Thread: Controlling electric props

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Several of our rooms this year will require lighting changes, starting and stopping of audio players and basically turning electrical equipment on and off. Some will require pretty good timing. Since we will be using volunteers and not having a lot of time to train them on the timing required, I would like to automate them using a computer.

What kind of software/hardware would I need?

I want software that will control the equipment on a timeline. I also want to control rheostats so light dim in and out. I also need to keep this as inexpensive as possible.

PS...for those of you that want to tell me how to build a circuit board, I am not an electrical engineer. I do not know a capacitor from a diode, so please keep your responses as layman-friendly as possible.

Thanks!

The best way to go if you don't want to spend a lot of money is using motion detectors for your lights. They're the kind they use for outdoor lighting and such.
If you want to control light and music and any of those things , you might have to spend a lot more money on some kind of automation system.

You could use EFX-Tek products or any other brands that make computer-controlled boards but you need to program stuff so if that's not your thing , you might want to look into a Haunted-house-in-a-box or something in that category . But I'm not very familiar with those things but I'm sure some other people can give you more info on that.

Good luck.

The only software I can think of that can control both lights and music is free Vixen. Vixen

You need to build a lighting controller though, and it can't control servos which you will need to move rheostats for dimming.

The only alternative for PC control with no circuit building is VSA from Brookshire Software - Visual Show Automation (VSA) - The Solution for Show Control Software

You hook up a relay board like a kit74 fro controlling lights and it will control servos for moving rheostats. It also syncs it all up to music. The latter costs more. The free Vixen option is more labor intensive.

a capacitor is like a bucket and a diode is a one way valve....

I recommended VSA for controlling your routines synchronising lights, sound and motion, and if you have ambitions to develope your haunt then I strongly recommend that you consider a DMX based controls architecture.

After VSA you can add the SkullTroniX Exorcist control system (SkullTronix) to integrate your computer with switches and sensors, an 8 channel sound card gives you the option to have 8 separate speakers and sound channels.

DMX gives you access to the huge variety of effects and lighting hardware that's available, and opens up the ability to use a single computer to simultaneously control many different zones in your haunt.

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Thanks for all the info, guys! I have learned a lot in a short period of time.

I am sure I can program either Vixen or VSA to do what I need. The only problem is with the Renard controllers. Like I said I have NO experience with making boards.
Is there any place that sells a pre-made control panel? What I am envisioning is a device that would hook up to my computer via USB or serial connections and have several electrical outlets-one for each channel. Is there such a creature?

are you looking for outlets only or do you want inputs?

DMX will hook via USB and can have up to 512 outlets on a single chain

Kit74 can be hooked up via a USB-parallel card and give you 8 outlets

Vixen and Olsen 595 or the grinch but the grinch does not have the dim feature.

Just looking for outlets. The scene will be triggered by one of the actors.

so why the computer? why not just use regular switches?