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 & 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