[Thomas Leong]

Here is some good info re timecode readers –
https://www.pangolin.com/products/pricelist-smpte.htm

including additional links at the bottom of the page.

[Thomas Leong]

Hi Paul,

I would not recommend slaving Wings to external SMPTE timecode as this mode disables the audio tracks and audio playback would not be possible from the Wings PC, apart from requiring extra equipment (an SC Master Lite) and going through a configuration process (it is all in the Help files of Wings, including the demo version).

In any case, I’ve just checked with my Wings Platinum 3, and you would need to add the Show Control Module licence to your Wings Master in order to have MIDI and SMPTE OUT/IN. Without this module the options for MIDI and SMPTE are either greyed out, or not shown.

The simple procedure seems to be to add the Show Control Module giving you the ability to output SMPTE from the timeline via one of your audio channels, and have the lighting console slave to this. As to what extra equipment you need to have the lighting console read timecode, I’m not sure. Suggest you ask the manufacturer/dealer of the console.

The simpliest and cheapest way we do it here in my country for one-off shows (i.e. not permanent installs), is to…ahem…use human signals…and rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse! The lighting console operator will eventually get it, plus or minus a second or two.

Thomas

[Thomas Leong]

Andy,
I’ll be out of the country for 2 weeks in March, returning on March 24, and departing again on 30th for 8 more days – working at my other rice bowl (pro golf officiating).

If you are here in the period in between, we’ll have a beer or two!

Thomas
tleong at streamyx dot com
017-873 0313 (when called locally, else add +6 prefix)

[Thomas Leong]

Andy,

Made a couple of calls today and this is what I have –

1. Yes, a licence is required to shoot out in the streets. It costs about RM300 (<50 British pounds) from City Hall if shooting in Kuala Lumpur, not at any particular premises. Most don't bother applying/paying because by the time the authority concerned comes to know about it and mobilise its 'enforcement personnel', the shoot is completed, packed up and gone anyway.

2. At premises, you would need permission from the building owner/management. For example, if you are shooting within the compounds of the Petronas Twin Towers (the garden and fountain area for example), then the guards will likely come up and ask if you have permission from the management. Perhaps to anticipate this, your client's KL office can apply before you arrive. Else, I have personally shot there with a small DV camera and was never questioned.

3. The police would not be involved in this stuff. It's City Hall or the suburb management, or the premises management or their security personnel. All unarmed 🙂

4. It would help during your outdoor shoot to have a local around (probably from your client's KL office) - not a meek person, but one who can talk his/her way out in the local (Malay) language.

Happy shooting!
Thomas

[Thomas Leong]

Andy,

So will we be able to enter Malaysia with a standard list of equipment and then go the client’s offices without any official procedures?

I would say yes. Customs is only concerned that you do not sell/leave the equipment behind. So generally, a company letter stating to the Director of Customs, Malaysia declaring that the equipment you are bringing in will be taken out when you leave, should be fine. Just walk through the green lane. If stopped, produce your letter of declaration. Hope you are not bringing cases of equipment!!

The only worry is your entry permit, which if I’m not wrong, does not allow you to be employed in this country. Same with any other countries, I guess. Be prepared with the right answers – that you are not being employed here.

If we are on the street with a shoulder mounted camera will the police hassle us.

I dare say, no, unless someone complains and they are obliged to investigate. Yes, if you have talents, sets, lighting, etc…and need traffic to be stopped, etc. If anything, a discrete tip should take care of it 🙂

I can get a letter from the Malaysian office of our client explaining what we are doing, would this be enough?

This would help if you have any questions from any authority. Basically it shows that you are shooting for a locally based company. Where the shoot ultimately ends up, they need not know.

Your advice is appreciated.

Give me a couple of days to make a few phone calls, and I’ll come back to you with confirmation of what I’ve said above.

Thomas

[Thomas Leong]

I’m from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and IMO, for the type of shoot you mentioned, you are either being ripped off or the local company is playing it extremely safe as they may not have a specific list of locations that you want to shoot.

Yes, the govt is always fearful that foreign productions may capture something that may not reflect well on the country or portray it in a prejudicial manner. Most governments are like this.

I do the occasional corp videos. Though I do not shoot personally, I hire cameraman and crew, and when outdoor is required we just go out and shoot – in the streets, wherever. Generally, no licence, special fees, clearance to pay whatever. Of course, if we were to shoot inside someone’s building, office premises, or shopping complex, permission from the owner/premises-occupier would be required.

In public places, the best way to get around the hassle of being potentially questioned by building security personnel is to use smaller cameras, definitely not the shoulder-mount type. Also, consider dressing as a tourist – floppy hat or reversed baseball cap, t-shirt, shorts, etc.

Thomas Leong

[Thomas Leong]

Yes. Cues would be called Triggers in Wings. One can easily create triggers for devices (relays, DMX, etc…generally requires the appropriate Stumpfl hardware unless one’s Master or Slave PC has the hardware/port built-in, eg. RS-232 or midi) or via multiple Timelines each triggered by a Show Control Panel trigger. Only one Timeline can play at any one time.

For multiple Timelines, one would require the Advanced version and upwards. The Basic version is…well…basic. Minimal Show Control features, no cues.

Thomas

[Thomas Leong]

Paul,

Try contacting Digital Antics in UK to discuss help from them. Sorry I don’t have their contact numbers or address, but they do have a Wings 3 rig setup.

Thomas

[Thomas Leong]

Hi Paul,

To answer your questions –
“…how to control a light show in time with the programme…and USB-to-DMX adapters…”

Various ways-
1. SMPTE Timecode
Wings will generate a timecode (right-click on an empty Audio track, and a pop-up will give you the choices) which can be fed to your lighting controller if it can accept a timecode trigger.
However, this will take up one channel of your stereo audio, leaving you with a mono channel unless you have a multi-channel PCI audio card in your Master or, say a USB or Firewire multi-channel audio device such as the M-Audio Firewire 410, or a Presonus Firebox (extra costs!).

Alternatively, if you have a timecode generator, this can be used to drive both Wings and your lighting controller. In Wings, under the Timeline tab in Media Pool, right-click on the selected Timeline and change the sync to Timecode. It defaults to Audio.

2. via DMX
Wings will record DMX from your lighting controller once the lighting cues are finalised (see Help Files under ‘DMX’). Once recorded (into a new timeline) you can copy and paste the DMX signals to your main timeline (again refer to the Help Files under DMX on the ‘how to’). This will create the necessary number of Universal Tracks each with a ramp band of the DMX signal. You can then vary/edit the ramp bands to change your DMX signal. These Universal tracks with DMX info will then run on your timeline with the rest of your media, keeping the lights in sync. Additionally, you can group various DMX channels together (drag onto same track and you will see +++) so that the group of DMX signals will run as one. Also, you could drag (and group) DMX channels into the Control Panel which can be set to over-ride the timeline settings as and when you manually want to take control.

To record, you need either the SC Master 6 or 16 with a special cable (rent?), or the Soundlight USB-DMX IN box.
Word of caution: I just bought the ENTTEC USB-DMX PRO an IN/OUT box (far cheaper than Soundlight), but Wings won’t see it. So stick with Soundlight as it would seem that Wings is hard-coded to see the Soundlight).

To playback, Wings by itself already has 16 channels of DMX built-in. How to get it out, I seriously do not know. The Master PC would need a DMX out facility. For DMX512, you can use the various Soundlight USB-DMX-1 or -2 boxes as specified in the Help Files of Wings, or you can buy/rent from Stumpfl people the SCNet DMX512. This is a RS-232 device. Most desktop PCs have at least one RS-232 out connector. Or for laptops without an RS232 connector you can buy a USB-RS232 adapter which should work with Wings. I have one bought from a std pc shop that works.

If you need to control the serial device over a LAN, then you need to add a RS232-LAN adapter from Stumpfl with the appropriate cable. Caution: You must use the power adapter provided. Just had an installation where the tekkie used his own power adapter (similar specs, he said) and it fried the RS232-LAN units.

“…is there anyone in the UK who has experience with Wings?…”

I had a member/experienced user from UK in my previous forum. I’ll try to track him down and email you his contact.

Thomas Leong
https://multidisplays.freeforums.org

[Thomas Leong]

If your presentation is already in a video file format, you could use the freeware VLC player –

1. Hook up the second monitor/projector to the laptop’s VGA out and enable/extend your desktop that in Windows.

2. Drag the vlc player to the secondary monitor, not all the way, only as far as the video will play in the second monitor.

3. double-click on any part of the video screen, and vlc will play fullscreen to the secondary monitor whilst the vlc controls remain on the primary.

4. The vlc controls have this << (reverse) control which effectively - a) disables the sound b) slow mo the video (a second click on this << increase the slow-mo more, etc...untitl it becomes a freeze-frame effectively. Else, just hit the pause key on the controls). IMO, Wings Basic is far more effective and simple in operation for what you require. Liking it is another thing. But the free Basic version (registration required though for continued usage) will output to the secondary monitor in fullscreen presentation mode. Spacebar controls play and pause modes. If your laptop's graphics card can output XGA on the secondary output, you will get that to your projection merely by dragging the Preview window to the secondary mon and clicking anywhere within the preview window to get it to display fullscreen on that monitor. Although the Basic version has one track for Pictures, you can dissolve between pictures merely by overlapping them on the same track till you see the dissolve ramp band. There is also one Audio and one Video track available. Furthermore with the ramp bands, you can specify the amount of light output for a particular picture/video, etc...to get that sunset light just right. Thomas Leong