Version 3.9
Release Note 3.8
Important Information for Updating
You will find the latest system requirements for several products on www.malighting.com
Important Information for Updating
Update dimMA system:
If you would like to update the dimMA system from any version below 7.x, contact your MA dealer or MA directly for any update information. If you use grandMA2 along with dimMA solutions, get in touch with us. A console update requires an MA NDP (= Network Dimmer Processor) update and vice versa. We are happy to assist you.
Update grandMA2 onPC and MA 3D:
The current versions of grandMA onPC and MA 3D require at least Windows® 7. Microsoft® .NET Framework (4.0) will be installed on your computer.
Update MA VPU
If you would like to update the MA VPU basic or the MA VPU light from any version to v3.2 or higher, at least one screen and one mouse has to be connected to the MA VPU.
Update MA Network Switch
If you would like to update the MA Network Switch in v3.1 or v3.2 to v3.3 or a subsequent version, execute the display reset after the update has been installed. As soon as Booting is displayed on the display of the MA Network Switch after the update:
- Disconnect the power.
- Press and hold the yellow menu button on the left side of the display.
- While holding the button power up the MA Network Switch again.
- As soon as Booting appears on the display of the MA Network Switch release the button.
To execute a fallback on v3.3 or a subsequent version in v3.1 or v3.2, proceed in the same manner.
Release Notes
grandMA2 Version 3.8.0.0
Features
The latest release of grandMA2 version 3.8 rolls out several enhancements that enrich your lighting experience. Read on for a quick introduction and find links for more information.
Other Enhancements
In Mode2, the macro button area can now follow the executor settings of the current surface. The new option Macro Buttons follow Surface in the grandMA3 Settings enables or disables the option.
Backup menu brings a pop up if the destination device has no capacity left.
PosiStageNet: Freely define the axis assignment of incoming trackers. In addition every axis can also be inverted.
Mode2 consoles can now also be desk locked with MA + MA + Pause.
grandMA3 full-size and light consoles running in Mode2 can disable/enable the touch function of both small screens separately.
Updated fixture library to Carallon v15.3.
What's Changed
- Fixture type XML files can now also contain media files like gobos.
Fixed Bugs
| Description |
|---|
| Paste /? did not offer any options. This bug is fixed. Paste now displays the options. |
| Conditional expressions in macros that handled variables as a string did not work. This bug is fixed. Handling variables as a string works also in conditional expressions. |
| Variable $SELECTEDEXEC was not reset if the selected executor was deleted. This bug is fixed. If the selected executor is deleted, exec 1.1 will be selected and the variable $SELECTEDEXEC will be reset to 1.1.1. |
| Move screen did not work with the merge option. This bug is fixed. Move screen can also merge 2 screens. |
| The console crashed when you pressed ESC several times and selected a color in the color picker for an appearance. This bug is fixed. Closing the appearance color picker while selecting color does not crash anymore. |
| Converting a show to grandMA3 could crash the console. This bug is fixed. The console should not crash anymore if you convert a show file to grandMA3. |
| A session joining console could crash if a user already in the session toggled highlight, and that user profile has not been downloaded yet. This bug is fixed. |
| A crash could happen during session join when the show was downloading. This bug is fixed. |
| Using search could crash the console. This bug is fixed. Search works without crashing the console. |
| The console could crash during show download. This bug is fixed. |
| Moving an executor did not pull down the old fader at connected consoles. This bug is fixed. Faders will go back to 0 after moving an executor, also on connected stations. |
| Zooming out a layout when having rulers visible and grid lines set to a small value, e.g., 0.1, crashes the desk. This bug is fixed. Zooming out a layout does not crash the desk anymore. |
| SetIP did not display the IP of a set gatway. This bug is fixed. Command line feedback of SetIP displays also trhe gateway IP. |
| Pausing a macro did not work. This bug is fixed. Pausing a macro pauses it again. |
| Agenda properties differed between UI and command line. This bug is fixed. Properties of the agenda have now the same names in the UI and the command line. |
| Agenda elements had some inconsistencies in the XSD file. This bug is fixed. The XSD file has no wrong entries for the agenda anymore. |
| Using the iOS remote could crash the desk. This bug is fixed. The iOS remote does not crash the console anymore. |
| Exporting data into CSV files did not take care about special characters, e.g., commas, line breaks, etc. This resulted in malformed CSV files. This bug is fixed. Special characters will be replaced. |
| When a mask with a long name was used, the title bar did display the name at all. This bug is fixed. Long mask names will be displayed when they are used. |
| Activated masks did not update on change. This bug is fixed. When a used mask is altered, the changes will be immediately visible. |
| Keeping MA pressed while entering the desk lock, kept the console active when leaving the desk lock though MA was already released. This bug is fixed. MA will be released when leaving desk lock. |
| Updating a single fixture group did not update the label. This bug is fixed. Updating a single fixture group updates now the label again. |
| Midi Show Control triggered wrong macros. This bug is fixed. Midi Show Control triggers now the correct macro. |
| Midi Show Control sent MSC messages during preview, when MSC Out Exec was set to Exec.Page. This bug is fixed. MSC messages during preview willl not be sent anymore. |
| Using encoders could crash the console in special circumstances. This bug is fixed. The console should not crash anymore when using the encoders. |
| Patch & Fixture Schedule would not allow to change tilt invert if several tilt attributes were part of the show file. |
| Pan invert could not be set if several pan attributes were part of the show file. This bug is fixed. Pan invert now can always be set. |
| Executor labels overlapped in the playback views on external screens in regard to resolution and the size of the window. This bug is fixed. Executor labels are now always readable on external screens. |
| When locking complete pools, the lock item still stayed on the objects. This bug is fixed. Unlocking pools removes the lock icon immediately. |
| onPC crashed when various sequence operations were executed at the same time, e.g., triggered by plugins. This bug is fixed. onPC should not crash anymore when changing various objects at the same time. |
| RDM parameter FACTORY_DEFAULTS could not be set. This bug is fixed. Factory defaults can be send via RDM. |
| Faders were not always correctly positioned when chaniging a page. This bug is fixed. Faders will go to their correct position when changing a page. |
| RDM SetParameter did not work reliably for the DMX_PERSONALITY parameter. This bug is fixed. All dmx personalities can be set via RDM now. |
| Invalid Art-Net packets could crash the console. This bug is fixed. Invalid Art-Net packets are now ignored by the software. |
| Search pop-up could only be closed with ESC if the screen the pop-up appeared had the focus before searching. This bug is fixed. Search pop-up can always be closed with ESC. |
| Locked layouts could be edited when entering setup mode for the layout view and then switching the displayed layout to a locked one. This bug is fixed. Locked layouts can't be edited anymore. |
| ListOops command displayed the oldest oops-able action as the last one. This bug is fixed. Command Line Feedback lists now the newest oops-able action of ListOops as first entry from the bottom. |
| Partial Show Read overwrote locked objects. This bug is fixed. PSR respects now locked objects and does not overwrite them anymore. |
| Keeping Delete pressed and tapping several executors to delete created additional faulty syntax in the command line feedback. This bug is fixed. Deleting several executors while pressing Delete does not create wrong command syntax anymore. |
| Follow cues were not executed anymore after doing a partial show read. This bug is fixed. Follow cues are working after doing partial show read. |
| Editing a macro via editing a view button on the Xkeys executed the macro, too. This bug is fixed. Editing a macro with Edit + tapping the view button the macro is assigned to does not execute the macro anymore in addition. |
| Users with user right Playback could not change the fader of an executor via command line. This bug is fixed. Executor X at Y works now also for user right Playback. |
| Export and import of a user profile lost the color picker mode in views. This bug is fixed. Views of imported user profiles open the color picker in the saved mode again. |
| Locking the console while being in EULA or Release Notes window after installing a new version crashed the console. This bug is fixed. Desk Lock is not possible anymore in EULA or Release Notes window at first start of a newly installed version. |
| Importing a timecode show via Partial Show Read could crash the console. This bug is fixed. Importing objects using PSR does not crash the console anymore. |
| Setting up stage elements could crash the console. This bug is fixed. Setting up stage elements in the stage setup does not crash the console anymore. |
| Patch collisions were displayed, even though this was not the case. This always occurred if fixture types with gaps inside a module were patched. This bug is fixed. Fixture types with gaps within a module do not create a false patch collision anymore. |
| Pressing Oops while a text input field is opened deletes the marked text and closes the pop-up. This bug is fixed. Marked text in input fields will be deleted when pressing Oops. Also, the pop-up does not close any longer. |
| Console crashed when replacing the fixture type by a fixture type that had a reversed instance order. This bug is fixed. Replacing fixture types does not crash the console anymore. |
| List User displayed the user name in red color. This bug is fixed. List User displays the color of the user property "Name" in green, indicating that it is allowed to modify it. |
| SelectDrive command could only be executed using the number of the drive. You could not execute this command using the name of the drive. This bug is fixed. SelectDrive can now also select drives by their names, e.g., SelectDrive "MyBeautifulUSBDrive" |
| Console crashed whenever you selected a certain feature and the Smart View was open. This bug is fixed. The console does not crash anymore no matter which feature will be selected while the Smart View is open. |
| Console froze whenever you sent commands via telnet that included illegal characters. This bug is fixed. Sending commands via telnet containing illegal characters do not freeze the console anymore. |
| Sequence executor style sheet for exported sequences did not display the cue info. This bug is fixed. Sequence executor style sheet displays also the cue |
grandMA2 onPC
| Description |
|---|
| Loading a show file on a grandMA2 onPC with active daylight saving shifts the local time one hour ahead. This bug is fixed. Loading a show file does not change the time. |
MA 3D
| Description |
|---|
| Installing a new MA 3D version if already a version of the same streaming version was installed did not update the shortcut in the start menu. This bug is fixed. Installing a new MA 3D version will also update the shortcut in the start menu if a version of the same streaming has already been installed. |
MA Web Remote
| Description |
|---|
| Fixed - Pressing Set in the web remote changes the command line default to MATricks. |
| The console could crash during web remote usage of 2 or more users at the same time. This bug is fixed. When using the web remote with 2 or more users at the same time the console does not crash anymore. |
MA xPort Nodes
| Description |
|---|
| xPort web remote had no identification of the node in the tab of the browser. This bug is fixed. Browser tabs now display also the name of an xPort node in the web remote. |
| xPort web remote did not allow to change input fields when using Safari as browser. This bug is fixed. Safari browser now works with the web remote in order to change properties in input fields. |
Mode2 on grandMA3
| Description |
|---|
| Switching between XKey bar and executor bar on a compact model briefly displayed the the encoder bar. This bug is fixed. Switching between XKey bar and executor bar now works seamlessly. |
| Select screen pop-up in Mode2 on compact models also offered non existing screens. This bug is fixed. Mode2 on compact models now only offer existing screens in the select screen pop-up. |
| SetIP listed the available interfaces several times. This bug is fixed. Only one set of network interfaces will be listed with SetIP. |
| If executor faders were placed correctly, calling a page would still move them slightly. This bug is fixed. Faders that are at the correct position on a page change will not move. |
| Changing a subnet mask did not set the correct one. This bug is fixed. Setting a subnet mask applies the correct one. |
| Appearance pop-up opened always on screen 2. This bug is fixed. Appearance pop-up opens now on the screen with focus on. |
| Mixing USB connectors for external touch screens can follow a black screen when starting Mode2. This bug is fixed. Having external touch screens connected via USB2 and USB3 does not cause black screens on starting Mode2. |
| Moving a channel fader resulted in a fader fighting against the user. This bug is fixed. Channel faders do not fight against the user anymore. |
| Changing a surface could activate executors unintentionally. This bug is fixed. Executors are not triggered anymore when changing |
| Changing channel pages could activate channel faders unintentionally. This bug is fixed. Channel faders are not activated by fault. |
| Page - and Page + buttons on the screens of Compact and Compact XT desks were misaligned. This bug is fixed. Page - and Page + are now aligned from left to right with minus and plus. |
| The trackpad direction tilt was inverted. This bug is fixed. Moving tilt via the trackpad moves tilt now in the correct direction. |
| CRV consoles did not offer all connected screens for screen assignment. This bug is fixed. CRV consoles in Mode2 offer all connected screens for the screen assignment. |
| The Mode2 setting Prog Time / Exec Time Hardware Block also disabled the GrandMaster button. This bug is fixed. The GrandMaster button is again exclusively controlled by the GrandMaster setting in the Grand Master & Misc Keys menu. |
| For reasons of understanding the Prog Time / Exec Time Hardware Block setting has been renamed to Prog Time / Exec Time Hardware Unit with the properties On and Off. |
| Executing big and nested macros during startup could freeze the console. This bug is fixed. Macros are now executed without freezing the console. |
| Mode2 could not export the patch as HTML files. This bug is fixed. |
| When connecting external displays the console could freeze for about 10s and the displays could stay black. This bug is fixed. The console does not freeze anymore when connecting an external display and the screen will display the correct content. |
| Timecode input into grandMA3 consoles running Mode2 had an offset to timecode generating device after a long show upload. This bug is fixed. Timecode is not offset anymore after a long show upload. |
Appendix
Downdating the MA Network Switch from v3.3 or higher to older version will reset the configuration to factory defaults. It is possible to backup the configuration before the downdating and restore it afterwards.
Using the Bitmap Fixture in sequences with several cues causes the bitmap fixture to restart the playback with every cue the bitmap fixture is programed in. If the bitmap fixture is to be used in a sequence with several cues, we suggest programing it in single cue sequences and call these sequences within the master sequence with cue links.
Import of all kinds of XML-files is only possible if the files were exported from the same or an older grandMA2 version.
If a World is edited while a user has entered this specific world, the changes are not applied to the user. The user has to change to a different world to see the changes of the world.
RDM: Connecting 2 outputs of a grandMA2 System with one cable can cause trouble in RDM.
Down dating to grandMA2 release v3.0.0.5 and previous versions requires a factory reset (Format and Install). Please backup your show files before down dating.
Inserting the command "store /remove" or pressing [store][cue][2] and select [remove] in the pop-up will remove the whole attribute with all (!!) its layers of fixtures having any value or effect layer of this attribute active in programmer. It can be filtered to only remove values, value timings or effects by using the buttons in the stored encoder bar. To remove only specific layers, for example only individual effect fade, the operator needs to open the calculator for these layers and select "remove" in the calculator. Afterwards, the operator needs to update the cue, or has to use store /merge to remove the specific layers.
If multiple fixtures are selected with a lasso in the layout view, the snap grid settings are applied to interpolate small position differences of fixture icons. The order of selection is always made inside of one snap grid cell first. Afterwards following the succession, line by line in the direction of the lasso movement.
The network switch IGMP Snooping functionality has to be switched off in order to be able to update MA 2Port Nodes.
A grandMA1 compatibility mode is no part of grandMA2 console software 3.0 and subsequent versions. If grandMA1 compatibility mode is needed, grandMA2 consoles and MA NPUs have to be down dated to grandMA2 v2.9.1.1
The MA-Net2 protocol has changed to support the 8Port Node devices. All MA devices need a new network streaming protocol in the 2.9 software. Once updated to the correlating version to grandMA2 v2.9, 2Port, 4Port, 8Port, NSP 4Port Node and the NDP will no longer work in a session with an older network streaming protocol (e.g., grandMA2 v2.8). Down dating MA 2Port Nodes or NSP running in 4Port Node Mode to be v2.8 compatible is only possible via grandMA1 v 6.801. All other devices can be down dated via USB or windows installer only.
Exec Time can be used for Executor buttons and Executor Faders. The new Executor option "Ignore Exec Time" has been added. If this option is enabled, the referring executor uses its own off time instead of the Exec Time Fader Timing. Show files stored in grandMA2 v2.9.1 and previous versions are converted. This option is then enabled in all fader executors. Executor option defaults are valid for fader and button executors. If storing new fader executors, these executors listen to Exec Time by default.
Fixture type preset reference contains values only. It is not possible to add any fade, delay or effect data to fixture type preset references.
ASCII show import supports Strand, Transtechnik and ADB ASCII show files.
A CITP connection is not possible when running CITP sender and CITP receiver at the same computer.
The Pixel Mapper of an MA VPU works best if the resolution X of the output can be divided by 8.
Lua 5.3 is implemented in grandMA2 v3.1 or subsequent versions. LuaSocket is approved for Lua 5.1 only.Therefore, not all functions of LuaSocket are supported within Lua 5.3.
Following syntax can be used to switch off faders only or buttons only of current page or of all pages except the current page:
- Off Executor 1 thru 100 - This switches off all faders of current page.
- Off Executor 101 thru 240 - This switches off all buttons of current page.
- Off Executor 1 thru 100 Page Thru - $faderpage - This switches off all faders of all pages except the current page.
- Off Executor 101 thru 240 Page Thru - $buttonpage - This switches off all buttons of all pages except current the current page.
Addressing executors via command line has been improved to provide support for addressing by name or number. This can be used when sending playback commands to specific executors or when storing to a specific executor, sequence or cue for example. All existing cue links and macros of show files stored with former grandMA2 versions will be converted as far as possible. Please check cue links and macros of existing shows when loading them the first time with this version. Some cue links and macros may have to be adjusted. When creating new macros or cue links or editing existing ones, the new syntax as described below has to be used.
- Go Exec "exec name" - starts executor with specified name on current page.
- Go Exec "exec number" - starts executor with specified number on current page.
- Go Exec "*"."exec name" - starts executor with specified name on all pages.
- Go Exec "*"."exec number" - starts executor with specified number on all pages.
- Go Exec "page name"."exec name" - starts executor with specified name on specified page.
- Go Exec "page name"."exec number" - starts executor with specified number on specified page.
- Go Exec "page number"."exec name" - starts executor with specified name on specified page.
- Go Exec "page number"."exec number" - starts executor with specified number on specified page.
Known Limitations
- Pan/Tilt offsets should not be set to higher values than the fixture type provides due to its physical limitations. Setting values out of the physical range can affect the correct visualization in the stage view of the grandMA2 and MA 3D.
- Active dimmer values given from the desk do not cause the MA VPU to send its merge defaults for the color attribute. This may cause an unexpected output if only the dimmer of a fixture is controlled by the desk. To avoid this and to gain full control, just set the color attribute actively in the programmer. Or store the color information to an executor which is set to a higher priority than the pixel mapper output. Do not forget to switch off this executor if the output of the pixel mapper is to be active again.
- At the initial start after the installation or the update of the MA VPU application, the end user license agreement is shown. The MA VPU application will not start, until the end user license agreement is confirmed. If you are using a VPU Plus, the end user license agreement is shown at the internal touch display. If you are using a MA VPU basic or MA VPU light, the end user license agreement is shown at the first external DVI-output - so please make sure you have a display and a mouse attached to the MA VPU basic or MA VPU light.
- Ma-Net1 is not supported for MA 2Ports Version 1.77 or higher.
- MA onPC command wing DMX input is supported for the ports "DMX In" and "DMX out A" only. The port "DMX out B" can only be used as DMX out!
- Before loading show files stored with grandMA2 v2.7.x the first time with grandMA2 v2.9.x, attribute Colormix4 and 5 and Colordim4 and 5 of self-made fixture types have to be manually adjusted to fulfill the color specification. Amber has to be Colormix 4 invert or Colordim 4 without invert, and White has to be Colormix 5 invert or Colordim 5 without invert. Otherwise, color information of these fixture types will be lost after loading show file with v2.9.
- The feature name for ColorDim/ColorMix has changed into MixColor. Macros using one of these feature names have to be adjusted.
- Known limitation when loading show files stored with v2.8.x for the first time in v2.9
- Special Masters have a new data structure in grandMA2 software.
- All Special Master custom labels will be reset to MA default labels
- Assignment of 100mm faders will be reset to default.
- Macros referring to special masters have to be adjusted and have to use the new naming and numbering of special masters.
- Macros referring to relative values have to be adjusted according to new relative/absolute syntax.
- User profiles exported to USB drives using v2.8 and previous versions have to be manually moved from folder importexport to user_profile folder in order to import these profiles using grandMA2 v2.9 and subsequent versions.
- Special Masters have a new data structure in grandMA2 software.
- MA 4Port Nodes and MA 8Port Nodes have to be updated to v1.0.9 or subsequent versions to be compatible with grandMA2 v2.9. MA 2Port Nodes have to be updated to 1.77 or subsequent versions in order to be compatible to grandMA2 v2.9.
- Channel set labels of fixture types have to be unique to be visible and accessible in calculator. E.g., if channel sets of Attribute Shutter are closed, open, open, open, only one open is visible in the calculator. Changing channel set labels to closed, open, open(2), open(3), results in all channel sets being visible in the calculator.
- Astronomical clock always calculates time according to standard time zone. Additional summer times are not recognized and cannot be adjusted manually when using sunset, dusk, dawn, and sunrise in the agenda.
- Bitmap fixtures can be applied to physical parameters only. Virtual parameters such as a virtual dimmer or XYZ attributes are not supported.