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Changes for page Pharos Configuration

Last modified by Alexander Mott on 2024/02/26 15:10
From version 13.1
edited by Alexander Mott
on 2023/05/15 16:20
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To version 1.44
edited by Alexander Mott
on 2023/05/05 21:25
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6 6  (((
7 7  ShowRunner™ can control DMX fixtures through several different methods, including Pharos DMX controllers. The most common Pharos controllers sold through Crestron are the Pharos LPC-1 (DIN-DMX-1UNIVERSE) and the Pharos LPC-2 (DIN-DMX-2UNIVERSE). These LPC controllers appear physically identical, but the LPC-1 shares a single universe across both DMX outputs while the LPC-2 has a separate universe for each output. ShowRunner™ uses the Pharos Controller API to send commands over Ethernet to the Pharos Controller, which then sends DMX commands to the fixtures.
8 8  
9 -= Pharos Projects =
9 += Pharos Project =
10 10  
11 -ShowRunner™ integrates with Pharos LPC DMX controllers using the Pharos API. The ShowRunner™ configuration and the Pharos project loaded to the Pharos LPC need to be in coordination with each other in order for ShowRunner™ to control the DMX loads as expected. It is therefore sometimes necessary to either create or edit a Pharos project in order to determine how the DMX loads need to be defined in the ShowRunner™ configuration.
11 +Pharos projects are created using the free Pharos Designer 2 software from Pharos Controls. When creating a project for use with ShowRunner™, ensure that API version 5.0 is selected for the project. Individual loads control from ShowRunner™ is achieved with group-level commands using the Pharos Controller API, so each Fixture Group defined in the Pharos Project should correspond to a single load in ShowRunner™. In addition to group-level commands, ShowRunner™ also supports mapping ShowRunner™ Scenes to Pharos Timelines.
12 12  
13 -== Creating a New Pharos Project for ShowRunner™ ==
14 -
15 -Pharos projects are created using the free [[Pharos Designer 2 software>>https://www.pharoscontrols.com/support/designer/software-downloads/]] from Pharos Controls. When creating a project for use with ShowRunner™, ensure that API version 5.0 is selected for the project. Individual loads control from ShowRunner™ is achieved with group-level commands using the Pharos Controller API, so each Fixture Group defined in the Pharos Project should correspond to a single load in ShowRunner™. In addition to group-level commands, ShowRunner™ also supports mapping ShowRunner™ Scenes to Pharos Timelines.
16 -
17 17  When creating a Pharos project for a ShowRunner™ installation, there are several things to consider:
18 18  
19 19  * Individual loads defined in ShowRunner™ send commands to individual Fixture Groups in Pharos
20 20  * Scenes in ShowRunner™ can be mapped in order to trigger Timelines in Pharos
21 -* The Pharos API limits group-level commands to intensity, intensity/RGB, and intensity/CCT
22 -** Other fixture profiles are still supported: the Pharos controller will do any necessary processing to adapt the commands to the fixtures
23 -*** For example, if Pharos receives an RGB command for a group containing RGB, HSI, and HSIC fixtures, it will mix the DMX channels to achieve a consistent color output across all the different fixture types
24 -*** Certain manufacturer-specific fixture Profiles exist in order to help the Pharos controller achieve a consistent output across multiple different fixture types
17 +* The Pharos API limits group-level commands to intensity, intensity/RGB, and intensity/CCT(% class="row" %)
18 +(((
19 +(% class="col-xs-8" %)
20 +(((
21 +(% class="table-condensed" %)
22 +|(% style="width:244px" %)**ShowRunner™ Load Type**|(% style="width:244px" %)**Pharos API Command**
23 +|(% style="width:244px" %)Single-Channel|(% style="width:244px" %)Intensity
24 +|(% style="width:244px" %)RGB|(% style="width:244px" %)Intensity/RGB
25 +|(% style="width:244px" %)Dynamic White|(% style="width:244px" %)Intensity/CCT
26 +)))
27 +)))
28 +* The Pharos controller does any necessary processing to adapt these commands for the fixtures
29 +** For example, if Pharos receives an RGB command for a group containing RGB, HSI, and HSIC fixtures, it will do its best to make sure that the output color is consistent across all the different fixture types
30 +** Certain manufacturer-specific fixture Profiles exist in order to help the Pharos controller achieve a consistent output across multiple different fixture types
25 25  * To control the RGB and white channels of an RGBW fixture separately in ShowRunner™, it is necessary to define separate RGB and White fixtures in the Pharos project 
26 26  ** Add both a generic RGB fixture and a generic White fixture to the layout
27 27  ** Assign each fixture to a different group
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34 34  The basic steps for creating a Pharos Project for use with ShowRunner™ are as follows:
35 35  
36 36  1. Open the Pharos Designer 2 software
37 -1*. Note that the version of Designer 2 lines up with the version of the Pharos controller firmware, and that any project that is created or edited in one version of Designer 2 will not necessarily be able to be loaded to a controller that is running older firmware without first updating the firmware
38 38  1. In the top-right, click "New Project" and select the type of Pharos controller that will be the primary controller
39 39  1*. Crestron SKUs DIN-DMX-1UNIVERSE and DIN-DMX-2UNIVERSE both correspond to "LPC" in Pharos
40 40  1. Navigate to the "Project" page by clicking the Pharos logo on the left
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71 71  1*. Fixtures can be unpatched by right clicking them in the universe
72 72  1. If desired, navigate to the "Timeline" page and create timelines
73 73  
74 -== Editing an Existing Pharos Project ==
79 += Device Configuration =
75 75  
76 -If modifications need to be made to a Pharos Project that is already working with ShowRunner™, there are some things that should be taken into consideration in order to avoid breaking the existing programming:
77 -
78 -* The version of Pharos Designer 2 is tied to the version of the Pharos controller firmware. Editing an existing project with a newer version of Designer 2 than the project was last saved in may result in the newly edited project no longer being able to be loaded to the controller without updating the controller firmware.
79 -** To maintain full backwards compatibility with an existing installation, verify the controller's current firmware version and then download the corresponding version of Designer 2 from [[Pharos Controls' website>>https://www.pharoscontrols.com/support/designer/software-downloads/#software-archive]]
80 -* ShowRunner™ does not pay attention to how Pharos DMX fixtures are addressed, only how they are grouped
81 -** ShowRunner™ provides direct control of Pharos fixture groups by their group ID. Avoid changing Pharos fixture groups or group numbers unless you are aware of how they are mapped in ShowRunner™
82 -** Adding newly patched/addressed fixtures to existing groups that are mapped in ShowRunner™ will allow those fixtures to be controlled without adding them to the ShowRunner™ configuration
83 -** Removing fixtures from existing groups that are mapped in ShowRunner™ will prevent those fixtures from being controlled unless they are also in another group that is mapped to a ShowRunner™ load
84 -** Renumbering a group that is mapped to a load in ShowRunner™ will prevent ShowRunner™ from controlling that group, unless the new number is also mapped in ShowRunner™
85 -** If a new group is created that has the same group ID as a group that is already mapped in ShowRunner™, then ShowRunner™ will control that new group using the old load unless the ShowRunner™ configuration is updated
86 -* ShowRunner™ maps Scenes to Pharos Timelines by their timeline ID
87 -** Avoid changing Pharos timeline IDs unless you are aware of how they are mapped in ShowRunner™
88 -** If a new Timeline is added that replaces the ID of an old Timeline, then the scene mapping in ShowRunner™ needs to be updated to prevent the old ShowRunner™ Scene from triggering the new Timeline
89 -** If an existing Timeline is deleted, it should be unmapped in ShowRunner™ to prevent errors when the mapped ShowRunner™ Scene is recalled
90 -
91 -= Pharos Configuration =
92 -
93 93  ShowRunner™ must be able to communicate with the Pharos controller via Ethernet in order for control to work. Pharos controllers ship in DHCP mode by default, but they will sometimes fail to get an address if the controller is powered up before the DHCP server is running. If this happens, or if there is no DHCP server on the network, then it is necessary to configure the controller via USB:
94 94  
95 95  1. Open Pharos Designer 2 or an existing Pharos project
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98 98  1. Select the Pharos controller from the list
99 99  1*. If a Pharos project is open, controllers defined in the project will be displayed above the list of online controllers
100 100  1*. If there are multiple online controllers, use the "Beacon" function to flash all the LEDs on the front of the controller and verify the correct one is selected
101 -1*. [[image:network-project-usb_text_crop.png]]
102 -1. If the Pharos Designer 2 version is different than the firmware on the Pharos controller, then it is necessary to either update the controller by pressing the "Reload Firmware" button, or downgrade Pharos Designer 2 by downloading the appropriate version from [[Pharos Controls' website>>https://www.pharoscontrols.com/support/designer/software-downloads/#software-archive]]
89 +1. If the Pharos Designer 2 version is different than the firmware on the Pharos controller, then it is necessary to either update the controller by pressing the "Reload Firmware" button, or downgrade Pharos Designer 2 by downloading the appropriate version from Pharos Controls' website
103 103  1. Press the "Configure" button to open the network configuration menu
104 104  1. Set DHCP mode to Static and configure the IP address, IP mask, default gateway, and DNS servers as required for your network
105 105  
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115 115  1*. If you do not see the controller online, but you are connecting to it over a routed network, proceed to the next step
116 116  1. Select a controller that is defined in the project
117 117  1. In the Properties menu on the right, click the Serial Number dropdown menu and select the SN corresponding to the controller
118 -1*. [[image:network-project-assign_text_crop.png]]
119 119  1*. If you do not see the corresponding serial number, click the "Find..." button
120 120  1*. If you are connecting to the controller over a routed network, put the controller's IP address into this field
121 121  1*. If you are connecting to a controller on a Control Subnet from the LAN side of the processor, put the processor's LAN IP address followed by a colon and the external port number that corresponds to internal port 38008 of the controller. See our [[FAQ>>https://wiki.chiefintegrations.com/FAQ/I%20can%27t%20connect%20to%20my%20Pharos%20LPC%20on%20the%20Control%20Subnet]] for information
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127 127  
128 128  = ShowRunner™ Configuration =
129 129  
130 -ShowRunner™ is able to control fixtures in Pharos by sending group-level commands directly to Fixture Groups that are defined in the Pharos project, triggering Timelines that are defined in the Pharos project, or both. Note that ShowRunner™ does not receive feedback from the Pharos controller, so fixture feedback as shown in the ShowRunner™ UI is only accurate if ShowRunner™ sent group-level commands. Changes to fixture levels caused by a Timeline are not reflected in the ShowRunner™ UI. A video tutorial of setting up Pharos loads and configuring Scene Tracking is [[available on our YouTube channel>>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y63C_vnATec&list=PLhxgcngAeiD_pCRxFDwX5eg0O56OjNdHf]].
116 +ShowRunner™ is able to control fixtures in Pharos by sending group-level commands directly to Fixture Groups that are defined in the Pharos project, triggering Timelines that are defined in the Pharos project, or both. Note that since fixt
131 131  
132 132  In order to control DMX fixtures on a Pharos controller with ShowRunner™, it is necessary to make sure that the ShowRunner™ configuration has the correct settings for the Pharos controller. Under the "LightingControllers" section of the ShowRunner™ configuration, locate the entry for the Pharos controller. Under the "Properties" section, verify that the "IpAddressOrHostname" matches the IP address or hostname of the Pharos controller. The "ApiPort" only needs to be changed if the HTTP port for the Pharos controller's web server has been changed from the default 80. Once the Properties for all Pharos controllers have been updated, load the configuration to the processor.
133 133  
134 -Control Pharos groups with ShowRunner™, it is necessary to define them as loads in the ShowRunner™ configuration. To do this using the XPanel UI, navigate to the Settings > Load Configuration page and then select the Pharos controller from the list of controllers on the left. Once the controller is selected, press the "Configure Loads" button:
120 +To add Pharos loads to ShowRunner™, launch the XPanel and navigate to the Settings > Load Configuration page and then select the Pharos controller from the list of controllers on the left. Once the controller is selected, press the "Configure Loads" button:
135 135  
136 -* Currently defined loads are shown in the list on the left
122 +* All currently defined loads are shown on the left
137 137  ** The "Group: #" of the load must match the group number as defined in the Pharos project
138 138  ** It is not possible to change the group of an existing load from the XPanel UI. Instead, either save the config and edit the "LoadBaseIndex" property of the load, or delete the load and create a new load at the correct group
139 -* Press "Add New Load" below the list of loads to create a new load
125 +* To add a new load to the controller, press "Add New Load" below the list of loads
140 140  ** The "Load Index/Channel" must match the group number as defined in the Pharos project
141 141  *** Since ShowRunner™ uses group-level commands and fixtures in a group aren't necessarily on the same DMX universe, the "Universe ID" is grayed out and cannot be modified
142 142  *** It is not possible to assign multiple Pharos groups to the same load, and it is not possible to assign multiple loads to the same group
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155 155  ** If controlling the RGB and White channels of an RGBW fixture separately, then you must define an RGB type load associated with the RGB fixture group in Pharos and then a Single Channel type load associated with the White fixture group in Pharos
156 156  ** The Area Assignment dictates what area the load will be associated with
157 157  
158 -ShowRunner™ is also capable of triggering Timelines in the Pharos project. This can be configured using the XPanel UI:
144 +ShowRunner™ is also capable of triggering Timelines in the Pharos project.
159 159  
160 -1. Navigate to Settings > Load Hardware
161 -1. Select the Pharos controller from the list of load controllers on the left
162 -1. Press "Configure Scene Tracking"
163 -1. Tick the "Enable Scene Tracking" box to enable scene tracking
164 -1. Select an area whose scenes you want to trigger Timelines from the "Area to Track" list
165 -1*. Note that the area selected does not actually need any loads assigned to it
166 -1*. Pharos fixture groups do not need to be defined as loads in ShowRunner™ at all if scene tracking is being used to control fixtures
167 -1. With the area selected, press "Add New Map"
168 -1. Select the scene you want to trigger the Timeline from the list of scenes
169 -1. Enter the number of the Timeline as defined in the Pharos project in the "Timeline ID" field
170 -1. Press "Add" to add the scene map
171 -1. Press "Add New Map" to add more Timelines, or select another area to trigger Timelines with scene recalls on other areas
172 172  
173 -Some things to consider if you are triggering Pharos Timelines with ShowRunner™:
174 -
175 -* If Scene Tracking is configured for a ShowRunner™ Area, the Pharos Timeline will be triggered regardless of whether any loads are assigned to the Area
176 -* Scene recalls are still executed even if Scene Tracking is enabled
177 -** Non-DMX loads in an area with Scene Tracking will still go to their predefined scene levels unless they are excluded from the scene
178 -** Pharos DMX loads will go to their predefined scene levels unless they are excluded from the scene, even if they are included in the Pharos Timeline being triggered
179 -* If Timelines are being used to control DMX fixtures, then the Fixture Groups do not actually need to be defined in ShowRunner™ unless direct control of the Fixture Groups is desired
180 -
181 -= Fixture Addressing =
182 -
183 -Pharos Designer 2 has several features that make it relatively straightforward to address DMX fixtures, or to change how fixtures need to be addressed in order for the lighting controls to work correctly. Since ShowRunner™ uses fixture groups to send commands to DMX fixtures on the Pharos LPC, the specific fixture addresses do not matter as long as they are addressed according to the Pharos project. This means that if fixtures are re-patched to different addresses in the Pharos project but kept in the same fixture groups, then no changes to the ShowRunner™ configuration are necessary.
184 -
185 -In addition to allowing the re-patching of fixtures, Pharos LPC have Remote Device Management (RDM) capabilities that allow for remotely addressing DMX fixtures provided the fixtures are RDM capable. See our [[DMX Fixture Addressing page>>doc:SHOWRUNNER™ Setup Guide.SHOWRUNNER™ Installation Guide.Device Addressing.DMX Fixture Addressing.WebHome]] for more general information regarding DMX networks and fixture addressing for non-RDM capable fixtues.
147 +Once scene tracking has been configured for an area, Pharos Timelines will be triggered regardless of whether the individual loads are actually defined in ShowRunner™ or not.
186 186  )))
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