Interfaze Technologies
DigiSelect
Show Management System
1.4.X
Users Guide
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENTS AND UPGRADES
Interfaze Technologies reserves the right
to make changes and/or improvements to its products, without incurring any obligation
to incorporate such changes or improvements in previous versions.
TRADEMARKS AND PATENTS
Interfaze Technologies and DigiSelect are
trademarks of Interfaze Technologies. Software contained in this product is
copyrighted by Interfaze Technologies. Designs incorporated in this product are
the subject of current or pending U.S. and foreign patents.
No WARRANTY
DigiSelect
is a software package downloaded of the Internet and therefore is unable to
offer any warranty. The free 15day trial should be used to check for system
compatibility. After receiving Payment a Key code will be sent to you within 3
to 5 days for your continued use. No refunds will be given after the
Key code is sent.
DigiSelect STANDARD LICENSE
AGREEMENT ***
The core of your show: Playlist
Setup
Opening and saving playlist files
HotKeys and the remote control
Mobile Edge Wireless Remote Control
Appendix 1: Setting up your show
system
Powerpoint presentations/video
DMX lighting and effects: a very
basic primer
Setting up your system at the show
venue
DigiSelect STANDARD LICENSE AGREEMENT ***
This license applies to the
standard-licensed version of DigiSelect.
You should carefully read
the following terms and conditions before using this software. Unless you have a different license
agreement signed by InterFaze Technologies,
your use, distribution, or installation of this copy of DigiSelect
indicates your acceptance of this License.
If you do not agree to any
of the terms of this License, then do not install, distribute or use this copy
of DigiSelect. Since Interfaze offers a
free 15-day trial on this software, no refunds will be issued.
This copy of DigiSelect may
either be used by a single person who uses the software personally on one or
more computers, or installed on a single workstation used non-simultaneously by
multiple people, but not both. This is
not a concurrent use license.
You may access this copy
through a network, provided that you have obtained an individual DigiSelect
license for each workstation that will access DigiSelect through the
network. For instance, if 8 different
workstations will access DigiSelect on the network, each workstation must have
its own DigiSelect license, regardless of whether they use DigiSelect at
different times or concurrently.
THIS SOFTWARE, AND ALL
ACCOMPANYING FILES, DATA AND MATERIALS, ARE DISTRIBUTED “AS IS” AND WITH NO
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. The user must assume the entire risk of using the program. THIS DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY CONSTITUTES AN
ESSENTIAL PART OF THE AGREEMENT.
ANY LIABILITY OF INTERFAZE
WILL BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE. IN ADDITION, IN NO EVENT SHALL IT, OR ITS
PRINCIPALS, SHAREHOLDERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, CONTRACTORS,
SUBSIDIARIES, OR PARENT ORGANIZATIONS, BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RELATING TO THE USE OF
DIGISELECT, OR YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH INTERFAZE.
IN ADDITION, IN NO EVENT
DOES INTERFAZE AUTHORIZE YOU TO USE DIGISELECT IN APPLICATIONS OR SYSTEMS WHERE
DIGISELECT’S FAILURE TO PERFORM CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO RESULT IN A
SIGNIFICANT PHYSICAL INJURY, OR IN LOSS OF LIFE. ANY SUCH USE BY YOU IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK, AND YOU AGREE
TO HOLD INTERFAZE HARMLESS FROM ANY CLAIMS OR LOSSES RELATING TO SUCH
UNAUTHORIZED USE.
This Agreement is the
complete statement of the Agreement between the parties on the subject matter,
and merges and supersedes all other or prior understandings, purchase orders,
agreements and arrangements. The laws
of the State of Texas shall govern this Agreement. Exclusive jurisdiction and venue for all matters relating to this
Agreement shall be held in courts located in the State of Texas, and you
consent to such jurisdiction and venue.
All rights of any kind in
DigiSelect which are not expressly granted in this License are entirely and
exclusively reserved to and by INTERFAZE. You may not rent, lease, modify,
translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble or create derivative works
based on DigiSelect. You may not make access to DigiSelect available to others
in connection with a service bureau, application service provider, or similar
business, or use DigiSelect in a business to provide file compression,
decompression, or conversion services
to others. There are no third party
beneficiaries of any promises, obligations or representations made by INTERFAZE
herein.
Introduction
Congratulations on the
purchase of DigiSelect. You have purchased one of the most advanced and yet
simple-to-use show management systems available. DigiSelect allows you to
program and then control music, sound effects, video, Microsoft® PowerPoint®
shows and DMX lighting and effects machine cues from either a computer keyboard
or, optionally, a wireless remote control. You need no additional knowledge
(e.g. music engineering or complex DMX programming) and could be up and running
within an hour.
What is DigiSelect?
DigiSelect is centered on a
playlist concept. Essentially, you select “tracks” of music to build up a
playlist for your show. To each “track” you can assign a DMX lighting or
effects cue, a PowerPoint show, a video or you can simply play the music.
Once the playlist is set up,
it can be saved and recalled for playback at any time. Your show runs exactly
as you programmed it every time with totally predictable results. If you are
performing, speaking or presenting on your own, you can control this playback
discreetly yourself with a wireless remote control.
In the current version of
DigiSelect (Version 1.4.x) you can:
·
Record up to 30 tracks
in your playlist per “show” which can include PowerPoint presentations and
video clips
·
Control up to 24
channels of DMX lighting or DMX-enabled special effects machines
·
Record up to 20 DMX
“scenes”
·
See where your show is
up to in real time when you switch on the “Display” option
·
Program for lighting
and sound cues to be linked or independent of each other.
DigiSelect runs on your own
PC and enables you to assign audio playlists to 30 “Hot Buttons” and play them
back on command. DigiSelect can play sound effects, music, and announcements in
MP3, MID and WAV formats and can be configured to either play playlists
immediately on select or queue playlists for play when needed.
DigiSelect enables you to
create as many playlists as desired for instant playback using the easy setup
screen. And, if all the source files are contained on your computer’s hard
drive there’s no need to move sound files around, just map a link to them from
within DigiSelect.
Terminology
Before we go any further,
you will need to familiarize yourself with some terminology as used in
DigiSelect and this manual.
“Show” refers to a single presentation which can
have up to 30 sound or PowerPoint presentation cues, and up to 20 DMX
lighting/effects “scenes”. If you need more than these limits, you can just
create a second “show” which can be loaded into DigiSelect once the first show
is finished and replayed within a matter of a few seconds.
“Playlist”/”Show file” is the file that is saved after you’ve
finished programming a show. This is the file that you can later load into
DigiSelect to recall all of your sound, lighting and effect settings, literally
at the push of a button!
“Hot Button” refers to each sound or PowerPoint cue
(which may or may not be also linked to a lighting or effects cue).
“DMX Scene” refers to a specific configuration of up
to 24 DMX channels, (controlling DMX-enabled lighting and effects) which may be
saved into a scene. If you have a ‘live’ panel operator during playback, you
may also directly control each channel within a particular scene.
“Effect(s)” refers to DMX-enabled effects devices
such as smoke machines, bubble machines and DMX-enabled pyrotechnics. If a
device is activated with DMX, DigiSelect can control it!
PowerPoint shows (which may also contain video material)
which, as long as The PowerPoint application is installed on your PC and the
presentation is accessible to your computer (usually on your hard drive) can be
played back by defining the file name as a track name in the DigiSelect main
window.
“Tracks” usually refers to sound clips (which can
be in MP3, WAV or MID formats) but can also mean a PowerPoint presentation file
name. Each track in a show is assigned to a Hot Button for playback.
“Anytime Recall Tracks” refers to two specially defined tracks
(of the 30 tracks overall) that you can designate to play any time, regardless
of where you’re up to in the sequence of Hot Buttons and regardless of where
the Anytime Tracks are in the list. These tracks are useful for running gags
(like cheering or canned applause) because they can be programmed once and used
many times (even spontaneously) throughout your show, thereby eliminating the
need to program a separate Hot Button each time you want them to occur.
“Panel operator” is a stage assistant or technician who
will operate DigiSelect from a backstage or discreet location during a show. If
you don’t have a panel operator, you can control the show playback yourself
using a wireless remote control.
“DMX Controller” refers specifically to the Entec DMX Open
USB Controller, unless otherwise specified.
“Remote Control” refers to the Mobile Edge Wireless Remote
Control for PCs, unless otherwise specified. Other PC remotes may work with
DigiSelect, but we cannot guarantee other manufacturer’s compatibility.
“Hot Keys” refers to Keyboard key combinations that
can be used to initiate/enable certain events.
DigiSelect installation
Note that DigiSelect is a software
package only and requires a user-provided windows PC (see below for minimum
requirements). Controlling DigiSelect remotely and incorporating DMX lighting
and effects control both require additional hardware. You can purchase a
software/hardware bundle (see www.interfazeit.com for details) or you may just buy the software by
itself if you don’t require RC or DMX functions.
This manual will only give general
instructions for the setup of the external hardware—for specific operating
instructions for the remote control and the DMX interface, see their respective
manufacturers’ documentation that accompanies each unit.
Minimum computer requirements
DigiSelect has the following system
requirements:
*
Pentium 1.5 Ghz
Processor or equivalent
*
256 Mb of free Memory
*
10Mb of free hard drive
space (Not including space for audio files)
*
Compatible PC Sound
Card
*
2 free USB ports (1 for
wireless Remote and 1 for the DMX Interface)
*
Windows 2000, XP,
Vista, Window 7
We suggest that you load,
run and test the 15-day free trial before purchasing DigiSelect to ensure that
the software will run acceptably on your hardware and operating system. Then,
if satisfied you can buy the software (also online), remove the trial software
and replace it with your licensed version. We will cover this process in detail
below.
Please read the
DigiSelect Standard License agreement before installing.
Downloading files
DigiSelect is distributed
via a download package on the internet (www.interfazeit.com). That package
contains an executable zip file (DigiSelect.exe).
1.
Double-click on the
.exe file and select a location for the unzipped files. The files will then be
uncompressed and copied to the location you specified.
2.
Double click the
setup.exe file within your specified folder and follow the prompts to install
DigiSelect.
Note that while installing onto some older systems DigiSelect might have to
upgrade some DLLs that will request you to reboot once the install is complete.
On newer systems the installation may ask if you would like to overwrite newer
system files with older versions from the DigiSelect program. If this happens,
do not accept, instead opting to keep the newer versions of these system files.
3.
The final install is
only 700Kb.
4.
If you already have an
older version or trial version of DigiSelect and wish to upgrade to a newer
version of DigiSelect, first make a backup copy of the Playlist.dat file,
because during the install process the default Playlist.dat file will be
overwritten.
5.
Run Microsoft
Add/remove programs utility and select DigiSelect for removal.
6.
After DigiSelect has
been removed follow the procedure above to install the new version.
7.
The first time you run
DigiSelect you will be asked to enter the registration key provided to you by
Interfaze Technologies at the time of purchase.
a. If you are installing the trial version (i.e. haven’t
paid and received a registration key) enter “15daytrial” into the box asking
for the key. You now have 15 days to try the full features of the program,
after which you will need to purchase the program is you wish to keep using it
b. If you have already purchased Digiselect and have
received your Registration Key, enter it as soon as you’re asked
Please keep your
Registration Key in a safe place in case you need to re-install the program.
Interfaze Technologies will not be responsible for replacing or re-issuing lost
Registration Keys.
Using DigiSelect
There are two main processes
involved in using DigiSelect:
·
Programming or setup of
the show, which is typically done long before the actual show is to be
performed. This involves planning what music, lights and effects will be used
and assigning tracks and effects for each, as required. You then save the show
file and it is ready for the next stage. Setup is quick and intuitive, so you
are able to set up a show file for use later the same day!
·
Playback of the show,
which happens during rehearsals and during the actual performance of the show
itself. It is important to rehearse the show with either the remote control or
with your panel operator, so cues can be seamlessly integrated with your
presentation.
Before
we get into actual operating procedures for each of these processes, we’ll take
a tour around the three main screens you will encounter in DigiSelect. In
setting up a new show, you will need to use the screens in the following order:
·
If using and
controlling lights, you may decide to program these first, as each lighting
fixture or function needs to be assigned to one of the 24 channels and then
combinations of values for each channel must be set and recorded into scenes
which will in turn be associated with tracks for playback. You don’t have to
set your lights first (your playlist can be edited later to incorporate the DMX
scenes) but it is an option.
·
If you’re not using
lights or have decided to program the DMX scenes later, the first thing you’ll
want to do is set up your new playlist or show file, so you’ll first work in
the Playlist Setup Screen.
·
You only really need to
access the main screen when you’re playing back your show, either to check your
programming, for rehearsals or during the show itself.
Although
the above order is how you’ll probably use
DigiSelect, the first screen you’ll see
when the program is opened is the Main Screen, so we’ll look at that first.
Main Screen
The
first window you will encounter in DigiSelect upon opening the program is the
Main Screen. This screen is the central screen used during the Playback phase
of operation. Most of the information on it is filled in by DigiSelect as a
result of programming you have already done.
The
main elements on this screen are the 30 Hot Buttons (or tracks) that are at the
core of how DigiSelect works. At the lower right, there is also a Control Panel
(DigiPlayer) with a volume slider and the usual play, fast forward, rewind,
pause and stop controls. On the lower left is a FIND function (that allows you
to locate a sound clip on the fly that is not programmed in the DigiSelect playlist), a “Selected Clip” field for clips that are
selected to play next and a “Now Playing” field which is automatically filled
with the file name of the clip currently being played back.
Each
Hot Button has a “Clip Description” and “DMX Scene” value associated with it.
These values will automatically reflect what has been programmed in to the
Playlist.
If
you click one of the Hot Buttons, (the top two are pre-filled with example
tracks the first time you open), then on the Play button, you will hear the
clip played. If you have DMX lighting connected, the DMX scene will be executed
also. Clicking on the next clip, then play again will play the next one. This
is basically how you control the playback of a show.
In
the menu tab section at the top of this screen are the main menu functions
which will be explained in more detail as we go through processes, but which
briefly mean:
·
Menu
o Refresh will refresh the main screen. Hitting F1 on
your keyboard will achieve the same thing.
o Display Mode à Changes to the ‘DigiDisplay’ mode showing the queued
scene in Red and playing scene in Green. When in this mode you will need to use
the HotKeys, mouse or remote control to change and play scenes. You can resize
this window to give you the best view.
Uncheck the ‘Display Mode’ menu item to change back to the ‘DigiSelect’ mode.
Display mode is used during playback of a show. It replaces Digiselect’s main
screen with a large-print screen, which tells you what track is currently
playing and what track will follow. This is so you can keep track of where you
are at in the show, even from a few meters away. (If you’re using a panel
operator, he or she will be able to see where you’re at from the Main
Screen—this function is more for the solo performer.)
o
AutoLight à AutoLight,
when checked, means that as each track starts, DigiSelect will look for the DMX
cue associated with that track and the lighting will be adjusted accordingly.
Checking ‘AutoLight’ will enable DigiSelect to call up stage
lighting and effects scene changes, when selecting a ‘HotButton’, using
the DigiDMX user-stored Scenes (lighting & effect settings), along with
your audio clip selection. If this item is unchecked this feature is disabled
and all lighting changes will have to be done manually in the ’DigiDMX’
window.
NOTE:
When checking ‘AutoLight’ you will
get a warning that “There may be a
delay between scene changes".
DigiSelect will be disabled and the DigiSelect Title Bar will display
“Please wait for scene changes” till all scene changes are completed. If not
using the ‘Fast’ option, allow 4 seconds for Lighting and effects scene changes
before selecting and playing another ‘HotButton’
o AutoPlay à The ‘AutoPlay’ feature, if checked, will play
each scene immediately after selecting a ‘HotButton’’ without having to
use the Player play button. When using the HotKeys or remote, in ‘Autoplay’
mode, the left and Right arrow keys can be used to play the previous or next
scene. Without the Autoplay option checked the Player play button, ‘Play’
Hotkey or Remote ‘Play’ button will need to be used to initiate the scene.
o AutoShow à AutoShow, when checked, means that the whole show
will automatically play straight through from Hot Button 1 to 30 with no need
to click each Hot Button or “Play”. This should be used only for completely
automated shows and presentations.
This feature automatically selects the next ‘HotButton’ after the
current clip stops playing. If checked along with ‘Autoplay’ and ‘AutoLight’
the show will run all the way through on Autopilot, playing clips and changing
lighting and effect scenes (If you only have a DMX change assigned to a ‘HotButton’
AutoShow will stop until the next ‘HotButton’ is selected). This feature will require practice to get
the timing right. The remote, Hotkeys and Player buttons can still be used to
stop and start scene changes. (See HotKeys
& Remote Control).
NOTE:
When using a remote, with ‘Autoplay’ and ‘AutoLight’ both checked, the show
should be executed in sequence. Using the ‘next and ‘previous’ buttons to skip
scenes could cause undesired effects. So practice first!
o Fade On Stop/Pauseà The ‘Fade
on Stop/Pause’ option will fade out the audio clips when
using the ‘DigiPlayer’ ‘Stop’ or
‘Pause’ buttons, (See ‘HotKeys’ for other options)
If a track is stopped (using Stop or PAUSE) before it is finished, the sound
will fade rather than just stop dead. This is useful if your track is longer
than you need and you may need to cut it off before the whole track is
finished—the fade has a more professional feel than just stopping dead in the
middle of a bar.
o Remote Fn Next/Prv offers two alternatives for how a set of buttons on the remote control
work:
§
Anytime Recall 1 and 2 means that when you
press ‘Next’ or ‘Previous’ on the remote controller, it will select a track
that has been designated in the programming phase as “Anytime Recall” tracks
(see Terminology above).
§
Volume up/down uses
these remote buttons to affect the playback volume
o Exit closes DigiSelect.
·
Playlist
o Select New opens a dialogue box which shows you a
list of playlists (or show files) from which you can select to be loaded into
DigiSelect. If the Playlist you need is not shown, you can navigate to the
appropriate directory and select it from there.
o Setup allows you to program a new playlist (or show file)
change an existing one. We will cover this operation in detail later in this
manual.
o Print Playlist will print a copy of all Hot Buttons
in a show which are not empty. This is handy if you wish to create a cue sheet
for your panel operator which assigns gestures or words to any or all of the
Hot Buttons.
·
DigiDMX opens the
DigiDMX Programming Panel, which is where you program your lighting cues. These
will be covered in detail later in this manual.
·
Help
o About will bring up a screen showing the Version of
DigiSelect being used and your Registration Key (if entered) as well as other
information about the program. Click Exit on this box to close.
o User Manual will open your browser and locate this
manual online, to give you the manual covering the latest version of the
software.
The DigiDMX Screen
This
is the screen where you set up your DMX lighting and effects scenes.
NOTE:
If
at the top of the screen, there is a message “Failed to open DMX USB Device”:
This will appear if your computer is receiving no DMX signal through a USB port
or, in other words, if you’re lights and their USB controller are not
connected. Once everything is connected properly, this should read “Connected”.
You
can still program your lights without having them connected, but it relies on
you having a very good knowledge of each of your lighting fixtures, so the
values you set for each actually does reflect what the light is meant to do.
A
much better way of setting your DMX scenes (though more work initially) is to
set up your lights exactly as they’ll be in the show and then you can see the
effects of the slider values in real time, showing you the actual lit scene so
you can fine-tune it in the programming stage.
The
main part of the screen shows you 13 slider controls (12 are for DMX channels
1-12, or 13-24, depending on which “screen” of channels you are currently
using, and the right-most slider is the Master fader) which can be operated by
left-clicking and holding down your mouse button while moving each slider up or
down. As you do so, a percentage value is rendered next to the affected
channel.
If
you control a slider to be on and the light or machine doesn’t come on, check
your Master Fader. Many people new to DigiSelect will initially forget to set
the Maser Fader and if it’s on Zero, it doesn’t matter what the other faders
are set at—no light or effect will come on!
Under
each of the first 12 sliders is a white box, which allows you to left-click and
type a short description of the fixture or function attached to that channel
and to double right click to select a color for the box. This is not essential,
but does help you later when you have to set up your lights and effects at the
show venue and you can see the order in which to attach each light. We will
deal more with labeling your channels later in this manual.
Under
the slider section is a scene list. Once you have adjusted all the sliders for
each fixture or function, you can right-click on a scene number here and choose
either “Edit Scene Description” to give the scene a meaningful name (See Tips
and Tricks at the end of this manual for ideas), or “Save the Scene” to save
all your slider information to that Scene Number.
The
box to the left of each Scene Number (headed “Fast” if ticked, will ensure that
this lighting cue is made instantaneously, rather than “faded” in.
Below
the Scene List is a Chaser function, which asks you to specify the top channel
and a speed for a chase sequence. Having specified these two variables, you can
then Click “Start Chase” and all the fixtures and functions from Channel 1 up
to the number you specified, will be switched on and off, in sequence, at the
speed you specified.
NOTE:
You
cannot assign a Chase Sequence from here to a Hot Button. Chases can only be
controlled from the computer screen, not the remote control. If you want to
program a Chase, you can do so in the DigiDJ window (see below).
There
are three main options on the Menu Bar of this screen:
·
Menu
o Continuous Send, when ticked, will not just send the DMX command to effect the DMX
scene once to the controller, but will continuously send the signal for as long
as the scene runs. If you are using the recommended DMX Controller (ENTEC DMX
Open USB Controller) you won’t need this, but some other DMX controllers (and
some fixtures) require the signal to be sent continuously for as long as the
scene is to be maintained.
o DigiDJ opens
the DigiDJ window. DigiDJ can be used to control your lighting change to the
beat of the music. You can select your lighting pattern from a sequential channel chaser
(Chase), random channel chaser (Random) and sequential scene recall (Recall).
o DigiSpot (Beta) can be used to directly control DMX spotlights from the
computer screen in real time. This requires a panel operator and cannot be
achieved by the solo performer using a remote. More on this function later in
this manual.
o Exit will
exit DigiDMX and return you to the main screen of DigiSelect.
·
Blackout, when clicked, will immediately and automatically
“black out” (reduce slider to 0) all channels and the Master Fader.
·
Channels
13-24/Channels 1-12, when clicked
will toggle between Channels 1-12 and Channels 13-24. This is simply to avoid
having a massively wide screen so that you are forced to view all 25 sliders at
once.
The Setup Screen
This screen is the heart of
programming DigiSelect. Once you have nominated and located all your sound
clips and (if necessary) programmed all your DMX scenes, this is where you pull
it al together to make your playlist or show file.
The current playlist is
shown in the main part of the window with all its clips in the sequence in
which they’ll play. Below this, you can click to ‘Add’ a Clip, ‘Delete’ a Clip,
‘Refresh’ the list or ‘Exit’ this screen. If you click on a clip (it will be
selected) and then click on one of the arrows to the right of this list, the
selected clip will move up or down the list respectively, allowing you to
change the order of playback.
Below that, you can specify
your “Anytime Recall” clips which are recurring, repeating sound elements that
you can intersperse again and again anytime in your show without interrupting
the playlist order. You can specify a clip for anytime playback by selecting a
clip in the Playlist window and right clicking on it. Select the “Anytime
Recall” slot to fill.
To the right, is where you
can select an exiting playlist to load, create a new playlist, save the
playlist with another name (useful for backups) or Edit Playlist, which
presents you with a text file of the playlist which you can edit directly by
typing values and without pointing and clicking the mouse.
NOTE:
Be careful with this
option—if you type a wrong value or character here, you can destroy the whole
playlist!!
When you select “Add a clip”
the right-hand side of this screen changes to allow you to specify a new clip
and its location, enter a description for it and assign a DMX Scene to it. Once
you click on “OK” here, you can enter another new clip and once finished, you
click on “Close” and the Setup screen returns to normal, only now your new clip(s)
have been added to the list on the left, in the order in which they were
entered.
Setup
DigiSelect itself is a very
user-friendly program that requires very little set-up and/or configuration.
However, as it controls music, lights and PowerPoint shows, you will need some
understanding of how to set up those components before you can use DigiSelect
properly.
As we’ve already stated, we
cannot give specific instructions for other manufacturers’ products—for those
you will have to consult the instructions that come with your computer, DMX
fixture, remote control or DMX controller. However, we will give you a basic
setup sequence to follow to get you up and running so you can fully experience
the power and simplicity of DigiSelect as soon as possible.
For brief and very general
instructions on how to deal with all the exigencies that DigiSelect controls,
see Appendix 1 of this manual. We advise you to at least skim the appendix if
you’ve never used a show cue system before.
Having set up your file management
plan, your sound reinforcement and your DMX devices, you’re now ready to tackle
the software itself! As we’ve already suggested earlier in this manual, the
best way to set up a show is to first assemble all your raw materials (i,.e.
music clips, sound effects, PowerPoint presentations and lighting cues) in one
folder on your computer.
With this in mind, we’ll
first look at DigiDMX and how to set up your lighting cues. If your show
doesn’t involve any lighting cues, you can safely skip this section altogether
and go to Playlist Setup below.
Running DigiDMX
DigiDMX is a 24-Channel DMX
lighting and effects controller that works with a USB to Serial DMX converter
(ENTTEC Open DMX USB). DigiDMX enables
you to control up to 24 DMX lighting & effects channels as well as create
and store twenty preset “scenes” that can be recalled when using DigiSelect Hot
Buttons. When used with the remote control feature, sound lighting and special
effects can be controlled at your fingertips.
From the DigiSelect menu bar
select DigiDMX. Upon opening, DigiDMX will find and connect to the ENTTEC Open
DMX USB. The title bar will display the current state of your connection and
should say, “Connected” if the connection is good. If you have any problems
connecting to the DMX controller reset the USB and restart the application. If
this fails then check settings on the DMX device (you may have to try changing
the settings), then reset the USB and restart the application.
DigiDMX Window
The 24 channel sliders can
be used to control 24 different channels of DMX enabled lighting or effects.
The last slider, the Master, controls the intensity of all 24 channels
at the same time (if a channel is set to ‘0’ the master control will have no
effect). Under each channel is a text box for entering a short description for
that channel (i.e. F-Red = Front Red or Smk=Smoke Machine). By double right clicking on the description
text box a menu will pop up where you can change the color of the text box to
match your lighting.
At the bottom of the screen
is a light chaser. The ‘Channel’ selection box enables you
to select how many channels to include in the chase (starting from channel 1)
and the ‘Speed’ selection box enables you to control how fast the chaser
moves from channel to channel.
NOTE:
The Chaser function is not available from the
DigiSelect Hot Buttons and therefore cannot be controlled remotely.
Labeling your fixtures
The first thing you need to do is label your fixtures
on the DigiDMX desk. This is so you’ll remember which slider controls which
light or effect. You’ll need to repeat this procedure for each channel
(potentially 1-24) that you have connected.
1.
Left click the white
box under the channel you wish to label.
2.
Enter a short
description for the light on that channel e.g. a red-gelled par can at stage
left might be labeled LParR)
3.
If you wish to assign a
color to the box, double-right-click on the box again and select a color from
the popup menu
Repeat the above procedure for all channels you have fixtures connected to. This is important, not only for you to know which fixtures you’re dealing with while planning your lights, but, as you set up for a performance, it will also help you set the lights up in the right sequence.
Now you’re ready to start recording scenes.
Scene Memory and Recall
The List box in the center
can be used to store and recall selected lighting and effects “scenes”.
To store a Scene into memory
1.
Arrange all 25 sliders
(or however many you have connected to devices) to the preferred settings until
you’re happy with the lighting scene.
2.
Now right-click your
chosen Scene number and select ‘Save Scene’ from
the pop up menu.
3.
If making changes to a
scene that has already been saved, double click on the scene to bring up its
current stored settings, makes changes then save again.
4.
To change the scene
description, right click on the desired scene and select ‘Edit Description’
from the pop up menu. Enter a description in the text box and press ‘OK’.
Handy Hint: If you think you might use a panel operator in your show,
it’s a good idea to give the scene description a name that will help with the
queuing of the scene. (E.g. if you want this lighting change to happen on a
certain line you say such as “Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire”, then
make this line your scene description!
5.
The checkbox in front
of the Scene number can be used to select between immediate, “Fast”’
(box is checked) or fade in/out (box is not checked) scene changes. This
setting can be stored in memory or just selected at show time.
6.
Repeat this procedure
for every different lighting scene in your show, remembering to toggle between
scenes 1-12 and 13-24 if necessary.
NOTE:
You can define up to 20
scenes, but you do NOT have to define blackouts in your lighting plan.
Blackouts are represented in DigiSelect as DMX Scene “0” and this value can be
set directly from within your clips file.
You may want to make a list
of your lighting cues and their descriptions so that when you’re defining your
playlists, you can see what number is assigned to which cue. You could just
flip up the DigiDMX screen to check, but that can get irritating, because you
have to close the playlist box first, so if you don’t want to do that, make a
written list of lighting cue numbers and what they are for.
After setting and recording
all your scenes, you’ll notice that now all you have to do to0 recall a Scene
is just double-click the desired scene in the list box and all your lights will
change according to your defined presets!
Once you’re happy with all
your DigiDMX scenes, select EXIT from the File menu to return you to the main
screen.
Playlist Setup
The core of your show
In the same way you have
just set up all your lighting scenes, you can now set up your playlist, which
will incorporate those scenes to allow DigiSelect to run your show
automatically.
Before you get started, it
is a good idea to define where you’ll save your new playlist, create a folder
for it and copy all music clips, PowerPoint presentations and video to that
folder.
For the sake of convenience
during backup and emergencies, we suggest you create a master folder called
“DigiSelect Shows” and then a separate folder for each show. Into that show’s
sub-folder, you would then copy all the files you need for it. You can
configure DigiSelect to save your show’s playlist to the same folder and then
you’ll have all the resources needed for that show in one folder.
There’s no need to do this
or course: DigiSelect will find the files wherever they are on your computer.
But there are two good reasons for doing this:
1.
If you need to play
your DigiSelect show on another computer (perhaps yours isn’t working or has a
virus) you can copy this one folder and know that you have everything the show
needs. If you leave sound files and PowerPoint presentations where they are,
you’ll have t6o either duplicate their current folders on the new computer or
re-queue your entire show.
2.
For backup of all your
DigiSelect files, all you have to do is back up the Master Folder (i.e
“DigiSelect Shows” ) and you’ll have everything you need.
We strongly recommend you do
this, but of course, it’s up to you!
When using Microsoft Vista or Windows 7, the first time you run DigiSelect, select
the ‘Create New Playlist’ button and select a location and a name for
your new Playlist. Be sure you save your playlist in a user directory and not a
system directory or you may be unable to edit
Opening and saving playlist files
From the ‘DigiSelect
Setup’ window you can create a new playlist (‘Create New Playlist’),
select a different playlist (‘Select Playlist’) or save the current
playlist under a different name (‘Save Playlist as...’). When you select a new playlist it becomes
the default file opened by DigiSelect on startup.
The ‘Edit Playlist’
option allows an expert view for tweaking the playlist. Use extreme caution
when using this option. An exact format must be followed or the show will not
work.
Warning: When
using Vista or Window7 be sure you save your playlist in a user Directory and
not a system directory or you may be unable to edit properly due to security
settings.
Create a new playlist
1.
To create a new
playlist or make changes to an exiting one, click on the ‘Playlist’
option from the menu bar and select ‘Setup’ (‘Playlist’ à ‘Setup’).
This will bring up the ‘DigiSelect Setup’ Window.
2.
From the ‘DigiSelect
Setup’ window you can view the current playlist and playlist file settings.
(We have pre-loaded a short test playlist.)
3.
Select the button
labeled “Create new playlist” on the right-hand side of the window.
4.
You will be prompted to
give the Playlist a name and specify where you want it saved. It’s a good idea
to save all your playlists in the same folder, but with a sub-folder for each
show.
When you confirm the filename and location, you’ll be returned to the Setup
screen, but now the previous playlist has been cleared out and the filename you
just gave this one should be displayed in the top-left corner of the window.
5.
Now you’re ready to
start adding clips. Select “Add Clip” from the lower –left-hand side of the window.
6.
You’ll notice the
right-hand side of window changes to accept the new clip’s details.
7.
Either type in the path
and filename of the clip into the box under “Clip Location” or use the “Find”
button to browse for it.
NOTE: If the purpose of this clip is just to change the lighting in the middle
of a piece of music and you don’t want to interrupt the music, enter a hyphen
(“-“) in this box. When DigiSelect encounters this, it will change the lighting
to the Scene matching the number you enter in the “DigiDMX#” box, but will NOT
change the sound.
8.
Now click inside the
“Clip Description” box and enter a descriptive line for the clip.
As for the lighting cues, if you will ever use a panel operator and you need
this clip to follow something your do or say onstage, put that instruction as
the Clip Description. This way, when the panel operator hears that line or sees
you gesture, he or she will know to activate this clip.
9.
Now you can enter the
Lighting or effects cue you’d like to associate with this clip. If you want the
lighting to stay the same as the previous scene, leave this box blank. If you
need a blackout, enter a zero (“0”). Otherwise, enter the DMX Scene number that
you’d like to replay while this clip is running.
10.
Now click “OK” and that
clip will be transferred to the form on the left.
11.
Repeat this procedure
for every clip in your show. Clip entry should be made in the final order in
which you want the clips to play. If you need to move a clip up or down in the
list (i.e. change the play order) highlight the clip and use the up or down
arrows on the right-hand side of the clip, list to move the entry.
12.
The Anytime Recall
feature allows you to recall 2 preset scenes (Audio and/or lighting) at any
time during the show. This is normally referred to as a ‘call back’ and is good
for applause or laugh tracks that can be called up at anytime. To configure
your favorite scene for Anytime Recall, select and right click on a clip in the
Playlist and select ‘Anytime Recall 1’ or
‘Anytime Recall 2’ from the menu. During a show you can us the F7 hotkey
([Fn] [Next] buttons on the remote) to select Recall 1 or F8 hotkey ([Fn]
[Next] buttons on the remote) to select Recall 2. This will stop any current
audio from playing. You can resume show by pressing Play to restart current
scene or use arrows to select next scene.
If you want to specify “Anytime” Clips (which
are clips you can play any time in your show without having to specify each
instance in the playlist) enter them first as a new clip and place it where
they will first occur.
Once you have them in the clip list, right-click on the clip and select either
“Anytime 1” or “Anytime 2” from the flyout menu. You will tghen see the clip’s
path, filename and DigiDMX# appear in the appropriate box below.
13.
Running PowerPoint presentations
DigiSelect will run Microsoft
PowerPoint slide shows (PPT and PPTX files) as well as any movies and/or sounds
embedded in the presentation. A PowerPoint presentation can be added to a
playlist the same as a clip along with a description and a DMX Scene. When
playing a PowerPoint all hotkeys and Remote functions will control the
PowerPoint (not DigiSelect) until the PowerPoint is completed (or escape is
selected) and then control will transfer back to DigiSelect. (You will need to use the split screen
capability of Microsoft Windows—see Appendix 1 for more details on this.
NOTE:
When playing a PowerPoint the Autoplay,
AutoShow and remote functionality will be disabled until focus and control is
returned to the DigiSelect Window
14.
That’s it! You have now
programmed your whole show and are ready to play it back! Your whole show is
now recorded after all changes have been made, select the ‘Exit’ button.
15.
The DigiSelect main
window will automatically refresh to the new playlist and you’ll see the Hot
Buttons are now populated with your show!
NOTE: All changes are made
directly to the currently selected playlist file.
Deleting a Clip
To delete a clip from the
playlist, select the clip in the ‘Playlist ‘ box by clicking on it once
with your mouse and then click on the ‘Delete Clip’ button at the bottom
of the setup window.
Showtime: running DigiSelect
Overview
Having set up your DMX
Scenes and your playlist, the DigiSelect main window now provides an easy user
interface to play your entire show, just the way you specified on demand.
- Each clip has been assigned a ‘Hot Button’
that can be selected for play, either directly, by clicking on a Hot
Button and then on ‘Play’, or via the remote control.
- The text boxes next to each ‘HotButton’
contain the clip descriptions and the DMX Scene to recall.
- The ‘DigiPlayer’ in the lower right hand
corner is used to control the audio clip’s volume, start, stop, forward,
rewind and pause.
- The ‘Selected Clip’ textbox contains the
clip selected to play next and the ‘Now playing’ textbox contains
the clip that is loaded in the player for play.
- If ‘Autoplay’ is selected in the drop
down menu these two boxes will have the same clip information and clips
will start playing immediately after selected (i.e. you won’t need to
press the Play button each time you select a clip).
- The ‘Find’ button between the two text
boxes can be used to load a clip not in the current playlist.
- To start playing the clip the ’Play’ button
in the Player window, keyboard shortcuts, ‘HotKeys’ or remote control can
be used.
Now all you have to do is
set up your system and DigiSelect at the venue and you’re on your way! For
advice on system setup see Appendix 1 to this manual.
HotKeys and the remote control
DigiSelect enables you to use
keyboard shortcuts called ‘HotKeys’ and/or a mouse or presentation remote to
control your sound and lighting.
Note: Not all remotes
are guaranteed to work. To use a remote control follow the normal remote
installation procedures. See the www.interfazeit.com
web site for tested remotes
F1 à The F1 key will bring up the user guide
F5 à The F3 key can be used to refresh the screen
F7 à Anytime Recall 1
F8
à Anytime Recall 2
Left Arrow à Takes you back to the previous clip (up).
Right Arrow à Proceeds to the next clip (down).
Page Down key (Previous
button on MobileEdge remote)à Plays the clip in the ‘Selected Clip’ queue.
Page Up key (Next button
on MobileEdge remote)à
Stops a clip from playing.
‘W’
key (Fn & Next on the MobileEdge remote) à Calls Anytime Recall 1 or
turns up the Volume (See ‘Remote’ menu item)
‘B’
Key (Fn & Prev on the MobileEdge remote) à Calls Anytime Recall 2
or turns down the volume (See ‘Remote’
dropdown menu item)
‘Esc’
Key (Fn & Right Arrow key on
the MobileEdge remote)à Pauses play. Select again
to continue play.
Hidden keys:
F11
à The F11 key will select ‘AutoShow’, ‘Autoplay’, ‘AutoLight’
and ‘Auto Fade on Stop’ together.
Caution: This is not advised if you are using a remote and
not going through your show in order. If skipping ‘HotButtons’ the lighting may
flash and clips may skip for each scene.
F12
à the F12 key will allow you to edit the description
fields in the DigiSelect main window. This feature can be used to add
show-specific cues or notes. Hit F12 again to stop editing.
Caution: All changes will be deleted when shutting down or refreshing
the screen. Caution: Take out of edit
mode before going live; it may affect remote control capabilities.
O à Laser
Pointer
O à Play
+ ‘Fn’ à Volume Up
-or- Light Memory 1
Previous ‘HotButton’ß O O
à Next ‘HotButton’
+’Fn” à Pause Play
O à Stop Play
+ ‘Fn’ à Volume
Down -or- Blackout
O à Function (Fn) Button
Mobile Edge Wireless Remote
Control
Note: For the remote to
work the DigiSelect main window must have the focus at all times!!!! (No other application or screen can be on
top of the DigiSelect Window)
Tips and tricks
·
Use the ‘Refresh’ button to reset the form if you have any issues
with the remote or ‘HotKeys’
·
Use the ‘Print Playlist’ feature along with the DigiDisplay to keep
track of where you are in the show
·
For the remote to work the DigiSelect main screen must maintain focus at
all times
·
To change the DMX scene without changing the music: in Setup, enter a
“-“ for file location, a description of the event, and a DMX scene number .
·
To change music and not the lighting: in Setup, enter file location and
description and leave the lighting preset blank
·
When using ‘Autoplay’ and ‘AutoShow’
together a pause can be configured into the show using a ‘*’ and the number of
seconds to pause (a number between 0 and 99) after the clip description. The show
will pause that number of seconds before resuming play (i.e. “Intro music*20”
will pause 20 seconds before playing the scene).
·
Carefully think through all transitions especially when using the remote
control
·
Have Fun and report any issues to support@interfazeit.com
Troubleshooting
If you have any problems
connecting to the DMX controller reset the USB and restarting the application.
If this fails then check settings on the DMX device (you may have to try
changing the settings), then reset the USB and restart the application. You may
also try updating the drivers.
For answers
to other problems or questions see the Interfaze-IT website at www.InterFazeIT.com
or send your questions to Help@InterFazeIT.com
Appendix 1: Setting up your show system
File management
One of the first things you
need to do is to decide how you will set up your playlist or show files. If your
desktop or laptop computer will be mostly dedicated to DigiSelect programming
and show playbacks, all you may have to do is set up a folder on your hard
drive for DigiSelect Playlists and then a folder within that for each separate
show file. Within each folder, you can copy your chosen sound files, PowerPoint
shows, videos and any other material that is part of that show.
If, however, your computer
is going to be used for other things, you may want to put your DigiSelect files
on a flash drive or USB hard drive (in which case you will need a third free
USB port on the computer).
In either case, you will
need to ensure you have a reliable backup which is portable—you don’t want to
get to a show and find the only copy of your show files is corrupt!
However you decide to set up
your files, an orderly system (such as a separate folder for each show, all
contained in a master folder called DigiSelect Shows) will really help you out
when you’re late for a show and have to locate the files quickly!
Sound concerns
Unless you’re playing to a
very small audience, you’re going to need some form of sound reinforcement (amp
and speakers, or powered speakers) to connect the sound output connection on
your computer. The choice is up to you (and dependent on venue concerns) but
for both rehearsal and shows you will need to connect your computer to a sound
system of some description. This is usually accomplished via a cable with a
3.5” stereo mini-jack at the computer end of the cable and whatever your sound
system needs (typically two RCA-style plugs) at the other.
If you don’t carry your own
sound system, but rely on whatever you find at the venue your show is at,
you’ll also need a variety of converter plugs to ensure you can connect (at a
minimum, you’ll require stereo RCA-plugs to 3.5” stereo mini-jack, 3.5” stereo
mini-jack to 2 x mono mini-jacks and RCA-plugs to 2 x Canon connectors).
If not using your own sound
system, also consider the length of cable you may need to run from where your
computer is (it needs to be no more than about 10 meters from your performing
area for the remote control to work reliably) to where the venue’s sound system
connects. If the cable run is too long, it can degrade the sound, or decrease
the volume.
PowerPoint presentations/video
If you intend to show
PowerPoint presentations as part of your show, you will also need to hook up
your computer to an external monitor or data projector. This is done easily on
laptops, most of which have an external monitor connection and a key (usually
the F5 key) will toggle between the laptop monitors only, both laptop and
external and external monitor only. On a desktop machine, you may need to buy
another video card.
Unless you are using a panel
operator (who can handle this manually in real time while the show is playing
back) and because DigiSelect needs to be the active window at all times, you
will need to assign PowerPoint to play ONLY in your external monitor or
projector, while the computer’s native monitor retains DigiSelect as the active
window. To do this, see instructions in Windows Help (search for “second
monitor” in the Help window).
DMX lighting and effects: a very basic primer
NOTE:
The ONLY DMX controller that
has been extensively tested with DigiSelect and is KNOWN to work is the Entec
DMX Open USB Controller. You may be able to use other controllers, but this
will be at your own risk. We recommend and sell the Entec product (and it must
be this actual model—Entec also have a DMX Pro USB Controller that does NOT
work with DigiSelect). If you have problems or unexpected issues with DigiDMX
and you are not using the controller mentioned above, your controller may be
incompatible with DigiSelect. Although DMX was designed to be a single,
universal standard, it has already diverged in the same way that the MIDI
“standard” has over the years.
The basic setup of lighting
and effects control is as the diagram below shows:
Diagram: Light fixtures and
effects connected to a dimmer box, dimmer boxes connected to each other, DMX
lights and a smoke machine, all finally connected to USB interface and into the
computer.
DMX control of lighting and
effects means at its core the ability to digitally control the behavior of
individual light fittings and effects machines through DMX channels. Think of a
DMX setup like a daisy chain—each light fixture and effect machine is connected
to the next one. The DMX controller will assign a DMX channel to each one (or
each function of each one) in the same sequence in which they are connected.
Some fittings (like standard
par cans, floodlights and normal lights such as domestic table lamps and
effects machines such as rudimentary smoke machines) use only one channel—they
can either be on, dimmed, or off and this is controlled by one DMX channel and
therefore one DMX fader on DigiDMX.
These simple lighting
devices must also have a DMX-enabled dimmer box connected between them and the
controller to allow them to fade, otherwise there is not usually a connection
for them to be inserted into the “DMX daisy-chain”. Many DMX-enabled dimmers
have more than one channel in tem: in that case, the dimmer box is put into
“slave” mode and the controller connected to the computer assigns each dimmer
box channel with the next DMX channel in sequence.
Other light fittings (such
as moving head lights, or color-changers—lights that can change their color
automatically) can require seven or more DMX channels (one channel controls the
master fader, three channels control the amount of red, green and blue
respectively, another three channels control the X, Y and Z movement of the
moving head etc.)
This can get pretty
confusing, especially as it is the sequence in which these lights are connected
that dictates the starting channel number of any fixture. So, while a light
fitting may assign “Channel 1” to Red, “Channel 2” to green etc. the actual
starting number of that sequence will depend on where that light is in the
“daisy chain”. The diagram below may help you to understand:
Fixture Par Can 1 Par Can 2 Par Can 3 Par Can 4
DMX Channel 1 2 3 4
(assigned by the controller)
Fixture Par Can 1 Par Can 2 7-Channel
Color Changer Par Can 3 Par Can 4
DMX Channel 1 2 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 10 11
(assigned by the controller)
So when planning your light
and effects fixtures, having access to 24 DMX Channels through DigiDMX does not
necessarily mean you will be able to connect 24 devices unless they are all
simple on-dim-off fixtures.
When setting up DMX
lighting, you first need to decide on a lighting plan. This involves planning
what you’ll need lit, where it will be in the show’s performance area and what
color the light will be and then matching the fixtures needed to a range of DMX
channels between 1 and 24.
This process is way beyond
the scope of these instructions, so we’ll assume you have looked at that (and
had professional help from a lighting designer if necessary).
Once you have all your
fixtures it is important to have all your lights, effects machine and
light-dimmer combos connected to each other (most DMX devices and DMX-enabled
dimmers have a “DMX IN” and a DMX Out” port to receive and output the DMX
signal which the controller sends out). If a signal doesn’t affect the channel
a particular light is assigned to, that light ignores the signal and passes it
to the next light in sequence.
If you are finding this
difficult to get your head around, there are several quite good DMX tutorials
on Youtube and similar web sites. Check them out, experiment with your lights
and get some professional advice (most theatrical lighting stores will be happy
to explain rudimentary DMX if you’re buying your light fittings from them) and
there are courses in DMX lighting run at some schools for DJs etc.
Once you understand what
you’re doing with DMX, you connect all your lights together (the first fitting
in the chain connects to the Entec DMX Open Controller through the “DMX Out”
port and in some cases the last light fitting in the chain may need a to be
“terminated” for the whole thing to work properly—other fittings are
“self-terminating”).
Then you boot your computer
(without plugging in the lighting controller). Let the computer fully boot,
then connect the Entec DMX Open USB Controller to a spare USB port on your
computer. (Prior to this, you will have installed the driver for the controller
that comes with the unit).
Once the computer has
recognized the new device, then start DigiSelect, go to the DigiDMX option on
the main screen and check that the top of the Window says “Connected”. If it
does, DigiDMX is ready to control all of your lighting.
If the top of the DigiDMX
screen says “Failed to open DMX USB Device”, it either means you have not
installed the driver, a problem with a broken connector, a broken cable or that
the controller is malfunctioning. See Troubleshooting in the Controller’s
instructions for help here.