Aurora 1.0.90 In DMX Mode: Aurora Reconfig Utility

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Aurora Reconfig Utility

Printed From: Aurora
Category: Aurora Sequencer Software
Forum Name: Aurora 1.0.90 In DMX Mode
Forum Discription: Using the unofficial DMX patch
URL: http://www.aurorashow.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1043
Printed Date: 12 Mar 2025 at 5:12pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.06 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Aurora Reconfig Utility

Posted By: deweycooter
Subject: Aurora Reconfig Utility
Date Posted: 26 Aug 2010 at 9:54am

I have the app ready - I'm considering it a beta for the time being. In addition to the DMX capabilities, the real strength in this app is that it allows you to reconfigure your sequences in a batch, especially as you make changes from one year to the next. Here's a quick breakdown of what it currently does:

Config by Template - allows you to load/create a "master" template and then create translations (renumbering, adding, deleting channels) based on that template. Great if you need to add a new network, change a controller ID, or add controllers to all your sequences from the previous year.
Channel copy - copy all events from one channel to another, then choose what sequences to apply these changes to
Order channels - change the order that the channels appear in the editor and, again, applying this ordering to multiple sequences
Merge - since Aurora can be difficult to work with with high event counts, you can edit with smaller channel counts, then merge the files into one.
Timing copy - not sure if this worked completely, but the idea was to create a sequence from an existing sequence, adding one channel that only had the timing marks. This is good to use with the merge - that way your two files have common timings.
DMX Hack - This is the part that allows you to DMX-ify a sequence - essentially changing ramps and shimmers to intensity commands. DMX via Aurora requires the network ID to be 32, so this allows you to renumber a network, specify the event spacing in milliseconds, then DMX-ify the data on that network. It works reasonably well, but I still have a couple kinks to work out.

Make sure you use this on a computer with Aurora installed (it relies on Aurora DLLs). Also, you may need to run it as administrator if you're on Vista or Win7. Let me know what you find. I'll get this put up on the web soon - for now just email me a request at my gmail address ... I'll give you one guess as to what it is. Smile

Steve

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http://www.deweycooter.com/wiki/index.php/Aurora - Aurora Lights Wiki
http://www.aurorashow.com/">

Replies:

Posted By: bdkeen
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2010 at 11:07am

Does your utility work for RGB channels?

I wish to DMXify RGB devices. Example: A DCx16 in RGB configuration - set all channels to NET2 - converts to Net32? and converts to intensity?

I believe I've seen it work ok on individual channels but don't believe I've seen it function when trying to DMXify RGB.

This may just be operator error on my part.

Posted By: deweycooter
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2010 at 9:11pm

Latest release - http://www.teambadmonkey.com/sw/Reconfig.zip - download here
- improves DMX conversion. When an event ends, an OFF event is added at the end point if no event immediately follows.
- beginning of RGB DMX conversion. The red channel gets converted, but the green and blue do not. Should get straightened out shortly.

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http://www.deweycooter.com/wiki/index.php/Aurora - Aurora Lights Wiki
http://www.aurorashow.com/">

Posted By: deweycooter
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 8:26am

Has anyone besides me had success with this tool? It seems that several people have seen a problem when they click on the Master Template tab - this is where the app uses the Aurora DLL to actually start interacting with your sequence file.

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http://www.deweycooter.com/wiki/index.php/Aurora - Aurora Lights Wiki
http://www.aurorashow.com/">

Posted By: bdkeen
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 8:55am

Since we've had to decide that we won't be doing the display this year it's been some while since I tried things, but as I recall I have rather limited success. I'll try to revisit this and see what was actually happening.

Posted By: LightsOnLogan
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 10:58am

dc,

Have you captured an error message?

Given all of the installer problems we had with the .90 build I'm wondering if there is a registry issue (wrong GUIDs for the interfaces... a.k.a. DLL Hell). Have you tried to rebuild your tool source from a .90 installation instead of the parallel installs we were using last season?

Michael

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http://www.aurorashow.com/">

Posted By: LightsOnLogan
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 11:06am

Nevermind... I just saw the other thread where this is mentioned as a pre-.90 version issue.

Let me know if I can do anything to help you troubleshoot it.

Michael

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http://www.aurorashow.com/">

Posted By: deweycooter
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 11:50am

Have you tried using it? Under Config by Template / Sequences, browse to your sequence directory, set the checkmark beside a sequence, click on the Master Template. This triggers the sequence to be opened to get a channel listing and this is where the error is encountered. It's gotta be something with the DLL.

Some had seen this error:
System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80040154): Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {FF083DCE-C01F-4437-B6AC-A3DA75914FF7} failed due to the following error: 80040154

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http://www.deweycooter.com/wiki/index.php/Aurora - Aurora Lights Wiki
http://www.aurorashow.com/">

Posted By: bdkeen
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 1:16pm

OK - Just tried it- On this pc (Windows 7 x64) it's always been consistant getting the following:

Unhandled exception has occurred in your application. If you click Continue, the application will ignore this error and attempt to continue. If you click Quit, the application will close immeduiatly.

Retrieving the COM class factory for the component with CLISD {FF08DCE-C01F-4437-B6AC-A3DA75914FF7} failed due to the following error: 8004154

If I continue:

One empty row displayed.

The status line says 'Loading Master Template data

nothing else happens and Reconfig.exe shows no indication in the task mamager that it's doing anything.

If I recall correctly on this Windows 7x64 box nothing worked so I built a fresh virgin installation of XP and tried it too, but never got it to do anything with Master Template although some of the other things (DMX hack in particular) appeared to work with the exception that it didn't support the RGB channels (which is really where my need was.)

Posted By: deweycooter
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 3:30pm

OOOH! I might have something that will make it all happy - I compiled the DLL into the EXE. Someone hit me at my gmail address and I'll fwd you a copy. (I can't upload it from work due to firewall garbage)

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http://www.deweycooter.com/wiki/index.php/Aurora - Aurora Lights Wiki
http://www.aurorashow.com/">

Posted By: deweycooter
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2010 at 9:26pm

New version is now up http://www.teambadmonkey.com/sw/ReconfigNov19.zip - here

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http://www.deweycooter.com/wiki/index.php/Aurora - Aurora Lights Wiki
http://www.aurorashow.com/">

Posted By: bdkeen
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2010 at 7:25am

Ok this versing works for me with the Master Template - just that RGB devices only show the first of the 3 channels

But tried the DMX Hack, picked a sequence, looks like the hack started to work, and got the following error:

Unhandled exception has occurred in your application. If you click Continue, the application will ignore the the error and attempt to continue. If you click Quit the application will close immediatly.

Value of '101' is not nalid for 'Value'. 'Value' should be between 'minimum' and ''maximum'.

Parameter name 'Value'

Posted By: deweycooter
Date Posted: 22 Nov 2010 at 10:51am

That's promising - could you send me your seq? Might be a scenario that I haven't seen in mine.

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http://www.deweycooter.com/wiki/index.php/Aurora - Aurora Lights Wiki
http://www.aurorashow.com/">

Posted By: bdkeen
Date Posted: 22 Nov 2010 at 1:16pm

It's in the mail