Data management

This section describes how data is managed by the desk and the visualizer. The visualizer is a free programming tool allowing light designers to create shows comfortably. Desk and visualizer software can work independently.

Master / Slave:

If the console and visualizer are connected you can determine, via the connection dialog, whether the application runs in master or slave mode. The master, usually the console, holds the current show and fixture data. It follows that any confirmed modification of a fixture in grandMA3D will also be updated in the console.

Desk Connection Dialog

When you launch grandMA 3D it will automatically try to make a connection with the grandMA console or the Offline. The four possible states of the connection are indicated by the button in the toolbar:

The creation of a session with grandMA 3D can be used to transfer all data of an .sl_ file (grandMA 3D format) to a desk or offline. If the loading is completed, the desk automatic becomes the master and grandMA 3D gets the slave.

ATTENTION: With the start of a new session (Create) the session founder overwrites all data of the other members. I.e. if a new session is founded by the grandMA 3D all data in the desk will be overwritten!

If more than one console, visualizer or offline editor are connected to the network the connections to the equipment will have to be properly assigned.

• The communication between consoles, visualizer and off-line editors takes place in sessions.

• A session has only one founder. This is e.g. the master. On connection the founder transfers its data (fixture types) to the slaves.

From then on, all session members are synchronized and have equal rights. If a fixture is edited in the slave the change is reflected in the master and vice-versa.

• Devices not assigned to any session are not in the list.

If you press the ‘Invite’ Button you get a list of these MA devices. The network configuration can be managed by the ‚Desk Connection’ dialog:

The upper part of the dialog shows the active sessions and their members in a tree view. The session master is printed bold. GrandMA 3D is printed green.

Create (a new session): GrandMA 3D creates a new session as master. This function is used for example if a show exists as .sl-file (grandMA 3D Format). The show with all data is sent to the slave. It must not be loaded via disk to the desk. If the loading is completed, the desk automatic becomes the master and grandMA 3D gets the slave.

Join (Session): Join the selected session as a member (usually as slave). After that data of the desk is transferred to the grandMA 3D.

Leave (Session): Leave the session. >>: Expands the dialog view.

Settings:

• Session Name: Input or display for the name of a session.

• Password: If a password is required for the session you can enter it in this field.

• IP: Use this listbox to choose an IP address for network communication. If there is more than one IP available (e.g. multiple network cards installed) select the IP address which is linked to the grandMA desk.

Allow Invite: If the switch is on, grandMA 3D can be invited to a session.

Invite: Opens a dialog that shows all connected MA members (desks and off-line) of the network. You can invite new members via the dialog.

Dismiss: The member of the session has to leave the session. The following pattern demonstrates how the Scan types (Fixture types) library is managed by the desk and the 3D visualizer. In this example the grandMA desk is the Master and the grandMA 3D is the Slave. When the application is connected to the desk, it receives all scan types included in the actual show. The included scan type data is taken from grandMA 3D and shown in its ‘Data Base’. These Fixture Types can be edited with grandMA 3D and the changed properties are immediately taken up by the desk.