Thomas Leong

A suggestion: Perhaps if WO can be coded such that with, for example, CTRL+arrow key = CTRL+D in real time. This way geometric grid adjustments can be seen live, yet not changing the traditional way that updates to Displays are done for other media and changes to the Timeline with CTRL+D. Thomas Leong

Need to clear some facts - 1. Did the camera feed Watchout Production PC or Display PC(s)? 2. If the camera was fed to WO Production PC, was it ALSO connected, using a video distributor amp, to the Display PC(s)? 3. What was the error message, if any, from Watchout when you tried to insert the Live Video Input itto the Timeline or Aux Timeline? WO Production does not output live video per se. Live Video Input is not a file which the Production PC can send to the Display PC(s). The Production PC accepts live video inputs, organizes it, and instructs the Display PCs where, when and how to display the live feed. Thereafter, it is up to the Display PCs to obtain their own live video inputs and display it according to the instructions from the Production PC. If the capture card in the Production PC can accept composite video inputs, there is no reason why WO Production PC cannot see it. It would help if you can provide info on your capture card(s) and the driver used (VfW - Video for Windows, or WDM - Windows Driver Model), and Operating System - Win XP, 7, ??) Thomas Leong

If you want to go the RS232 way, one of these might do it: WEMC MD Motion Detector, a programmable RS232 interface http://www.weiglworks.com/ftp/downloads/docs/WEIGL_WEMC-MD_en_V100.pdf It is not listed as a product on their website, but if you write in, think they will entertain a sale. Not that expensive: <Euro100...but not sure if they have a 110v - 24v adaptor. Mine came with 220v - 24v adaptor, but haven't had a chance to check it out yet. If it does what I hope it does, should be able to program it to output, eg. run 'Aux Timeline #' when motion is detected. Not sure of proximity limits since I have not tested yet. This should take care of Requirements 1 & 2 that jfk listed above, albeit not MIDI, but RS232. You then have to setup Watchmaker's pc to translate RS232 to TCP/IP and Watchmaker to listen to Port 3040. Alternatively, another contact in Europe manufactures a similar unit with hard-coded RS-232 commands (looks different, but does the same thing - motion detector that outputs RS232 commands hard-coded into the circuit board, non-user changeable). About the same price excluding shipping. Thomas Leong

Well done, TomT!! It does work! Launches WO Prodn and after the specified wait, runs the main timeline. My method was more convoluted and complicated, and it shows how bad at scripting I am. The combination of "", () and {} confuses this old man such that I had left all of them out until you showed me the Light!... So Mouniroo, you have your solution! Thomas

Forgot to add that I also used Microsoft Loopback Adaptor to establish a virtual network connection within the same pc, with a different address but same subnet as my wired connection in order to send to port 3040.

AutoIt might work. But I could not get past the ShellExecute ("Path_to_your_Show.watch"). Kept giving me an error on my path which was C:\Users\su2300\Documents\testvideo.watch It just won't go past c:. Tried forward slash, no slash, etc. Gave up. If AutoIt can simulate a keystroke (aka pressing the spacebar, or F1) then the Timeline will run. Not sure about an ASCII command though because WO listens to the TCP/IP port 3040 for those. My method sends the run command as an RS232 translated to TCP/IP (with HW VSP3 running as a Service) and I used 'RS232 Automatic Sender v102 to send it on boot up, delayed by 30 secs from boot-up by Startup Delayer. Less than 30 secs did not work, and I had no Displays attached. Thomas Leong

Unfortunately, the Production PC does not have a built-in feature to auto run a show on pc start up. It will load but it won't play without manual action. Apart from external hardware devices, I have found a way to do it via software only - and all freeware too. Involves a few pieces of small utility software working together - from networking to RS232-TCP/IP to sending RS232 command on boot up, and controlling/delaying the start up of programs in order for the various connections to be made. If you are interested, drop me a pm, and I'll type up the process and utility programs and procedure for you. It has been tested by me. Thomas Leong

Hi Jonas, Re W600, it would seem that Sedat in this post has had success with it - http://forum.dataton.com/topic/539-amd-firepro-w600-video-cards/?hl=w600 The price is attractive versus the w7000, and smaller too to fit into smaller cases. Thomas

Using an Aux timeline and restricting it to a specific Stage Tier should solve the problem.

..Not completely dead, just the laptop monitor itself, completely black. Working off a secondary display... Try: Windows Key + P and see if you have inadvertently switched it to 'Projector Only'.

My 2-cents on the matter - Because of proxies, scaling of Stage media resolution, and the fact that the Prodn PC does not output to fullscreen displays, a basic PC will do - on-board gfx, webcam to stand-in for live video, etc. Not sure about Win 8, as I'm on Win 7 64-bit, but Win 8 should not be a problem where compatibility with WO is concerned. The big boys, when they wake up, will know. Concentrate on what a laptop should do better than a desktop - portability and battery life. You may also want to pay attention to the LCD display size for eye strain, visibility, drain on battery, and overall build quality as a laptop gets more abused than a desktop. also, dunno about the 500-1TB har-disk. Personally, I'd opt for a 256GB SSD to ease the wait during boot-ups and shut-downs. good luck shopping! Thomas Leong

Hello Ray, FYI, the demo version of WO Production is fully functional with respect to accepting timecode/midi/tcpip info, so you can do your tests for response time, etc before the actual machine with licences arrive. Thoams Leong

Doesn't work for me. I get no download link for the app except that which asks me to upgrade to Win8 - and I don't want to!! Even went to Windows Store and searched for 'MIDI-Showcontroller" and result was "No results were found for: "midi-showcontroller". Looks like the site 'sees' that I'm using Win7 and locks me out of things for Win8 except for the upgrade option.

Thanks Geogen. If you do make one for Win 7, I herein confirm I'll buy. But then even for the Win 8 version, I went to the link you provided, saw the demo, but could not find a download or purchase link. Was accessing with Win 7 though....maybe that's why the MS site was not friendly with a purchase link. Thomas Leong

Geogen, I'm going to ask a stupid question: Why for Win 8, and not Win 7? Is it because Win 7 is not touch-screen compatible? Thomas Leong

[My reply last night must be lost!] Yes, I've had limited success sending MIDI IN to a Pearl 2000, not Tiger. You first have to set the Pearl as a MIDI Slave, per their manual. (If you want MIDI OUT of the Pearl, it has to be set as MIDI Master - I never tried that). "Limited success" in the sense that I only could trigger 15 of the pre-programmed faders/sequences. Could not get a Program Change to trigger anoter set of 15 sequences. Also, I found that only certain MIDI Notes worked, not others. I have a pdf file of the Notes that worked related to the Pearl faders. If you want the pdf, drop me a note. Thomas Leong

Hello David, I have successfully sent MIDI out to a Pearl 2000 (that would be MIDI IN to the Pearl 2000, i.e. setup Pearl as a MIDI Slave via its System > User Settings if I recall right). MIDI Notes were not sent from Watchout though, but from VenueMagic, a show control program which at the same time sent a run command to Watchout such that pre-programmed light sequences were triggered in sync with the Watchout segments. However, I have no doubt it would have also worked sending the Notes ON direct from Watchout. I was only able to get one set of 15 pre-programmed faders to work. Could not trigger a program change to occur from MIDI in order to get more sets of sequences. Another thing was that only MIDI Notes C (Octave 1) through to D (Octave 2) - 15 Notes in all - worked. Did not have time to check out other Octaves. I have a one page pdf file of the Pearl 2000 faders and the MIDI Note that would work with it. If you want it send me an email : thomas DOT leong1 AT gmail DOT com (no spaces). Thomas Leong

From reading of the manual further, the commands r and s to route inputs to outputs may not need a carriage return $0D appended to them. I dug op my notes on the Kramer VP88 Matrix Switcher, and that too did not need the $0D appended to the commands for it to work from Watchout.

Hello, I just browsed through the Gefen manual, and on Pg. 21, it says - "The 16x16 DVI Matrix supports IP-based control using Telnet, UDP, or the built-in Web-based GUI." Additionally, (if I am referring to the correct Gefen 16x16 Matrix manual you have), though the default Telnet port is 23, the default UDP port is 8. So, have you tried with the UDP output from Watchout? Thomas Leong

Hello, Mmm...I tried monitoring a feed out from Watchout both via TCP or UDP with the Hercules Setup Utility from HW Group, and it would seem that a with a simple command like - run$0D or halt$0D Watchout will send - run or halt The square brackets to denote a string are NOT required, nor anything else. So apologies, I don't have a solution for you at the moment. Thomas Leong

Mmm...something missing in your post - "...nothing happens, even with $0D and without in the string..." Could it be the [...] square brackets? Think these square brackets are required to tell the receiving unit that the enclosed letters are a text string, immediately followed by the $0D (no spacing) between the closing square bracket and the $0D, eg. [ON]$0D Refer: Manual - String Output Page 181-183 Thomas Leong

Hello Jim, Can you elaborate on your comment, please? I have always been doing my tests sending the commands to the production pc, whether in text strings or in hex codes, albeit via a tcp/ip connection rather than serial. Mmm...now that I mention it ("tcp/ip rather than serial") is that what you meant? Thanks, Thomas

My guess is that your show controller does not send out a carriage return or line feed automatically like putty does when you hit the Return key. Suggest you try 'run$0D' without the quote marks from the show controller.

I have a HD6950 - 2 x mDP, 2 x DVI, 1 x HDMI. My tests in this respect have shown that the mDP ports seem to take priority when used. The first mDP port (the one furthest from the DVI ports) is always assigned Monitor 1, second mDP port monitor 2, followed by the DVI-D port. The DVI-I port is always assigned to the last monitor/output. The HDMI port, in my case, shares with the DVI-D port (i.e. either, or but not both can be used). Am trying to link to a jpg image I made to explain the connections I am getting. Hope the image link works, below - https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6DkplQz1UNfYnRQNE9JNTVTazg/edit?usp=sharing Thomas Leong

Alternatively, try without spaces between each hex byte, as in - $54$41$4B$45$0D