SCS and vision.net command support for ZerOS

[SDC-Tim]

We have a zero 88 Leapfrog lighting desk. This doesn’t support MIDI unless you can find an expansion card. I’d like to be able to send go cue commands to the desk. On their forum I have been told that

There are currently two methods of triggering cues over the network: ZerOS Remote Apps, and Vision.Net commands.

Vision.Net is an architectural lighting control protocol, based on simple UDP broadcast commands. I don't believe SCS has the ability to send native Vision.Net commands. However, it may allow you to send raw UDP messages. This is something you'd need to investigate. If it does, please send us an email to support@zero88.com, and I can provide more information on how you could write your own Vision.Net commands. These commands could then be fired from an SCS cue, and received by your console.

Anyone able to advise?
Thanks Tim

[dee99]

SCS has a generic network send where you can send your own messages. Look in production properties->Devices tab and then control send tab. Add a network out device and fill in your ip / port etc.

[SDC-Tim]

I have managed to achieve sending Strand Vision.Net messages from SCS to ZerOS. In my case to a LeapFrog 48 lighting board.
There is a little bit of easy setting up to do in ZerOS (Setup / Triggers)
The tricky part was formulating the HEX message, once I had achieved that putting it into SCS was straightforward
SCS must be configured as follows:

Editor / Production Properties / Devices / Control Send
Remote Device: Any Device or Product
Network Protocol: UDP
Network Role: SCS is a Network Client
IP Address or Server Name: needs to be a broadcast address 192.168.1.255
Port No.: 2741

SCS 'Control Send' Structure:

In EDITOR / Cue / Add 'Control Send' Cue

Create a 'Control Send' Cue

Control Send Device: as named in Devices
Entry Mode: HEX
Network Message:
8C 01 A8 C0 01 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 84 09 01 5f 00 02 05 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

8C 01 A8 C0 is the IP Address of the sending PC in this example 192.168.1.140 but in reverse order 140.1.168.192
02 05 The message is set for ‘Room’ 2 ‘Preset’ 5 which will fire macro 5
My Macro 5 is a recording of pressing the ‘Go’ buttton

In addition to Macros it is possible to map Vision.Net rooms to things like Playback faders and Cues (via playback buttons)

[Mike Daniell]

Interesting, Tim. Does it actually need all those trailing nulls?

[SDC-Tim]

Unfortunately yes.
I thought it didn’t but nothing worked until I included them. Fortunately Edward at zero support sent me a screenshot of their test Message to put me right.

[SDC-Tim]

Having done some more testing and checked with Zero 88 Support there are some changes to what I posted.

Editor / Production Properties / Devices / Control Send
Remote Device: Any Device or Product
Network Protocol: UDP
Network Role: SCS is a Network Client
IP Address or Server Name: this does not need to be a broadcast address, much bettter to be the actual IP of the lighting desk
Port No.: 2741

SCS 'Control Send' Structure:

In EDITOR / Cue / Add 'Control Send' Cue

Create a 'Control Send' Cue

Control Send Device: as named in Devices
Entry Mode: HEX
Network Message:02 02 02 02 01 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 84 09 01 5f 00 02 05 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

The IP Address of the sending device is not actually required so in my example I have used 02 02 02 02

That leaves us with three variables (I have put in bold in the message)
Vision.Net Area ID with a default of 1 (this follows the IP Address of the sending Device)
Vision.Net Room in my case 2
Vision.Net Preset in my case 5
All three variables to be in the range of 1 to 255