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        MIDI-OX >> Questions and Discussion >> SysEx and midi server question
        
(Message started by: bbossin on Mar 12^th, 2008, 1:41pm)

Title: SysEx and midi server question
Post by bbossin on Mar 12^th, 2008, 1:41pm

Hi,

Question?
Is MidiOx acting or capable of acting as a midi server?

One of the reasons I am using MidiOx, is that it can pass midi messages as SysEx messages.

My goal is to connect a midi device, a UC-33e, to Maya 8.5. The sliders and knobs will act as a control device. I am a student and I am running into implementation problems. I have to serve the midi data to maya. All the examples on the web use keyboards not sliders and knobs, like I am doing.

Is MidiOx acting or capable of acting as a midi server?

Or am I confused?

Thanks for listening :)

Title: Re: SysEx and midi server question
Post by andrew.mcauliffe on Mar 12^th, 2008, 9:10pm

It sounds like what you want to do is completely possible with MIDI-OX. I've never heard the term "midi server" though, so I'm not 100% sure what you mean by that.

Quote:

One of the reasons I am using MidiOx, is that it can pass midi messages as SysEx messages.

You are already using MIDI-OX to pass SysEx messages or you plan to? If you already are, how are you doing that? (View > SysEx...)?
If Maya is capable of receiving MIDI control changes, then MIDI-OX will surely be able to pass them from your UC-33e to Maya.

Let me know if you need any more infoooo.

Title: Re: SysEx and midi server question
Post by Jamie OConnell on Mar 15^th, 2008, 4:05pm

Yes, but you will likely need MIDI Yoke too.

You would connect your UC-33e to MIDI-OX input, and choose MIDI Yoke 1 as Output. In Maya you would choose MIDI Yoke 1 as input.

Title: Re: SysEx and midi server question
Post by bbossin on Mar 17^th, 2008, 2:54am

Thanks for your help guys.

It is still not working though. In Maya I have declare a "server"

__________________________________________________
Maya Help:
A server is a stand-alone program that communicates with a device. Maya can talk to the server to get device data. Devices that require servers are called data-server devices.

Example: mayaClockServer
__________________________________________________

Notice the name..... mayaClockServer. Midi Yoke 1 produced an error. Maya expected 0 arguments, but got 1. Maya was originally a unix program and it carries some idiosyncracies.

I am looking through the midi-ox help files, but I am confused.

What is the proper naming convention to use? I have tried several variations. hmmm. Any hints? :)

________________________________________________
Here is the text from the Manual:

To define motion capture devices

1. Start the device server.
2. For data-server devices, use the defineDataServer command to define the device in Maya.
3. Enter the following command in Maya’s Script Editor:

defineDataServer -device <deviceName> -server <serverName>;

Where:

o <deviceName> is a unique device name. Choose one that will be easy for you to remember later.
o <serverName> is the name of the communication interface defined to talk to the server, as defined in the server setup.

For example, if you started the clock device but it did not appear in the Device Editor, you would enter:

defineDataServer -device clock -s mayaClockServer

To undefine a device

Use the following syntax:

defineDataServer -device <deviceName> -undefine;
_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

What is the server name?[b][/b]

Title: Re: SysEx and midi server question
Post by Jerry Jorgenrud on Mar 17^th, 2008, 9:40am

MIDI-OX is not a server in the way that you need. A server for use with Maya has to be built according to the Maya API and linked with the Maya library. On Windows you would typically create a dynamic linked library (.dll) with the output extension changed to .mll, although you can also create a stand-alone executable file. Here is a simple Maya MIDI server.

http://null-terminated.com/visuals/MayaMIDI/

Here are quite a few examples as visual studio projects

http://web.inf.tu-dresden.de/%7Es5430567/capstone/

You can get visual c++ express for free

http://www.microsoft.com/express/vc/

Title: Re: SysEx and midi server question
Post by bbossin on Mar 17^th, 2008, 8:59pm

Thanks Jerry.

I had already bought "learn C++ in 10 minutes" a lesson this weekend....oofff ;) I can barely mel script.

I was aware of the server, and I have downloaded the exe and its source code. Don't know what it means yet, but I got it. Was hoping that Midi-Ox would hook it together. Win some lose some.

So...Can anyone direct me to a midi programing forum? And C++ for beginners. Also need the Maya API... And What is this "hello world" crap?

Midi Ox still rules,
Brian

Title: Re: SysEx and midi server question
Post by Jerry Jorgenrud on Mar 17^th, 2008, 11:42pm

It might take a couple more minutes than 10 :P but ...

Anyway, as far as needing the Maya API (and header and library files) they all come with the free personal learning edition, no?

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=7639525

They say that example plugins complete with project files for visual studio are included. Drop the project file on the vc ide and wa la. Build some samples and get that all figured out and then try to work with some of the MIDI specific third-party plugins.

That simple MIDI server is written in c and the project file is for an older version of V Studio, but it can probably still be opened in the latest version. I quickly read through the program and it seems to do what you have to do in the order you have to do it -- find out how many MIDI devices are listed with the system, get the capabilities of each one and their name (MIDI Yoke would be one of those listed, or actually several of those), open the input port(s) you want to use, blah blah blah. So you're almost there!

Once you can open MIDI Yoke you can do what the previous gentlemen suggested -- use MIDI-OX for transformations or whatever it was you wanted to do, out to MIDI Yoke, In to your simple MIDI server, Out to Maya.

Or you might want to skip using MIDI-OX and MIDI Yoke altogether. Just open the port your controller is on and interpret the incoming data however you wished and then on to Maya as whatever commands you had in mind.