Once Jugglers have been physically connected to each other, to the network and to related devices (see Connect a Juggler Data Bus and Connecting a System) they need connecting internally, from inputs to outputs via whatever processes are required. This is all achieved using Compere’s UI on a control PC, to create a complete ‘stage-management’ script that contains the connections, configuration properties, positions and arrangements of all the equipment and players that comprise what is called a ‘Project’.
➢See overview: Juggler and Compere
➢Important for new users: Terms and Definitions in Compere
Project Group, Server, Clients
Active instances of Compere that have a shared involvement in a Project, must belong to a Project Group. This will include all the Jugglers, plus any control PC that plays a part in managing the Project. One, and only one, instance of Compere in a Project Group has the role of server to the rest as clients. This role includes owning the Project script, receiving any changes to this from clients, and redistributing any changes to the rest of the Project Group.
It does not matter which instance of Compere is the server, and the role can be handed to any Group member. If a server leaves the Group for any reason, the Project will keep running, but intercommunication stops and changes will not be redistributed until there is a Group server again. A group Juggler is always the preferred choice – a control PC does not need ever to play the server role. The function of the control PC is to be able to use the graphical interface to view and edit the Project Group and all its members and their roles, and/or to be used for external control.
➢Special case: PC as Project Group server
The function of the Jugglers in a Project is to assemble one or more shared visual canvases between them, i.e. a combined total pixel space. These pixels may be displayed anywhere in the real world, and you will place individual inputs into the system onto any number of locations in this overall space. Each Juggler in a system has the advantage of handling a range of input and output connection standards, including DisplayPort™ 1.2, HDMI® 2.0 and 12G SDI, and when put on a common fibre-optic data bus they can share a single very large canvas.
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Network
To start, the network that the Juggler system and associated devices live on needs to be set up in Compere, grouping devices for a Project (see Network Configuration).
Canvas
You will now configure where the received (input) pixels will be displayed within the total output canvas ‘map’ available to the Juggler system. This is done in Compere’s Juggler view, in the Canvas assembly panel. In the overall canvas you will define canvas outputs delivered by the output devices. Inputs are assigned to canvas windows anywhere within these areas. It won’t matter if the window is spread over multiple outputs; all pixels in the total canvas are available to the Juggler system.
Juggler systems can accommodate multiple canvases.
Calibrated canvases can be imported as MPCDI files.
Nodes
The next task is to describe the connections of the Jugglers so that source devices address the appropriate inputs, and outputs are assigned and configured to the right display devices. You have wired the outside world; the inside world of the system is ‘wired’ in Compere. This is all done in Compere’s Juggler view, in the Nodes assembly panel. Here you will add representations of all the Jugglers in your system, connect up any data bus that the system shares (see Connect a Juggler Data Bus), and connect media streams from anywhere in the system, insert media processes, through to display devices and areas anywhere in the system.
Media throughput: NDI® Monitoring
When everything looks right, you want real media to play onto your canvas. You might want to use simple colour or numbered media per channel to start with, to check all your flows. Compere also provides NDI Monitoring (an option in the properties of each Juggler). This enables you to visually trace media input, through outputs and into canvas windows in the Compere assembly panels. These should correspond with the real world displays.
External Control
Everything in a Juggler system, constructed using Compere, has its own unique label (UUID). Any of its components or properties, including position, size, opacity, visibility, projector beams etc. can therefore be addressed remotely using External Control commands and a show controller.
Page edited [d/m/y]: 21/04/2023