Video Transcript
The Inventory Panel
7m 23s
00:07
The first thing you probably want to do when building a new design
00:11
is populate your hardware devices into your Inventory panel.
00:14
So let’s take a look at how to configure the Core’s basic properties and how to add all of your inventory items.
00:20
You’ll notice that every design has a Core in the Inventory by default,
00:25
with a number of different components associated with that Core.
00:28
The types of components available will vary based on your Core’s model.
00:33
You’ll need to drag the components that are relevant to your design into the Schematic workspace:
00:38
for instance, since I’m using the Mic/Line In channels on this Core,
00:42
I’ll drag this component into the design so I can route the audio through some processing blocks,
00:47
which we’ll see later in this course.
00:49
But if I’m not using the Serial Port connection,
00:52
then I can leave that component unused in the Inventory, to keep my design clean.
00:56
You’ll also notice that any unused components have a different icon than the used components.
01:02
If you select the Core or any of its components,
01:05
you’ll see your Core’s properties displayed in the Properties panel.
01:09
Here you can give your Core a custom name, and specify what model of Core you’re using.
01:16
This name and model type need to match the physical Core you’re actually going to deploy your design onto,
01:23
and in the next video we’ll take a look at exactly how to manage that.
01:26
You can also customize the Location name, which will allow you to group items in your Inventory together.
01:32
This can be particularly useful in larger designs, and it"s just good housekeeping to keep your design organized.
01:39
Also, if you’re using a redundant Core, be sure to input that second Core’s name here as well.
01:46
Now, depending on the Core model you’ve selected, the other available properties may vary.
01:50
The Core110f, for instance, has built-in line and line-out capabilities,
01:56
while the Core 5200, it has no local inputs at all.
02:00
In the future, there may be different models with properties we haven’t even thought of yet,
02:05
so be sure to press F1 and check out the Help file
02:10
if you’re unsure about the function of any of these properties.
02:14
For most applications,
02:16
specifying your Core’s name, location, and model number is all you really need to do at this stage.
02:22
However, one thing that everyone should do is drag the Core’s Status component into the schematic.
02:30
Most inventory items will have a Status component like this one,
02:34
and it’s always a good idea to add them to your design.
02:38
These provide basic monitoring information for your device.
02:42
Since I happen to have an actual Core connected to my computer,
02:46
I’m going to run this design to the Core, so you can see these controls in action.
02:50
Here at the top of the Control Panel is a large bar that displays the general health of your Core,
02:55
you can also see some data on the Core’s temperature, its fan, and the network’s current clocking Grandmaster,
03:02
which is the device that all other devices synchronize their clocks to.
03:07
For designs using a redundant backup Core,
03:10
you’ll see a status bar for the Audio File Sync between the two Cores.
03:14
This allows you to upload your audio files to the primary Core,
03:18
which will then handle the transfer of those files to the backup Core automatically,
03:23
and notify you when the two Cores are fully in sync.
03:26
You can also manually toggle between the Core or the Backup using the “Go Active” buttons, if the need arises.
03:34
I’d also like to point out the ID button, which exists in most devices’ inventory panels.
03:40
Pressing this button will trigger a response on the physical device:
03:44
on a Core this could be its LCD screen, or on other devices it might simply be a blinking LED.
03:51
This is an easy way to ensure that the device you’re configuring
03:55
matches the actual device in the real world.
03:58
This blinking will also occur in the Configurator window,
04:02
which is a list of all available Q-SYS devices on the network, and we'll explore that in future videos.
04:08
Certain Q-SYS devices have physical ID buttons that you can trigger from the device itself,
04:14
letting you quickly identify that device in the Configurator or the schematic.
04:19
Next, let’s add some other Inventory devices to the design.
04:23
You can select the Plus button to open the library of available inventory items you can add to your design.
04:30
In this version, they’re divided into the categories of Amplifiers, Loudspeakers, Peripherals, Streaming I/O,
04:37
and Video devices, but you never know what future versions of Q-SYS might also add.
04:44
So, just find the device that you want to implement in your design—for me,
04:48
I’ll add a few of the most common devices, like an IO expansion device, and a QSC touch screen.
04:56
Simply click on each device once, and it will populate in your Inventory.
05:00
Don’t double-click it … unless you want to add two of those devices!
05:03
Much like the Core, every inventory device will have a number of components associated with it
05:09
that you may or may not need to add to your design, based on their function—but again,
05:14
we do always recommend adding their Status components somewhere into the Schematic.
05:19
These components contain the basic monitoring and control you’ll need for most devices.
05:24
Just like the Core, be sure to update each device’s name in their Properties panel.
05:30
If you’re connecting to a device that already has an assigned name
05:34
you can find that name in the Configurator’s list of networked devices,
05:38
or if you’re starting this design from scratch then you can simply determine your own name now,
05:43
and remember to properly update the physical device when you get it later.
05:47
Either way, the names have to match in order for this to work when your design is deployed!
05:53
And of course, be sure to adjust any other properties for each device based on how you're using it,
05:59
and don't forget to abide the best practices of assigning each device a Location to keep your inventory organized.
06:06
Once you have multiple devices in your Inventory,
06:10
you can use these tools at the top of the Inventory panel to either expand or collapse your inventory list,
06:17
regroup them by different criteria if you don’t like the location groups,
06:22
or you can add a filter to only display certain types of devices.
06:27
Finally, in larger designs you might lose track of where your components are located in the Schematic.
06:34
If you need to quickly find a component,
06:36
you can select the parent device here in your Inventory and press Control+F to open the Find Tool.
06:44
This will give you some options to find the various objects associated with your device – in my case,
06:50
I’ll select “Jump to Status/Component” which will then highlight that component in the design so I can find it.
06:56
This Find tool is useful not just for finding components,
07:00
but also for following connections between components or maybe you could find a control that's on the UCI,
07:07
which we’ll see in upcoming videos.
07:09
Alright, let’s take a break right there, and in the next video we’ll show you how to actually connect your design
07:15
to your physical devices across the network.
07:17
Thanks for watching, and move on whenever you’re ready.
Lesson Description
The Inventory Panel
7m 23s
Learn how to configure the Core and add inventory to your design.
Tips and Definitions
The Inventory Panel
7m 23s
Audio Tracks: By default, all Cores can store 16 media tracks, although you can upgrade them to 64 tracks or 128 tracks.
ID Button: Used to locate a specific Core or I/O Frame. Very helpful in a dimly lit rack room full of gear.
Is Redundant: When selected, it allows for a redundant Core or I/O Frame.
Go Active: Switches between Primary and Backup Core.
Renaming: When renaming the Core, make sure NOT to start or end with a hyphen.
Downloads and Links
The Inventory Panel
7m 23s