VARIABLES

Variable Window

Picture above shows the Variables window. To create a variable choose Add Variable from the menu located in the upper left corner of the Variables window.

Double or single click on a variable to get to its properties.

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Variable properties includes

  • Name, name of variable

  • Key, input key that can be learned

  • Minimum Value/Maximum Value, minimum and maximum value the variable can have

    As a guide, use these minimum and maximum values for all variables:

    • 0-1 – for switches
    • 0-100 – for faders
    • 0-255 – for DMX

  • Default Value, the default value the variable will have at startup

  • Interpolation, the way the system interpolates between incoming values

    • None, no interpolation - values change instantly
    • Linear, linear interpolation that smoothly transitions between values. Input data does not always come each frame, which can cause motion to look jerky. Enable interpolation to smooth this out.
    • Circular, wrap-around interpolation for rotational values. When a value needs to transition past the min/max boundary, circular interpolation takes the shorter path. For example, rotating from 350° to 10° will go through 360°/0° rather than backwards through 180°. This requires min/max values to be set correctly (e.g., 0-360 for degrees).

Tip: Click the Key column header to sort by key. With Art-Net keys like artnet.universe(1).channel(1) through artnet.universe(1).channel(512), sorting by key groups all channels by universe—making it easy to find your faders when managing a large lighting desk!

Default variables

WATCHOUT provides a few built-in variables:

  • tweenValue - The current value of a tween curve at playback position
  • masterVolume - The system's master volume level
  • cueVolume - the volume of an audio cue