Ovation and Watchout Synchronization

Owned by David Jacques
Last updated: Apr 01, 2022
7 min read


Requirements

Ovation Premium licence is required.
Note : Watchout requires at least 2 computers; 1 Production computer (Control) and 1 Display (Player).
Each Watchout computer requires a license. 

Watchout Production can be hosted on the same computer as Ovation.


For ease of use, please download the Watchout and Ovation demo project.


The RAVENNA Network cannot be used to link Watchout and Ovation computers, you have to use a separate network. 


1.Configuring Windows network 

Ensure that firewalls are turned off completely on both computers 

To communicate the commands between the 2 Ovation computers, some settings have to be applied on Windows network.
You may need Administrator rights to modify those settings.

  • Check that Windows Network Discovery is activated.

    Go in Windows Control Panel> Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings



    Make sure that Network Discovery is active.  File and Printer sharing is optional.
    This setting can be defined for each Network type, Home/ Work, Public or Domain, so please set accordingly to your Network type.
    The Network type can be identified in the main Network and Sharing Center window.

    Go Windows Control Panel > Network Connections > Select your Windows Network LAN card > Properties

     

    Client for Microsoft Networks,File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks,     and Internet Protocol Version 6/ Version 4 must be active.
     

  • Configure the IP adresses 

    When you have several networks connected to your computer, the operating system uses the IP addresses to sort the network datas and send it to the correct network.
    If two (or more) networks are connected to one computer, the root of the IP addresses have to be different, otherwise the computer will not be able to determine where to send the network datas.
    Each computer must have a unique IP address per network.

    Examples with a RAVENNA network:
    Ovation commands network IP is 192.168.0.10 and RAVENNA is 169.254.25.20 OK
    Ovation commands network IP is 10.0.25.20 and RAVENNA is 169.254.25.20 OK
    Ovation commands network IP is 169.254.15.10 and RAVENNA is 169.254.25.20  NOT OK
    Ovation commands network IP is 192.168.0.10 and RAVENNA is 192.168.10.20  NOT OK

    The computers IP addresses can be verified Windows Control Panel > Network Connections > Select the required LAN card > Status > Details.
    Depending on your network configuration, the computers will receive their IP addresses automatically (DHCP), or you will have to set it manually (direct connection / non DHCP).

    To manually set an IP address, Go Windows Control Panel > Network Connections > Select the required LAN card > Properties.
    Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)  (or Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) depending on your network) and click on Properties button.
    Set it to "Use the following IP address" and enter the IP address.
    Once you have entered your IP address, click in the Subnet Mask field.  Windows will automatically set the correct Subnet Mask.
    Default gateway and DNS server can be left blank.
    Click on OK and Close to validate those settings.
    Now you need to restart the computer for changes to apply. 

    If you do not have any specific address that you wish to use, you can use the following information with certainty.
    Ovation Computer:  IP Address: 192.168.200.130 /  Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
    Watchout Computer: IP Address: 192.168.200.135 /  Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0



    Note :The IP address 127.0.0.0 should NEVER be used.

    Those settings have to be checked on both computers.

  • Computers on a domain

    Computers connected under the same domain can directly jump to section 3, as the security access is managed by your domain server.  
    Please see with your IT Manager for further details.

  • Computers in a WorkGroup

    Make sure both computers are in the same workgroup.  
    Go in Windows Control Panel > System, the required information is in the Computer name, domain and workgroup settings section.
    If you need to change the workgroup, click on Change Settings in the Computer name, domain and workgroup settings section and enter your changes.
    You must restart the computer for changes to take effect !

  • Checking access through Windows

    On the Ovation Master, make sure in Windows explorer that you can access the remote Ovation:
    Open Windows explorer and access the remote computer, using the “Network” part in the left pane, or by typing the computer name in the address bar;
    for example \\OvationB, if the remote Ovation is a on a computer called OvationB.
    If that does not work, it will not be possible to remote control the second Ovation. 
    Tip : adding a password on both computer may help if you can't get access.
    Please consult Windows documentation about Workgroups for further details.

  • A note on credentials (password)

    Remember that you have to enter a user name and its password for a user account on the machine that you want to have access to.
    In the screenshot below, we’re connecting from a machine that is called OVATION A on a machine that is called OVATIONB.  The user account on OvationB computer is Lucas.


    You do not need to share any folder, but it might be convenient to share the show between the Ovation computers.
    Check the box “Remember my credentials”, otherwise you will have to enter the user name and password each time you restart the computers. 

    Windows login issue: if you did rename your user account, Windows will not be able to log from another computer, it only works locally.
    You will continuously get wrong user name and password error.
    In that case, create new user accounts, and log remotely with those new credentials. 


2.Configuring WATCHOUT

Insert 1 Watchout licence dongle on the Ovation computer and 1x  licence dongle on the Watchout “Player" computer

On the Watchout Player computer

  • Start the Watchout DISPLAY.  (Windows Start>All Programs>WATCHOUT)
    By default, the desktop shortcut is the one for Watchout Production.  You may add a shortcut to Watchout Display for ease of use.
    Once loaded it will sit at a welcome screen with its IP address.

On the Watchout Production /Ovation computer

  • Launch the Watchout “Production” Software and open the "EngineOV_DEMO” show.
  • Once the Watchout project is opened :
    Go to the "File" drop down and select Preferences.
    In the General Tab, in the box labelled Display IP Number Prefix, type the first 3 sets of digits in the Display computer s IP address.
    ie: 192.168.200.  Don't forget to enter the last dot!
    Click OK
  • Go to the "Stage" dropdown and click on Add a Display.
    Choose the resolution of the display you are using (choose XGA if you are unsure)  
    You will now see a solid red border around the image in the *Stage" window
    Double click inside the borders of the box and a window will popup (Display Setup Window)
    In the address box, type the last set of digits in the Display computer’s IP address 
    ie: 135 (Watchout Display computer IP 192.168.200.135)
    Click on Test Connection : the “Connection” box should go from Red to Green
    Click OK


  • The next step will be to put the  “Stage” online, which will then automatically transfer the files to your Display software running on the Watchout computer.
    Go to the "Stage" dropdown and select Online.
    Wait for the file transfer to the display computer to finish  (see the progress bar on the Watchout Display computer)
    Once this is completed, save and close the Production software.

    MAKE SURE YOU CLOSE  THE PRODUCTION SOFTWARE BEFORE OPENING OVATION.


 

3.Configuring OVATION

Ovation Settings

  • In TCP/IP Connections, for IP1, set the following
    Type: Client
    Address: Enter the IP address of the Watchout Display computer (ie: 192.168.200.135)
    Port: 3039
    Transport: TCP
    Click Apply Settings
    The Status column should now show "connected" for IP1.

     

  • In Player>IP set the following
    Enable it
    Set the escape character to “0x0D CR (carriage return)”

     

    Note :  this setting tells ovation what character to use in order to break apart command strings that are sent to the Watchout computer.
    For example if I sent 3 commands in a row : “runTimeline1haltTimeline1killTimeline1” on the Watchout side which would look to it like a single incomprehensible command.
    But, an escape character makes it readable as 3 separate commands “runTimeline1 haltTimeline1 killTimeline1”.
  • In Controller>IP set the following
    Enable it
    Tick the radio button marked “Dataton Syncronization”
    Click OK
     
     

This has now set all the TCP/IP settings so that we can send transport commands to the Watchout Player computer and also then receive Sync information back from it so you can chase your connected audio cues.

Ovation Show

  • Load the “Ovation6 for AV - Dataton Sync Control” show
  • Init and start the show
  • Use the Cue List number 6  “Dataton Fire Control” to send commands to the Watchout Computer.
    You need to click on the "Load Watchout demo" before you can play all of its timelines.
    The load process needs to be done each time you start the Watchout Player software.
  • Once the Watchout Demo has been loaded using the button in the cue list, you can then fire, pause and stop each Watchout timeline using the commands beneath.
     
  • When firing the Watchout Timeline1, the cue "Timeline1" in cue list "DatatonAudio" will be chasing the video (if you pause then play it, it will follow along, completely in sync).
    The sync is achieved by naming the Ovation cue the same name as the Timeline in Watchout (for the demonstration project, it is Timeline1)


For proper synchronization between Watchout and Ovation, you MUST use the Synchronization Token.
The Cue name indicated have to use the exact spelling, including CAPS and spaces


The Watchout Timelines are fired using IP Commands which are set in the cue properties just like any other control protocol (such as MIDI or GPO etc). if you click on one of the command cues and look at the cue properties, you will see that it is simple English that is used.
For a complete list of the commands available to send to the Watchout Player, please consult the Watchout Manual.