WatchOut Input

[Peter]

Hi everyone, I am just evaluating WatchOut 6, and I am trying to use WatchOut 6 to create a more interactive show / event that is tie into a game. To do that, there is a requirement for us to sent some triggering signal from the game (an external sources) and then once WO6 receive the signal, then WO6 will then trigger different certain layer of animations or effects, etc.

 

The source of these signal could be from another computer in the same network, or it could be a physical button, etc.

 

So this is where I get confuse by looking at the WatchOut 6 manual. From what I read, WatchOut can take MIDI input (audio), and DMX input (lighting), but how does generic WatchOut Input work in WO6? Can it accept signal / trigger from another computer on the same network? If so, how does this get implemented, or how does the communication being handle? I couldn't find any reference or examples on how this is done. Like, what kind of protocol does the signal being transfer? Is it via TCP/IP? Or is there a specific API that allow the communication, etc? Is there anywhere that I can find an examples or reference?

 

If anyone can give some reference materials or some help on this area, that will be great.

 

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

Regards, 

 

Peter

[Vollmers]

Hi Peter

 

Yes it can. At the moment we're running a show, which is partly triggered by our graphics system. What it does is it uses a TCP send function. In this case it sends a command to both start an aux timeline, and another command to control the values of certain input values. You can send these commands directly to the node, using the IP an port 3039, or to the production machine on port 3040, if it's online. Try to use good old Telnet to test your network and syntaxes. I have an example here, where I control several values in one syntax:

"setInputs 300 "VALUE1" 0 "VALUE2" 0.85  "VALUE3" 0.82$0D"

The first value is the duration, in this case 300 ms. Next it is value of the first parameter, in this case 0, next case 0,85 etc. Remember to end the syntax with "$0D" or it wont work.

If its just on value, then the syntax is a little different:

"setInput "VALUE1" 1  300$0D". The first value is the value were changing to, and the last value is the duration.

 

I hoe this will get you started

 

 

Best regards Christian