Triggering QLab from Eos using OSC

A quick note on IP addresses

Each device on a network must have an IP address, which must be unique within that network. An IP address consists of 4 digits between 0 and 254 separated by decimal points. So with two Eos family consoles, one could have the address 10.101.100.20, and the other 10.101.90.101 - so far so simple.

But the IP addresses of two devices must be in the same subnet, if those devices want to talk to each other. Subnets are complex, but we can keep it simple for now:

• Set the Subnet Mask on every device to 255.255.0.0
• Consequently, for 2 devices to be on the same subnet, their first 2 numbers must be the same (10.101...), but the remaining numbers can be different (and at least one of them must be)

In the example above, the two Eos family consoles can talk to each other because they share the 10.101... Another device with the IP address 192.168.1.55 could not talk to them.

This is all you need to know for a basic network setup between Eos and QLab - for more detail, see the et cetera blog post on IP addresses and subnets.

Cooperating with the Sound Department

ETC uses default  IP addresses per product type, as detailed in this article. Consoles with 1 network port (Windows XP consoles and ETCnomad Puck) use a default IP address in the 10.101.x.x range. Consoles with 2 network ports (Windows 7 consoles) use the 192.168.x.x range for their second port by default.

If you have full control over all devices on the network (including the sound computer), or the sound department also use the 10.101.x.x range, it is easiest to stick with these defaults, and ensure the IP address of the QLab computer is in the same range.

But often, someone else is running sound, and they may have their own network, with their own IP address scheme. In that case, here are your options:

• If your console has 2 network ports (see below), use the second port to connect to the sound department, and choose an (unused!) IP address in the same subnet as their QLab computer.
• If your console has 1 network port, you will need to come to an arrangement so that the console and the QLab computer end up on the same subnet. This may depend who has the fewest devices to readdress! Of course, if you don't use your console's network port (because you use DMX only), you can follow option 1 above.

Eos Network settings

To edit the network settings on a console, exit to the shell, and go to Settings > Network.

The IP address for each port is set at the top of this window. If you need to change it from the default, do so - a reboot will be required.

Once this is set, scroll down to the Interface Protocols section. Ensure that UDP Strings & OSC is ticked for the port you want to use. Leave the OSC dropdown set as below.

If you're connecting to sound using your port 2, you may want to turn off sACN and Artnet for this port, to avoid spamming the sound network with level data.

For this article, we'll assume we're using Port 1 on an Eos Ti, with an IP address of 10.101.92.101.

That's everything set in the shell, so hit Accept and head back into Primary.

et cetera blog post on network settings

Note: If you're running Eos ETCnomad on a laptop, you will have to set the IP address in Windows or macOS, rather than in Eos. If using Windows, search the web for "setting a static IP in [your Windows version]" If using a Mac, use the same method as detailed below under "QLab Network Settings"

QLab Network Settings

QLab only runs on macOS, so head to the Apple menu (top left of the screen) > System Preferences > Network. Choose the relevant network interface from the list (usually either wired Ethernet or a Thunderbolt adapter) and assign and IP address and subnet mask. These are the settings we're using in this example:

Hit Apply and exit System Preferences

Sending an OSC string on a per-cue basis

If you only need to trigger a few QLab cues from Eos, it makes sense to send a specific OSC command from the relevant Eos cues.

Let's say you need to fire QLab cue 17 with Eos cue 5. To do this, type in:

[Cue] [5] {Execute} {More SK} {String} /cue/17/start [Enter]

Eos will send this string when Q5 is executed.

This is usually the best method for theatre shows where a couple of specific sound cues need to be triggered from Eos.

Sending QLab-readable OSC with every Eos cue

Eos outputs OSC natively every time it fires a cue, but not in a format that QLab understands. To get around this, we can use the OSC Cue Send String function in the Eos OSC Setup menu. 

This allows you to send a custom string with a cue (or other) number as a variable. For example:

/cue/%1/start

would send that message with every cue, with the cue number in place of the %1 - which is the format that QLab understands.

There are 5 variables you can use in the string:

%1 - cue number
%2 - cuelist number
%3 - cue whole number only (i.e. if it's cue 17.5, send only 17)
%4 - cue point number only (i.e. if it's cue 17.5, send only 5)
%5 - cue label

This method works best when one person has control of the cue numbering of both Eos and QLab.

Other Methods

OSC is very flexible, and QLab's implementation has many options.

For example, you can send a simple /go which is the same as hitting the GO button on QLab itself. Normally sending a specific cue number is preferable, but it's good to know this is possible.

QLab can also accept custom commands for certain playback functions - for example, you could map the command /eos/says/GO to the Go button. This is done in the Workspace Preferences > OSC Controls section.