NewTek 3Play 3P1, User Manual

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17.8 GPI CONTROLLERS
GPI, or General Purpose Interface, is long serving analog control signal system based on simple contact
closure. GPI inputs and outputs are very common on professional production equipment.
The macro system in NewTek live production devices can take advantage of intermediary devices, such as
the eBOX™ network/GPI hardware interface from JLCooper Electronics, to support both GPI signal input
and output.
17.8.1 CONFIGURATION
For an external GPI device to communicate with a NewTek live production system, it must be manually
defined by text entries in the file named gpi_setup.xml. This file can be located in the directory at
C:\3Play\Configuration\. The entry for a given GPI control device must contain an IP address and port,
password, and custom name, entered as follows:
< device name="name " ip="###.###.###.###" port="##" password=" "/>
At the time of writing, the xml ‘element name’ signified above by the placeholder device should be
“jlcooper”, without the quotation marks. The value for the “name” attribute that follows is a custom name
of your choosing.
Hint: Normally, connected GPI devices are identified by unique names in this file; otherwise (if GPI
devices share a single name) GPI commands are issued to them simultaneously.
The remaining configuration attributes (“ip”, “port” and “password”) are set at the external hardware
device (refer to the vendor’s documentation for details); the corresponding values need only be
transferred into the XML configuration file.
A typical entry might look like this:
<jlcooper name="JLCooper1" ip="192.168.128.102" port="23" password=""/>
17.8.2 LISTENING FOR GPI TRIGGERS
Configured and connected GPI interface devices can trigger macros just like a keyboard shortcut, control
surface, or MIDI button operation can. To assign a GPI trigger to a macro, simply click a ‘gesture field’ in
the Shortcuts group at the bottom of the Macro Configuration panel; then send the desired external GPI
trigger to the system. The ‘listening’ control will recorded the GPI signal, and a suitable shortcut entry will
be displayed (see Section 17.3.2).