9 Media servers

Unlike fixtures, AtlaBase does not model media servers in a physical fashion, but rather in a mix between the display and command models. This means that the contents of DMX channel ranges are only described in terms of explanatory text as given by the media server manufacturer (the only exception is the dimmer channel where an explicit DimmerRange type has been defined).

<MediaServer Identifier="319abe2a-d47d-43a4-93bc-222fc5ecbedd" Version="1" VersionDate="2014-12-10" Brand="Green Hippo" Name="Hippotizer 3.1">
    <Layers>
        <Layer Identifier="1f8db446-e717-45f8-bea7-4690c16cbfab" Name="Pan Master 3.1">
            <Channels>
                <Channel Name="Level" Default="255" />
                <Channel Name="Keystone X1" Default="0" Bits="16" />
                <Channel Name="Keystone Y1" Default="0" Bits="16" />
                <Channel Name="Keystone X2" Default="65535" Bits="16" />
                <Channel Name="Keystone Y2" Default="0" Bits="16" />
                <Channel Name="Keystone X3" Default="65535" Bits="16" />
                <Channel Name="Keystone Y3" Default="65535" Bits="16" />
                <Channel Name="Keystone X4" Default="0" Bits="16" />
                <Channel Name="Keystone Y4" Default="65535" Bits="16" />
                <Channel Name="Red" Default="128">
                    <Range Start="0" End="127" Text="Subtract Colour" />
                    <Snap Start="128" End="128" Text="Normal" />
                    <Range Start="129" End="255" Text="Add Colour" />
                </Channel>

Above: The start of the Green Hippo Hippotizer 3.1 media server.

Media servers contents are defined in two blocks, the Layers and the Lists.

9.1 Media server layers

AtlaBase calls each individually patchable DMX control block of a Media Server a layer. Media server users can often make detailed and intricate choices regarding which layers to use, how many to use of the same type as well as how and which order to patch them. It is also common that media servers support both more and less detailed interfaces as mutually exclusive layers. AtlaBase does not provide any layer setup rule information for media servers in terms of which layers are mandatory, optional, dependent on others and/or mutually exclusive.

At the core of each layer is a DMX channel list. Each channel is declared as either 24, 16 or 8 bit and provides a default DMX value. A channel may also contain range and snap definitions that partition the DMX values of the channel into ranges with a description.

Range partitions are such where it makes sense for the user to be able to pick a DMX values inside the partition.

Snap partitions are such where the DMX value inside them has no meaning.

On occasion it is useful for the user to see the DMX value chosen inside a Range, in which case the text of the range may contain a “###” or “###.##” formatter. See the XML schema file for more details on the formatters available.

DimmerRange is the only well-defined range type which is used to indicate a range suitable for a “grand master” of a media server.

9.2 Media server lists

In some cases a channel in a layer is used to pick a function in the media server which is then configured through a separate block of channels. The names of the functions and their configuration parameters are described in lists.

<Channel Name="FX1Sel" Default="0" Table="FX list" TableFunction="Selector" />
<Channel Name="FX1Level" Default="0" Table="FX list" TableFunction="Parameter" TableParameterName="Level" />
<Channel Name="FX1Par1" Default="0" Table="FX list" TableFunction="Parameter" TableParameterName="Var1" />
<Channel Name="FX1Par2" Default="0" Table="FX list" TableFunction="Parameter" TableParameterName="Var2" />
<Channel Name="FX1Par3" Default="0" Table="FX list" TableFunction="Parameter" TableParameterName="Var3" />
<Channel Name="FX1Par4" Default="0" Table="FX list" TableFunction="Parameter" TableParameterName="Var4" />
<Channel Name="FX1Par5" Default="0" Table="FX list" TableFunction="Parameter" TableParameterName="Var5" />

Above: Example of channels that refer to a list.

In such case, the channel that selects the function has a Table attribute identifying the list in use, as well as the TableFunction attribute set to Selector. The channels used to configure the function also refer to the same list using the Table attribute but have the TableFunction attribute set to Parameter and identify the parameter in question using the TableParameterName attribute.

<Lists>
    <List Name="FX list">
        <Entry Start="0" End="0" Name="no effect"  />
        <Entry Start="1" End="1" Name="blur"  >
            <Parameter Name="Level" Function="Level" />
        </Entry>
        <Entry Start="2" End="2" Name="radial blur"  >
            <Parameter Name="Level" Function="Level" />
            <Parameter Name="Var1" Function="Amount" />
            <Parameter Name="Var2" Function="Whirl" />
            <Parameter Name="Var3" Function="Quality" />
            <Parameter Name="Var4" Function="Fade Out" />
            <Parameter Name="Var5" Function="ShiftX" />
        </Entry>

Above: Example of a function list.

The list definition then contains an Entry for each DMX value range selectable in the “selector” channel and provides the names of the parameter channels available for that particular range.