Console Layer

<< Click to Display Table of Contents >>

Navigation:  Advanced Features >

Console Layer

•Controlling Vertex from a DMX console with Console Layers allows users to control video as if it were a lighting fixture

•A Console Layer works independently from the playback provider structure.

•192 DMX channels per Console Layer offer a wide range of control for video playback and fine tuning VFX such as iris or shaper.

•Use Console Layers as ClipContainers to temporarily overwrite global values during your show.

Channel Map

•Each Console Layer has 192 DMX-Channels

•The following channel maps may be used as a reference for a lighting console library fixture.

 
DMX Channel Map for a Console Layer

 

 

 

informationChamSys
ChamSys consoles enforce a maximum DMX channel count per library fixture. Consequently, a VERTEX Console Layer is represented as two separate ChamSys fixture profiles to comply with this limitation. Refer to the ChamSys channel map below for detailed channel allocation. When using Console Layers with ChamSys, set the DMX Mode of each Console Layer to ChamSys. This parameter can be configured in the Console Layer's Inspector panel under DMX → DMX Mode.

DMX-Channel Map for Console Layers with ChamSys Consoles

Working with a Console Layer

consolelayer_global

•to create a new Console Layer, go to MAIN MENU > CREATE > Console Layer

 

consolelayer_dmxsettings

 

•Select Console Layer into Inspector and do initial settings:

•Clip Target sets the target Canvas for the content to be rendered. Alternatively, assign it directly to an output or a visualizer.

•Set the DMX universe and start address for connection to a lighting console.
Configure the DMX-Routing first. Also, check the Channel Map for detailed DMX-512 channel property controls.

warningUnique start address for each Console Layer
Keep in mind to set separate start addresses for every console layer.
Each console layer must have it's unique DMX start address

 

•If you want to use DMX-Values for content management and selection, set DMX File and Folder IDs for your Content.

informationChannel Map: Gobo 1 and Gobo 2
Gobo 1 in Channel Map is Property "Main Content" (Video tab in the Inspector)
Gobo 1 in Channel Map is Property "Mask" ( Video tab in the Inspector)

 

iris and color mixing on a test pattern

iris and color mixing on a test pattern

 

• Console Layer can be controlled via incoming DMX data. Alternatively, all parameters can be adjusted from the inspector.

Shaper for a Test pattern Content

Shaper for a Test pattern Content

DMX Folder and File ID

•Each Console Layer is able to host video content and mask content.

•The feature of folder and file IDs enables users to select content with a DMX value between 0 and 255.

 

•Each Console Layer has a DMX channel/address for content folder ID and content file ID (channels 49/50) and two channels/addresses for mask content folder and mask content file (Channels 60/61). Please also compare with the full channel map of a console Layer

 

Example:

•Your Console Layer has the DMX start address 1 (for universe routing, please refer to DMX-Routing)

•Your lighting desk has a library element for a VERTEX Console Layer, also on Start Address 1

•you want to select a Content Item from the VERTEX Project Explorer with File ID 5 and Folder ID 2 as Video Content for this Console Layer

•you have to set DMX-channel 49 of your lighting desk to value 2 and DMX channel 50 to value 5

•The content item is selected as video content for the VERTEX Console Layer

 

Set File and Folder ID

consolelayer-folderfile-id

•Inspect a content item

•Go to the Settings tab and select DMX ID

•Set the content's File and Folder ID . Each value has to be in the DMX parameter range from 0 to 255.

 

Clip Container for a Console Layer

•Even for Console Layers you can create a Clip Container

•Used in a Playback, Clip Containers for a Console Layer overwrite the global value of the Console Layer

Global Setting for ConsoleLayer 1: Iris is set

Global Setting for ConsoleLayer 1: Iris is set

•Drag a Console Layer from Project Explorer into the Playback Editor: A new Clip Container is created into your Sequence

•Assign Content to your Clip Container and set Values

Clip Container with Console Layer 1 inside overwrites the global values of Console Layer 1: in this example, all values for the iris are reset to default values. Don&#39;t forget to also assign the same Main Content as the global Console Layer has to the Clip Container

Clip Container with Console Layer 1 inside overwrites the global values of Console Layer 1: in this example, all values for the iris are reset to default values.
Don't forget to also assign the same Main Content as the global Console Layer has to the Clip Container

productivityUse case example:
You are able to e.g. temporary take control back from a lighting desk control and to set all content to black.