# Strand Palette OS on a Windows PC



## norbe (Jan 6, 2012)

If I were to install Strand Palette OS on a Windows PC (which would be possible because it runs as a .exe file), would it be able to control the system as its own console?


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## chausman (Jan 6, 2012)

You can download the off-line client software for free that is designed to work on a computer that you can run instead. It can connect to the (a) network with the console, and if you had a hardware failure, you can remove the USB key from inside the console and use it in the computer. The console software itself may work, but I don't know for sure.


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## phenry (Jan 6, 2012)

Yes, chausman is correct. If you install the offline editor, you can take your channel key from your console and use your computer as a console that outputs over the network. If you plug your USB tiles into it, you can use the control surface and DMX ports as well. When you install the offline editor, be sure to check the box that installs the USB drivers if you wish to do that.


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## gafftaper (Jan 6, 2012)

A few more cool tips. 
First remember that you can have all kinds of devices on the network, dumping information into or listening to the DMX stream. However they are all slaves to the device with the master USB key and can't run the system without the USB key being in one device as the master controller. However which device is the master controller is completely up to you. 

If you have a wireless router on your network, you can install the software on a laptop and use it to remotely watch what the main console is doing. You can edit live cues, turn things on and off, you just can't save the edited cue (that has to be done on the console/PC with the all powerful USB key). I setup clearcom between myself and the main console board op. I can watch a rehearsal, tweak the design wirelessly, then tell the board op to save my changes. Its a really cool way to watch a final rehearsal from another point of view and edit the show without disturbing the booth crew.

A fun option I would love to try is installing a PC with a touch screen and a keyboard and trackball on a moving arm into the stage manager's control panel, allowing remote access to all kinds of functions of the main console.


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## cpf (Jan 6, 2012)

gafftaper said:


> If you have a wireless router on your network, you can install the software on a laptop and use it to remotely watch what the main console is doing. You can edit live cues, turn things on and off, you just can't save the edited cue (that has to be done on the console/PC with the all powerful USB key). I setup clearcom between myself and the main console board op. I can watch a rehearsal, tweak the design wirelessly, then tell the board op to save my changes. Its a really cool way to watch a final rehearsal from another point of view and edit the show without disturbing the booth crew.


 
I'm not sure what remote view method you're talking about, but I can't ever remember running into limitations like that when I've RCed a Palette, from my laptop or iPhone...


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## bharrell (Jan 9, 2012)

Back to the original question. Without any additional hardware, you can install the PaletteOS OLE on a PC and use as an offline editor, remote console or one of two different types of remote video stations OR place OLE on the PC in Demo Mode and it will output as if it were a console. This is meant for outputting to a visualization programs like WYSIWYG and not to output to a rig. To keep this feature from giving you a free console, there is a random burst of DMX every few minutes so don't connect this to your lighting rig. (Your dimmers and intelligent fixtures will not like it).


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## LXPlot (Jan 9, 2012)

Also, for about 300$ (or that's what I remember), one can buy a dongle which can be used to create a PC based controller with Palette.


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