Light Stream Player Settings
Light Stream Player is a device that plays back finished animations on-site by itself: without a computer and without the program running. So that the program knows where to send the project settings and which converters belong to which player, the player is added to the project as a device — in the Fixtures window.
This article describes the player's parameters in the program itself. How to load animations onto the player and what the data transfer window does is described in the article Импорт cue в Player.
The player in the project structure
The Fixtures window is organized in levels: player → converters → ports → fixtures. The player is the topmost level; everything else sits inside it. A new project already has one player, so you don't need to add it separately.
The player's parameters determine:
- where the program sends settings — universes, devices, playlists, and calendar events go to the address and with the access data set in its parameters;
- how cue files are laid out — compositions are calculated for the player's universes, and if a project has several players, on export the files are laid out into subfolders named after the players;
- how many universes are used — the total count includes the universes of all the player's converters, including the built-in one, if it is enabled.
Adding, renaming, and deleting
- Right-click an empty spot in the Fixtures window.
- In the device list, select Player.
The player appears in the list already expanded, and its parameters open immediately in the Properties window. The program names a new player Light Stream Player; for the second and subsequent ones it appends a number to the name so the names don't repeat.
There are two ways to rename a player: right-click it → Rename, or the Name field in the Properties window. A player is deleted by right-clicking it → Delete — its converters leave the project along with it, and the fixtures from their ports become unpatched again. An accidental deletion can be undone with Ctrl+Z.
Where to find the parameters
Click the player in the Fixtures window — three sections appear in the Properties window: General, Authorization, and Internal converter. Values apply immediately; there is no OK button in the window.
General
| Parameter | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Name | The player's name in the project. It is shown in the Fixtures window and in the list of players in the data transfer window, and on composition export it becomes the name of the subfolder with the cue files. Player names must be unique |
| IP address | The player's network address. Default is 192.168.0.205. The program uses this address to communicate with the player when exchanging settings; the address itself is set on the player, the program does not change it. The address is also shown in the player's row in the Fixtures window, to the right of the name |
| Enable HTTPS | Communicate with the player over a secure protocol. At the same time the program switches from the HTTP port to the HTTPS port |
| HTTP port | The port the program uses to communicate with the player while HTTPS is off. Default is 80 |
| HTTPS port | The port the program uses to communicate with the player when HTTPS is on. Default is 443 |
You rarely need to touch the ports: change them only if the player has deliberately been switched to a non-standard port, or if it is accessed through port forwarding on a router.
Authorization
| Parameter | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Username | The login for signing in to the player. Factory value is administrator |
| Password | The password for signing in to the player. Factory value is administrator. The button to the right of the field shows and hides the entered characters |
| Import / Export Settings | The button opens the Data Transfer to LS Player window — through it the project's settings are sent to the player, and the settings of an already running player are pulled into the project |
Access data is stored in the project together with the address and ports, so it is already filled in in the Data Transfer to LS Player window. These are the same values: if you change the username, password, address, or port right in the data transfer window, the change also applies to the player's parameters.
Internal converter
The player has its own outputs for fixtures, and in the project they are shown as a separate converter named Internal converter inside the player.
| Parameter | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Use internal converter | Enables the player's built-in outputs. While the checkbox is on, the Internal converter is shown in the Fixtures window, fixtures can be patched into its ports, and its universes are counted along with the rest — both when checking for duplicate universe numbers and in the project's total universe count. If the built-in outputs are not used, clear the checkbox: the converter disappears from the list and stops using up universes |
A few features of the internal converter:
- it cannot be deleted — only hidden with the Use internal converter checkbox;
- it has no IP address of its own: it always matches the player's address and changes together with it;
- its other parameters are configured like a regular converter's — select it and set the Start universe, Number of ports, and Universes per port in the Properties window. You cannot set more ports than the player physically has.
The player's row in the "Fixtures" window
The player's row shows the essentials without opening the properties:
- the arrow on the left collapses and expands the player's contents;
- next comes the icon and the player's name in bold;
- on the right — the IP address;
- an orange warning icon may appear between the name and the address.
Orange icon: settings have changed
The program itself keeps track of everything that affects the player. As soon as you add or remove a converter, rename it, change its network settings, start universe, or number of ports, an orange icon lights up next to the player's name with the tooltip "Attention! Click to see more". It means one thing: the settings in the project have diverged from what is currently on the player.
Clicking the icon opens the Attention! window with the question "Some settings have been changed. Do you want to open the player's properties to send them?" and three buttons:
- Yes — the program selects the player and opens its parameters, from where the Import / Export Settings button sends the settings to the player;
- No — the window closes, the icon stays lit;
- Clear — the icon is removed. The settings are not sent to the player, so use this button only if you are not going to send them.
The icon is a reminder, not an error: it does not affect the program's operation or the mapping.
Converters inside the player
Every converter in the project belongs to some player, and this determines which player its settings go to.
- A new converter is added to whichever player is currently selected; if nothing is selected, it goes to the first player in the list.
- You can move a converter to another player with the mouse: drag it onto the row of the desired player.
- Universe numbers within one player must not repeat — matching universes are flagged as an error. Different players can have matching universes: they are physically different devices.
The converters' own network settings are described in the article Параметры Light Stream Converter, and setting up the physical device is described in the article Light Stream Converter Setup.
Several players in a project
A project can have as many players as are installed on-site. In this case:
- watch the names carefully: they are used to lay out the cue-file subfolders and to tell the players apart in the data transfer window;
- give each player its own IP address and access data;
- distribute the converters among the players the same way they are connected on-site;
- send the settings and animations to each player separately.
If something goes wrong
The program couldn't reach the player. Check the IP address in the parameters and make sure the computer and the player are on the same subnet. The easiest way to check the connection is to open the player's address in a browser: if the web interface doesn't open, the problem is with the network, not the parameters.
The data transfer window shows "Not logged in". The Username, Password, address, or port don't match. Check the Authorization section, and also the Enable HTTPS checkbox — with it on, the program uses a different port.
The fixtures don't light up even though the animation is loaded. The universe and device settings haven't been sent to the player, or have changed since they were sent — this is usually what the orange icon indicates. Send the settings again with the Import / Export Settings button.
The program reports more universes than the player's license allows. The project uses more universes than the license permits. Remove the excess universes — for example, clear the Use internal converter checkbox if the built-in outputs aren't used — or extend the license.
A converter has a duplicate universe. The match is looked for within a single player, and the internal converter is included in the check too. Look at the Start universe of all converters on that player, including the Internal converter.