Conventional light switch panels provide the perfect interface for the main control of a lighting installation. A click to turn on and a click to turn off…. Simple! Solution: Common-Sense has 16 Opto-Isolated inputs that can be connected directly to an ordinary light switch for ease of installation. Sound Meter Application: A system could be installed, as part of an exhibition, that would respond to loud noises. Solution: Common-Sense has an analogue input that senses the voltage output of a sound meter and can send triggers when the value exceeds a certain threshold. RS232 Application: DMX installations increasingly need to be controlled by Building Management Systems. A BMS cannot control them directly so must do so via triggers. Solution: Common-Sense can receive these triggers and, in turn, send out a DMX trigger string to a controller that has more functionality. www.ArtisticLicence.com Technical Focus 1 Solution: Common-Sense has a Real Time Clock feature by which triggers can be set for seconds, minutes, hours, days, date, month, year etc. Alternatively, attributes can be left as ‘Ignore’ for greater versatility. MIDI Application: A MIDI show sequencer is required to trigger lighting sequences which synchronise with music. Solution: Common-Sense can be used to convert MIDI signals into a protocol compatible with the DMX controller installed. And for something a little different… DALI Application: An existing DALI installation is being upgraded to include new RGB DMX fixtures. DALI cannot control the devices directly so a trigger must be used to start a sequence on a DMX controller. Solution: Rail-DALI-DMX can be used to simulate a DALI ballast that can convert a channel, group or scene to DMX values. This can be used to trigger a sequence within a product such as Two-Play. Artistic Licence is dedicated to providing customers with the best technical support possible and can help with all interfacing queries. Please email [email protected] for more information or check out the Support section on the Artistic Licence website. 15 Input Output 1 RS232 2 MIDI 3 RS485 4 te mo Re Mid i IR DMX Sound vi a analogue lat Iso 2 23 RS ed Real time These examples are output events from a Common-Sense. They can be associated with any input triggers; DALI 1 Using DMX to trigger an event within a DMX controller Rail-DALI-DMX COMMON SENSE SWITCH 1 - ON 2 Using RS232 strings to trigger macros and conditions within Colour Tramp 3 Trigger MIDI controllers RS232 ‘SW1 - ON’ 4 BMS system accepting RS485 values RS232 ‘SW - OFF’ . DMX SWITCH 1 - OFF RS232 ‘SW2 - ON’ 5 DMX used as a trigger Two-Play Rail-DALI-DMX SWITCH 2 - ON 5 DMX is transmitted from a Rail-DALI-DMX that is connected to a show controller that can accept DMX as input triggers, such as a Two-Play. The DMX is generated in relation to the DALI values. SWITCH 2 - OFF RS232 ‘SNOW GO’ IR REMOTE B1 DMX 1, 1, 129, 2 IR REMOTE B2 DMX 255, 64, 22 8pm EVERYDAY MIDI NOTE ANALOGUE An example of relationships between input triggers and output events within Common-Sense. Please see the back page for more information about RailDALI-DMX. www.ArtisticLicence.com An internal view of Common-Sense The Next Generation of DMX / DALI Conversion Has Arrived Artistic Licence Rail-DALI, the DMX to DALI & DALI to DMX converter, has been superseded by two new upgraded products: Rail-DMX-DALI and RailDALI-DMX. The original product was limited by its inability to simultaneously transmit channels, groups and scenes and by its true translation of dimming curves. Whilst this was adequate for most projects, the interfacing issues illustrated on pages 3 to 5 kept popping up in some projects, so Artistic Licence decided to provide a better solution that did more than just convert. Rail-DMX-DALI Rail-DMX-DALI converts DMX512 into DALI but with many additional features. Simultaneous Conversion Rail-DMX-DALI is capable of converting channels, groups and scenes at the same time. Each option has a separate DMX address from which it sends the appropriate command on the appropriate DALI output. Using RDM the options can be remotely disabled and start addresses can be changed. DISCOVER In its default mode of operation, Rail-DMX-DALI employs a one-to-one mapping between the DMX and DALI values, resulting in the native (exponential) dimming curve of the DALI fixture. However, Rail-DMX-DALI can also produce a linear dimming curve by setting DIP switch 5 to be ‘ON’. It should be noted that in this mode of operation, the DMX value corresponds to the percentage intensity level of the fixture. Therefore, any command value above 100 will simply result in 100% intensity. DALI CONTROLLER RESPONSE CHANNEL 1 @ 50% GROUP 4 @ 20% SCENE 1 Control For each of the control groups the user has the option of transmitting the commands to individual ballasts. The control groups available are: DMX DALI 1. Channel 2. Group 3. Scene Rail - DALI - DMX Dimming Curve DMX CH 1 @ 50% DMX CH 68 @ 70% DMX CH 81 @ 1 This diagram shows the typical data transfer mechanism within Rail-DALIDMX. The DALI controller polls a circuit and the Rail-DALI-DMX appears. This allows the DALI controller to transmit channels, groups or scenes that are converted into DMX. These DMX values can be used for triggers. Rail-DALI-DMX 30% DMX CH 1 CHANNEL 1 SINGLE BALLAST 30% 25% DMX CH 32 CHANNEL 32 SINGLE BALLAST 25% 100% DMX CH 65 GROUP 1 BROADCAST 100% 8% DMX CH 70 GROUP 6 BROADCAST 8% 5% DMX CH 82 GO TO SCENE 1 BROADCAST For example, an office block has just had an upgrade to include a decorative LED installation in the foyer which needs to be controlled by the existing DALI controller. Since DALI can sense daylight it can be used to turn the fixtures on only when it gets dark, which provides a useful, sustainable ‘green’ solution. BROADCAST However, a DALI controller is not able to control that many fixtures and it is too slow to run the required program of effects. 20% DMX CH 82 GO TO SCENE 2 A diagram to show the data conversion taking place in a Rail-DMX-DALI Rail-DMX-DSI Based on the product Rail-DMX-DALI, Rail-DMX-DSI converts DMX to four DSI outputs. Each DSI output uses one DMX channel as DSI is a broadcast protocol. Rail-DALI-DMX converts DALI to DMX. In an improvement on the previous version, the new Rail-DALI-DMX simulates DALI ballasts so it can be used with standard DALI controllers. The number of ballasts is set using three DIP switches. This makes Rail-DALI-DMX ideal for all installations as it can either convert multiple channels to control DMX fixtures directly or can be used to trigger a DMX controller, such as Two-Play, to control an entirely separate DMX system. In this instance, Rail-DALI-DMX is used to bridge the gap between DALI and DMX. It would simulate a single ballast and then convert the values for that channel into DMX. This is then fed into the DMX input of an Artistic Licence Two-Play controller that has been programmed with DMX triggers such as, ‘when channel 1 exceeds 50%, run sequence 1’. For full details of Artistic Licence Rail-DMX-DALI, Rail-DALI-DMX and RailDMX-DSI, visit the Artistic Licence website at www.ArtisticLicence.com www.ArtisticLicence.com Technical Focus 1 The Art Net and Artistic Licence logos are owned by Artistic Licence. Artistic Licence also assert Trademark rights over the names of its products. The rights and ownership of all other trademarks are recognised.