TESSERA PROCESSOR 1.3.0 RELEASE NOTES Previous public release: 1.2.5 Included panel firmware release: 1.3 13 Jan 2017 NEW SUB FIXTURE WORKFLOW In 2014 we launched our unique sub fixtures feature, for use when multiple independent fixtures, such as strips, are connected to a single power/control box (aka root node). Sub fixtures let users set the position and rotation of each sub fixture independently, empowering creative designs without the need for complicated mapping in a media server. Having gathered lots of feedback from users, 1.3 includes a re designed workflow for using sub fixtures which vastly increases the speed with which users can create large creative projects. Root nodes on the canvas Root nodes are now represented on the canvas, giving the user a more lifelike view of the system. Whole strings of root nodes can now be associated in one step, whereas previously it was necessary to associate every sub fixture string individually. This will substantially reduce set up time on site. Working offline Many complex creative set ups are planned in great detail ahead of the show. The representation of root nodes on the canvas lets users enter more of this information into the Tessera project when using the Offline Editor. When adding fixtures from the library, users can choose to first add root nodes from the library. Pressing the Tab key will let users add sub fixtures to the root node's outputs. Sub fixtures can also be added to root nodes later, by right clicking on a root node and selecting Add sub devices. Just as with normal panels, the topology editor can be used to edit the connections between root nodes and sub fixtures.
Automatic configuration Most root nodes are unable to detect the types and quantities of sub fixtures connected to their outputs, which means they must be configured to give them this information. Previously users needed to explicitly configure root nodes before using them. Now root nodes will be automatically configured with the sub devices attached on the canvas when the root node is associated, removing this extra step. Replacing root nodes Because the processor now has a fuller understanding of root nodes, it can now detect when a root node has been replaced a common operation which was previously difficult to achieve. Just like with normal panels, when the system detects that one root node has been swapped for another, you will be prompted to Correct Association. COLOUR CORRECTION We are excited to announce that Tessera M2 Processors now include a colour corrector. This powerful new feature can operate in one or both of the following modes: Colour replace lets users select a colour in the video to be replaced, and the colour to replace it with. A colour picker is provided to select these colours from a still of the video feed itself. Options are available to control the colour and brightness tolerance of pixels to be replaced, and the strength of the replacement. The view matte option creates a greyscale image indicating which areas of the video will be replaced. Reducing pinkness of red apples 14 way colour corrector lets users independently adjust colours in the video without affecting any other colours. Hue, saturation and brightness adjustment controls are provided for each of the primary, secondary and tertiary colours. Red, green and blue gains are also provided for each of black and white. The colour correction feature is perfect for making minor adjustments to the colours in your video. This is especially useful for making sure corporate logos are rendered in the correct colours, or product videos appear true to life on trade show booths. While the colour corrector can also be used for more extreme creative effects, this is not its intended use so performance in these situations may vary. Colour correction is applied at the end of the input processing pipeline, prior to global colour correction, so test patterns will also be affected. Video on canvas previews will show the video prior to colour correction. Colour correction is not available in low latency mode. The colour correction feature can be accessed from the new Colour Correction tab in the main project screen.
NAVIGATOR TOOL We've added a new tool to the Tessera software called Navigator, which makes it a lot quicker to move around the canvas and zoom in and out. Navigator provides a mini simplified preview of the whole canvas, with a red box showing the currently visible canvas area. Dragging the box moves the canvas view, and a slider is available for zooming in and out. Toggle Navigator on/off using a small button at the intersection of the canvas scrollbar or by selecting the option from the View menu. We expect Navigator to be particularly useful for projects with small fixtures such as strips. Often in these cases the user needs to be zoomed in to manipulate individual fixtures. Navigator lets users do this without losing a sense of context, and lets them quickly move to other parts of the canvas without zooming out. MULTIPLE FIXTURE ROTATION It is now possible to rotate multiple fixtures together without needing to create a group. To do this, select the new toolbar icon, or press Ctrl+Shift+R (or Cmd+Shift+R on Mac). A moveable rotation anchor will be placed in the centre of the selection, with a handle which will be dragged to rotate the selection, with the Shift key enabling finer grained rotation. This tool works on any selection, regardless of whether fixtures are grouped or not. Fixtures can also be added and removed from the selection in the normal way without exiting the tool. DATA EXPORT New in v1.3 are three ways to export data from a Tessera project or system: Export canvas as image Selectable from the Tools menu, this feature lets users export a 1:1 image of the canvas in PNG format. A number of options are available:
Show fixture outline Show active area Colour by group Show groups Show group names Show topology Rear view This feature is ideal for use as a map for content creation. It can also be used for creating cabling diagrams. Export fixtures as CSV Again selectable from the Tools menu, this feature exports data about all fixtures on the canvas to a Comma Separated Values (CSV) file, which can be used in Excel and other similar applications. Many different fields can be selected, including position/rotation, group information, associated fixture information, fixture type, and topology. Export Online Panels as CSV The Online Panels screen is a great way to get comprehensive information about detected fixtures. It is now possible to export that data to CSV file. The data exported will match that which is currently visible, so the selected filter options, column hiding and sorting will all apply to the exported data. GROUPING ENHANCEMENTS Groups are an important feature of Tessera, with many uses including as the unit for storing fixture position presets and per group colour overrides. This version sees a number of enhancements to groups: Group names on the canvas Group names can now be shown on the canvas. To enable this feature, right click on an empty area of the canvas, and select Show group names. Adding and removing fixtures It is now possible to add or remove fixtures from an existing group. This means that you no longer have to re create the group (and any presets / colour overrides) just to change the contents of the group. These options can be found by right clicking on a fixture.
Ungroup warnings When destroying a group which is used in a position preset, you will now be given a warning. If you decide to go ahead, the preset masks will also be updated. OTHER NEW FEATURES AND IMPROVEMENTS v1.3 includes a couple of other minor but noteworthy features: Zoom to selection Right clicking on a fixture selection, and choosing Zoom to selection will automatically zoom the canvas view to fit the current selection. Alongside the Navigator, this will also be useful for manipulating small fixtures, where different zoom levels are frequently used. Strip topology arrows The topology arrows for strip fixtures will now enter at one end of the strip and exit at the other. This is designed to mimic the fixture's cabling, and will make it easier for users to see the fixture's orientation at a glance. Fixture error reporting v1.3 includes a new framework for fixtures to report errors back to the processor. This version includes initial support for a few error types, and we expect to add new error types in future releases. The currently supported errors are: Temperature alert/critical/error thresholds reached. Panel/processor authentication errors. LCD firmware reload or communications errors. When an error occurs, a message will pop up in the software to notify the user and the canvas icon for the fixture will turn amber or red, depending on the severity of the error. Full details of the errors encountered for each fixture can be viewed in Online Panels or in the fixture Properties pane. Status indicator styling The status indicators on the canvas icons have been updated to make the status of small fixtures clearer:
State v1.2.x v1.3 Panel Small fixture Panel Small fixture Root node Unassociated Associated but offline Associated and online Warning N/A Error N/A KNOWN ISSUES
BUG FIXES Below are a list of the bugs fixed since version 1.2.5: 250 Generate printed layouts for cabling 712 Show last modified dates of project files in Open File dialog 1138 Show a thumbnail view of the canvas and viewport 1533 Show indication in UI if fixture type doesn't match 2093 Report LCD firmware update fails to user 2243 Importing firmware from Tessera Remote that already exists on a processor will fail 2430 Allow manual change of resolution of the display port output 2551 Add support for external storage devices 2624 Closing a project doesn't warn the user that video will stop 2633 Overwrite fixture dialog causes remote disconnect 2635 Panel temperature sensors display to ~10 decimal places 2659 "Canvas Edits Enabled" when enabled locks position of panels but not rotation 2667 The fixture rotate tool doesn't work in rear view 2695 Fixtures should appear transparent when using Colour Replace dropper tool 2710 OSCA mouse cursor gets lost between panels 2713 Powerycling panels can cause them to display inverted colours 2724 Ungrouping on Tessera Remote will crash 2729 Filenames not listed when importing projects in Tessera Remote 2736 Remote crashes when recording presets 2768 Multiple fixture rotation tool does not work correctly with rotated groups 2769 Exported fixture data has incorrect X/Y coordinates 2775 Disable Status Indicators not working 2784 Unable to open existing showfile while another showfile is open 2796 Mac Remote App associating transparent panels onto canvas 2817 Shortcut "Shift+Space" doesn't work in OSCA in Remote App for Mac 2822 Mouse cursor on OSCA multiplies when moved to the top of panels 2823 Connecting/disconnecting from a processor resets OSCA mode 2880 Switching between clients in OSCA multiples the Seam Correction Tool 2883 Selected layers in OSCA will not update if they are deselected 2928 Panels change brightness when re connecting to the processor 2935 Tessera control app does not report version on Windows TECHNICAL SUPPORT More information on technical support is available on our website. LEGAL Copyright 2014 6 Brompton Technology Limited. All rights reserved. This information is the property of Brompton Technology and its licensors. It should be treated as confidential information. It is permitted to use this information in whole or in part when designing products that will work with Brompton Technology protocols or processing and by using this information you accept these terms and conditions. This information is provided without any representation or warranty concerning its suitability for your application or concerning the performance or results you may obtain by relying upon it. Brompton Technology does not warrant that this information is error free or that defects will be corrected. In no event (and to the greatest extent permitted by law) will Brompton
Technology or its licensors be liable for any damages arising out of the use of this information in whole or in part. CONTENTS New sub fixture workflow Root nodes on the canvas Working offline Automatic configuration Replacing root nodes Colour correction Navigator tool Multiple fixture rotation Data export Export canvas as image Export fixtures as CSV Export Online Panels as CSV Grouping enhancements Group names on the canvas Adding and removing fixtures Ungroup warnings Other new features and improvements Zoom to selection Strip topology arrows Fixture error reporting Status indicator styling Known issues Bug fixes Technical Support Legal