Setting up Synergy
Connecting up
The Ai server(s) need to be connected by Ethernet to the Titan console. Media previews use NDI streams which along with copying of large media files can place a heavy demand on the network, so you should follow these tips for setting up a suitable network:
Use at least gigabit network equipment
Have a dedicated network for Synergy if possible
If you are using Titan Mobile, make sure Windows Firewall is turned off
The Ai server(s) must have the correct version of Synergy installed to match your Titan version. To upgrade Synergy on the Ai server, download the Synergy Upgrade Installer from the Avolites Download page and run it on the Ai server. You don't need to do anything extra on the console as the Titan installer will automatically install the latest version of Synergy on the console.
If you have problems getting Titan and Ai to recognise each other, make
sure they are on matching software versions, and both in the same IP
address subnet range such as 2.0.0.1 and 2.0.0.2 - read more about Networking the Console.
Setting up the Ai Show
A simple Ai system involving a single screen or projector can be set up by following the Synergy setup instructions in the next section. You just need to open a blank show in Ai and you can add Screens and Layers from the Titan console.
For more complicated requirements, create suitable screen fixtures in the Ai show - see the Ai manual for more details on how to do this. You can create and rename Layers from the Titan console. The screen fixtures you have created in Ai will then become available as Surfaces in Titan.
Synergy Setup
In Titan, open the Synergy Settings window using the Workspace button provided on new shows, or use the option in the Open Workspace Window menu.
This window is a little like the DMX settings screen: it lets you set up how the Titan console is linked to the various outputs on the Ai server(s). Also, it lets you add or remove layers from each Ai surface and add complete new surfaces to the Ai server (though you may need to configure these further on the Ai server itself).
On the left of the window the available Ai servers are shown. In the centre of the window, the Surfaces and Layers configured in Titan are shown. Connection lines show how the Titan Surfaces will control the different outputs of the Ai server. At the bottom are Surfaces which are already configured on Ai but are not yet linked to Titan, these are called unmatched surfaces.
Click on the + at the bottom and select Surface from the pop up to add a new surface. This will appear at the top; by default it has two layers but you can change this later.
Clicking on the top part of a Surface will show options on the right for the surface. These options allow you to set the canvas resolution which can either be picked from a list of common resolutions, or entered numerically; at the top right the display halo colour of the surface can be set, and the button allows you to change the name (you can also do this with the Set Legend button).
Clicking on a Layer within a Surface shows layer options on the right. This allows you to allocate a Rate or BPM master to the layer for speed control.
When no Surfaces or Layers are selected, the right side of the window shows general information about the system. There is a switchable option "Automatic NDI Previews" to enable or disable NDI streams - if you are using the media preview window, you will need to turn this on. If not leave it turned off, as it causes a lot of network traffic.
Once you have created a surface in Titan, you need to match it to the Ai surface. Click on the button on the unmatched surface at the bottom, then click on the Screen 1 surface at the top (or you can click "Link to new Surface" to automatically create a new surface and link to it).
The Screen 1 Surface will now show that it is linked to the Ai server and the unmatched server at the bottom disappears.
You can link the Screen 1 Surface to one or more different physical outputs on the Ai server by clicking the screen, then clicking the output to connect on the left, for example if you want to show the same media on several screens.
Once a layer is linked, if you open the layer properties in Ai the "Synergy Control" box will show "Enabled". Now you cannot control the screen using Ai, only from the Titan console.
To add a layer, click on the surface, then the + button at the bottom and select Layer from the popup.
To delete a layer or surface, select the item then click the button at the bottom, or press Delete then click the layer/surface. If linked to Ai, this will also delete the layer/surface in Ai.
Synergy Fixtures Window
Every layer on the Ai server appears as a button in the Synergy Fixtures window. You can display this using the button at the bottom of the Synergy Settings window or by double tapping Open/View and then selecting it from the window select buttons.
You use these buttons to select one or more layers for control, just as you would select lighting fixtures to control. Once selected, use the Attribute Editor or wheels to control the media playback and effects on the Ai server. You can then store palettes and playbacks as with any other lighting fixture. This is described in the next section, Operating Synergy.
The Synergy layers are shown in their own window to keep them together and help you find them quickly. However if you prefer you can move the layer buttons into the normal Fixtures window.