blog 2023 3 min read
How Ctrl Suite integrates with disguise OpenAPI
With ON LX Limited’s game-changing new integration with Designer OpenAPI, it’s never been easier for non-technical users to leverage the power of disguise using Ctrl Suite.
Since their release in January 2023, our Designer APIs have allowed our community to build custom integrations on the Designer platform, expanding access to our toolset into wider AV ecosystems. ON LX Limited, a company specialised in lighting, AV & bespoke software development, was the first to demonstrate our APIs’ potential with their game-changing new integration within Ctrl Suite. This new addition is set to empower users to execute their vision with less friction and more control than ever before.
Ctrl Suite is a platform designed to seamlessly control multiple installation and entertainment-grade systems all in the one place. Before the integration, limitations in the ease of use for non-technical users presented a consistent challenge when working with Designer systems.
So when Designer’s API release was launched, it became immediately clear that the possibilities for rich integrations would go a long way in rectifying these issues.
The Solution
The solution took the form of two modules within Ctrl Suite that allow Designer elements to be leveraged directly through Ctrl Suite’s user interfaces, Actions node-based visual and code-based processes. This means that Designer’s functions can be easily assigned to buttons and sliders and executed from Ctrl Suite interfaces running on multiple computers or tablets on a computer network.
Notch blocks, Unreal Engine and other scenes running in Designer can also be activated directly from the Ctrl Suite interface.
The two new modules created included:
disguise Service API
This enables control of disguise projects and RenderStream workloads. It allows users to perform operations such as start, stop and restart servers with ease. These tasks can now be either automated or triggered directly from the Ctrl Suite interface, either open or with elevated user permissions.
disguise Session API
This module leverages Designer’s Show Control, Calibration and other elements of the Designer system. Users can now tailor Show Control systems for their own specific needs without investing in developing custom software applications.
Camera calibration can be triggered remotely from any Ctrl Player device or even automated using Ctrl Suite Pro. This means that operators can perform calibrations while filming at the same time.
Results
With the integration now complete and available, users of all levels of expertise have access to Designer’s suite of tools while using Ctrl Suite.
Key functions that previously required technical know-how to execute are now as simple as selecting a command and assigning them to buttons, sliders or timelines. Since completion, it has been showcased at disguise’s booth ISE, NAB Show and alongside the disguise After Dark open house event.
“The OpenAPI release opened the floodgates for us to construct monitoring systems that react in real time to system events, network and device changes. With this integration, we are breaking down technical barriers to running virtual production studios and immersive installations.”
James Walton , Director ON LX
Final thoughts
By lowering the technical entry barrier for using Designer’s tools, projects like these open the door to endless possibilities for seamless workflows, ease of use, and ultimately, further expanding creative horizons in the xR, Virtual Production, Installation and LBX spaces.
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