Visual Productions CUECORE2 User Manual [EN]

CUECORE2

MANUAL

© VISUAL PRODUCTIONS BV WWW.VISUALPRODUCTIONS.NL

Revision History

Revision Date Author(s) Description

1 05.12.2016 ME Initial version.

2 17.10.2017 ME Added: Rackmount accessory, MSC

API, GPI wiring examples & password
protection feature. Improved quick­start system diagrams. Replaced Vi­sualTouch info by Kiosc. Updated
timecode functionality.

3 07.06.2018 ME Updated vManager chapter to reflect

app-store distribution. Moved major­ity of Kiosc information to a dedicated
Kiosc manual. Added timespan set­tings and API feedback.

2

Contents

1 Introduction 6

2 Protocols 11

3 Quickstart 17

4 Setting up 28

5 Network 30

6 Operating Modes 34

7 Tracks 38

8 Playbacks 46

9 Show Control 53

10 Protocol Conversion 58

11 Monitors 63

12 Settings 65

13 vManager 74

14 Kiosc 79

Appendices 80

A Trigger Types 81

B Task Types 90

C Templates 98

D API 99

3

c

2018 Visual Productions BV. All rights reserved.

No parts of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic,
electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or infor­mation storage and retrieval systems - without the written permission of the
publisher.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document,
the publisher and the author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions,
or for damages resulting from the use of information contained in this docu­ment or from the use of programs and source code that may accompany it. In
no event shall the publisher and the author be liable for any loss of profit or
any other commercial damage caused or alleged to have been caused directly or
indirectly by this document.

Due to the dynamic nature of product design, the information contained in
this document is subject to change without notice. Revisions of this informa­tion or new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes.

Products that are referred to in this document may be either trademarks and/or
registered trademarks of the respective owners. The publisher and the author
make no claim to these trademarks.

4

Declaration of Conformity

We, manufacturer Visual Productions BV, herby declare under sole responsibility,
that the following device:

CueCore2

Is in conformity with the following EC Directives, including all amendments:
EMC Directive 2004/108/EG

And the following harmonized standards have been applied:
NEN-EN-IEC 61000-6-1:2007
NEN-EN-IEC 61000-6-3:2007

Full name and identication of the person responsible for product quality and
accordance with standards on behalf of the manufacturer

Date: Place:
November 18th, 2016 Haarlem, The Netherlands

ing. Maarten Engels
Managing Director
Visual Productions BV

VISUAL PRODUCTIONS BV

IZAAK ENSCHEDEWEG 38A

NL-2031CR HAARLEM

THE NETHERLANDS

TEL [phone]

WWW.VISUALPRODUCTIONS.NL

[e-mail]

ABN-AMRO BANK 53.22.22.261

BIC ABNANL2A

IBAN NL18ABNA0532222261

VAT NL851328477B01

COC 54497795

Chapter 1

Introduction

Thank you for choosing the CueCore2; a lighting controller designed for (semi­)permanent installations. The engineering team at Visual Productions is proud
to present to you the latest development in solid-state lighting control.

Figure 1.1: CueCore2

At the time of writing this manual the CueCore2’s firmware was at version

1.26.

1.1 Design Goals

After successfully developing and marketing the original CueCore1 , the team
at Visual Productions set out to design a new generation stand-alone lighting
controller. We took our experience in developing solid-state controllers and
combined it with the feedback received from CueCore1 users all over the world.
We added our lessons learnt from supporting year’s worth of projects and in­stalls, all in order to design the best lighting controller for (semi-)permanent
installations. During the design process we focused on a set of priorities that
we valued the most:

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1.1.1 Solid-State

The solid-state aspect was perhaps the most important trait that made the
CueCore1 a default choice for many system designers. The CueCore2 continues
this design without any moving part, without forced cooling, and its data safely
stored in flash memory. The resulted reliability outperforms any PC based
lighting system.

1.1.2 Multi-zone Replay Unit

One of the principle functions of the CueCore2 is to playback DMX shows. We
took a lot of consideration into making this feature as powerful as possible with
the given hardware platform. The playback mechanism we developed can control
six different zones. Each zone will be controlled by a completely independent
playback. This playback features many options that provides the freedom to
the users to employ very smart programming. These options include intensity,
rate, precedence, release-time, repeating, fading and inter-cue conditions.

1.1.3 Networking

Our world is one big connected network and the CueCore2 will blend in nicely.
This Ethernet-based device is setup via DHCP or static address, hosts a modern
web-interface for programming and is of course also powered by PoE.

1.1.4 Protocol Conversion

One of the strongest Unique Selling Points of the products designed at Vi­sual Productions is the number of communication protocols supported. The
CueCore2 further raises this bar. It contains protocols familiar to the CueCore1
(DMX, Art-Net, UDP, OSC) and introduces a fresh set of new protocols: sACN,
KiNet, TCP and NTP. This vast collection of protocols can be used for record­ing, sending, triggering and converting.

1.1.5 Scalability

One CueCore2 can do a lot, multiple CueCore2 units can do even more. Through
using CueluxPro it is possible to control up to 32 universes by connecting mul­tiple CueCore2 units. For stand-alone scenarios we even developed a brand new
Master/Slave protocol that, once set up with just a few mouse clicks, allows 25
CueCore2 to work together and keep 50universes synchronised at 40 frames per
second.

We hope that you enjoy integrating the CueCore2 into your lighting designs.

The CueCore2 engineering team.

1.2 Features

The feature set of the CueCore2 includes:

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• 2 x DMX-512 optically isolated port (bi-directional)

• 4x GPI

• MIDI, MSC & MMC

• SMPTE, MTC & Art-Net timecode

• Art-Net, sACN & KiNet

• TCP, UDP & OSC

• Master-slave protocol for synchronising multiple CueCore2 units

• Scheduling with Real-Time clock1, weekdays and sunrise/sunset

• NTP time synchronisation

• Desktop or DIN Rail mounted

• Kensington lock

• Locked power cable protection

• PoE (Power Over Ethernet) Class I

• Bundled with CueluxPro, vManager and Kiosc software

1.3 Comparison

The following table visualises the difference between the QuadCore, CueCore2
and CueCore1 . This overview might prove to be helpful to CueCore1 users
considering choosing the model for their new designs.

1

Please note that there is no battery fitted inside the CueCore2. The Real-Time clock has

a backup charge through means of a super-capacitor.

8

QuadCore CueCore2 CueCore1

CPU Speed 180MHz 180MHz 120MHz

Flash memory 32MB 32MB 8MB

DMX Outputs 4 2 2

DMX Inputs switchable outputs switchable outputs 1

MIDI - input+output in+thru+out

GPI - 4x digital/analog 4x digital

SMPTE - input input

MTC - input+output input

Art-Net input+output input+output input+output

sACN input+output input+output -

KiNet output output -

TCP input input -

UDP input+output input+output input+output

OSC input+output input+output input+output

POE class I class I class I

DHCP yes yes -

NTP yes yes -

Real-time Clock yes yes yes

CueluxPro Licence 4 universes 2 universes 2 universes

1.4 What’s in the box?

The CueCore2 packaging contains the following items (see figure 1.2):

• CueCore2

• 6-pin terminal

• Power supply

• 4x international plug

• Info card

1.5 Saving data to memory

This manual will describe how to configure the CueCore2 and program tracks,
playbacks, action, etc. The unit’s web-interface is used for editing these kinds
of elements. When changes are made, these changes are directly stored in the

9

Figure 1.2: CueCore2 box contents

RAM memory of the CueCore2 and the programming will directly influence the
behaviour of the unit. RAM memory is, however, volatile and its content will be
lost through a power cycle. For this reason the CueCore2 will copy any changes
in the RAM memory to its onboard flash memory. Flash memory retains its
data even when not powered. The CueCore2 will load all its data back from the
flash memory upon startup.

This memory copy process is conducted automatically by the CueCore2 and
should not be of any concern of the user. One point of consideration is, how­ever, that after making a change the unit should be given time to perform the
copy to flash. As a rule of thumb, do not disconnect the power from the device
within 30 seconds from making a programming change.

1.6 Document organisation

This manual discusses setting up and programming the unit. Chapter 2 provides
background information on the communication protocols used the CueCore2.
Chapters 4 and 5 cover how to set up the unit and configure the network con­nection.

Chapter 7 and 8 cover recording, storing and playback of lighting content.
Programming the automation, triggering and converting functionality is

done in the 9 chapter.

When in a hurry, you could skip all chapters and directly follow the quickstart

tutorials in chapter 3.

1.7 Further Help

If, after reading this manual, you have further questions then please consult
the online forum at http://forum.visualproductions.nl for more technical
support.

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Chapter 2

Protocols

The CueCore2 is fitted with several communication ports and supports various
protocols. This chapter describes these protocols and to which extent they are
implemented in the CueCore2

2.1 DMX-512

DMX-512 is the standard communication protocol for stage lighting. Its official
name is E1.11-2008 USITT DMX512-A. Nowadays the reach of the DMX proto­col has extended beyond entertainment lighting and is also used for architectural
lighting.

Originally one DMX network contained 512 channels which is called a ’uni­verse’. With the growing size and complexity of lighting systems it is now very
common for a system to compose of multiple universes, each conveying 512
channels.

It is advised to use a shielded twisted pair cable for DMX cabling. The cable
should be terminated with an 120 Ohm resistor.

DMX-512 is a very successful protocol with, however, a few limitations. The
maximum number of attached devices is limited to 32 and they all have to be
connected in bus-topology having one cable running via each device. Further­more, a DMX-512 cable should not be longer than 300 meters.

Figure 2.1: Visual Productions’ RdmSplitter

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The DIN Rail RdmSplitter from Visual Productions (See figure 2.1) helps tackle
those inconvenient limitations. The Splitter takes a DMX signal and sends it
out again on its 6 DMX output ports for scaling group topology. Each output
port is capable of driving 32 more devices. The Splitter can also function as a
signal booster as each port supports another 300 meter long connection.

The CueCore2 has two ports and is therefor able control 1,048 channels.
Each port can also be configured to become a DMX input allowing external
DMX data to be recorded or to use an external DMX source to trigger events
within the CueCore2.

2.2 Art-Net

The Art-Net protocol primarily transfers DMX-512 data over Ethernet. The
high bandwidth of an Ethernet connection allows Art-Net to transfer up to 256
universes.

The data sent out for Art-Net does put a certain load on the network, there­fore it is recommended to disable Art-Net when not in use.

Additional to transmitting DMX-512 data, Art-Net can also be used for
transferring timecode information for equipment synchronisation.

Each CueCore2 supports sending and receiving of 2 Art-Net universes as
well as receiving Art-Net timecode.

2.3 sACN

The streaming Architecture of Control Networks (sACN) protocol uses a method
of transporting DMX-512 information over TCP/IP networks. The protocol is
specified in the ANSI E1.31-2009 standard.

The sACN protocol supports multi-cast in order to take efficient use of the
network’s bandwidth.

The CueCore2 supports sending and receiving of 2 sACN universes.

2.4 KiNet

KiNet is a proprietary protocol of Philips Color Kinetics to control their LED
fixtures and power supplies. It is a lightweight Ethernet-based protocol that
carries DMX-style data. Within the CueCore2 it can only be used to output
data.

2.5 TCP

The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a core protocol of the Internet
Protocol Suite. It is used for its reliable, ordered and error checked delivery
of a stream of bytes between applications and hosts over IP networks. It is
considered ’reliable’ because the protocol itself checks to see if everything that
was transmitted was delivered at the receiving end. TCP allows for the retrans­mission of lost packets, thereby making sure that all data transmitted is received.

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The CueCore2 supports reception of TCP message.

2.6 UDP

User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a simple protocol for sending messages across
the network. It is supported by various media devices like video projectors and
Show Controllers. It does not incorporate error checking, therefor it is faster
than TCP but less reliable.

There are two ways how to have the CueCore2 respond to incoming UDP
messages. The API (see page 101) makes typical CueCore2 functions available
through UDP. Furthermore, custom messages can be programmed in the Show
Control page (see page 53). This is also the place where to program outgoing
UDP messages.

2.7 OSC

Open Sound Control (OSC) is a protocol for communicating between software
and various multi-media type devices. OSC uses the network to send and receive
messages, it can contain MIDI and custom information.

There are apps available for creating custom-made user interfaces on iOS
(iPod, iPhone, iPad) and Android. These tools allow to program fool-proof
user-interfaces for controlling the device. E.g. Kiosc from Visual Productions.

There are two ways how to have the CueCore2 respond to incoming OSC
messages. Firstly, the API (see page 99) makes typical CueCore2 functions
available through OSC. Secondly, custom messages can be programmed in the
Show Control page (see page 53).

2.8 GPI

The CueCore2 features four General Purpose Inputs (GPI) ports that can be
connected to external equipment, switches and sensors. State changes on these
GPI ports can be used to trigger programmed events inside the CueCore2.

Figure 2.2: GPI Pinout

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Each GPI port can be switched between ’digital’ and ’analog’. In the digital
mode the signal is held up by an internal pull-up resistor and results in a logic
’0’. The external equipment is intended to short the port’s pin to the provided
ground pin. This short will create a logic ’1’. All four ports share one common
ground pin.

When set to analog the external equipment is supposed to supply a voltage
between 0V and 10V to the port’s pin. For convenience, a 10V supply is available
on one of the pins of the GPI connector. Please refer to figure 2.2 for the pinout
of the GPI connector. Be careful not to supply more than 10V to the GPI port

as that might cause permanent damage.

Figure 2.3 shows examples of how to wire a contact-closure to a GPI port
set to digital. And it shows an example of potentiometer connected to a GPI
port set to analog.

(a) Contact-closure (b) Potentiometer

Figure 2.3: GPI Wiring examples

Please refer to page 72 for more information on configuring the GPI ports.
Programming events based on GPI activity is done in the Show Control page,
which is discussed on page 53.

2.9 MIDI

The MIDI protocol is intended for inter-connecting musical devices such as syn­thesisers and sequencers. Furthermore, this protocol is also very suitable to
send triggers from one device to another and is often used to synchronise audio,
video and lighting equipment. There is also a large collection of MIDI con­trol surfaces available; user-interface consoles with knobs, (motorised-)faders,
rotary-encoders, etc.

The CueCore2 is fitted with a MIDI input and MIDI output port. It supports
receiving and sending MIDI messages like NoteOn, NoteOff, ControlChange and
ProgramChange.

2.9.1 MTC

MIDI Timecode (MTC) is the timecode signal which is embedded into MIDI.
The CueCore2 supports receiving and transmitting MTC. It is not recommended
to combine the use of MTC with ordinary MIDI as MTC consumes the band­width of the MIDI connection.

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2.9.2 MMC

MIDI Machine Control (MMC) is part of the MIDI protocol. It defines special
messages for controlling audio equipment such as multi-track recorders. The
CueCore2 supports the sending of MMC commands; please refer to page 94.

2.9.3 MSC

MIDI Show Control (MSC) is an extension of the MIDI protocol. It comprises
of commands for synchronising show equipment like lighting, video and audio
devices. The CueCore2 supports receiving MSC commands. This support is
hard coded and does not require any Show Control programming. Please refer
to appendix D.4.

2.10 SMPTE

SMPTE is timecode signal which can be used to synchronise audio, video, light­ing and other show equipment. The CueCore2 supports receiving SMPTE that
is transferred as an audio signal, also know as LTC timecode.
The CueCore2 only supports receiving timecode. If a timecode generator is
required then the Visual Productions’ TimeCore is recommended as shown in
figure 2.4.

Figure 2.4: TimeCore

2.11 NTP

Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a networking protocol for clock synchronisa­tion between computer systems over networks.

The real-time clock (RTC) in the CueCore2 can be synchronised to an ex­ternal time server using the NTP protocol.

2.12 DHCP

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a standardised network
protocol used on Internet Protocol (IP) networks for dynamically distributing
network configuration parameters, such as IP addresses.

15

The CueCore2 is a DHCP client.

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Chapter 3

Quickstart

This chapter provides step by step tutorials on how to program your CueCore2
for some typical tasks:

• Playback lighting scenes based on the scheduler

• Choose between different lighting scenes via incoming UDP messages

• Record a show from an external DMX console

3.1 Playback based on scheduler

This tutorial shows how to create a lighting scene and have it activated at a
certain time of the day. The scene will be de-activated at another time. Follow
the steps below:

1. Connect to the network
Connect the CueCore2 with an Ethernet cable to the router. It
is required that the network is managed by a router that fea­tures a DHCP server. If the network router is not DHCP capa­ble then read the network chapter on page 30 for alternative setups.

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2. Install the vManager
To access the web-interface of the CueCore2, the vManager tool is
required. This tool can be downloaded from the Visual Productions
website. Once the installation is complete, run the vManager to discover
the IP address of the CueCore2.

3. Open the web-interface
Choose the CueCore2 from the device list and click on the Browse button
to open the web-interface.

4. Create the scene
Use the browser to go to the CueCore2’s ’Track’ page. Select a track
from the table and press the ’Open Console’ button. Create a scene by
using the command-line syntax. E.g. 1<thru>3 @ <full>

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5. Create a cue
Go to the Playback page and select Playback 1. Press the Add button to
create a new cue. Once the Cue is added it will automatically refer to
Track 1.

6. Start playback
Press Go+ on the transport area to start the Playback. The playback
now indicated the green ’play’ icon.

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3.2 Choose scenes via UDP

This example will create two lighting scenes. They will be put into a single
playback. This means only one scene will be active at a time. Furthermore, a
cross-fade will be defined between the scenes and the scenes will be triggered
by receiving simple UDP network messages. Please take the following steps:

1. Connect to the network
Connect the CueCore2 with an Ethernet cable to the router. It
is required that the network is managed by a router that fea­tures a DHCP server. If the network router is not DHCP capa­ble then read the network chapter on page 30 for alternative setups.

2. Create the first scene
Use the browser to go to the CueCore2’s ’Track’ page. Select a track from
the table and press the ’Open Console’ button. Create a scene by using
the command-line syntax. E.g. 1 @ <full> or 2+3 @ 50 <enter>

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3. Create the second scene
Press the ’right arrow’ button to switch to the next track. Again make a
scene by using some command-line syntax; e.g. 1 THRU 4 @ 10 ENTER

4. Program the playback
Go to the ’Playback’ page, select the first of the six playback and insert
two cues by pressing the ’add’ button. Set cue #1 to refer to your first
track and cue #2 to refer to your second track.

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5. Create an action list
Go to the ’Show control’ page. Select ’UDP’ from the ’Sources’ table.
Copy UDP to the ’Action list’ table by using the ’Add >>’ button. Select
the new UDP action list and insert two actions by pressing the ’<< Add’
button twice.

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6. Create actions
Select the first action and press ’Edit’ to open the dialog. Change the
trigger value to ”tulip”. Add one task by using the ’Add’ button. Choose
’Playback’ from the list of task types. Select the newly added task and set
the ’feature’ to ’Transport’ and set the ’function’ to ’Jump. Parameter
1 should be set to ’1’ (addressing the first playback) and parameter 2
should be set to ’1’ (jump to the first cue).

Press the ’Close’ button, select the second action and press ’Edit’
again. Change this trigger value to ”crocus”. Add a task by pressing
’Add’ and choose the ’Playback’ task-type. Select the newly added task
and set the ’feature’ to ’Transport’ and set the ’function’ to ’Jump.
Parameter 1 should be set to ’1’ (addressing the first playback) and
parameter 2 should be set to ’2’ (jump to the second cue).

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7. Test with netcat and monitor
On your computer, use a simple command-line tool like netcat to send
a UDP string to the CueCore2. On Mac OSX netcat is started with
the command nc -u 192.168.1.10 7000 (replace 192.168.1.10 with IP
address of your CueCore2). From now on you can type tulip <enter>
or crocus <enter> to send this messages to the CueCore2.

Go to the ’Monitor’ page in your browser and select ’UDP In’ to verify
your device is receiving the UDP messages correctly. On the ’Playback’
page you should see playback #1 respond to the incoming UDP com­mands by activating either cue #1 or cue #2.

3.3 Record a show from an external DMX

The CueCore2 is capable of recording DMX data. This tutorial explains the
required procedure.

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1. Connect the external console
Connect the DMX output of the DMX console to Port A of the CueCore2.
Connect the fixtures to Port B.

2. Configure port settings
Go to the Settings page and set DMX Port A to In. Set Port B to

Universe A, it will now transmit DMX channels 1-512. Port C and Port
D are not used in this example.

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3. Throughput the DMX
The DMX received by the CueCore2 will not automatically be output
to the fixtures, however, it is desirable to see the console’s output
on the actual fixtures. To achieve throughput of the DMX, go to the
Show Control page. Create a DMX Input action list and insert one action.

Edit the action. Set the Trigger Type to UniverseA. Add a DMX task
and set its feature to Universe and its function to Control HTP, the first
parameter should be set to 1.

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4. Configure the recording
Go to the Track page. Select the first track and press the Erase button.
Wait until the erase process is completed. Set Mode to Manual. Set
Source to DMX and set Sample rate to 40 FPS.

5. Record
Press the Record button at the begin of the console’s show. Press the
Stop button when the show is finished.

6. Test the result
Make sure the console outputs only zero values. Then playback the track’s
content by enabling the Track Preview checkbox.

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Chapter 4

Setting up

This chapter discusses how to set up the CueCore2.

4.1 Mounting

The device can be placed desktop or it can be DIN Rail mounted. The device
is prepared for DIN Rail mounting by using the ’DIN rail holder TSH 35’ from
Bopla (Product no. 22035000).

Figure 4.1: Bopla DIN rail adapter

This adapter is - amongst others - available from:

• Farnell / Newark (order code 4189991)

• Conrad (order code 539775 - 89)

• Distrelec (order code 300060)

4.2 Rackmount

There is an adapter available for mounting the CueCore2 into a 19” rack . The
rackmount adapter is 1 HE and is sold separately. It fits two units, however, it
is supplied with one position closed by a blind panel, see figure 4.2.

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Figure 4.2: Rackmount adapter

4.3 Kensington Lock

The device can be secured by using a Kensington style laptop lock.

Figure 4.3: Kensington lock

4.4 Power

The CueCore2 requires a DC power supply between 9 and 24 Volt with a min­imum of 500mA. The 2,1 mm DC connector is center-positive. The CueCore2
is also Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) enabled. It requires PoE Class I.

Figure 4.4: DC polarity

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Chapter 5

Network

The CueCore2 is a network capable device. A network connection between
between a computer and the unit is required to configure and program the
CueCore2, however, once the device is programmed then it is not necessary
anymore for the CueCore2 to be connected to an Ethernet network.

There are multiple arrangements possible for connecting the computer and the
CueCore2. They can be connected peer-to-peer, via a network switch or via
Wi-Fi. Figure 5.1 illustrates these different arrangements.

Figure 5.1: Network arrangements

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The Ethernet port on the CueCore2 is auto-sensing; it does not matter whether
a cross or straight network-cable is being used.

5.1 IP Address

The CueCore2 supports both static IP addresses and automatic IP addresses.
By default, the CueCore2 is set DHCP in which it will be automatically as­signed an IP address by the DHCP server in the network. The ’DHCP server’
is typically part of the router’s functionality.

Static IP addresses are useful when there is no DHCP server in the network, for
instance when there is a direct peer-to-peer connection between a CueCore2 and
a computer. It is also useful in permanent installations where the IP address
of the CueCore2 is known by other equipment and therefor should not change.
When using DHCP there is always the risk of automatically being given a new
IP address in the event that the DHCP server is replaced. When using static IP
addresses make sure that all equipment on the network have unique IP addresses.

The CueCore2’s LED helps to determine which kind of IP address is set. The
LED will indicate red when using DHCP and it will indicate white in the case
of a static IP address.

There are three ways to change the IP address setting of the CueCore2.

Figure 5.2: Reset button

• vManager can be used to detect a CueCore2 on the network. Once
found, the vManager software (figure chapter 13) allows for changing the
IP address, subnet mask and DHCP settings.

• If the IP address is already known then browsing to this address using the
computer’s browser will show the CueCore2’s web-interface. The Set-
tings page on this web-interface enables changing the IP address, subnet
mask and DHCP settings.

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• By briefly pressing the reset button on the device it toggles between
static and automatic IP addresses. By pressing and holding the reset
button (see figure 5.2) on the device for 3 seconds, it will reconfigure the
unit to the factory default IP address and subnet mask. No other settings
will be changed. The default IP address is 192.168.1.10 with the subnet
mask set to 255.255.255.0.

5.2 Web-interface

The CueCore2 features an inbuilt web-server. This web-interface can be accessed
via a standard browser. It is recommended to use any of the following browsers:

• Microsoft Edge

• Google Chrome (v59 or higher)

• Apple Safari (v10 or higher)

• Mozzila Firefox (v54 or higher)

The web-interface enables you to configure and program the CueCore2.
When browsing to the unit the home page (figure 5.3) will appear first. The
home page is read-only; it provides information but does not allow for changing
any setting. The other pages present many settings that can be edited. These
pages will be discussed in the subsequent chapters.

Figure 5.3: Home page

5.2.1 Uptime

This field indicates how long the unit has been alive since its last reboot.

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5.2.2 Last Server Poll

Indicates the last time the time & date was fetched from a NTP time server.

5.2.3 Master IP

When the unit is not in Stand Alone mode, then this field displays the IP
number of system that is mastering the CueCore2. Refer to chapter 6 for more
information on operating modes.

5.3 Access via Internet

The CueCore2 can be accessed through the Internet. There are two ways to
achieve this: Port Forwarding and VPN.

• Port Forwarding Is relatively easy to setup in the router. Each router
is different so it is advised to consult the router’s documentation (some­times it is revered to as NAT or Port-Redirecting). Please note that port
forwarding is not secure, since anybody could access the CueCore2 this
way.

• Accessing via a Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel requires more
setup efforts, also the router needs to support the VPN feature. Once set
up, this is a very secure way to communicate with the CueCore2. A VPN
is a network technology that creates a secure network connection over a
public network such as the Internet or a private network owned by a service
provider. Large corporations, educational institutions, and government
agencies use VPN technology to enable remote users to securely connect
to a private network. For further information about VPN please refer to
http://whatismyipaddress.com/vpn.

33

Chapter 6

Operating Modes

A CueCore2 can operate in three modes, each mode resulting in a different
behaviour of the device.

• Stand-alone

• Slave

• CueluxPro

By default the CueCore2 operates in the Stand-alone mode.

Figure 6.1: Status bar

The status bar at the bottom of the web-interface (figure 6.1) indicates the
current operating mode. When mastered by CueluxPro the home page of the
web-interface show the IP address of the CueluxPro system (figure 6.2).

Figure 6.2: Master IP

6.1 Stand-alone mode

In this mode the CueCore2 is an autonomous device for controlling lighting.
Typically it is loaded with lighting content and programmed to respond to
external triggers and/or internal scheduling. This is the default behaviour of a
CueCore2; the stand-alone mode is active whenever the CueCore2 is not in the
slave or CueluxPro mode.

34

6.2 Slave Mode

Some demanding lighting designs can require more than two universes of DMX.
When multiple CueCore2 units are combined to create a large multi-universe
system there is the need for synchronisation of those CueCore2 devices. The
Slave mode facilitates this. See figure 6.3.

Figure 6.3: Master/Slave setup

When in Slave mode the CueCore2 is taken over by a master-CueCore2 and
is no longer responsible for its playbacks and scheduling; the master takes care
of this. All the slave requires is to contain the lighting content in its tracks.
The master-CueCore2 will control all its slaves to activate the same tracks and
keep the playback of those tracks synchronised.

It is necessary to put all action-programming in the master-CueCore2. In fact,
the playback information inside the slaves will be overwritten by the master.
The master does this because it stores a copy of its playback-data in each slave to
enable the slave to continue autonomously in case the communication between
master and slave is interrupted.

The logical place for the action lists and action for a master/slave system
is also inside the master, however, it is allowed to place actions in a slave and
they will get executed.

The Slave mode is enabled in the Settings page (See chapter 12, page 66).
Once enabled, the Slave mode is entered as soon as the master connects to the
slave. The Slave mode reverts back to the Stand-alone mode when the master
disconnects or when the slave disables Master/Slave in the Settings page.

6.3 CueluxPro Mode

CueluxPro (see figure 6.4) is a software-based lighting console that is bundled
with the CueCore2. The purpose of the CueCore2 in this mode is to be an

35

interface between CueluxPro and the DMX lighting fixtures. Therefore the
CueCore2 will forward the data received from the CueluxPro software to its
DMX outlets. During this mode all internal playback and scheduling within the
CueCore2 is suspended. Figure 6.5 illustrates a typical CueluxPro/CueCore2
system.

Figure 6.4: CueluxPro

The CueCore2 enters the CueluxPro mode as soon as it is patched to one or more
universes within the CueluxPro software. This mode is exited by un-patching
the CueCore2 or closing down the CueluxPro software.

Figure 6.5: A typical CueluxPro system

Using the CueluxPro software in combination with the CueCore2 results in a
lighting control system with a larger feature set than using the CueCore2 on its
own in the stand-alone mode. CueluxPro features:

• Personality library with 3000+ fixtures

• FX Generator

36

• Matrix Pixel-mapping

• Groups

• Palettes

• Timeline editor

CueluxPro can also be used for generating the lighting content that can be
uploaded to the CueCore2. After uploading, the CueCore2 can continue to
be used stand-alone. For information on how to use CueluxPro please refer
to the CueluxPro manual on the Visual Productions website. This manual
provides instructions for connecting to CueluxPro and uploading content to the
CueCore2.

37

Chapter 7

Tracks

A Track is a piece of lighting content that can be activated by a playbacks.
Tracks can contain dynamic lighting effects; each track can be a ’DMX record­ing’ with a certain duration. Of course a static scene can also be stored in a
track.

There are three different ways to put the content inside the track. The ’Con­sole’ page allows the user to create and edit a static scene directly via the
web-interface. This page also is capable of recording a static scene from an ex­ternal DMX, Art-Net or sACN source. The Console page is discussed in detail
on page 39.

The second way for storing content into the tracks is done via the ’Recorder’
section; this section of the Tracks page contains control for recording dynamic
DMX content from external DMX, Art-Net and sACN sources.

Furthermore, it is also possible to create the lighting content using the
CueluxPro software and upload it to the CueCore2. This can be dynamic as
well as static content. For more information on CueluxPro see chapter 6, page

34.

7.1 Number of Tracks

The CueCore2 has a fixed memory chip onboard. This memory chip is divided
into a number of equally sized slots called ’Tracks’. Go to the Settings page
to choose the amount of slots the memory chip is divided into. The CueCore2
offers a choice of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 or 128 tracks. More tracks will result in
a smaller memory size per track.

Once the number of tracks has been set, the content of the tracks must be
erased. It is recommended to choose how many tracks will be used before filling
them with content.

Warning: Changing the number of tracks will result in loosing the current con­tent of the tracks.

38

Figure 7.1: Tracks

7.2 Track Properties

The Track listing (See figure 7.1) displays the following track properties:

Label The name of the track; this field can be changed by

double-clicking.

Size The number of bytes used by the data inside the track. The

maximum size is indicated at the top of this column. This
maximum depends on the ’number of tracks’ selected in the
Settings page.

Duration The length of the track displayed in

hours:minutes:seconds.milliseconds.

FPS The sample rate of the track displayed in Frames Per Second

(FPS). The sample rate has been chosen during the recording
process and cannot be altered afterwards.

7.3 Console

The Console page (see figure 7.2) allows to edit a track directly through the
web-interface, however, a track does need to be a static scene; it should only
contain a single DMX frame. If the track already contains more than one DMX
frames and thus it is a dynamic track, then it can be made static by erasing it.
The track can be edited by selecting the track in the table and then pressing
the ’Open Console’ button. This will automatically enable the ’Track Preview’
checkbox so the content that is being edited in the Console page is also out-

39

putted live.

The ’Track Preview’ is a useful option to briefly test the content stored in a
track without having to configure a playback for it. Please note that any active
playback will be released when the Track Preview is enabled.

Figure 7.2: Console page

Inside the Console page the DMX values of the track can be changed by us­ing the Command-line interface. The following table offers examples of the
supported commands.

Command Function

1 @ 50 ENTER Sets channel 1 at 50%

1 + 2 @ FULL Sets channel 1 and 2 at 100%

1 THRU 3 @ 0 Sets channels 1 through 3 at 0%

1 THRU 3 + 5 @ 0 ENTER Sets channels 1, 2, 3, and 5 at 0%

ALL @ 100 ENTER Sets all channels in the selected universe at

100%

1 @ + 10 ENTER Increases channel 1 value with 10%

ALL @ − 20 ENTER Decreases all channels in the selected universe

by 20%

By default the Console page presents the DMX values in percentage (%). When
the representation is switched to decimal (by using the ’Decimal’ button) then
the values in the table above would be interpreted as decimal values as well.
E.g. 1 @ 50 ENTER would set the channel at decimal value 50 which relates to

40

20%.

Instead of setting the values manually, the Console page also offers to record
the entire scene from an external DMX, Art-Net or sACN source. The buttons
in the Capture section become available when the CueCore2 is receiving the
signal of the corresponding protocol. I.e. that the ’DMX’ button is disabled
unless the unit is receiving actual DMX. Please be aware that - once enabled ­pressing one of the capture buttons will overwrite the current channel levels in
all universes.

7.4 Recorder

The Recorder section is used to capture dynamic content from an external source
and store it inside a track. In order to be stored in flash memory, a track re­quires to be erased first. It is advised to manually erase the track before starting
a record. This is done by selecting it in the table and then pressing the ’Erase’
button. In case a non-erased track will be directly recorded then the CueCore2
will automatically first erase the track, however, this gives less control over the
timing of the start of the recording, especially in the Manual mode.

Figure 7.3: Recorder section

The icons in the track table visualise the different states of the recorder. The
’trash icon’ indicates a track is being erased. The ’orange dot’ signifies a track
being ready to start recording, this corresponds to the Triggered or Timecode

41

mode. A ’red dot’ indicates a recording in progress.

7.4.1 Mode

The triggering modes define how the recorder is initiated. There are three
different modes.

• The most simple mode is Manual. In this mode the user has to manu-
ally press the ’Record’ button to start and press the ’Stop’ button to end
the recording. Although simple to operate, this mode does not give accu­rate control over the timing of the begin and end of the recording. Both
human interaction and operation through a web-based user-interface will
introduce some degree of lag.

• An automated way of starting and stopping the recording process is done
in the Triggered mode. One of the data channels is allocated to control
the start/stop. The channel address is denoted by the ’Trigger Channel’
field. It is advised to include this channel in the show programming done
on the external source; a typical lighting console allows accurate timing
of DMX channels which gives fine control over when the recording starts
and ends in relationship to the show content. When using the Triggered
mode pressing the ’Record’ button will prepare the track for recording;
it will be erased when necessary and then stay idle in anticipation of the
trigger channel going high to indicate ’start’. The recording is ended by
setting the trigger channel to 0%.

• The Timecode mode allows for the recording process to be synchronised
by incoming timecode. Pressing the ’Record’ button will prepare the track
for recording; it will be erased when necessary and then stay idle in antici­pation of the timecode to start running, it stops when the timecode resets
back to 00:00:00.00. Always record from frame 00:00:00.00. If the content
is supposed to run at a different frame then use the playback’s ’TC offset’
property to achieve that.

A typical challenge with recording dynamic DMX data is to create a seamless
loop. Often the manual mode will most likely not be sufficiently accurate to
achieve a seamless loop. The triggered mode offers a way to remote control
and make the recording seamless. Alternatively, the lighting content can be de­signed in CueluxPro instead of recording from an external source, as CueluxPro
automatically takes care of making its content seamless.

7.4.2 Sources

The CueCore2 is capable of recording DMX data from an external source by
using three different protocols:

• DMX

• Art-Net

• sACN

Please consider that the operation of these protocols depend on their properties
the Settings page.

42

7.4.3 Sample Rate

The Sample Rate setting will determine how many samples of the data are taken
per second and stored in memory. This setting variants are 5, 10, 30 and 40
Frames Per Second (FPS). 40 FPS gives maximum quality in terms of smooth
dimming curves. 5 FPS is a low value but useful for slow DMX changes and
consumes much less memory. The 40 FPS setting is recommended unless there
is a reason to reduce the sample rate.

7.4.4 XLR Adapter

The DMX ports on the CueCore2 are mainly used for outputting DMX and
therefor are fitted with female XLR connectors. When using the ports as an
input it is likely that the XLR needs to ’gender change’ into a male connector.
Neutrik offers the NA5MM (figure 7.4), a 5-pin XLR male-to-male adapter for
this purpose.

Figure 7.4: Neutrik NA5MM

7.5 Track Capacity

The CueCore2 has 32MB memory, of which 24MB is reserved for the tracks.
The device uses a compression algorithm to store the data and optimise the
storage for best use. The duration of the recording that the track can hold
depends on several parameters: number of tracks, dynamic lighting content and
the number of DMX channels used. Therefor the maximum duration is hard to
specify, however, some guidance can be provided:

In a typical scenario where 32 moving heads - together consuming 512 chan­nels - are constantly changing their primary attributes (position, shutter, colour
& gobo) then the memory will hold approx. 16 minutes per track in a 8-track
setup. In a 32-track it will hold 3 minutes per track. Both examples are record­ing at 40 FPS.

In a worst-case scenario with 1,024 channels actively changing to random val­ues (pixel-mapping content) then a 1-track setup will hold approx. 13 minutes,
a 16-track setup will hold 48 seconds per track. Both examples are recording at
40 FPS.

43

If the limits of the capacity are reached then there are three different ways
to help overcome this.

• Reduce the ’number of tracks’ in the settings page. Note that the current
track content is lost when changing this setting.

• Reduce the sample rate.

• Spread the content over multiple tracks. They can be linked together later

on the Playback page (For more information go to chapter Playbacks, page

20). This way cross-fades can be generated by the CueCore2 instead of
being recorded.

7.6 Intensity map

Typically, a DMX recorder stores the values of the channels without knowing
its functions. When reducing the output level at the Playback all channels are
reduced, also the ones that contain information other than intensity/dimmer
levels. This has the undesired effect that RGB or Pan Tilt channels are also
affected, whereas ideally only the intensity levels should be lowered. This is a
challenge all DMX recorders have. The intensity map (figure 7.5) overcomes
this issue by specifying to the CueCore2 which channels control intensity.

Figure 7.5: Intensity Map section

To set up the Intensity Map follow steps below:

1. Connect an external lighting console via DMX, Art-Net or sACN.

2. Create a scene in which intensity channels are set to 100%. In case of
16-bit dimming, the coarse (or MSB) channels are set to 100% and the
Fine (or LSB) channels are set to 50%. All other channels go to 0%.

3. Press the ’Capture’ button.

The recording of this lighting scene is now saved in the Intensity Map.

The capture buttons remain disabled while the CueCore2 is not receiving the ac­tual signal from the corresponding protocol. The ’Clear Intensity Map’ button is

44

only enabled when there is an intensity map present; a disabled ’Clear Intensity
Map’ button is an indication that there is no map stored in the memory.

45

Chapter 8

Playbacks

A playback is capable of activating the lighting content stored in the tracks.
Tracks are merely storage for lighting scenes and effects; the playbacks actually
plays them. The playbacks are located in the Playback page in the web-interface,
see figure 8.1.

Figure 8.1: Playback page

There are 6 playbacks available. Each can contain up to 32 steps, called ’cues’.
A cue will contain a reference to a track plus additional information such as
fade-time and duration. Figure 8.2 illustrates the structure of a playback.

Playbacks can be run independently of each other; they can all start or stop at
different times. It is possible to control the same DMX channels from multiple
playbacks and have them merged together. Also, it is possible to have each play­back control a different set of DMX channels; making each playback responsible

46

Figure 8.2: Playback structure

for a different zone. Figure 8.3 shows an example of controlling multiple zones
in a hypothetical restaurant.

Figure 8.3: Playbacks controlling zones in a restaurant

8.1 Precedence

All active Playbacks produce DMX values. These values will be merged to­gether and sent to the DMX output. The precedence setting determines how
this merging is done. Each playback can be set to either HTP (Highest Takes
Precedence), LTP (Latest Takes Precedence) or Priority.

47

HTP is the most common choice in precedence. With HTP the output of all
playbacks is compared to each other; for each DMX channel the level is set to
the highest value found in that particular channel amongst all playbacks. The
table below shows an example of HTP merging.

Playback 1 Playback 2 Playback 3 Merged Output

Channel 1 0% 0% 25% 25%

Channel 2 100% 0% 25% 100%

Channel 3 0% 0% 0% 0%

Channel 4 0% 100% 25% 100%

In the LTP approach only one playback is active amongst all LTP playbacks.
The output of that active playback is included in the merge with all HTP play­backs. All other LTP playbacks are ignored. Which LTP playback is active is
determined by which playback is started latest, or which received a Go+ com­mand latest. Please consider figure 8.4.

Figure 8.4: Playback precedence

If there is a playback active with its precedence set to Priority then all other
playbacks are ignored. When there are multiple Priority playback then those
will be merged together according to the HTP principle.

8.2 Playback Properties

Each playback provides a set of properties that can be used to customise the
playback’s behaviour. Some properties are changed by double-click.

48

Label The name of the playback.

Intensity The output level of the playback.

Rate The speed of the playback. By default, it is set to 0%. It can

go up to 100% (faster) and down to -100% (slower).

Release When released the playback can fade out to zero. This release

time defines how long this fade out will take. Setting it to 0s
will result in an instant release.

TC When enabled, the playback is synchronised to the current

timecode (TC). By default, TC is disabled. Note that the
Settings page provides a field for selecting the timecode
protocol, e.g. ’internal’ or ’Art-Net’.

TC Offset Specifies at which timecode frame the playback starts.

Precedence Determines how the output of the playbacks is merged

together, as explained on page 47.

MFade Normally the fade time between cues is determined by the

’fade’ field in the cue properties. When Mfade is enabled then
the playback will ignore the cue’s fade times and use the
master fade time for all its cues.

Repeat This property determines what the playback does when it

finishes the last cue.
Loop: Will start over from the beginning.
Bounce: Will make it traverse back to the beginning, and it
will keep going back and forth.
Random: The order of the cues will be random.
Off: The Playback will automatically release when reaching
the end of the cues.

Cue Current/Total of Cues. Indicates which cue is currently active

and indicates the total number of cues in the Playback.

The intensity and rate properties are not stored in the CueCore2’s internal
flash memory. It is expected that these properties can change often during the
operation of the CueCore2 and could consequently wear out the flash memory.

A consequence of not storing these properties is that after a power cycle their
levels will be reverted to the default values. If the intensity or rate requires to be
permanently set to a value other than the default value then it is recommended
to use the Show Control page and create an action in the ’System’ action list.
This action can have its trigger set to ’Startup’ and contain tasks to set the
playback’s intensity and rate to the desired values.

8.3 Cue

A cue is a step inside a playback. A playback can contain up to 32 cues. A
cue does not contain a lighting scene, rather, it refers to a track which does
contain the lighting scenes. It is possible for multiple cues to refer to the same
track. The cue does contain information on how long the lighting scene should

49

be played and if it should be cross-faded from the previous cue.

Figure 8.5: Cues

Each cue provides the following properties:

50

Track A reference to the track that will be played in this step.

Fade The cue will fade from the current levels to its programmed

levels. The time it takes to cross-fade is specified by ’Fade’.
When the fade is set to 0 then there will be no cross-fade; the
values will change instantly.

Duration Determines how long the cue will be active before traversing to

the next cue. This is the time between the completion of the
cross-fade into this cue and and the start of the cross-fade to
the next cue.
The duration field accept not only ’time’ input such as ”.5”
”30s” or ”1m15”, it also accepts ’number of cycles’; the
playback can run the cue ”1x” or ”10x”. This is particularly
useful when the track referred to by the cue contains a
(seamless-)looped effect. Please note that if the track contains a
static scene; i.e. the track only holds a single DMX frame, then
running it for a number of cycles will create a very short cue as
a single DMX frame only takes 25ms.
The third option for the duration field is to input ”halt”. In this
case the cue will continue to run indefinitely; it requires a Go+,
Go-, Jump or Release command to traverse to the next cue.

The Playback page provides the following buttons to edit the cues:

• Add: Will add a new empty cue.

• Remove: Will remove the selected cue

• Up: Will move the selected cue up a position.

• Down: Will move a selected cue down a position.

• Fade: Will open a pop-up window where you can set the fade time.

• Duration: Will open a pop-up window where you can set the duration.

8.4 Transp ort

The transport section offers buttons to control the playbacks.

Go+ Jump to the next cue.

Go- Jump to the previous cue.

Release Deactivates the selected playback. Press and hold to release all

playbacks.

8.5 Master

The master section provides features that are applied to all playbacks.

51

Intensity The master intensity works like a theatrical ’grand master’; it

dims the output of all playbacks taking their individual
intensity setting into account.

Rate The master rate will control the play speed of all playbacks;

with taking their individual rate settings into account.

Fade The master fade time overrides the fade time of all cues. This

only applies to playbacks that have ’MFade’ enabled.

Similar to some of the playback properties, the master properties are not stored
in the internal flash memory. Please refer to the discussion on page 49.

52

Chapter 9

Show Control

The CueCore2 can interact with the outside world; it can receive messages and
values through various protocols and it can send out many protocols. It is pos­sible to automate the CueCore2 by having it respond automatically to incoming
signals. An example of this would be to start a playback upon receiving a spe­cific UDP network message. The Show Control page (See figure 9.1) enables
this kind of programming to be made.

Figure 9.1: Show Control page

The Show Control page presents a system of ’actions’. A signal that the
CueCore2 needs to respond to or perhaps convert into some other signal, needs
to be expressed in an actions. With the exception of converting timecode pro­tocols; this can be done in the Settings page (see page ??).Before programming
actions please consider the Show Control structure in figure 9.2.

53

Figure 9.2: Show Control structure

The CueCore2 is capable of listening to various protocols. These available pro­tocols are listed in Sources, however, the CueCore2 can only actively listen to
8 protocols at once. The active protocols are listed in ’Action Lists’. Each
action list can contain actions. Within a protocol/source each individual sig­nal requires its own action. For example, when listening to channel 1 and 2 on
the incoming DMX, the DMX action list needs two actions; one for each channel.

Inside the action we define the trigger and tasks. The trigger specifies for which
signal to filter. In the above DMX example the trigger would be set to ’channel
1’ and ’channel 2’ respectively. The tasks determine what the CueCore2 will do
when this action is triggered. Several tasks can be placed in the action. There
are tasks available for a wide range of CueCore2 features and external protocols.
Task types are detailed in Appendix B on page 90.

Please consult the API appendix on page 99 before implementing incoming
OSC or UDP messages; the API already exposes typical functionality through
OSC and UDP and therefor it might not be necessary to implement custom
messages.

9.1 Sources and Action Lists

The Sources listing presents all protocols that the CueCore2 is capable of receiv­ing. It also includes internal features that can create events that can be used for
triggering actions, such as the calendar-scheduler. These sources are available,
however, they will only be actively listened to once moved to the action-list table.

54

GPI GPI port activity

MIDI MIDI messages

UDP UDP network messages

TCP TCP network messages

OSC OSC network message

DMX Input DMX received on one or more of the DMX ports (switch

port to input in the settings page)

Art-Net Art-Net DMX data

sACN sACN DMX data

Timecode Timecode signal, specify the incoming timecode protocol on

the Settings page.

Touch Screen Triggers from Kiosc. For each Action various controls can

be chosen such as buttons and sliders, colour picker etc.
The order of the actions will control the arrangement in
Kiosc.

Schedular Triggers based on time, date, weekdays, sunrise & sunset

Playback Events generated by the playbacks

Randomiser The randomiser can generate a random number

System Events such as ’Power on’

Variable The Variable source works in combination with the variable

task (For more information about the Variable task please
refer to Task Types). The Variable task will set a value of
which an enabled action-list type with Variable as Source
will use as a trigger. The CueCore2 will keep the values of
the 8 variables even after shut down so long as the RTC
battery is not empty.

Timer

User List 1-4 These action-lists will never trigger an event, however, they

Action-lists can be temporarily suspended by disabling their checkbox in the
Show Control page. There is also a task available to automate changing the
state of this checkbox.

There are 4 internal timers in the CueCore2. An event will
be raised when a timer expires. Timers are set and
activated by the Timer tasks.

are useful for advanced programming.

9.2 Actions

Actions are executed when a certain signal is received. This signal is defined by
the trigger. A trigger is always relative to the action-list the action belongs to.
For example, when the trigger-type is set to ’Channel’ then it refers to a single

55

DMX channel if the action is placed inside a ’DMX Input’ list and it means a
single Art-Net channel if the action resides in an Art-Net action-list.

A trigger is determined by the trigger-type, trigger-value and trigger-flank fields.
Although these fields are not applicable for all action-lists and are therefor
sometimes omitted in the web GUI. The trigger-type field specifies what kind
of signal the action will be triggered by. For example, when making an action
in the Scheduler list there is the choice between ’DateAndTime’ and ’Week­dayAndTime’ trigger-types. The trigger-value specifies the actual signal value.
In the schedular example the trigger-value could be set to ”2016-03-24 11:00”
or ”Weekend 10:00” respectively.

In some action-lists actions do also need to specify the trigger-flank. The flank
further specifies the value that the signal should have before triggering the ac­tion. For example, when an action is triggered from a Touch Screen list and it
is linked to a button in the Kiosc software, the flank will determine whether to
trigger only when the button goes down or only when it goes up. Appendix B
provides an overview of the available trigger-types.

An action-list can have up to 48 actions, system-wide there is a maximum of 64
actions.

9.3 Tasks

Tasks are added to an action in order to specify what to do when it gets executed.
Up to 8 tasks can be included in an action, systemwide there is a maximum of 128
tasks. The tasks are executed in the order of the list. There is a wide selection of
tasks available to choose from, they include altering any of the internal software
features like playbacks and recorder but also sending out messages through any
of the supported protocols. The tasks are organised in categories. Once a task is
chosen from these categories each task allows for further choice between several
’Features’ and ’Functions’. Tasks contain up to two parameters that might be
required for its execution.

If the event that triggers the action passes a parameter along then this
parameter can be used in a task. The ’set’ function makes a task use a fixed
value, however, when using the ’control’ function then the trigger’s parameter
is used. This is very useful for conversions between protocols.

For example when converting 0-10V to DMX the GPI action specifies the
port (e.g. #1) and flank (e.g. OnChange) on which it will trigger. The actual 0­10V level sampled on the GPI port will be passed along and fed into the action.
Then when a task (e.g. DMX) uses the function ’control’ this 0-10V level will
be used for setting the DMX value.

A task can be tested by selecting it and pressing the ’execute’ button in
the action-edit dialog. The complete action can also be tested; go to the Show
Control page, select the action and press the ’execute’ button.

Appendix A provides a detailed overview of the available tasks, features,
functions and parameters.

56

9.4 Templates

The Show Control page presents a list of templates. A template is a set of
action-list, actions and task. These templates configure the CueCore2 to per­form typical functions; for example convert Art-Net to DMX or control the
6 playbacks through OSC. The templates thus save time; otherwise actions
should have been set up manually. They can also function as a guide to soften
the learning curve on actions; a lot can be learned from adding a template and
then exploring the actions and tasks it created. Please note that some templates
require settings to changed in the settings page; for example the ’Receiving Art­Net’ template needs the DMX outlets to set to outputs in order to achieve an
Art-Net to DMX conversion. Appendix C gives an overview of the available
templates.

9.5 Variables

Variables are part of the show control system in the CueCore2. There are eight
variables and each can hold a value in the range of [0,255]. These values can
be manipulated by tasks and can be used for advanced action programming.
Variables can be added as sources in order to have actions triggered when a
variable changes value.

The values of the variables are stored in the same battery backed-up memory
as the RTC; it will hold the values between power cycles if the time between
power-on does not exceed a few days.

9.6 Timers

The show control system of the CueCore2 features four internal timers. By
using tasks, the timers can be set to certain durations and they can be started.
Once started the timers will countdown to zero. When the timer reaches zero
it will generate an event that can be captured by using the Timer action list.
Please note that the timer values are not stored between power cycles.

9.7 Randomizer

The randomizer is an internal software feature that can generate a (pseudo­)random number. This is useful for having an event trigger a random lighting
scene in a themed environment. The randomizer is activated by the Randomizer­task. The result of the randomizer’s calculation can be obtained by catching
the event in the Randomizer-actionlist.

57

Chapter 10

Protocol Conversion

The CueCore2 is fitted with several communication ports and additionally sup­ports various Ethernet-based protocols. Although some protocols are predom­inantly used for triggering the internal playbacks (such as GPI, MIDI,UDP,
OSC, etc.) and some other protocols are mainly used for recording (such as
DMX input, Art-Net and sACN) the CueCore2 is capable of converting one
protocol into another. This chapter provides an insight on which conversions
are possible and how to set them up.

All possible conversions can be organised into two categories: Converting Con­trol Protocols and Converting DMX Universe Protocols.

10.1 Converting Control Protocols

The first category of conversions comprise the protocols typically used for trig­gering or transporting one piece of information. The following table shows these
protocols and what kind of information they are able to carry.

Control Protocols Information

Digital GPI On/Off

Analog GPI percentage [0%,100%]

MIDI number [0,127]

UDP -

TCP -

OSC percentage [0%,100%], number, string, colour, On/Off

DMX number [0,255]

Art-Net number [0,255]

sACN number [0,255]

Although DMX, Art-Net and sACN are dedicated lighting protocols and natu­rally fit in the next category, their individual channels lend themselves well for

58

conveying control messages.

Setting up a conversion is done in the Show Control page. First add the in­coming protocol from the ’Sources’ table into the ’Action list’ table. Then add
an action to this new action-list. Inside this action the trigger-flank field (if
visible) should be set to Change; as this action should be triggered every time
the incoming signal changes. Furthermore, a task need to be added, the task­type determines which protocol is the output of our conversion. It is important
that the ’function’ in this task is set to ’Control’. This will make sure that the
output is not a fixed value, rather it will output the information received from
the incoming signal.

Please consider two examples. Figure 10.1 shows a conversion between Dig­ital GPI and OSC. This example assumes the GPI Port 1 is set to ’Digital’ on
the Settings page.

(a) Step 1

(b) Step 2

Figure 10.1: Conversion from GPI to OSC

Figure 10.2 shows a conversion between MIDI and DMX. This example assumes
the DMX Port A is set to ’Output A’ on the Settings page.

(a) Step 1

(b) Step 2

Figure 10.2: Conversion from MIDI to DMX

59

10.2 Converting DMX Universe Protocols

This category includes all protocols that carry a DMX Universe (a block of 512
DMX channels). These protocols are DMX, Art-Net, sACN and to some extend
KiNet. The CueCore2 is capable of receiving a complete DMX universe from
one protocol and sending it out on a different protocol. Furthermore, it is able
to merge DMX universes from multiple sources into one output protocol, allow­ing the user to define the method of merging (HTP, LTP or Priority). All this
is done with a minimal amount of configuration in the CueCore2. The following
table lists examples of the conversions that can be made.

Example DMX Universe Conversions

DMX ->Art-Net

Art-Net ->DMX

DMX ->sACN

sACN ->DMX

DMX ->KiNet

Art-Net ->sACN

It is also possible to create combinations of the examples above. For instance
you could set up a conversion from DMX to both Art-Net and sACN. Or merge
incoming Art-Net and sACN together into the DMX output. Also, at any point
it is possible to merge the incoming DMX data with the data generated by the
internal playbacks.

To set up the conversion go to the Show Control page and choose the incoming
protocol from the ’Sources’ table and add it to the ’Action lists’ table. Then add
an action for each DMX Universe you wish to convert; e.g. when converting two
DMX ports to Art-Net it requires two action to programmed. The trigger-type
in the actions should be set to ’Universe’ to make the CueCore2 process the 512
channels as a whole rather then process individual channels. Each action should
contain a DMX-task with the ’feature’ set to ’Universe’; all DMX Universe data
is first being copied into the CueCore2’s internal DMX buffer. From this buffer
it can be copied to the DMX outlet or the other protocols such as Art-Net and
sACN. Figure 10.3 provides a schematic for this data flow.

The ’function’ determines how the DMX data is merged; it controls the prece-

dence. There is the following choice:

Function

Control HTP Highest Takes Precedence

Control LTP Highest Takes Precedence

Control Priority

Clear

60

Figure 10.3: DMX merging data flow

The HTP precedence is the default choice where all channels are compared and
the highest levels are used for the merged output. Amongst all the playbacks
set to LTP only one of them is included in the HTP merge; the LTP playback
that has been activated latest. If there is task function set to Priority and this
signal is actively received, then this data will be send directly to the output,
temporarily suspending all HTP and LTP sources. When multiple conversions
are set to Priority then those will be merged according to highest takes prece­dence. Figure 10.4 illustrates this mechanism.

Figure 10.4: DMX merging precedence

The additional ’Clear’ function is not related to the data merging precedence;
it is just a function to clear the whole universe to zero.

Please note that the ’Templates’ table provides pre-programmed configurations
for the most popular conversions.

A very typical conversion that can illustrate as an example is to convert Art-Net
universes 0.0 and 0.1 to DMX output A and B respectively. Figure 10.5 shows
action-list, figure 10.6 show the contents of ’Action 1’ and figure 10.7 show the
required configuration of the Settings page.

61

Figure 10.5: Converting Art-Net to DMX step 1

Figure 10.6: Converting Art-Net to DMX step 2

Figure 10.7: Converting Art-Net to DMX step 3

62

Chapter 11

Monitors

This page allows the user to inspect the incoming and outgoing data, both
DMX-type data (See figure 11.1) as well as control messages (See figure 11.2).
Monitoring incoming and outgoing data can help the user troubleshoot during
programming.

Figure 11.1: DMX Monitor page

In the Monitor page three different sources of input can be found (DMX, Art­Net and sACN), along with the control input and output sources (TCP, UDP
and OSC). On the right side of the page there are the universes were the user
can swap between the four of them or choose a preferable unit for displaying
the requested information.

63

Figure 11.2: OSC Monitor page

64

Chapter 12

Settings

The CueCore2’s settings are organised into sections, see the Settings page figure

12.1. This chapter will discuss each section.

Figure 12.1: Settings page

65

12.1 General

You can change the CueCore2’s label. This label can be used to distinguish the
unit in a set-up with multiple devices.

By enabling the Blink checkbox the device’s LED will blink to help to iden­tify it amongst multiple devices.

Figure 12.2: General Settings

The Number of Tracks drop-down determines the organisation of the Track
memory. This is discussed on page 43. Changing the number of tracks will

result in loosing the current content of the tracks.

By enabling the Share Analytics options, you will help Visual Productions
improve its products. When enabled, the CueCore2 will send daily diagnostics
and usage data to Visual Productions. This information remains anonymous.

Unauthorised users can be prevented by making changes to the CueCore2 by
enabling the password protection. Once enabled, the password can be disabled
via the web-interface (using the ’Disable’ button) and the reset button (see
figure 5.2). Long-press the reset button to disable the password protection; this
will also revert the unit’s static IP back to the default factory settings.

12.2 IP

The IP fields are for setting up the IP address and subnet mask of the CueCore2.
The Router field is only required when Port Forwarding is used. You can also
enable or disable the DHCP feature (For more information see chapter 5 at page

30).

12.3 Slaves

This section enables the master-slave synchronisation.

The master-CueCore2 should specify the IP addresses of its slaves. When the IP
is indicated in white then the master-slave connection is established, otherwise
the IP is indicated in orange. For creating a system with more than four slaves,
a broadcast IP can be set. A typical broadcast IP address is 192.168.1.255,

66

Figure 12.3: IP Settings

Figure 12.4: Slaves Settings

however, this depends on the subnet used.

The slave-CueCore2 units require the ’Allow control by master’ checkbox to
be enabled. Enabling ’Allow control by master’ checkbox will cause playback

data to be overwritten.

12.4 Date & Time

The date and time of the RTC can be set here. The clock has a back-up
battery to keep the time during a power down. Daylight Saving Time (DST) is
supported for the regions Europe and United States.

The Time Server field allows a NTP server to specified. At start up, the
CueCore2 will fetch the time and date from this server. Additionally, an ac­tion can be used to fetch the time. The DST and the Coordinated Universal
Time (UTC) are taken into account when obtaining the time for the NTP server.

The following table lists suggested NTP servers.

67

Figure 12.5: Date & Time Settings

Continent Server

North America 64.90.182.55

South America 201.49.148.135

Europe 143.210.16.201

Africa 196.23.245.74

Asia 133.100.9.2

Australia 137.92.140.80

12.5 Location

The astronomical clock in the CueCore2 calculates the sunrise and sunset times
based on day of the year, latitude, longitude and UTC. The latitude and longi­tude values define the position in the world and should be entered in degrees.
The latitude value should be positive for North and negative for South, the
longitude should positive for East and negative for West.

The website http://www.findlatitudeandlongitude.com/ can help discover
the latitude and longitude values for the current location. The time-zone and
perhaps daylight saving time of the current location is expressed in the UTC
value. UTC is - in this context - equivalent to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

For example, Visual Productions’ HQ is based in the city of Haarlem, the
Netherlands. During the winter the UTC equals +1 and in the summer during
day light saving time it is set to +2. So, the settings for the Visual Productions’
HQ are shown in Figure 12.6.

The Offset fields allows to shift the sunrise and sunset triggers, both earlier
and later. For example, to have a trigger half an hour before sunrise set the
offset to -00:30.

68

Figure 12.6: Location settings

12.6 OSC

External equipment sending OSC messages to the CueCore2 need to be aware
of the number specified in the ’Port’ field. This is the port the CueCore2 listens
to for incoming messages.

Figure 12.7: OSC Settings

The CueCore2 will send its outgoing OSC messages to the IP addresses speci­fied in the ’Out IP’ fields. Up to four IPs can be specified here. Use the ’ipad­dress:port’ format in these fields, e.g. ”192.168.1.11:9000”. If a field should not
be used that it can be filled with IP 0.0.0.0:0. It is possible to enter a broadcast
IP address like 192.168.1.255 in order to reach more than four recipients.

Enabling the Forward checkbox will have the CueCore2 copy every incoming
OSC message and send it the addresses specified in the ’Out IP’ fields.

12.7 Timecode

The CueCore2 can receive SMPTE, MTC and Art-Net timecode. This section
allows to choose one of these protocols as the timecode source. Alternatively,

69

the CueCore2 also has ’internal’ timecode; a timecode generated by the unit
itself. Synchronisation of playbacks and actions depend on this choice.

Figure 12.8: Timecode Settings

12.8 KiNet v1

The CueCore2 features transmission of DMX data via KiNet; it supports KiNet
protocol version 1.

Figure 12.9: Kinet Settings

12.9 TCP/IP

Defines the listening ports for TCP and UDP messages. External system in­tending to send TCP or UDP message to the CueCore2 should need to know
the unit’s IP address and this port number. By default both ports are set to

7000.

Figure 12.10: TCP/IP settings

70

12.10 DMX

The DMX settings specify wether a DMX port is input or output. Select ’Uni­verse X’ to set it to output.

Figure 12.11: DMX settings

When the ’Slow DMX’ checkbox is enabled, the CueCore2 will slowdown the
rate at which it sends out DMX from its ports. This is done to facilitate DMX
fixtures that have difficulties keeping up with the optimal DMX transmission
rate.

When programming a show that does not use all DMX universes it can be
useful to set multiple DMX ports to the same universe. This can make cabling
more efficient and perhaps prevent the need of a DMX splitter. For example,
when using only 512 channels bothDMX ports can be set to ’Universe A’.

12.11 Art-Net

The Art-Net feature in the CueCore2 supports 2 universes out or 2 universes
in. These universes can be mapped to any of the 256 available universes in the
Art-Net protocol. The universe is entered in the ’subnet.universe’ format, i.e.
the lowest universe number is written as ’0.0’ and the highest universe number
is denoted as ’15.15’. The outgoing Art-Net transmission can be disabled by
entering ’off’ in the output fields.

Figure 12.12: Art-Net settings

The destination IP determines where the outgoing Art-Net data will be send to.
Typically, this field contains a broadcast address like 2.255.255.255 which will
send the Art-Net data to the 2.x.x.x IP range. Another typical Art-Net broad-

71

cast address is 10.255.255.255. When using broadcast address 255.255.255.255
then all the devices on the network will receive the Art-Net data.

It is also possible to fill in a unicast address like 192.168.1.11; in this case
the Art-Net data will be send to one IP address only. This keeps the rest of the
network clean of any Art-Net network messages.

12.12 sACN

Figure 12.13: sACN settings

The CueCore2 supports 2 incoming sACN universes and 2 outgoing uni­verses. Each universe field should hold a number in the range of [1,63999].
Outgoing sACN transmission can be disabled by entering ’off’ into the sACN
output fields.

12.13 GPI

The GPI ports can be configured either as digital (contact-closure) or as analog
(0-10V) input.

In case a port is set as analog and the signal supplied falls within the 0-10V
range (e.g. 1-5V) then it is recommended to calibrate to port in order to map
the minimal voltage to a logical 0% and map the maximum voltage to 100%.

To perform a calibration first enable the Calibrate button, then bring the
incoming signal to the minimum level, bring the signal to the maximum level
and then close the calibration process by clicking the Calibrate button again.

Figure 12.14: GPI Settings

72

Do not apply more than 10V to the GPI port, as this could cause permanent
damage.

12.14 Timespan

Figure 12.15: Timespan settings

The Timespan section allows for four periods of time to be defined. The
beginning and end of the time periods will trigger actions in the show control
page.

An advantage of Timespans over normal scheduler actions is that Timespans
are power-cycle safe. When the CueCore2 is without power during the moment
of a normal scheduler trigger then it will miss that trigger. Timespans, however,
will still receive the trigger once the power is restored after the moment has
occurred.

Timespans are ideal for defining periods of time during a year (like Christmas
or Easter) or periods during the day (like opening times).

When entering the date and time data, XX’s can be used to signify a ’don’t
care’. This allows for easily programming of yearly, monthly or daily re-occuring
events.

73

Chapter 13

vManager

A free-of-charge software tool called vManager has been developed to manage
the devices. vManager allows for:

• Setup the IP address, subnet mask, router and DHCP

• Backup and restore the device’s internal data and settings

• Perform firmware updates

• Set the real-time clock of the CueCore2 (The computer’s date and time

will be used)

• Identify a specific device (in a multi device set-up) by blinking its LED

• Revert to factory defaults

Figure 13.1: vManager

74

The following section explain the buttons in the vManager, as seen in figure

13.1.

13.1 Backup

Backups of all the programming data inside the device can be made. This
backup file (an XML) is saved on the computer’s hard-disk and can be easily
transferred via e-mail or USB stick. The data of the backup can be restored via
the Restore button.

Figure 13.2: Creating a backup

Apps distributed by app stores are not allowed to access files outside this
designated location. It is important to know where vManager is storing its files,
in case you wish transfer a backup file to memory stick or dropbox.

The designated file location differs per operating system and is likely to be a
long and obscure path. For this reason, vManager provides you with a shortcut
to the correct file location. A Folder button can be found in the file related
dialogs. Clicking this button will open a file browser at appropriate folder.

13.2 Upgrade Firmware

To upgrade the firmware, first select the device and press the Upgrade Firmware
button. The dialogue allows for selecting from the list of firmware versions
available.

Figure 13.3: Firmware upgrade

Warning: Make sure the power to the device is not interrupted during the
upgrade process.

75

13.3 Set Date & Time

The computer’s date and time can be quickly copied to the unit by selecting a
device and clicking the Set Date & Time button. Not all Visual Productions
devices feature an internal real-time clock.

13.4 Blink

The device’s LED can be set to blink fast for identifying the particular unit
amongst multiple devices. The blinking is enabled by double-clicking on a device
in the Devices list or by selecting a device and then clicking the Blink button.

13.5 Factory Defaults

All the user data like cues, tracks and actions are stored on the memory. They
will be completely erased and all settings will reverted to their defaults by
pressing the Factory Defaults button. This action does not affect the device’s
IP settings.

13.6 RTC Calibration

The CueCore2 features an internal real-time clock (RTC) that is used for gen­erating scheduler triggers (date, time, sunrise, etc). In case that the clock is
drifting, i.e. slowly falling behind or getting ahead of the real time, then it can
be calibrated again using the vManager. The procedure is as follows:

1. Select the CueCore2

2. Click on the ’Start RTC Calibration’ button

3. wait approximately 30 minutes

4. Click on the ’Stop RTC Calibration’ button

5. Apply the recommended calibration value in the dialog (figure 13.4)

Figure 13.4: Apply calibration value

76

13.7 Reboot

The Reboot button allows you to remotely restart the device. This is useful for
testing the unit’s behaviour after a power-cycle.

13.8 Installing vManager

The vManager app is available on a wide range of operating systems, both
mobile and desktop.

The softwares is distributed through app-stores to take advantage of receiv­ing future software updates automatically.

13.8.1 iOS

vManager can be downloaded from the Apple iOS app-store at itunes.apple.
com/us/app/vman/id1133961541.

13.8.2 Android

vManager can be found on the Google Play store at play.google.com/store/
apps/details?id=org.visualproductions.manager.

Android 5.0 or higher is required.

13.8.3 Windows

Visit the Microsoft store at www.microsoft.com.

Windows 10 or higher is required.

13.8.4 macOS

Visit the Apple macOS app store at itunes.apple.com/us/app/vman/id1133961541.

macOS 10.13 is recommended.

13.8.5 Ubuntu

You can acquire the vManager from the uApp Explorer uappexplorer.com/
snap/ubuntu/vmanager.

Alternatively, it can be installed by using the command-line:

snap find vmanager
snap install vmanager

To update the apps later on via the command-line type:

snap refresh vmanager

77

Ubuntu 18.04 LTS is recommended. The software is only available for the
amd64 architecture.

78

Chapter 14

Kiosc

Kiosc is an app for creating custom user-interface. This app (see figure 14.1)
is available on many operating systems: (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS &
Ubuntu Linux). It can remote control lighting controllers from Visual Produc­tions such as CueluxPro, CueCore, IoCore and the B-Station.

Figure 14.1: Kiosc

Please read the Kiosc manual, available from http://www.visualproductions.nl/downloads,
for more details.

79

Appendices

80

Appendix A

Trigger Types

The following tables list the different types of triggers that can be used in the
CueCore2. The different types are accompanied with values and flanks.

81

A.1 GPI

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Channel Port number Change Port state changes

Channel Port number Down Port is closed

Channel Port number Up Port is opened

Channel 0-19% Port number Change Analog level enters or leaves the range

Channel 0-19% Port number Down Analog level enters the range

Channel 0-19% Port number Up Analog level leaves the range

Channel 20-39% Port number Change Analog level enters or leaves the range

Channel 20-39% Port number Down Analog level enters the range

Channel 20-39% Port number Up Analog level leaves the range

Channel 40-59% Port number Change Analog level enters or leaves the range

Channel 40-59% Port number Down Analog level enters the range

Channel 40-59% Port number Up Analog level leaves the range

Channel 60-79% Port number Change Analog level enters or leaves the range

Channel 60-79% Port number Down Analog level enters the range

Channel 60-79% Port number Up Analog level leaves the range

Channel 80-100% Port number Change Analog level enters or leaves the range

Channel 80-100% Port number Down Analog level enters the range

Channel 80-100% Port number Up Analog level leaves the range

Binary Combination value - A combination of ports being closed

Short press Port number - Short closure on port

Long press Port number - Long closure on port

Use the Binary trigger type to catch port combinations when they are set as
digital. Specify the port combination by adding the values that correspond to
the ports (see table below). This value is entered as the trigger value.

Port Value

1 1

2 2

3 4

4 8

For example, to trigger on both port 1 and 2 being closed fill in trigger value 3
(1+2). To trigger on port 3 and 4, fill in value 12 (4+8).

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A.2 MIDI

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Message MIDI address Change Receive a message that matches the address

Message MIDI address Down Receive a message that matches the address and

the value non-zero

Message MIDI address Up Receive a message that matches the address and

the value is zero

Receiving - - Receive any message

MIDI address can be any note-on, note-off or control-change.

A.3 DMX Input

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Channel DMX Address Change Channel changes

Channel DMX Address Non-zero Channel becomes non-zero

Channel DMX Address Zero Channel becomes zero

UniverseA - - A DMX level change in the first universe

UniverseB - - A DMX level change in the second universe

Receiving - Change Start receiving or loose DMX signal

Receiving - Stop Lost DMX signal

Receiving - Start Start receiving DMX signal

83

A.4 Playback

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Active Playback Index Change Playback starts or stops

Active Playback Index Released Playback stops

Active Playback Index Start Playback starts

Release Playback Index Change Playback starts or finishes releasing

Release Playback Index Released Playback finished releasing

Release Playback Index Release Playback starts releasing

Released Playback Index Change Playback starts or stops

Released Playback Index Playing Playback starts playing

Released Playback Index Released Playback finished releasing

Playing Playback Index Change Playback starts or stops

Playing Playback Index Release Playback starts releasing

Playing Playback Index Playing Playback starts playing

Running Playback Index Change Playback starts or pauses

Running Playback Index Paused Playback pauses

Running Playback Index Playing Playback starts playing

Intensity Playback Index Change Playback intensity changes

Intensity Playback Index Non-zero Playback intensity becomes >0%

Intensity Playback Index Zero Playback intensity becomes 0%

End Playback Index - Playback stops playing

CueChange Cue Index Change Cue activated or deactivated

CueChange Cue Index Inactive Cue becomes inactive

CueChange Cue Index Active Cue becomes active

CueIndex Playback Index - Active cue index changed

A.5 UDP

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Message String - Receive a message that matches the trigger-value

Receiving - - Receive any message

The user can define his own string as the trigger value of a message. Please
note that this string has a maximum length of 31 characters.

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A.6 TCP

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Message String - Receive a message that matches the trigger-value

Receiving - - Receive any message

The user can define his own string as the trigger value of a message. Please
note that this string has a maximum length of 31 characters.

A.7 OSC

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Message URI Change Receive a message that matches the URI

Message URI Down Receive a message that matches the URI and the

value non-zero

Message URI Up Receive a message that matches the URI and the

value is zero

Receiving - - Receive any message

The user can define his own URI as the trigger value of a message, however,
the OSC specification dictate this string must start with a ’/’ sign. Please note
that this string has a maximum length of 31 characters, including the ’/’.

A.8 Art-Net

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Channel DMX Address Change Channel changes

Channel DMX Address Non-zero Channel becomes non-zero

Channel DMX Address Zero Channel becomes zero

UniverseA - - A DMX level change in the first universe

UniverseB - - A DMX level change in the second universe

Receiving - Change Start receiving or loose Art-Net signal

Receiving - Stop Lost Art-Net signal

Receiving - Start Start receiving Art-Net signal

85

A.9 sACN

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Channel DMX Address Change Channel changes

Channel DMX Address Non-zero Channel becomes non-zero

Channel DMX Address Zero Channel becomes zero

UniverseA - - A DMX level change in the first universe

UniverseB - - A DMX level change in the second universe

Receiving - Change Start receiving or loose sACN signal

Receiving - Stop Lost sACN signal

Receiving - Start Start receiving sACN signal

A.10 Timecode

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Time Frame - Timecode frame

Receiving - Change Start receiving or loose timecode signal

Receiving - Stop Lost timecode signal

Receiving - Start Start receiving timecode signal

A.11 Touch Screen

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

- - Change Button/Fader goes up or down

- - Down Button is pressed

- - Up Button is released

When editing the Touch Screen actionlist it will be possible to add different
kind of actions such as Button, Fader and Colour Picker. These elements will
be displayed in the Kiosc software.

86

A.12 Scheduler

A.13 Scheduler

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

WeekdayAndTime - - Enable weekdays and specify a time (don’t

care ’X’ can be used)

DateAndTime - - Specify a specific date and time (don’t care

’X’ can be used)

Sunrise - - When the sun rises in the morning

Sunset - - When the sun goes down in the evening

DaylightST - Change Daylight Saving Time period starts or ends

DaylightST - Stop Daylight Saving Time period ends

DaylightST - Start Daylight Saving Time period starts

A.14 Randomizer

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Result - - The Randomizer made a new

value

Specific Value Number in the range of [0,255] - The Randomizer made a value

that matches

A.15 System

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Startup - - The CueCore2 has been power up

Network Connection - Change Network connection established or lost

Network Connection - Stop Network connection lost

Network Connection - Start Network connection established

ReleasedByMaster - Change Master (e.g. CueluxPro) released or

obtained connection

ReleasedByMaster - Stop Master released connection

ReleasedByMaster - Start Master obtained connection

87

A.16 Variable

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

Channel Variable Index - The specified variable changes

Variable 1 Number [0,255] Change Variable 1 becomes equal or not equal to the

specified number

Variable 1 Number [0,255] Equal Variable 1 = number

Variable 1 Number [0,255] Unequal Variable 1 6= number

Variable 2 Number [0,255] Change Variable 2 becomes equal or not equal to the

specified number

Variable 2 Number [0,255] Equal Variable 2 = number

Variable 2 Number [0,255] Unequal Variable 2 6= number

Variable 3 Number [0,255] Change Variable 3 becomes equal or not equal to the

specified number

Variable 3 Number [0,255] Equal Variable 3 = number

Variable 3 Number [0,255] Unequal Variable 3 6= number

Variable 4 Number [0,255] Change Variable 4 becomes equal or not equal to the

specified number

Variable 4 Number [0,255] Equal Variable 4 = number

Variable 4 Number [0,255] Unequal Variable 4 6= number

Variable 5 Number [0,255] Change Variable 5 becomes equal or not equal to the

specified number

Variable 5 Number [0,255] Equal Variable 5 = number

Variable 5 Number [0,255] Unequal Variable 5 6= number

Variable 6 Number [0,255] Change Variable 6 becomes equal or not equal to the

specified number

Variable 6 Number [0,255] Equal Variable 6 = number

Variable 6 Number [0,255] Unequal Variable 6 6= number

Variable 7 Number [0,255] Change Variable 7 becomes equal or not equal to the

specified number

Variable 7 Number [0,255] Equal Variable 7 = number

Variable 7 Number [0,255] Unequal Variable 7 6= number

Variable 8 Number [0,255] Change Variable 8 becomes equal or not equal to the

specified number

Variable 8 Number [0,255] Equal Variable 8 = number

Variable 8 Number [0,255] Unequal Variable 8 6= number

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A.17 Timer

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

- Timer Index Change The timer starts or stops

- Timer Index Stop The timer stops

- Timer Index Start The timer starts

A.18 Actionlist

Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description

- Actionlist Index Change The actionlist enable checkbox changes

- Actionlist Index Down The actionlist is enabled

- Actionlist Index Up The actionlist is disabled

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Appendix B

Task Types

Tasks allow you to automate the functionality in the CueCore2. All this func­tionality is categorized in task-types. This appendix provides a listing of the
various task-types. The tables present an overview of all available features and
functions per task-type.

B.1 Playback

Manipulate one of the six playbacks.

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Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Intensity Set Playback Index percentage [0%,100%]

Intensity Control Playback Index -

Set Rate Set Playback Index percentage [-100%,100%]

Set Rate Control Playback Index -

Transport Pause Playback Index -

Transport Release Playback Index -

Transport Go+ Playback Index -

Transport Go- Playback Index -

Transport Jump Playback Index Cue number

Transport Solo Playback Index -

Transport Random Solo Playback Index -

Play State Toggle Playback Index -

Play State Control Playback Index -

Play State Inverted Control Playback Index -

Fader Start Toggle Playback Index -

Fader Start Control Playback Index -

Fader Start Inverted Control Playback Index -

B.2 Playback Master

Manipulate the master settings on the Playback page.

Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Intensity Set - percentage [0%,100%]

Intensity Control - -

Set Rate Set - percentage [-100%,100%]

Set Rate Control - -

Fade time Set Time -

Fade time Control - -

Release All - -

B.3 Track

Manipulate the settings on the Track page.

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Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Program Stop - -

Program Record Track Index -

Program Erase Track Index -

Intensity Map Clear - -

Intensity Map Capture DMX - -

Intensity Map Capture Art-Net - -

Intensity Map Capture sACN - -

B.4 UDP

Send an UDP message via the network. Specify the recipient in Parameter 2.
For example ”192.168.1.11:7000”.

Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Send Float Set floating point number IP address & port

Send Float Control - IP address & port

Send Unsigned Set positive number IP address & port

Send Unsigned Control - IP address & port

Send Bool Set true or false IP address & port

Send Bool Control - IP address & port

Send String Set text string IP address & port

Send String Control - IP address & port

Wake On Lan Set MAC Address IP address & port

Please note that string in parameter 1 has a maximum length of 31 charac­ters.

When using the Wake On Lan feature parameter 1 should contain the MAC
Address of system’s NIC (Network Interface Controller) you wish to wake up.
The recommended value for parameter 2 is 255.255.255.255:7. This broad­casts the message to the whole network at port 7 which is most commonly used
for Wake On Lan.

B.5 OSC

Send an OSC message via the network. The OSC recipients are specified in the
Settings page.

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Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Send Float Set URI floating point number

Send Float Control URI -

Send Unsigned Set URI positive number

Send Unsigned Control URI -

Send Bool Set URI true or false

Send Bool Control URI -

Send String Set URI String of characters

Send String Control URI -

Colour Set URI RGB colour

Colour Control URI -

Please note that string in parameter 1 has a maximum length of 31 charac­ters, including the compulsory leading ’/’ sign.

B.6 DMX

Manipulate the DMX levels. These are the levels that can also be send out via
Art-Net or sACN.

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Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Universe Control HTP Universe # -

Universe Control LTP Universe # -

Universe Control Priority Universe # -

Universe Clear Universe # -

Set Channel Set DMX Channel DMX Value

Set Channel Toggle DMX Channel -

Set Channel Control DMX Channel -

Set Channel Inverted Control DMX Channel -

Set Channel Decrement DMX Channel -

Set Channel Increment DMX Channel -

Bump Channel Set DMX Channel DMX Value

Bump Channel Control DMX Channel -

Clear All Set - -

RGB Set DMX Address RGB Colour Value

RGB Control DMX Address -

RGBA Control DMX Address -

XY Control DMX Address -

XxYy Control DMX Address -

B.7 MIDI

Send an MIDI message.

Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Send Set MIDI Address MIDI Value

Send Control MIDI Address -

B.8 MMC

Send an MMC (MIDI Machine Control) message via the MIDI port.

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Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Send Start MIDI Channel -

Send Stop MIDI Channel -

Send Restart MIDI Channel -

Send Pause MIDI Channel -

Send Record MIDI Channel -

Send Deferred Play MIDI Channel -

Send Record Exit MIDI Channel -

Send Record Pause MIDI Channel -

Send Eject MIDI Channel -

Send Chase MIDI Channel -

Send Fast Forward MIDI Channel -

Send Rewind MIDI Channel -

Send Goto MIDI Channel Time

B.9 GPI

Manipulate the GPI port.

Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Sample Binary Set - -

Refresh Set - -

B.10 Time Server

Reach out to the Time Server specified in the Settings page.

Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Refresh Set - -

B.11 Variable

Manipulate one of the eight variables.

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Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Set Value Set Variable # Number in the range of [0,255]

Set Value Toggle Variable # Number in the range of [0,255]

Set Value Control Variable # -

Set Value Inverted Control Variable # -

Set Value Decrement Variable # -

Set Value Increment Variable # -

Set Value Control Scaled Variable # -

Set Value Control Offset Variable # -

Refresh Set Variable # -

Single Dimmer Set Variable # Delta

Variables are further explained on page 57.

The Single Dimmer feature is used to increase or decrease a level by using
only one switch. When controlling this task through a GPI action , then closing
the GPI will increase or decrease the level. Opening the GPI port will freeze on
the current level. This feature is useful for controlling an intensity will just one
button.

B.12 System

Miscellaneous tasks.

Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Blink Set On or Off -

Blink Toggle - -

Blink Control - -

The Blink feature controls the LED on the unit as seen in figure 5.2.

B.13 Action

Use the Link feature to have one action trigger another action.

Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Link Set Action -

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B.14 Action-list

Manipulate an action-list.

Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Enable Set Action-list On or Off

Enable Toggle Action-list -

Enable Control Action-list -

Enable Inverted Control Action-list -

B.15 Randomiser

Trigger the Randomizer to generate a new random number.

Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Refresh Set Minimum value Maximum value

The Randomizer functionality is discussed on page 57.

B.16 Timer

Manipulate on of the four internal timers.

Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Playstate Start Timer # -

Playstate Stop Timer # -

Playstate Restart Timer # -

Time Set Timer # Time

B.17 Timecode

Manipulate the internal timecode generator.

Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2

Playstate Start - -

Playstate Stop - -

Playstate Restart - -

Playstate Pause - -

Time Set - Time

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Appendix C

Templates

This appendix discusses the templates provided in the Show Control page.

Template Description

Receiving DMX Receiving DMX on all ports. DMX properties in the Settings page

have to be configured accordingly.

Receiving Art-Net Receiving DMX on all universes. Art-Net properties in the Settings

page have to be configured accordingly.

Receiving sACN Receiving sACN on all universes. sACN properties in the Settings

page have to be configured accordingly.

DMX ->Playbacks DMX port A (channel 1-6) will control the intensity of all six

playbacks. When a channel >0% it will activate the playback, when
set 0% it the playback will be released.

Art-Net ->Playbacks Art-Net input universe A will control the intensity of all six

playbacks. When a channel >0% it will activate the playback, when
set 0% it the playback will be released.

Kiosc ->Playbacks Creates a Kiosc layout with buttons and sliders to operate the six

playbacks.

DMX ->MIDI Translates 8 channels from DMX port A into outgoing MIDI

ControlChange messages in MIDI channel 1. DMX port A should
be configured as an input in the Settings page.

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Appendix D

API

The CueCore2 is pre-programmed to make its internal functionality available
via OSC, TCP, UDP and HTTP. There is a simple API implemented for each
protocol. Notwithstanding these API’s, it is possible to create your own OSC,
TCP and UDP implementation in the Show Control page.

The API is originally designed for external equipment to control the CueCore2,
however, the is also capable to send information back. This feedback mechanism
is discussed at the end of this chapter, on page 105.

D.1 OSC

The following table uses playback #1 as an example. The number ’1’ can be
replaced by any number in the range of [1,6].

URI Parameter Description

/core/pb/1/go+

/core/pb/1/go- - Jump to the previous cue in playback #1

/core/pb/1/jump integer Jump to a specific cue in playback #1

/core/pb/1/release - Release the playback

/core/pb/1/intensity float Set the playback’s intensity

/core/pb/1/rate float Set the playback’s intensity

/core/pb/release - Release all playbacks

/core/pb/intensity float Set the master intensity

/core/pb/rate float Set the master rate

/core/pb/fade string Set the master fade time

*

This command does not work when the parameter is off or a 0 value.

*

- Jump to the next cue in playback #1

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The following table uses track #1 as an example. The number ’1’ can be
replaced by any number in the range of [1,128].

URI Parameter Description

/core/tr/select integer Select a track

/core/tr/erase - Erase the selected track

/core/tr/record - Start recording the selected track

/core/tr/stop - Stop recording

/core/tr/1/erase - Erase track #1

/core/tr/1/record - Start recording track #1

The following table uses actionlist #1 as an example. The number ’1’ can
be replaced by any number in the range of [1,8]. The table also uses action #2
as an example. The number ’1’ can be replaced by any number in the range of
[1,48].

URI Parameter Description

/core/al/1/2/execute bool/float/integer Execute action #2 inside action list #1

/core/al/1/enable bool Set the ’enable’ checkbox for action list #1

The following table uses timer #1 as an example. The number ’1’ can be
replaced by any number in the range of [1,4].

URI Parameter Description

/core/tm/1/start - Start timer #1

/core/tm/1/stop - Stop timer #1

/core/tm/1/restart - Restart timer #1

/core/tm/1/pause - Pause timer #1

/core/tm/1/set time-string Set timer #1 at the time-string

The following table uses variable #1 as an example. The number ’1’ can be
replaced by any number in the range of [1,8].

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