RGB colors B-station from LPU2

[renevanh]

I've recently installed a LPU-2 for a fixed installation and today I tried getting it working with a B-Station.

Triggering/activating cues from the B-station works, using the LPU2 template, however, I can't get the B-station RGB rings to follow the RGB colors from the LPU2.
According to the manual, this should basically work directly, but it does not and I don't see any OSC messages coming from the LPU2 to set the color either. It only outputs /pb01/bu ON/OFF, /pb01/cue and /pb01/ac ON (whatever that is, can't find any documentation).

In Apendix C, TEMPLATES of the B-Station manual it seems that this functionality should work straight out of the box.

[Jorge Solano]

Hello René,

Thanks for the clear explanation 

The messages you see are expected: `/pb01/ac` reports the playback active state, while `/pb01/cue` reports the active cue number. The LPU-2 does not send the actual RGB values stored inside the cue to the B-Station ring.

The ring colour must therefore be set locally in the B-Station2, using the received playback feedback. For example, use `/pb01/ac` in an OSC actionlist to set the button colour when the playback becomes active, and restore the inactive colour when it stops. Make sure the LED intensity is also set above 0%.

Could you send us the firmware versions of both devices, a B-Station2 backup, and a screenshot of the selected template? Then we can check whether the template is configured correctly.

Hope this helps!

[renevanh]

Both devices were updated yesterday to the most recent firmware.
I'll try to go to the location tomorrow to gather the backup and screenshots.

However, if the LPU does not sent  any color codes, the Bstation will never know what color is set in the LPU programming.
I'm guessing I'll have to manually program all colors using the cue /pb/cue value to identify them.

[Jorge Solano]

Yes, your understanding is correct 

If the LPU-2 only sends the active cue number, the B-Station2 cannot automatically know the RGB values programmed inside that cue.

In that case, manually mapping the `/pb01/cue` value to a predefined ring colour is the logical workaround. Using the received cue feedback should also keep the B-Station2 synchronized when cues are selected from Cuety or another controller.

When you are on-site, please send the backup, screenshots of the LPU-2 template and its actions, and the OSC messages received while changing between several cues. Then we can confirm whether the template is missing some predefined LED logic or whether the manual mapping is required.

Good luck and keep me posted!

[renevanh]

Backup and screenshots attached.

B-station version: 1.24
LPU-2 version: 1.35

[Jorge Solano]

Hello René,

Thanks for sending the backup and screenshots 

The OSC communication is working correctly. The standard LPU-2 template uses "/pb01/ac" only to control LED intensity, while all button colours in the backup are currently set to black. This is why no useful indication is visible.

Please assign a visible fixed colour to each button first. The existing template should then switch that colour on when the corresponding playback becomes active.

For a dim inactive ring and a bright active ring, the most reliable setup is:

/pb01/ac – Down → set Button 1 intensity to 100%
/pb01/ac – Up   → set Button 1 intensity to 20%


This can be repeated for `/pb02/ac` through `/pb06/ac`. The LPU-2 does not transmit the RGB values stored inside each cue, so different colours per cue would still require manual mapping using `/pb01/cue`.

Hope this helps!

[renevanh]

I tried getting the colours per cue working, but I can't figure out what option in the B-Station to use to trigger the colours on de pb0#/cue value.
The triggers that seem to be somewhat related to changing colours do not accept a parameter value.

What actions do I use?

[Jorge Solano]

Hello René,

The OSC trigger only matches `/pb01/cue`; the cue number is received as its argument. To use it, first pass that value into a variable.

Create an OSC action with:

URI: /pb01/cue
Flank: Change
Task: Variable → Value → Control
Variable: 1


Then add a Variable actionlist and create one action per cue:

Variable 1 = 1 → LED 1 colour Set red
Variable 1 = 2 → LED 1 colour Set green
Variable 1 = 3 → LED 1 colour Set blue


Use the **Down** flank for these actions. I recommend testing only cues 1 and 2 first and checking that Variable 1 follows the value shown in the OSC monitor.

You can keep `/pb01/ac` controlling the LED intensity separately, so the selected cue colour is dim while inactive and bright while the playback is active.

Hope this helps!

[Andy ESL]

Hi René,
probably a bit late now however:

 cheat I use often to optimise programming feedback on b-station LEDs is to patch 6 RGB fixtures in the b-station and use the colour of each on to control a b-station LED. You can the use the playbacks in the b-station to mirror the LPU2 playback colours and use the "/pb0[n]/cue" value to jump to the correct b-station cue. This means only one action per playback instead of having to create an action per LPU2 cue.

cheers
Andy

[Jorge Solano]

Thanks Andy, that is actually a much cleaner approach for larger cue lists 

Instead of creating one OSC/LED action for every LPU cue, the B-Station can use its own playbacks as a local colour lookup table. The idea would be:

/pb01/cue <cue number>
       ↓
B-Station Playback 1 → Jump → Control
       ↓
Local PB1 cue with matching RGB colour
       ↓
Button 1 LED follows that colour


Then Playback 2 can mirror `/pb02/cue`, and so on. This reduces it to one OSC action per playback, with the colour mapping stored in the B-Station cues.

René, the only maintenance point is that the B-Station cue colours still need to match the colours programmed in Cuety. Changing a colour in the LPU-2 will not automatically update the B-Station.

Thanks for sharing it, Andy!