Random short blackout between solo buttons [fixed]

[Pink LD]

When I go from one Live Button to another I am having a problem. Its an inconsistent problem I have been having from way back in V5. But its now so frequent and bad I must address it.

I am running Windows XP 32 bit
Home Edition SP3
Intel Pentium 4 @ 2.8GHz
3.00 GB Ram @ 2.79 GHz

With an ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro AGP graphics card.

So here is my problem:
When I go from one Live Button to another Live Button frequently all fixtures "blip" or BO between one look to the other. Its as though as one button unlatches and the other engages there is a moment when the DMX signal is all lighting is disabled.
As I said, its inconsistent and does not matter if I use the Play Button to switch, if its a Macro to a Macro, Macro to a scene or scene to a Macro.
And its not an issue of whether I have fixtures enabled/disabled or at 0. I know how that works.
Simply said? I could turn on a NC Par at full, make a Macro of it. Then make a second Macro of another identical scene or the same scene with the same Par still at full and when I switch between the Macro buttons or scene buttons the light will frequently, but not always, dip to a BO/dipped or disabled state.

[Niffo]

Do you have tried with the actual Beta Version ?
IIRC, it is a solved problem in v6.27 :
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=699

[Pink LD]

Hey Niffo!
I came across that fix while doing some other Forum research on another topic. The problem is I don't wish to incorporate a beta version a week before we shoot the dress rehearsal and a week and a half before a new show. I don't wanna be bug hunting when I have a début 80 minute show with 6 HD-camera shoot.

Has anybody tried it? Is it stable?

I suppose I could do what I did last year and on the show decide to use V5, instead of V6 for that show.

And Support, if 6.27 beta is the fix for my problem? Then I will consider this matter closed, but I probably wont try the latest Beta version until May 1st.

PS: Niffo? I just noticed you are an administrator. So I guess you are Support! LOL

[Niffo]

I am not "Support" but just a developer, the one who fixed this "bug"

[Pink LD]

No matter, niffo. You are cool with me!
So I tried it and its still doing it. I made a test page with two macros using the exact same buttons from palettes I made up for the various lighting systems I have.
All scenes that follow have a 1 sec scene fade and the state: curve. Each scene has no other buttons active, all are disabled but each fixture in each scene.

Scene 1: I have red @ 100% of an 3ch Par LED RGB and it is pasted on a Live board of other such conventionals
Scene 2: I have Red @ 100% for my down stage conventionals of pars and it is pasted on a Live Board of other such DS Conventionals.
Scene 3: I have CYC lighting @ 100 Red for a wide beamed conventional Par Can and it is pasted to a Live Board of other such Cyc Conventionals

So with two updated Macro buttons of exactly the same 3 scenes I just mentioned and I click between them:
- Solo Play
- Use the Play/Pause button in Solo Play
- Use the Play/Pause button in non-Solo Play clicking the "on" button "off" with the Pause symbol and clicking on the second Macro to be "On" with the Pause symbol

And sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Its not consistent when it will do it or which one, two or all three systems it affects.

The best way I can describe it is this:
Between instant engagement of one button to the next there is a blip in which some or all lighting sliders go to a non-activated state. It's like I latched off a button before I latched on another.
Years ago I built a DMX switcher because two of my fixtures at the end of my daisy chain I wanted in separate universes given the particular song. But when I would latched one switch and it would unlatch the other I would get a few milliseconds of erroneous bad DMX data/the absence of a DMX signal that would make my fixtures glitch. It was a lo-tech solution for a lo-end club rig with a minor flaw I lived with.
But with a touring operation and ticket paying customers I really can't tolerate this as weird glitch that I can ignore when it pops up. When I want a 00.10 snap off between looks I'd rather program it in.

Thanks for your help, tell me what you think Niffo.

[Niffo]

The fixed problem was for "random/chase" playing. May be there is another one using Macro ? We are going to try to reproduce ...

[Pink LD]

Niffo, once you reproduce the conditions try clicking between it a dozen or so times and see if you can see what I mean.
It replicates the glitch in 3D and on the actual fixtures when it does it. So that part of it is consistent. So I am sure it's not a fixture issue, the fixtures are just doing what they are told.
Thanks again!

[support]

We are able to reproduce this problem.
We will work on it.

[Pink LD]

Thank you!

[Niffo]

Fixed for next release.