[SML] ASCII file reader

[Dan Sheehan]

Thanks all for suggestions.

Probably would not have worked anyway.

Here's the situation and interesting, but not useful, results
 (somewhat lengthy description):

One of several community theatre groups I assist recently
started using a venue which has a 72-dimmer Unison system
controlled by a NSI [Leviton] 7532, which can run as 64 channels wide.
(Dimmer sys orig install was 48 wide, later added 3rd Unison box & 2nd FOH
pipe]

By patching many houselight dimmers into a few channels the
64-wide 7532 can handle the 72 dimmers OK.

The group had an ETC  Smartfade 2496 gathering dust.

Thought that would be a better tool than the NSI 7532,
mainly because it could be used with SmartSoft in a laptop
for runtime display of levels etc,
control via computer instead of console buttons,
hence less reliance on wheel for tasks like patching (ugh!),
file save and load capability, offline emulation, etc.
and everything you can do with an offline SW pkg.

ETC Tec Support got me through getting SmartSoft SW and Smartfade HW
to talk to each other.  Never would have got there without that help.

Maybe it's just an olde pharte syndrome, but I find the
hover-the-mouse-and- *wait*,  to see one patch connection at a time,
and the drag-and-drop to create patch links, klutzy.

I like the way it works (and displays) on the Express.

And I like... in fact, insist on...  a patch list ( p/o magic sheet) on
paper
during the run of the tech & show.
Surprised that the offine SW does not provide printable reports.

Since "ETC" (!) SmartSoft, and ETC Express EOL, both import
and export USITT ASCII, I thought maybe....
since one strong purpose of USITT ASCII is to enable
data sharing between different consoles...
but not quite.

EOL refuses to read ASC file written by SmartSoft,
because manufacturer (and console) do not match.
(USITT ASCII includes both).

Tricked around that by replacing the Express patch info
in the EOL file with the patch info from the SmartSoft file.

Resulting imported patch was wrong.

EOL patch info is Ch:Dim;    SmartSoft patch info is Dim:Ch.

They can't both be right , can they ?  :)

EOS OLE says it reads the SmartSoft .ASC file successfully
(I think... read status flashes by pretty quickly),
but the resulting patch is blank.

Importing patch from Express EOL .ASC into EOS OLE works correctly.

===
Have not been successful trying to find the USITT ASCII spec on USITT
website.
Any suggestions ?

-- 
...Dan Sheehan
Fixer of things that break
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