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Author Topic: WINDOWS: Ultrasabers Launcher with Diamond Controller UPDATED 01-11-2018  (Read 141594 times)
karaokefreak
Knight Lance Corporal
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German Jedi Academy


« Reply #60 on: April 18, 2017, 09:55:41 PM »

Hey guys. I tried installing the new diamond launcher on my windows 10 PC, but it won't install. At all. When I try to start it, it will initiate like for a tenth o a second and then it's all over. Nothing installed.  Please help me. I don't know what to do.

ok, I got the software installed, but it won't recognise my diamond sabre. ... Nothing happens, no matter how often I unplug / replug the USB cable.
When I restart the sabre, the voice will say "initialisation error - connect to the launcher and run the diagnose tool.

Ok, I have everything running. Maybe you should warn people that the USB cable that comes with the recharger doesn't work as a data cable. I used another USB cable and it worked.

Sooooo here is my first major complaint concerning the Effects editor.
I think it is a great tool, but 20 Points for the graph just ain't enough. I tried to create a flicker-effect for the idle humming, which is supposed to emphasise the frequency of light emission that forms the blade, but with only 20 points on that graph, it will not even last two seconds out of the five that the idle sound lasts.
There is PLENTY of space on the board, so those graphs could easily be saved, no matter how many points are utilised on that graph. Maybe you want to extend the number of maximum points to 99. that should be enough for every kind of effect.  
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Dark Apprentice LE v4 with hilt windows, guardian blue, obsidian lite sound
Apprentice LE v4  consular green, Obsidian Premium Sound
Archon v2.1, Diamond sabre / sound board - it is so awesome
Standard issue battle saber, no sound

projectno253
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There is no Peace...only Victory


« Reply #61 on: April 18, 2017, 11:28:59 PM »

Ok, I have everything running. Maybe you should warn people that the USB cable that comes with the recharger doesn't work as a data cable. I used another USB cable and it worked.

Sooooo here is my first major complaint concerning the Effects editor.
I think it is a great tool, but 20 Points for the graph just ain't enough. I tried to create a flicker-effect for the idle humming, which is supposed to emphasise the frequency of light emission that forms the blade, but with only 20 points on that graph, it will not even last two seconds out of the five that the idle sound lasts.
There is PLENTY of space on the board, so those graphs could easily be saved, no matter how many points are utilised on that graph. Maybe you want to extend the number of maximum points to 99. that should be enough for every kind of effect.  

I believe something was said that the effect could loop within the time frame of the idle. Like you could make the light effect shorter than the sound effect and it would loop inside. I could very easily be wrong though.

All of this has me confused as to how a consistent flicker is maintained with different lengths of swings and clashes. I don't know if lighting effects continue even with a swing (unless that swing has its own light effect), or what. I can't complain since I don't have a Diamond board yet 
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Jediseth
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"If I told you, you wouldn't like it." Han Solo


« Reply #62 on: April 19, 2017, 02:16:15 AM »

I'm confused by some of it as well. US needs to put a step by step instruction book for this new board.
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Guardian : GB, FOC Red, V4, 11-15                        Reaper: V4, BR, 4-17
Chosen One CE : Emerald, V4, 12-15
Consular: Emerald V4, 1-16
Manticore: BR, FOC Orange, QD, V4, 11-16
Monarch: Emerald, V4, 2016 Autumn Raffle -1st
Arbiter: V4, SD, Silver FOC, QD, 3-17
Archon V2.1, Diamond, 4-17

RSX Engineering
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« Reply #63 on: April 19, 2017, 08:18:45 AM »

I think it is a great tool, but 20 Points for the graph just ain't enough. I tried to create a flicker-effect for the idle humming, which is supposed to emphasise the frequency of light emission that forms the blade, but with only 20 points on that graph, it will not even last two seconds out of the five that the idle sound lasts.
There is PLENTY of space on the board, so those graphs could easily be saved, no matter how many points are utilised on that graph. Maybe you want to extend the number of maximum points to 99. that should be enough for every kind of effect.  

You can use the repeat feature (the number of repetitions is controlled by the arrows next to "Play X times", on the upper-left corner of the effect editor).

We'll take into consideration increasing the number of points for future upgrades. It's not just about the storage memory but also about the internal RAM, which needs to store all the effects of an entire font. 99 points might be too much, but we can probably go to more than 20.

Marius.
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karaokefreak
Knight Lance Corporal
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German Jedi Academy


« Reply #64 on: April 19, 2017, 08:25:43 AM »

Hi Marius, thanks for the reply
So you mean the "play X times" function? I saw it in the menu, but when testing, the effect never worked. Is it just a faulty preview?
Aside from the 20 points limit I find this tool easy to use. But on the other hand, I also do After effects stuff and so on, which is way more complicated, so I cannot speak for everyone.

I will fiddle around with it some more and might add a few tips and tricks in my video review.
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Dark Apprentice LE v4 with hilt windows, guardian blue, obsidian lite sound
Apprentice LE v4  consular green, Obsidian Premium Sound
Archon v2.1, Diamond sabre / sound board - it is so awesome
Standard issue battle saber, no sound

RSX Engineering
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« Reply #65 on: April 19, 2017, 08:44:20 AM »

So you mean the "play X times" function? I saw it in the menu, but when testing, the effect never worked. Is it just a faulty preview?

The "play X times" function should work, both in test mode and in normal usage. Just checked it and seems ok. Are you sure it doesn't work on your system?

Marius
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karaokefreak
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German Jedi Academy


« Reply #66 on: April 19, 2017, 09:17:02 AM »

The "play X times" function should work, both in test mode and in normal usage. Just checked it and seems ok. Are you sure it doesn't work on your system?

Marius

Well, yesterday it definitely did not work. My graph was just executed once, although I selected several setting of repetition. I will try again later and report my results.
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Dark Apprentice LE v4 with hilt windows, guardian blue, obsidian lite sound
Apprentice LE v4  consular green, Obsidian Premium Sound
Archon v2.1, Diamond sabre / sound board - it is so awesome
Standard issue battle saber, no sound

karaokefreak
Knight Lance Corporal
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Force Alignment: 42
Posts: 47


German Jedi Academy


« Reply #67 on: April 19, 2017, 11:20:56 AM »

Okay, the repetition tool does work now, but yesterday it didn't. Don't ask me why...

I recommend

1) raising the number of possible graph points to 30.  I know it is probably overkilling, but wouldn't it be great if you could setup Bezier curves from point to point in order to describe exponential growth (or decreasing)? well, I guess that's just my preference since that might make the setup even more complicated, although it would make curves more precise while saving RAM, even when creating more complicated curves. you could simply exchange a simple coordinate with a math function f=(x) in order to do that. I know, It's not THAT easy, but worth thinking about. 

2) Please add an undo / redo function. Not even Ctrl+Z works, and that is kind of annoying.


I had the idea of making a more sophisticated video tutorial which helps newcomers get along with the tool. In that video I will not only take a closer look at the setup, but I will also use direct feed so that everyone can see a step-by-step progression for the effects editor, which isn't very hard to use in my opinion.

The only thing I still have to find out is how to make permanent effects - eg. make a certain gesture and have it change the color of the blade permanently. I also had the idea of creating an effects library for everyone to use.
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Dark Apprentice LE v4 with hilt windows, guardian blue, obsidian lite sound
Apprentice LE v4  consular green, Obsidian Premium Sound
Archon v2.1, Diamond sabre / sound board - it is so awesome
Standard issue battle saber, no sound

RSX Engineering
Knight Officer
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Force Alignment: 54
Posts: 123



WWW
« Reply #68 on: April 19, 2017, 02:50:54 PM »

Okay, the repetition tool does work now, but yesterday it didn't. Don't ask me why...

I recommend

1) raising the number of possible graph points to 30.  I know it is probably overkilling, but wouldn't it be great if you could setup Bezier curves from point to point in order to describe exponential growth (or decreasing)? well, I guess that's just my preference since that might make the setup even more complicated, although it would make curves more precise while saving RAM, even when creating more complicated curves. you could simply exchange a simple coordinate with a math function f=(x) in order to do that. I know, It's not THAT easy, but worth thinking about. 

2) Please add an undo / redo function. Not even Ctrl+Z works, and that is kind of annoying.


I had the idea of making a more sophisticated video tutorial which helps newcomers get along with the tool. In that video I will not only take a closer look at the setup, but I will also use direct feed so that everyone can see a step-by-step progression for the effects editor, which isn't very hard to use in my opinion.

The only thing I still have to find out is how to make permanent effects - eg. make a certain gesture and have it change the color of the blade permanently. I also had the idea of creating an effects library for everyone to use.

First of all, thanks for your feedback! This is really important for us, as the best way to make the Diamond better is to listen to what users have to say about it.

Increasing the number of points and the undo function are already in our consideration, so, sometime in the future, you'll see them in the Launcher. As for Bezier and analytical curves... yes, that would be overkill. They make sense from an engineering point of view, but we're not making an engineering tool, so ease of use is paramount. Until there's a really large user base that actually reached the limit of what the current editor has to offer, we don't plan to add more sophisticated editing tools.

As for making a permanent effect... right now you can't. What you can do is make a really long effect and repeat it the maximum number of times - with 99 repetitions it could last up to 1h 47m, but it won't be permanent and you'll loose all the other effects: as long as this gesture effect is playing, no other swings/clashes will be registered.
To change the color of the blade with a gesture you would need to change the font with gestures, a feature that Diamond currently does not have, mostly for the same reason it doesn't have Bezier curves: ease of configuration. Whether or not, at some moment in time, we will consider doing more stuff with gestures, depends primary on the feedback we'll receive over the following months. If most people will want more advanced control options, we will add them. If, as it is now, most people will complain that the configuration is too complicated, we'll try to make it easier. Or we could go towards a "basic" and an "advanced" Launcher, if that would seem feasible - the way Diamond will evolve depends primary on the kind of feedback we'll get.

Marius.



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karaokefreak
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German Jedi Academy


« Reply #69 on: April 19, 2017, 05:30:24 PM »


Thanks for clearing that up

I'd support the second approach. But I wouldn't make separate launchers since that would cause unnecessary confusion. Instead, I'd make two Effect editors. One simple with basic options, and one sophisticated with enhanced editing. This way, people could always see what options they have and wouldn't need to fiddle with two launchers.  One launcher seems to cause enough trouble.

Just for your interest:  I, for instance, have trouble installing the launcher on my C: partition. It won't work if I try that. So I always install it on another partition. On top of that, the old launcher had lots of problems when I tried to update under a normal profile - even when granted admin rights. It would always say that 7 zip ran out of memory (which shouldn't happen with 32 gigs of Ram and over 50 GB of hard drive space). So for the update, I always had to switch to my admin account...

I really hope that you offer new clients for new features with the diamond launcher so that I can simply deinstall and reinstall a new client. that makes things a lot easier.  
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Dark Apprentice LE v4 with hilt windows, guardian blue, obsidian lite sound
Apprentice LE v4  consular green, Obsidian Premium Sound
Archon v2.1, Diamond sabre / sound board - it is so awesome
Standard issue battle saber, no sound

Akheron
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« Reply #70 on: April 19, 2017, 10:24:18 PM »

Lots of good information here, thank you, everyone, for sharing. And thank you, Marius, for taking the time to talk to us about it.

I have been told by US customer service that I can send in my sabers for the Diamond upgrade, but it has been five days since I heard from them. I really hope they get back to me soon, I'm very excited to get to work on this! This thread has been helpful in at least planning what I will do when I get my sabers back.

I didn't realize there was a 20-point limit for effects. I absolutely must have a flicker effect, and I know that would eat up a lot of them. A greater number of points would open so many options for complex changes over time. But at least I know I won't be compelled to spend a week setting up a super-lengthy 80-point cross-fading flicker sequence, haha!

It sounds like the current editor could use a lot more editing tools (I'm thinking of mass-selection functions, changing values of multiple points at once, etc.), but it is new and I imagine you are already planning such things for future versions.

I'm glad people raised the subject of the menu voice. I haven't used it yet, but while watching the videos, I could see myself getting annoyed by long audio clips after I've learned how to use it. In particular, I wouldn't want a long spiel to go off if all I'm trying to do is switch it to a silent mode because I'm up late and people are sleeping. I agree that the voice should be the default, but an alternative option would be quite welcome.

I'm really looking forward to playing with the Diamond controller. I've spent a lot of time tinkering with the Emerald settings, and I have experience with music software that uses a point-based graph to automate effects over time, so I'm hoping I'll have a leg-up on the learning curve. In fact, I'd love to create a sound font with my synthesizers and have lighting effects that directly correspond to changes in the synth parameters. So many possibilities! Please contact me soon, customer service!
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Ultrasabers what I own:

Dark Initiate LE V4 - Diamond
Dark Apprentice LE V4 - Diamond
Bellicose - Emerald, ObsidianV4
Apprentice V4 - Tri-Guardian Blue, ObsidianV4
Crimson Scorpion - Blazing Red, Silver FoC, ObsidianV4 <- Raffle Prize Smiley

Hidden Force
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« Reply #71 on: April 24, 2017, 06:13:51 PM »

This may sound thick, but what versions of Windows would the Diamond Controller require? (Would it work on Windows XP Professional SP3? If not, what would be the minimum version of Windows it would require?)

I am actually a Mac user and contemplating using an emulator (VMware Fusion) to run the installer. Allegedly, this emulator can handle USB 2 connections through the virtual machine. Do you think it is safe to try this?

For now, I am happy with the fonts in my Diamond Graflex CE and very happy with the saber itself. I look forward to adding a flicker to the blade.

Thanks!
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Sabers I have:
   Guardian (Emerald, Obsidian V4)
   Graflex (Diamond)
   Menace SE (Obsidian V3) (2nd prize, Spring 2017 Raffle)
   Dark Initiate LE (Stunt) (Grab Bag)

Light-side points welcome.

Gorobulus
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« Reply #72 on: April 25, 2017, 12:45:22 AM »


All of this has me confused as to how a consistent flicker is maintained with different lengths of swings and clashes. I don't know if lighting effects continue even with a swing (unless that swing has its own light effect), or what. I can't complain since I don't have a Diamond board yet 
For swings, I just turn all of the LED's off. What happens when you do this is you hear the swing sounds, but since you turned all the LED's off for the swing effect it just continues to play the light effect from your idle hum( i.e. your flicker) during the swing. Pretty simple actually.

For clashes, I usually look for the shortest sounding clash and design my FOC around that. Its much more unnatural looking to have a flash be longer than the clash sound, than it is for the clash sound to be longer than the flash. We are used to living in a world where light travels much faster than sound, so it makes sense for our brains to see a quick flash, even if the clash sound lasts a little longer.
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RSX Engineering
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« Reply #73 on: April 25, 2017, 01:29:21 PM »

The Diamond controller US Launcher requires Windows 7 and above.
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popefish
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« Reply #74 on: April 29, 2017, 05:40:30 PM »

I absolutely love my lightsaber but I am of the Apple world and therefore unable to make use of the software. Any updates on the availability of the Mac version of the software? I need to make a few slots silent so I don't have to find where my dogs have gone hiding when I light it up.
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