OSC usage

[SoleJan]

Good Evening to all,
I've recently seen some stuff about OSC and how it can be used (not particularly on ZerOS) for variety of actions for example remote controllers like Gamepads or types of decks like streamdecks. 
It's not that I have a special occasion or need for it, but I was curious about it and how it can work on the flx s24 deck. The only thing I've seen is software like Companion for Streamdecks or TouchOSC for other things but I don't really know how I would go on from there. 
And yea just for the fun of it, is it possible to use game controllers as light controllers through OSC? 
Any helpful websites or guides I can check out there (that maybe don't require too much knowledge of networking beforehand (I'm working on that tho)) 

Thanks if anyone got something
Jan

[Davidmk]

So, OSC requires the desk to be networked with some device (& software) that can send OSC commands. The available commands are detailed in the manual at https://www.zero88.com/manuals/zeros/setup/triggers/osc. These let the external device/software trigger certain actions on the desk, for example playing a cue on a playback. The desk cannot send OSC and therfore cannot provide feedback to the sending device.

Networking the desk and the sending device need not be complex. Connecting both to a normal domestic router would be sufficient but note that the router must NOT be connected to the Internet. Some routers can get a bit funny without an Internet connection

What you use to send the OSC commands is up to you but a popular piece of software is TouchOSC by Hexler. There are two versions of this. The original version (Mk1) allows you to define a control surface with (among other things) buttons, sliders and rotary controls. This version is free but is not as flexible as the new version.

The new version can be used like the original one but has more features including a scripting language with which you can achieve quite complex results but, for access to this you will need to get a licence. There is a very reasonable, one off, fee for the licence.

I don't think OSC can receive inputs from game controllers but check this out for yourself on the Hexler website.

TouchOSC can be run on Windows, Android, Linux, iOS and macOS. More information can be obtained from the Hexler website https://hexler.net/touchosc

Other software is available, all you need is to be able to send OSC commands as defined in the ZeroOS manual but I have no first hand knowledge of what is available and its suitability.

Hope this is helpful in getting you started.

[Neil Macmillan]

My post on the topic of OSC use with the Zero88 FLX S24 may be of interest. All free software and might give you a start in understanding the process.
 

 

[Davidmk]

Good stuff. In my world it's mostly busking so I'm using TouchOSC to give me a "magic sheet" where I can select colours, positions, effects, whatever by touching a button. The buttons fire specific cues in cue stacks.

For example, I might have a stack with cues to set colour (and only colour) on some wash lights. Each cue has a 2s fade time. The buttons each trigger one of these cues and, because it is a cue stacks, I get the fade and the old colour gets faded out.

I also have a button that releases the stack so, for example, I can release the effects stack when I'm done with it.

 

[Archie D]

OSC is really useful from my perspective for when you just want to run your show off one main control centre, but not having lights + sound (and possibly projection) all programmed in on a singular machine. If that one machine goes down, you've lost all lights, all sound and all projection. Whereas, if you run lights separately with the computer controlling sound and projection, while a lighting console is controlling LX separately, if the main computer goes down then you still have light on stage and can control that independently.

Something like this can be done with OSC via QLab (with Network Messages) however QLab does require a license for this, or using something like Multiplay (another sound + projection cue-based tool) as @Neil Macmillan has used, is another option that is free to use (but still very very good!).

So, if you are looking for a cue-based solution and you use a Mac, QLab is probably the best option (you could have a "magic sheet" as @Davidmk has, using Cue Carts within QLab). These "cue carts" can fire Network Messages over OSC to trigger certain cues on the LX console, like a soundboard but for lights. However, if you use Windows, Multiplay is also a good option (not sure about cue carts on it though). If you're on a Mac and instead of using QLab, you want to use Multiplay, you could run it via Wine but this won't run natively on your Mac and I'm not sure if OSC would work with how Wine handles things, but it could be worth a try. Unfortunately QLab on Windows isn't an option as it is developed primarily on the Apple platform, and so relies on Apple infrastructure for features such as AppleScript integration.

• QLab Network Message Cues - https://qlab.app/docs/v5/networking/network-cues/
• QLab Cue Carts - https://qlab.app/docs/v4/general/cue-carts/

If you do use Multiplay, I very much point you to Neil's video! (I used it myself when having a play with OSC over Multiplay to my Phantom ZerOS setup, so thank you very much Neil for making that video).
Best of luck with what you want to do with OSC.

[Davidmk]

1 hour ago, Archie D said:

using Cue Carts within QLab

That is indeed an option, can't afford either a Mac or Cuelab myself though.

I'll be taking a look at Miltiplay though and there is another Windows program but the name escapes me just now.

[Archie D]

18 minutes ago, Davidmk said:

there is another Windows program but the name escapes me just now

Is it CSC you are thinking of? (https://www.ctrelectronics.co.uk/csc-show-control.php)

[Davidmk]

4 hours ago, Archie D said:

4 hours ago, Davidmk said:

there is another Windows program but the name escapes me just now

Is it CSC you are thinking of

That would be it! Thank-you.