Self-Running show triggered by a push-button

[eersoy]

Hi

 

We have a project to set up a permanent show on a museum to show a video realisation of a historical event on multiple diisplays.

 

Is it possible to start the show with a simple electrical push button?

 

Regards

 

Efe Ersoy

[NNinja]

More or less - yes. We have done a project with ARDUINO controller with MIDI output board that sent MIDI command to the Watchout Cluster. There are many other options available including via iPhone/ iPad or other similar device

[eersoy]

Far more complicated than I was planning. I really don't have the budget for controller stuff. Hmmm

 

Thanks for the tip

 

Efe Ersoy

[jfk]

Far more complicated than I was planning. I really don't have the budget for controller stuff. Hmmm

Thanks for the tip

 

Efe Ersoy

 

No need for any external controller, just a simple method of

taking your simple electrical push button and converting it to a MIDI note message to Windows.

Should be relatively inexpensive.

A simple interface box like a MIDI Solutions Footswitch Controller (sample price: Musician's Friend)

and a simple MIDI-USB interface like the MOTU FastLane USB (sample price: B & H Foto)

should be all you need to interface your simple electrical push button to the WATCHOUT Display computer.

Should be ≈ $220 USD for just one, less per switch when doing more than one.

[NNinja]

I agree, it's neither expensive, nor complicated. Both options (with MIDI Footswitch and MIDI-USV and the second one, with ARDUINO) are below 250USD.

Maybe you can check this site, http://www.videopete.com/midi/ - there are lots of different options

 

Good luck!

[ThomasL]

I echo what the others have said - MIDI is relatively simple. But the amount of boxes and cabling added may be too much for you or your install?

If you want a simpler one-button trigger which outputs the command 'run' into the RS-232 port of your (Master) Display PC in a cluster, contact me offline and I'll put you in touch with a friend in London who can quote you and put that together for you - PIC chip, button, et al.

 

ThomasL

[FabiF]

Hey guys,

 

I want to jump from one position to another in the main timeline by pressing a key on my MIDI keyboard.

I can trigger auxiliary timelines as it is explained in the training video "Timelines - Starting from External Events" on http://www.dataton.com/watchout/training-movie/timelines_starting_from_external_events . This works perfectly.

However I don´t want to trigger an auxiliary timeline but the main timeline itself.

I am aware that I can trigger control cues by preesing F1 - F12, but these are not enough keys for an event lasting 90 minutes. I´d like to trigger control cues with my midi keyboard, just as I can do this pressing F1 - F12.

Is this possible? I can´t find a solution in the user manual. And How?

I don´t get it ...

 

Thanks for your advice.

Greets from Fabi

[jfk]

Hey guys, I want to jump from one position to another in the main timeline by pressing a key on my MIDI keyboard. I can trigger auxiliary timelines as it is explained in the training video Timelines - Starting from External Events on http://www.dataton.com/watchout/training-movie/timelines_starting_from_external_events . This works perfectly. However I don´t want to trigger an auxiliary timeline but the main timeline itself. I am aware that I can trigger control cues by preesing F1 - F12, but these are not enough keys for an event lasting 90 minutes. I´d like to trigger control cues with my midi keyboard, just as I can do this pressing F1 - F12. Is this possible? I can´t find a solution in the user manual. And How? I don´t get it ... Thanks for your advice. Greets from Fabi

It is not the most elegant solution, but you can make auxiliary timlines with as little as just one cue, a control cue to positon and run the main timeline. Those can be triggered by the MIDI keyboard, you map the triggers anyway you wish using the control cue in each aux timeline.

[FabiF]

Great plan!

I just tried it and it works!

Thanks!

 

Here a short manual:

1. Open the Input-Window and create a MIDI Note input (It´s best to enable the Learn-Function). Name it e.g. "C0"

2. Open the Task-Window and create an Auxiliary Timeline.

3. Next to the link to the auxiliary timeline in the Task Window you can put the name of a trigger. Jut write in the name of the input you´ve just created ("C0").

4. Double-Click on the new Auxiliary Timeline in the Task-Window -> Specify the Timeline Settings of the Auxiliary Timeline. Give it a name (e.g. "C0_Pos1" )and shorten the duration of the Auxiliary Timeline to 1 second.

5. While the Auxiliary Timeline still is open, go on Timeline/Add Play Control Cue. Double-Click of the appearing item -> Select Main Timeline instead of Enclosing Timeline -> Select Jump To and write in the name of the control cue located in the Main Timeline you want to jump to (e.g. "Pos1"). Now the Auxiliary Timeline only consists of one control cue.

6. Quit the Auxiliary Timeline and create a Play Control Cue on the Main Timeline on the position the cursor should jump to, when the C0-Key is pressed on the keyboard. Give it the name you´ve just decided ("Pos1").

 

Now you can try it!