New DMXIS beta release available (gold master candidate!)

[Dave Brown [admin]]

A new DMXIS release 1.5.4 is now available. This version addresses all known issues with prior betas. It is compatible with Windows versions Vista - Win10, and OSX versions 10.7 - 10.11.

[ Get DMXIS 1.5.4 here ]

DMXIS 1.5 has been in beta status for a painfully long period of time. However, as DMXIS matures as a product and gains more users, promoting new software to release status becomes a big deal. I plan to promote this 1.5.4 version to full release status as soon as possible. However, I hope everyone can understand my desire to make sure the software is absolutely stable, to avoid disappointing the many thousands of performers around the world who rely on DMXIS for their paying gigs. Thanks!

[NCN]

I'm using 1.5.1 and before I try 1.5.4 I'm wondering if the following issue is addressed.

I have a Touch OSC-like program which shoots MIDI notes to DMXIS very rapidly. It seems that I can't fire off multiple presets to the SAME bank (or for that matter different Banks) in quick succession. The second preset is not executed. For example, I issue a preset in Bank 1 Preset 5 to set an "initial state" and then Bank 9 Preset 10 to perform the "look" I want. The "look" is not executed. I just tried two presets to the same bank and that didn't go, either.

Granted, I haven't tried to wire MIDI-OX or something like that into the mix to see what is passing between the programs (a logging feature in DMXIS would be much appreciated) but failing that ... is there an issued with high-speed MIDI notes?

[NCN]

... as a second question, it's been so long since I installed a new release I can't remember if you need the actual physical hardware present to install a new release. I typically create stuff on a "development machine" back here at the ranch ... the DMXIS box is 150 miles away at the show site. So I don't want to get whacked and frozen out of development by installing a new release.

EDIT: Answered my own question on a second development machine ... the program works without the hardware (BTW it's latest Win 10-64).

[NCN]

... had a chance to try my fast-preset-change on 1.5.4 and it fails there. too.

[NCN]

... ok, got off my butt and did wire up MIDIOX between the program and DMXIS and as far as I can tell all the notes are heading to DMXIS. In detail, I send a note on, then note off to CH 15, then a note on/off to CH16. Repeat for second preset call. Second preset not executed.

Tried again with just note-on's (no note-off's) with same result.

Changed action to introduce some delay between the preset calls and that worked. In detail, pressing a "button" called the first preset and then introducing a delay by "dragging away" from the button to trigger the second preset gave enough time. I don't have a programmatic way to introduce the delay, it's the physical time between pressing and dragging that does it.

Granted in the particular case I have I could probably combine the presets but there are more general situations where I woulfn't want to do that.

[OUTLAW]

So how fast are you sending these notes ? Dmx has a refresh rate of 44hz, that is the signal to all 255 channels is refreshed once every 23mS (approx). After you send the first preset request I would find it reasonable for DMXis to not listen for another midi command until it had executed the first. So I'd expect your commands to need to be greater than 23mS apart. MIDI has the ability to work at much faster speeds.

[NCN]

So how fast are you sending these notes ?

"Really fast" ... they appear in MIDIOX in one blast ... it's a program generating them. I was hoping for some sort of buffering in DMXIS with sufficient serialization to handle the command rate. I'm probably exceeding the reasonable design of the program.

[OUTLAW]

You could perhaps program a delay by sending a quantity of dummy notes to an unmonitored midi channel inbetween your preset commands, you may need a lot !!

[NCN]

POTENTIAL ISSUE with "Delay to Next"

You bring-up a preset that was saved with, say, Delay to Next 0. Now you manually adjust the Delay to, say, 5 seconds but DO NOT overwrite the preset. Now bring-up a different preset (which might have a different Delay, it doesn't matter). Then bring-up that first preset.

Your "manual" setting of Delay is used instead of the one the preset was written with. This is not expected. Manual changes to other things, like fader settings for example, do not override the preset upon subsequent execution.

Worse, the new Delay is actually written to the Show on exit and becomes the new Delay for the preset from now on. This is definitely not desired.

[Dave Brown [admin]]

POTENTIAL ISSUE with "Delay to Next"

You bring-up a preset that was saved with, say, Delay to Next 0. Now you manually adjust the Delay to, say, 5 seconds but DO NOT overwrite the preset. Now bring-up a different preset (which might have a different Delay, it doesn't matter). Then bring-up that first preset.

Your "manual" setting of Delay is used instead of the one the preset was written with. This is not expected. Manual changes to other things, like fader settings for example, do not override the preset upon subsequent execution.

Worse, the new Delay is actually written to the Show on exit and becomes the new Delay for the preset from now on. This is definitely not desired.

Assuming you are referring to "Fade To Next", this has always been the standard behaviour. Changes on the Preset Manager page (Bank & preset order changes, name edits, bank tempos, preset fade to next times) are instantly saved to the show file.

[NCN]

OK ... if that's the way it's always been I'm not about to complain and screw up others. I knew the bank and preset order was instantly changed (that is good!) but I was not aware that Fade to Next was as well ... and that explains why I sometimes had messed up presets in the past.

BTW ... do you have any comment about my issues with high-speed cramming of bank and preset changes (see above) down the program's throat?

[NCN]

I noticed a strange artifact the other day on my development system ... but I forgot to test on the live last weekend but I thought I'd bring it up, anyway.

If you get a chase going and then click and hold on the DMXIS window "Title" bar, the chase stops moving for about a quarter of a half second; it then continues on. I noticed this while dragging the DMXIS window around. I don't have any other program that runs like yours so I can't tell if it's actually a Windows bug. Videos and audio run OK while dragged but that's not the same test.