Thomas Leong
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Posts posted by Thomas Leong
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Please refer to http://forum.dataton.com/topic/1127-watchpax-autostarttxt-script/
The autostart.txt file already exists in Watchpax. Access is from the Production PC > select Watchpax Display 1 or 2 in Stage Window > Ctrl+Shift+A to remote access into Watchpax to edit the file (removing the ; in a line effectively enables the line).
OR va menu:
Stage > Manage Display Computer > Remote Access (note: Stage Display must be highlighted/selected for Remote Access availability)
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A More Efficient Search-and-Replace when re-linking files contained in the Media Window
There are times when we either forget, neglect, or do not require to Consolidate a show.
In such cases, when re-linking a show's contents contained in its Media & Timelines to the same contents which have been transferred to another folder/drive, presently this involves a mouse click, click, click and click process for each file. For repetitive stuff such as this, it would be more efficient to point the first file to a drive and/or folder or multiple drives and let the software search for exactly equal filenames and auto-relink for all files therefrom, with a report for any files not found after the process.
For example, I have files named 1.mpg, 2.mpg, 3.mpg...to 8.mpg and others I want to re-link after opening the .watch show in another PC or same PC after moving/re-organizing all files used in the show to another drive or folder. Time would be saved if I could merely point WO to the new drive/folder where the files are now stored, and it updates its file-paths accordingly, automatically. Presently, this has to be done file by file.
Thomas
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Hi Jonas,
As previously mentioned by message, I'm a nube at DMX so not sure if this will work for you or whether it is 100% relevant to your situation. Try using DMX Channel 1 as THE catalyst/partner for the other DMX channels, eg. 1&2 to control DMX 2, 1&3 to control DMX 3, etc.
I just managed to get my Sandbox Artnet unit working with a single strobe light using the above method. Not sure if it was due to the peculiar character of the strobe light, but DMX 1 alone, or DMX 2, or 3...would not work. Only by using DMX 1 as 'the partner/catalyst' would the strobe work.
Thomas
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Meaning, there is nothing wrong with my planned setup? Im thinking of making my machine a future proof one. I read in one of the thread that the excess ram aside from 4gb that watchout can utilize is that the capture cards and other components will benefit from that. Is this correct?
TomT is quite correct in that your setup is way overkill for a Display PC. Good for a Production PC if you also intend to use other applications like After Effects, 3D programs, etc and render from it. But for Watchout Display PC, it is over the top.
For a Display PC:
- a single high end cpu from the i7 range will do versus a dual-cpu Xeon. No extra benefits from the dual cpu Xeon. In fact, I heard a dual cpu setup is not supported by Windows 7 -10, and you need Windows Server instead.
- As TomT has pointed out, The Z170 series are good performers. I have the older versions (Z87 and Z97) and have no complains. The money saved allows a new upgrade system as Moore's Law progresses, i.e. there is really no real future proof system. All components will change, for the better.
- for RAM, a minimum of 8GB (dual channel means 4GB per RAM slot. Think 2GB RAM sticks do not exist especially for DDR4). If you have an Intel X99 with LGA2011-3 motherboard, a quad-channel RAM setup is optimum, so 4 sticks of DDR4 each at 4GB = 16GB RAM. Next step up is 32GB with 8GB RAM sticks. Future proofing for when the Display PC may be used for other applications, then 4x16GB sticks = 64GB (you must be rich!)
- I would not RAID the SSDs. Not a problem with Samsung 850 Pro but potential future problems can arise from using the motherboard RAID controllers. In fact, this is not true hardware-RAID but a pesudo-RAID, and those motherboard Intel RAID controllers are not 101% reliable. If RAID is an absolute must, use a 3rd-party RAID Controller card instead (takes up one PCIe slot) but they are not cheap. A far better, faster and more reliable performance, as TomT said, is the Samsung 960 Pro M.2. However, the dual-cpu motherboards do not have a slot for M.2 so you would need a PCIe 3.0x4 Adapter card for an M.2. Some of the high end ASUS motherboard packages come supplied with such an adapter card.
So strongly advise you to use a Samsung 850 Pro SSD for the Operating System, and a Samsung 960 Pro M.2 for Watchout's Watchpoint for the fast playback/capability and reliability. If you need more storage for old shows/projects, a 1TB Samsung 960 EVO SSD should do fine.
- As for graphics cards, the AMD Firepro WX series is out. But there is no WX8100 yet. Not sure if that is coming. Wait if you can. Else the W8100 is a good choice.
Thomas
Edit:
Forgot to add that when Capture is enabled, the power usage increases, so since you intend 2 Capture cards, ensure your psu is sufficient. Minimum 750w psu is recommended for the AMD Firepro W8100, so with the 2 capture requirements when in use, suggest you have a min 1200w psu which should allow you some overhead safety margin.
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Tom T. I'm pretty sure you are incorrect in saying "WO is a 32 bit solution so it can´t use more then 2 Gb Ram and one core.".
Should be 'cannot use more than 4GB', and Watchout does use multi-cores and hyperthreading when playing back, as many as one has. I have observed that with Windows' Resource Monitor running under the Display PC.
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FYI, there exists a reasonably detailed pdf document named
Configuring Watchout for use with a SandBox or Sand Port
found at: SAND Network Systems Documentation
that provides info on configuring Watchout for Sandnet Devices.
IMHO, this would seem to apply to any Watchout-Artnet DMX device as well, and handy for one's library.
Thomas
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An option for capture with a mini-ITX board is USB-SDI or USB-HDMI capture from Magewell. One report (from Mertens, forum member) is that the SDI version works well with Watchout without problems -
I have a Magewell low-profile XI102XE-HD (since discontinued) in my low-profile el cheapo case. Quality is excellent (clear and sharp) and it has had no problems with Watchout. Only thing is that it outputs a non-selectable RGB colour image when there is no input. There is no black option like Datapath except to set the MIDI-fader to zero.
Thomas
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Q: So w5100 card is good with Watchout 6 and will it give high performance for bigger show
I have not tried the W5100 but I do have the W4100 and have been using it for over a year troublefree (before the W4300 was announced). For sure the W5100 cannot match the W7100 in specs and capabilities plus the fact that it will not work with the AMD S400 sync card. However, for most shows, even up to 4K videos, it should be fine given the requirement that one needs to house it in a smaller chassis. Driver is the same as the W7100 so stability is not an issue.
Additionally, the PCIe 3.0 power capability is 75W from the slot itself and the max power consumption of the W5100 is <75W (vs the W7100 at <150W) so without being able to see the unit from other angles, I dare say that the W5100 is like my W4100 in that it does not need an external power source and is able to draw its power from the PCIe 3.0 slot itself...therefore would fit comfortably into most cases, height- and length-wise.
Q: And also this itx motherboard support Datapath visionrgb e2s , blackmagic mini recorder and graphic card as well.
No, an itx motherboard will not accept both graphics card AND a capture card. There is only ONE available PCIe 3.0 and this is usually taken up by the graphics card for Watchout use. The size of the itx board will not permit additional PCIe slots for other cards.
Having said that, a special proprietary itx-type board like that from Shuttle PC may have 2 slots but check to ensure the second slot is a PCIe and not the older PCI slot. (Space in the Shuttle PC case is always at a premium...so check also that the capture card intended will fit, and probably more important is that the psu will provide sufficient power to the capture card. In use, the capture card draws a lot more power than when no input is present). With a Shuttle PC, they also sell a carry bag for travelling...I know they do as I have owned 4 Shuttle PCs. However, be warned that from my experience, because the mobo is proprietary, you are tied to Shuttle PC for a replacement motherboard and probably power supply...and I (and others) have not found a way to replace the Shuttle motherboards that have died after a few years of use.
Thomas Leong
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Not easy questions to answer.
First the W7100 requires about 120mm height clearance (includes the motherboard), and 280mm depth (includes the power which plugs in from the rear). The height clearance required will fit into a 3U chassis. And a 19" rack-mounted chassis will probably need housing in an equipment flight-case...adding weight and protection.
A mini-ITX case, suitable for traveling, would be the Lian Li PC-TU100 which has a carry handle as part of the case. For a larger one, the Lian Li PC-TU300 can house ATX and mATX motherboards as well, should you need to add a capture card or other PCIe cards to your build later. You could also add the optional trolley wheels to make the TU300 more portable.
A mini-ITX motherboard will not allow PCIe additions later and you may have a hard time finding one to fit a W7100's depth requirement and yet be convenient for traveling...unless you are willing to use a W5100 or W4300 or W4100, the latter two being low-profile, lower powered cards that will allow you to use low profile cases and a small power supply like the SFX range from Corsair, Silverstone or Thermaltake (reviews tend to point towards the Corsair).
With low profile cases, cpu cooling and height clearance becomes important for the cpu used. Noctua offers a reasonably good range of choices.
Thomas Leong
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Hi guys is there any problem running the LED wall on 30hz? instead standard 60hz? what will be the difference? the reason we want to do it to achieve more resolution...
thank you..
Be prepared to try with PASSIVE DP-DVI adapters, instead of the active ones.
Only time I've used 3 units of Watchpax 2 outputting to a large LED wall with China-made LinSn Sending Cards that were set to 30Hz, the passive adapters were the only ones that worked well.
Thomas Leong
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Ha! Sounds like another item to add to my trouble-shooting list for 'connection lost'!
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First, some more info. I've got PC1, PC2 and PC3. If I use PC1 as control, then 2 works ok and i can't push content to 3. That's when I get the Network error.
If I use PC2 as control, everything is great. If I use PC3 as control, everything is great.
I swapped keys around, I swapped cables around. The problem sticks with PC1 as control and PC3 as the display.
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Just a question to clarify. Did you mean that at each try, the Production PC (Control) is connected to only 1 Display PC whether it is PC1 -> PC2, PC1 -> PC3, PC2 -> PC1, etc., rather than 2 Display PCs as in PC1 -> PC2 and PC3, PC2 -> PC1 and PC3, etc?
If the answer is yes, and PC1 -> PC3 is the only case where the error comes up, I would -
1. Try any other media to see if other media triggers the error too, or is it only a particular media that triggers the error.
2. Compare PC3's hardware performance against PC1 and/or PC2 - hdd, SSD, SATA-connection cables/ports, whatever.
3. If PC3 has more than one hdd/SSD, then try using the command "- ShowsPath drive:\Shows" (without the " ") to divert the media transfer to another drive to see if it is a drive problem.
4. I would use 'Codec Tweak Tool' (google for it but use only the standalone version; it also comes together with a codec pack which you do not want) to check if there are differences in codecs/preferences between PC1-PC3 or PC2-PC3.
5. If you also have Watchout v6 keys, try it.
happy hunting!
Thomas
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Try a cable change, with a known working cable (maybe from one of the other trouble-free Display PCs).
Also try another (known working) Watchout key. I understand a defective key can cause such a problem.
Edit 24-hrs later:
Found my notes gathered from these forums in the past re 'Connection Lost'. Here's the check-list:
Possible Problem Areas/Solutions:
1. Fibre Optic Extender/EDID Manager
2. In Services: "Automatic (Delayed)" services - set to Manual
3. Rebuild Show Cache
4. Check logs for hints, etc,
5. Look for background tasks that should have been disabled
6. Look for incorrect or default (Microsoft) drivers
7. Check for vnc installs/remnants
8. Preview "Video as Best Quality" ON in the Production computer? Try turn it to "Video as Thumbnails" instead.
9. Bad Watchout key
"I had a watchout key, or two, go bad. I was able to talk to one server but not the other. The key was intermittent in operation and kept acting like it was plugging/unplugging often.
Replacing the key fixed the issue and I have since exchanged all my keys for the new heavy duty keys. No more connection problems for this show!"
10: 3rd party codec packs installed clashing with Watchout's Main Concept codecs. Use Codec Tweak Tool:
> DirectShow (x86)' - ensure MPEG splitter (elecard) is Enabled and points to mc_demux_mp2_ds.ax which is the Mainconcept/Watchout-installed file;> 'Preferred decoders' - ensure 32-bit decoders for H264 and MPEG-2 are set to Mainconcept.
11. Windows Media Centre not disabled?
12. Other network adapters not disabled?
13. Windows Firewall not disabled?
14. Anti-virus software not disabled/uninstalled
15. Faulty CAT5 cable/port
16. Faulty Switch/switcher port0 -
Here's another suggestion provided you have a vacant PCIe 3.0x4 slot in your motherboard.
Dump the RAID, and get a PCIe 3.0x4 M.2 adapter card with say the Samsung 950 Pro M.2.
Far safer than the RAID, and faster Sequential Read speeds.
(Obviously, if the mobo has a M.2 slot that is rated at 32Gb/s (not 10Gb/s), the PCIe adapter is not needed).
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Lacey Erb,
Is your 8.1 Production PC a laptop or desktop?
If a laptop, are there any manufacturer's bloatware installed? Shot in the dark then : Uninstall one by one and try sending the string to the Barco between each uninstall. One of the bloatware may be the culprit.
Thomas Leong
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The command strings and syntax seem correct. I'd connect up the Win 7 Prodn PC again and try. If successful, then it would seem that Win 8.1 has a problem.
Before I made the upgrade from 8.1 to Win10, I did have some problems with my 8.1 via LAN despite all the security and sharing settings that I usually make to give all my connections full read/write permissions. Never found the bug/solution. With the upgrade to Win10, the same connections 'saw' and permitted read/write to and fro all the time. Never had Firewall enabled in all my connections.
Thomas Leong
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I have had no problems with Teaming nor Bridging.
However, the method should be used as a backup. It does not solve networking problems per se. In other words, even a backup could fail when the network adapter, cable or switcher fails. If you have been having network connection problems, it is best to troubleshoot and solve that problem to be absolutely safe.
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Sounds promising. Allows exploration into alternative auto camera-based alignment systems versus the one that presently works with Watchout.
Most of these others require an Eyefinity setup first before the camera calibration and alignment is deployed. My hope is that one of these others will work with Watchout thereafter without having to import the alignment data into Watchout because Watchout sees the Eyefinity display as one big canvas pre-aligned by the camera-based system. Theory, at the moment
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WATCHOUT does not use Eyefinity.
That does not mean that WATCHOUT will not work in conjunction with Eyefinity.
Pretty sure it always has.
Prior to virtual displays, the downside to Eyefinity was the loss of WATCHOUT functions
like blending, etc.
Then, if a Display PC is already setup with Eyefinity (for other software, eg. vlc), and user wants to install and use Watchout, is there a solid reason to disable Eyefinity when blending is not required (as in the case when the projectors have built-in blend facilities? I shall be doing my own tests later, but would like to know of opinions on this. Thanks.
Thomas
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I visited a venue today that had a centre LED installation. The source materials were from a Watchout 5.5.2 Display PC with W7100 that had been configured with Eyefinity into a 2x2 single display with a resolution of 3840x2160, and it seemed to work!
I forgot to check the Production PC's Stage centre Display specs for 'Width and Height same as Display Resolution'. There were also side LED panels and these were all set to a different Width and Height from the Display Resolution of 1920x1080, so at a guess, the centre would be disabled for this option as well.
So question is: How is it that WO5 can work with a Eyefinity configured display, when all this time, we have been informed that Watchout does not use/work with Eyefinity?
Thomas Leong
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Thermal throttling due to heat build-up could also be kicking in after a while, and thereby slow the cpu down.
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WATCHOUT 6.1.3 that addresses above issues is now available on Dataton.com
The release notes for 6.1.3 say only the clicking sound has been solved, not the occasional loss of stereo or phase change.
To Steff and Rogier,
For this second audio problem with wav files, try Preferences > Audio Out > and enable 'Use Audio Renderers Own Clock'. That should mitigate the problem.
From what has been explained to me by Support, the cause of the problem is that Watchout uses one audio renderer per channel in order to do mixing and mapping, and these renderers sometimes do not slave well to Watchout's clock resulting in the occasional phase changes. Also, using Microsoft's renderer does not allow Dataton much control. I think Dataton is working on a long term solution.
Meanwhile, just be aware that with the solution pointed out above, 'very long audio clips might get slightly out of sync'.
Edit:
Additionally, be also aware that with the 'Use Audio Renderers Own Clock' enabled, the .wav file sometimes will / sometimes will not follow the preview cursor's jump but continue to play the .wav as if there was no jump to, i.e. as if set to free running.
Thomas Leong
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I have a problem with 6.1.3 with wav files whenever a jump cue to the beginning of the Main Timeline is encountered, and the cursor jumps to Time 0 and plays from there. A pause after the jump to Time 0 does not solve it. Only a restart of WO 6.1.3 solves it, but when the jump cue is encountered again, the problem repeats itself.
The problem, more often than not, is that the wav file starts to play in a jerky/staccato/high speed manner, at other times in silence. There is the occasional time that it has no problem. Once the problem starts, scrubbing back to Time 0 or anywhere else along the timeline and play from there does not solve it. This is with a clean install (uninstalled 6.1.2, cleaned registry, reboot Win 10 64-bit updated to Version 1607 (KB3189866)). Went back to 6.1.2 and this does not happen at all.
Thomas Leong
Edit :
Tested on Win 7 Pro 64-bit today, and the problem does not occur at all with .wav files. Therefore sounds like a Win 10 problem (as Production PC; untested for audio via Display PC).
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New to me, but interesting.
Just wonder how the new Video-over-Ip + SDI I/O graphics cards from Bluefish444.com would fit into this?
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Capture Card erorr Blackmagic Decklink Duo 2
in WATCHOUT FORUM
Posted
Have you tried the steps in this post? -
http://forum.dataton.com/topic/2014-watchout-not-seeing-video-capture/?do=findComment&comment=8578
Also Ctrl+R to update the live media for every specification change you make.