I’ve just installed version 1.4 & the line tool in the DMX editor isn’t working. It doesn’t create ramps, just a series of marker points in a straight line at about value 50. I’ve also noticed that if the snap is on, all I get is a series of lines that are quantized to that value, so I’m still unable to create smooth ramps, just steps. When I mentioned the line tool many months ago, I was talking about the same automation tools as in Cubase, the line tool is not affected by quantization values. In Cubase, the line tool draws a smooth line from A to B which snaps to the quantize grid. In VST LIve, the quantize grid creates steps, which defeat the whole purpose of the line tool - a smooth ramp. Yes, if I turn off the snap function I can draw a line, but I then can’t snap to the quantize grid, making it impossible to set the start & end points of the ramp in time with the song tempo.
Also, the line tool is not restricted to the DMX channel I’m working on, I can draw a line across several channels at once, creating a complete mess! I was hoping when you added these tools to the DMX editor that it would be the same as the automation tools in Cubase. So, I’m back to square one, still not being able to program my light shows.
Also, we still need the ability to colour & name the DMX channels. There are too many for us to memorize which VST Live DMX channel corresponds to which fixture DMX channel. I have 390 DMX channels to program. Your current interface setup is too hard to use until we can colour & name our fixture channels to make it easier to see what we’re doing.
the Line Tool of Cubase has two options …
[a] free - do not use any quantise settings (Snap Off)
[b] use the Grid-Quantise in combination with the Length-Quantize
And [b] can be quite complex. Like, Grid-Quantize=1/32 and Length-Quantize=1/4 Triplet. Anyway. We have decided that VST Live does not have a Length-Quantize option. Therefore, the Line Tool of VST Live will use the
[a] Free with Snap Off
[b] Use Grid-Quantize
What’s wrong to use the line tool across channels?
I think we’re completely misunderstanding each other here, so I’ll try to explain as best as I can. Please see the example I’ve created in Cubase of a 4 lamp RGB par can DMX fixture. Although I’m unable to name the automation tracks (DMX channels), I can colour them, so I can clearly see the 4 red lamps, the 4 green lamps & the 4 blue lamps. That way I know which channel I’m making changes to. Are you with me so far?
Ok, now as for the ‘line tool’ in VST Live… can you see the fades I’ve created at the beginning with the red lamps in the Cubase example? THIS is what we need. If this was a DMX command, over the first 2 bars the red lights would fade in from black to full beam. With the Cubase line tool, it still snaps to the quantize grid. BUT! It’s a smooth line from point A to point B. It’s not in a series of steps like in VST Live. We need VST Live’s line tool to behave in the same way as Cubase’s line tool.
The other challenge with this is that we also need to set a particular numerical value for the end point of the fade, for example 64 or 37. It won’t always be to 100% or 0%. With a moving head fixture, we need to tell the motor to move to a certain point, either vertical or horizontal. So, we need to see a numerical value as we move the line tool, to know when we’ve reached the desired motor position. It’s a very precise procedure & unfortunately your DMX editor falls way short of what we need at the moment. It’s just not sufficient for us to be able to program any light shows.
You ask what’s wrong to use the line tool across multiple channels? If you look at the Cubase example, each channel is a different command for that fixture! If I’m working on the DMX channel for a red lamp, I don’t want the other lamps to light up at the same time! I thought that would be obvious? But now I’ve shown you the Cubase example, hopefully you can see what I mean by a ‘line tool’. It’s different from what you’ve created in VST Live.
As for added quantize values, absolutely. I agree, we should have 1/32 & 1/64 values added. This will give us the ability to program strobe effects too. Would it also be possible to add zoom in on selected DMX channel please? It would help us to be more precise with our programming if the channel was larger.
Hopefully I’ve given you a better understanding of what we need now. Thank you.
… I see. The DMC clip events do need a ramp option.
… good idea!
… but then you would select the red channel and use the line tool in the lower “area” of the DMX Editor? You want to use the line tool directly in the upper “area” of the editor and add events only to one channel?
I understand you. But we need to be careful not to compare a DMX track and it’s editing with the editing of an automation parameter for an Instrument track in Cubase. But we can transfer the best editing workflow to VST Live, sure.
At the moment the line tool in DMX Editor (upper area) works like the Line-Tool for a MIDI-Editor : Create DMX/MIDI events from start-point to end-point. You expect that VST Live creates events only for one channel? How should it know which channel you prefer? That’s what the lower area is for? Select the channel (upper) and start editing (lower). No?
… it’s on the list, yes.
… hm. See above. The lower channel editing zone is not enough?
I do apologise! Yes, I should have been working in the lower area for that example. That’s why the line tool was overlapping channels. My bad. I wasn’t thinking.
