Skip to Content

Wiki source code of Pharos Configuration

Version 1.26 by Alexander Mott on 2023/05/05 19:49
Show last authors
1 {{box cssClass="floatinginfobox" title="**CONTENTS**"}}
2 {{toc/}}
3 {{/box}}
4
5 (% class="row" %)
6 (((
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
9 = Pharos Project =
10
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
13 When creating a Pharos project for a ShowRunner™ installation, there are several things to consider:
14
15 * Individual loads defined in ShowRunner™ send commands to individual Fixture Groups in Pharos
16 * Scenes in ShowRunner™ can be mapped in order to trigger Timelines in Pharos
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
31 * If it is desired to control the white channel separately from the RGB channels of an RGBW fixture, then it must be defined in the Pharos project as two separate RGB and W fixtures that are in different groups
32 * Individual Fixtures can belong to multiple Fixture Groups, allowing ShowRunner™ to send different types of command (e.g. RGB vs CCT) to the same fixture 
33 ** Useful for certain situations, such as HSIC fixtures that need to be controlled as color-changing (RGB) in some situations but dynamic white (intensity/CCT) in others
34 ** In this scenario, one group would be defined in ShowRunner™ as an RGB load and one group would be defined as a Dynamic White load
35
36 The basic steps for creating a Pharos Project for use with ShowRunner™ are as follows:
37
38 1. Open the Pharos Designer 2 software
39 1. In the top-right, click "New Project" and select the type of Pharos controller that will be the primary controller
40 1*. Crestron SKUs DIN-DMX-1UNIVERSE and DIN-DMX-2UNIVERSE both correspond to "LPC" in Pharos
41 1. Navigate to the "Project" page by clicking the Pharos logo on the left
42 1. Under the "Controller API" heading, verify that API Version 5.0 is selected
43 1. Navigate to the "Network" page by clicking the network icon on the left
44 1. Select "Controller 1" and verify that the number of universes in the "Properties" menu matches the controller that was ordered for the job
45 1. If required, click the "New Controller..." button to add additional Pharos controllers
46 1. Navigate to the "Layout" page by clicking the pencil and ruler icon on the left
47 1. At the top left, click "Manage..." to edit the layout name and dimensions, modify grid settings, and upload a background image if desired
48 1. Locate the desired fixture in the Fixture Profile List on the right side of the Layout page
49 1*. Most fixtures can be controlled correctly using the generic single-channel, RGB, warm/cool, intensity/CCT, HSIC, etc. profiles
50 1*. Additional generic and manufacturer-specific profiles can be downloaded by clicking the cloud icon on the right, above the fixture profile list
51 1. Add fixtures to the layout by dragging them from the Fixture Profile List
52 1*. Every fixture that is added to the layout represents a unique set of DMX addresses
53 1*. The fixture number is different than the fixture address, and is automatically incremented by Pharos Designer 2
54 1*. Fixture properties such as name, shape, and size can be edited using the menu on the right
55 1*. Right-clicking a fixture on the layout will allow you to either "Duplicate" or create a "New Instance" of a fixture
56 1**. Duplicating a fixture creates a new fixture with the same profile and properties but that will occupy different DMX addresses
57 1**. Creating a New Instance will create a new representation of the fixture without actually creating a new fixture; this allows you to have multiple fixtures represented on the layout that share the same DMX address
58 1. Create Fixture Groups by clicking the folder icon above the Fixture List on the left or by right clicking an empty area in the Fixture List
59 1*. Fixture Groups will correspond to individual loads in ShowRunner™
60 1*. When a new Fixture Group is created, all currently selected fixtures are automatically added to the group
61 1**. Clicking a fixture on the layout or in the fixture list will select just that fixture
62 1**. Ctrl-clicking a fixture will add or remove it from the current selection
63 1**. Ctrl-dragging on the layout will add multiple fixtures to the current selection
64 1**. Shift-dragging on the layout will select just the highlighted fixtures
65 1*. Fixtures can be removed from a group by right clicking them under the group in the Fixture List
66 1*. Fixtures can be added to an existing group by selecting and then dragging them to a group in the Fixture List
67 1. Once all fixtures have been laid out and grouped, navigate to the "Patch" page
68 1. Patch fixtures by dragging them from the fixture list onto the DMX universe
69 1*. If there are multiple controllers on the job, make sure that the correct controller is selected
70 1*. For controllers with multiple universes, ensure that the fixtures are patched to the correct universe
71 1*. Fixtures can be patched to multiple addresses, but it is not possible to patch multiple fixtures to the same address
72 1*. Fixtures can be unpatched by right clicking them in the universe
73 1. If desired, navigate to the "Timeline" page and create timelines
74
75 = Device Configuration =
76
77 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:
78
79 1. Open Pharos Designer 2 or an existing Pharos project
80 1. Connect to the Pharos controller using the USB-B port on the front of the controller
81 1. Navigate to the Network tab and select the LPC
82 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 "Reload Firmor downgrade Pharos Designer 2
83
84 = ShowRunner™ Configuration =
85
86 no feedback from dmx
87
88
89 )))