Tutorials

Today in this video we're going to talk about MECHA chains for one working session.
A MECHA chain is a series of MECHAs in which the first MECHA knows the IP of the second MECHA, and the second knows the IP of the third MECHA, and so on.
If the first MECHA in the chain ‒ the master ‒ receives a command to execute a preset, it can transmit the command to the second, the second ‒ to the third, and so on. Therefore, all the MECHAs in the chain can execute the same preset simultaneously.

Here is how to create a chain of MECHAs.
Access the User Interface of the master, then select "Dual" from the "Single/Dual" list.
Enter the IP of the second MECHA in the displayed dialog box, then click OK. Another dialog box is displayed, in which you enter zero in this case.
To add another MECHA to this chain, access the User Interface of the second MECHA and select "Dual" from the "Single/Dual" list.
Enter the IP of the third MECHA in the displayed dialog box, then click OK.
Enter zero in the second dialog box displayed, as before.

So, the master knows the IP of the second MECHA, and the second MECHA knows the IP of the third MECHA. If you need to add another MECHA to this chain, proceed in a similar way.

Our master MECHA is a C2-E2-E2. The second is also a MECHA C2-E2-E2. The third is a MECHA DAC (or Dual Axis Combo) consisting of two C1 controllers and two E1 rotators. And the fourth is a C1-E1, which automates the panning axis of supported Nodal Ninjas.

Once the MECHA chain is created, you only need to access the User Interface of the master.

EXAMPLE 1.
For all MECHAs in the chain to execute moves in the same direction, select "Cloned" from the "Single/Dual" list.
Notice that the IP of the second MECHA is displayed in the selection list of the master.
Also, B should be long enough for the moves to be executed synchronously. B (or "Before") is the pause before each trigger signal (or set of trigger signals).
Let's see the case when B is zero and the direction of rotation is to the right.
No preset is loaded. Each MECHA will execute a full 360° rotation, 12 shots around. Notice the desynchronisation, although the command is transmitted from one MECHA to another.

EXAMPLE 2.
Now we will just change the B setting to 5, to allow command propagation in the chain of MECHAs and avoid desynchronization.
The direction of rotation is to the right, as before.

EXAMPLE 3.
If we select "Mirrored" from the list (instead of "Cloned") and then click the RIGHT button, the master rotates to the right, but the second MECHA rotates in the opposite direction to the master, and the third ‒ in the opposite direction to the second (that is, the same as the first, or master), and so on.

EXAMPLE 4.
Similarly, if the direction of rotation is to the left, the first MECHA rotates to the left. Therefore, the second rotates to the right, the third ‒ to the left, and the fourth ‒ to the right. This is because the "Mirrored" option is selected.

EXAMPLE 5.
Just one more example. Let's select "Cloned" again.
The direction of rotation is to the left this time.

Note that "Cloned" is considered default if "Scripted" is selected from the "Single/Dual" list.