Automatic Button Release

[Duncan]

Does anyone know if there is a way to set up the app so that only one button is active at a time?

I am looking to set up a spin studio with Photon 2. They essentially want to have a page full of buttons that each contain a different preset or sequence. But they only want to have one scene active at once. So it would be nice if activating one button released the previous button instead of manually having to release the previous button.

Does anyone know if there is a way to do this?

[Flupsi]

I think it is not possible at the time, but the feature is already requested. Here is the link to the topic:

Dashboard button groups

Please add the ability to specify groups of buttons within the live dashboard which allow an already activated button within a group to automatically deactivate when another button in that group is pressed. Currently if I have a bank of six colour buttons, I activate Blue and have to manually deactivate whatever colour is already selected. Sure the colour changes on stage but it makes it very unintiutive to glance at your ipad and see what is running.

[DavidO]

Myself and other have requested this function but it hasn’t been implemented yet. Currently there is no work around.

Request - A new button trigger mode (Latch) - Similar to the Toggle mode where the 1st press turns on the button and a 2nd press turns it off. Except in this mode the 1st press of a Latch button turns it on and it stays on until any other Latch button is pressed.

[Duncan]

Thanks for the response. Good to know this feature has already been requested. Hopefully they implement it soon.

[zionplayer]

I think the way you can have multiple presets/sequences running at the same time is one of the best features of the software, to layer only certain controls over a running sequence. I use this to engage a single spotlight over a running sequence for solos, as one example. Also use it to run a new sequence on top of the current one just for the chorus, then when I turn off the new one the old one is still running, and to sometimes change my movers into blinders on the crowd, then back to color movers on the band… sweet…

Would be nice to have some way to ‘clear the active’s’ all at once, but if ‘Latch’ only clears other ‘Latch’, I could still have multiple running buttons.

Maybe a Latch option per button as described, and a sep button type that basically ‘clears all running buttons’?

[Cclleemm]

We were thinking of making a ‘Solo’ which is a button that when activated deactivates all the others.
Then, we will create a ‘Latch group’ which will disable all the other buttons of the same group, but it requires a lot of imagination in terms of interface to keep it simple and understandable

[MEskew]

I definitely want to chime in with a big push to add some sort of “Latch” feature for Presets and Sequences on the Dashboard!!! Would love to see it as a new button type (along with the existing Toggle & Flash types), but I would be OK with the Latch group on the Dashboard idea as well…

I love most things about this software, but this feature would be HUGE for me to be able to use Photon as I really want to!!!

Would like to see Latch buttons be able to respond to Program Change commands too. Would be easier than having to use a whole bunch of different CC #'s for every Preset/Sequence I want to call up from my MIDI rig… But this is less important than the Latch function!!!

[Gordon]

Here’s an interface idea that is both simple and flexible to create “solo/latch” groups of controls.

1. Re-use existing dashboard “title” element as a handy unique control group name that any “solo/latch” control can be assigned to. This allows meaningful names for user to assign any solo/latch controls to in a drop-down list, and requires zero new user interface concepts or complications to designate solo/latch-control-groups because it is up to user to lay out their dashboard in a meaningful way, and most importantly it allows multiple solo/latch groups to exist from the outset. One is not enough.
2. Add a “solo/latch” mode alongside toggle and flash to any button. Enabling that mode will offer a drop down listing all the “title” names I.e. solo/latch-control-group names and the button must be associated with one of those to be a valid solo/latch button
3. Job done. Just decide on what to call it: solo or latch (or radio-button)
4. Extra credit: decorate the button visually to remind user it is a solo/latch
5. Extra extra credit: extend this simple concept to implement the “reset” feature also

[Cclleemm]

Hi, sorry I don’t speak perfect English, but I think I didn’t quite understand your request. Actually the latch function already exists, it allows to disable all the buttons (not locked) of the dashboard once the latch button is pressed. What is missing for you?

[Cclleemm]

Hello @Gordon and thank you for this suggestion of UX.
If I well understood, we have to create “title” elements on the dashboard and then affect preset to it ? It forces to use space for a title on the dashboard, isn’t it ?

[Gordon]

What is missing: need multiple latch groups (not just one universal latch that you can be a member of or not). Maybe it is in the roadmap?

[Gordon]

Yes this suggestion forces you to use space for a title on the Dashboard. I see that as a good thing, not a restriction. How elese can you make sense of your dashboard if there are not some title elements. Would be good if we could make the titles selectable smaller font though if dashboard space is at a premium.