Ai V9 BETA is ready for public release.

The first public Ai Version 9 BETA release is ready for testing. Here is the download link:

www.avolites.com/Ai/Ai_V9_0_0_333_BETA_Win7.exe

This build should be ready to become a full release version very soon, hopefully.. It has been through extensive Internal testing and is already in use on a number of big shows. However, please remember, if you would like to use it on your show I would insist on caution and thorough testing of all show cues and setup before you proceed.

We decided to release Version 9 a whole 4 months earlier than we had originally planned. A number of customers were very keen to get their hands on this release, so we have pushed the release of the new Timeline Page and the Automated Media Transcode features originally scheduled for Version 9 on to Version 10 which we plan to release At Frankfurt in April (The original V9 release date).

Please note, the manual has not been updated yet, this release still carries the V8 Manual.

The details of the updates in this release are below.


Ai V9 Main Features

New Audio Engine
Much improved Audio to Video Synchronisation.
Individual Volume control on each layer.
Linked or separate Audio / Video levels control.
Level meter on each layer showing visual representation of the current Audio level.
Independent Audio and Video file support.
Mute Audio on Layer.
Optional Audio preview on clip properties video preview.

Dynamic Content Page
Allows the user to create generative content such as Audio reactive effects, Live editable text, Particle systems, flames etc.

UI Overhaul
Triangular corner buttons replaced with new 'Ai Button' which takes the user quickly and easily to each page of the user interface.
Improved font used for main features in the performance page.

Sync Groups
This feature allows any AiM video clip to become a 'Sync Source'. Any other AiM video clip on any other layer or fixture or even another networked system can be configured as a 'Sync Listener'. When triggered this clips will then play precisely with frame accurate synchronisation. You need to install Net Time for this feature to work (instructions in Distrib/System/Net Time).

Live update of Layer parameters from incoming ArtNET / Midi data
The layer parameters now update live when ArtNET or Midi input data sets the parameters remotely.

Select Output Region by Name
Regions can now be named manually and selected from a drop down list. This makes the creation and selection of overlapping or very small regions easy.

Resized Layer Widget
The Layer browser can now view many more layers than in V8 due to it being resized to the whole height of the control window. It can also display multiple selected fixtures in full detail simultaneously.

Live Mask on output page
The user can now draw a mask live onto the output window. The mask can also be saved and loaded for future use. Just create an N point region on the output page and press the 'Use as Mask' button.

Output window template
Feature allowing user to drag and drop image onto each output window in the output page to use as an output template to align your outputs to. Very useful on the show day!

Output Region Controller
A new module which can be added into your project file which allows control of each output region's brightness, RGB values and the texture to be used to draw the output region.

Individual FX resets
Each effect in the layer now has an individual reset parameter


Full Release history for V9 development

Ai_V9_0_0_333_BETA_Win7

DONE - Adding a Screen or light fixture on the stage construction page now inserts it after other screen fixtures and before any projector fixtures, grouping them automatically. Prevents an age old bug where projectors and screen fixtures need to be declared in the right order.
DONE - Fixed a bug where an AiM movie with embedded audio would not re-trigger from a specified in point.
DONE - Tool tips on the Modelling Page were crashing when the mouse hovered over the tools menu.
DONE - Screens in the Demo Project's Output Page on the Projector Output were partially deleted.

Ai_V9_0_0_288_BETA_Win7 (internal BETA only)

DONE - Added Template Projects for V9

Ai_V9_0_0_268_BETA_Win7 (internal BETA only)

DONE - Corrected 3rd layer default channel address assignment in DemoProjectV9.scb

Ai_V9_0_0_266_BETA_Win7 (internal BETA only)

DONE - Auto Save of Media Bank when Media Bank selection is changed by Artnet
DONE - Added a yellow highlight to any media tile which has media loaded from a network folder
DONE - Added a red highlight to any media tiles which have matching Artnet ID's with any other media tiles in the same media Bank
DONE - Added MTC Trigger time to Layer properties
DONE - Clear Layer with Artnet File and Folder set to 0 needs to load transparent image not black image.

Ai_V9_0_0_257_Alpha_Win7

DONE - Added Preview Volume to Clip Properties on Media Tiles in the performance page.
DONE - Added File not found image when the user right clicks a media tile and views its properties.
DONE - Added File not found thumbnail when the file is not found when the media bank loads.
DONE - Fixed multi select regions can move first selected region.
DONE - Rotate by 90 on N point regions.
DONE - Added Scale control for Rectangular and N Points Regions on Output Page (hold shift to maintain aspect ratio).
DONE - N Point Regions Mirror functions on Output Page.
DONE - Improved responsiveness of fixture group selection.

Ai_V9_0_0_246_Alpha_Win7

DONE - Expanded maximum Memory usage to 4GB instead of 2GB.
DONE - Added Option buttons to turn on and off MSEX Streaming per fixture and per layer.
DONE - Added support for showing & editing all regions of a multi selected fixture group.
DONE - Added Sample region and Output region ports to the Region Adjustment Module - allows dynamic control of Region parameters.
DONE - Added Texture input port to the Region Adjustment Module.
DONE - Added Load buttons to Region Selector in output page instead of having to type in the paths to the region files.
DONE - Improved 3DS Region import and Screen Fixture Region Import on output page to add support for named regions based on 3d object in source file, and fix vertex breaking on import.
DONE - Fixed region Naming for Multi Point Regions on output page.
DONE - Fixed Copy and paste regions on output page

Ai_V9_0_0_207_Alpha_Win7

DONE - Added Output Region Names on the output page for Regions created with a screen fixture.
DONE - Drop down list of Region names, handy way to select overlapping regions.
DONE - Added Region Adjustment Module - allows dynamic control of Region parameters such as R,G,B,A (Texture input port coming soon)
DONE - Added feature allowing user to drag and drop image onto each output window in the output page to use as an output template to align sample regions to (when using screen fixtures).

Ai_V9_0_0_156_Alpha_Win7

DONE - Layer Parameters in the Layer Controller update live from ArtNET or Midi control of all Layer Parameters
DONE - Autoblend defaults its render targets to bilinear interpolation - improves image quality on autoblend outputs
DONE - Autoblend resolution ratio's 3:1 & 4:1 now perform as expected again (4k render target limit lifted to GPU max)
DONE - Fixed automated Time Code triggering from the performance page
DONE - New Audio engine improved support for most play modes. (Still working on a couple of them).
DONE - Layer properties can get cropped in the main UI window if the window is resized whilst the layer properties are open
DONE - Each FX Channel in the layer properties window now has a RESET button so you can reset only the selected FX
DONE - Layer properties can now be easily midi mapped or ArtNET mapped by right clicking the button in the layer properties (there is now a new close button to close the layer properties)
DONE - Layer properties are now opened with a double click instead of right click to improve compatibility with touch screens and to allow the right click functionality to perform the correct functionality elsewhere in the UI.
DONE - Value adjustment smoothing is set to default as off for all layer parameters, layer controller parameters, FX parameters and scene trigger parameters.
DONE - FX ID is shown on the multi layer widget when an effect is either selected in FX1 or FX2
DONE - Some unnecessary modules removed from inside the layer controller patch
DONE - Hidden V9 timeline page button from the Ai Page buttons until the page is closer to complete

Hi.

Without "Continuous Sync" option in and out clip points are ignored, and play mode (I tested on play mode 2) doesn't work properly: after playing clip once, clip stops at the end.

Clips are AiM with embedded audio.

Hi Elgarf

Thanks for your feedback there. You are right. If you are playing movies with embedded audio then you will need the Continuous sync option to be enabled.

Best regards

Hi Dave.
I hope all is going well with you.
I can't see anything mentioned elsewhere on the forum hence this post. (I figure it could save others contacting you about the same things).
I loaded Ai_V9_0_0_333_BETA_Win7 as downloaded from the website and appearing to still be the current Beta on to one of my infinity servers today.
I guess you'll probably know already but clicking on Dynamic Content such as Harmonic Flower or Flower Of Life caused a not responding crash - I've replicated this on the laptop as well. I like the look of what they appear to do though!
Also, CITP clips were still not working with the MA2 - you have to skip all if you try to load them but the good news is that the server now doesn't crash if you try updating CITP. I've not tried on other consoles yet.
I liked what I saw whilst I was briefly playing today - I think people will find v9 more approachable and user friendly.
Is there a newer build for me to try, please?
Cheers
Jon

Morning.

I think if you delete or rename your old Distrib folder before you install this BETA then that should solve the problem of the Dynamic content crashing. Installing Ai V9 over the top of an existing V8 installation is not recommended.

Thanks for the feedback on CITP. We'll look into it.

Best regards

Thanks Dave.
It had occurred to me during the night that this could be the cause. Also, it could be the issue with the CITP as well. When I'm back with the server next week I'll try to test it then.
Many thanks
Jon

FYI I Split Sebastiens ' ArtNET ELIDY' question into a separate thread, here:

https://aiforum.forumotion.co.uk/t369-artnet-elidy

FYI I Split Sebastiens 'pixel simulation on screen fixture' question into a separate thread, here:

https://aiforum.forumotion.co.uk/t370-pixel-simulation-on-screen-fixture