Exorcist User Manual The Exorcist Haunt Controller Warnings: The Exorcist Box IS NOT waterproof. Use only indoors and do not spill liquids on it. Exorcist is not designed as a safety controller and shouldn’t be used in applications where there is a potential danger of injury or death. The Exorcist box accepts only dry contact style inputs. Do not apply current to the inputs.
Exorcist User Manual Introduction Exorcist is a software and hardware package that was been designed to seamlessly trigger VSA routines using switches and sensors or an infrared remote control. About VSA: The VSA animation software is published by Brookshire Software (http://brookshiresoftware.com). VSA is the software shipped with every SkullTroniX talking skull. VSA allows simple drag’n’drop animation for a variety of animatronics, robots and lighting devices.
Exorcist User Manual What’s in the package? The Exorcist package includes both hardware and software components. The hardware includes the Exorcist Input box, an IR Receiver, an IR remote control, a USB cable and a couple of AAA batteries for the remote. The software includes the Exorcist Installation CD. The Exorcist Input Box: The input box can be connected to up to 8 switches and/or sensors, as well as the included IR receiver. It also has 8 buttons that mirror the functions of the adjacent input plugs.
Exorcist User Manual Getting Started Unpack Exorcist.
Exorcist User Manual Installation If you are the owner of a SkullTroniX revision 3 (or newer) skull you already have installed the VSA Console program. The VSA Console is a separate product sold by Brookshire Software especially for people who want to program their own add-on products for VSA – like The Exorcist. In anticipation of the release of The Exorcist we included it secretly with SkullTroniX Rev 3 and newer VSA licenses.
Exorcist User Manual This trick works because, when you start a routine, VSA sets all the outputs to the default value, all SkullTroniX routines set the outputs to default to off, meaning the auto on/off relay in the SkullTroniX gets turned off in the first frame. This only works for SkullTroniX animatronics, unless you build a similar feature into your own props.
Exorcist User Manual The yellow label above the VSA routine allows you to choose a friendly name for each routine. Just double click on the yellow name, eg: “VSA 1” and change it to a name that is more meaningful and/or is shorter – like “séance”. When you click Ok it will take several seconds to record the changes throughout the Exorcist system. To the right of the VSA routine name is the method that is used to start or “trigger” the routine. The column is labeled “Play if”.
Exorcist User Manual The Logic Functions Screen Let’s try a slightly more advanced routine. Let’s start our VSA routine using either the input button #1 on The Exorcist box or the infrared remote control button 1. To do this we need to define a logic function. First DISARM THE EXORCIST. Now, click on the Logic Functions tab. We are now going to define Function 1, first select Input 1 ON in the first pull down menu.
Exorcist User Manual State vs. Event Something that may confuse is the difference between State and Event, a light for example has two states ‘ON’ or ‘OFF’, however; there are also two Events, i.e. ‘turning ON’ and ‘turning OFF’. It’s important to understand this, because Exorcist is Event driven, not State Driven, Exorcist responds to the Events of turning something ON or OFF, and not to the state of ‘being ON’ or ‘being OFF.
Exorcist User Manual THE MISC SCREEN A A A note about remote control units The Exorcist uses Phillips RC5 control codes (there are other Phillips formats). Universal remote controllers that default to the Phillips protocol will work right out of the box. Other brands might need to have the codes set in order to generate compatible remote codes. If your remote doesn’t work with the Exorcsit please read the remote manual for instructions on how to set the codes.
Exorcist User Manual For simplicity sake we have already named the remote keys IR RC 1, IR RC 2, etc. If these names work for you just leave them. If you would like to use different codes or rename them please feel free to change them. Note that when you change the name here it also gets changed in the appropriate pull down menus on the other screens. This can get quite confusing if you move or change the names a lot.
Exorcist User Manual The Timer Screen There are 16 timers that can be used wherever you need something to wait. For example, you might want a timer to make sure a prop doesn’t get set off every time a mat switch is stepped on. By using a timer you can force the prop to wait until a timer is through. Timers can be triggered by inputs and functions and reset also. Or you might want one event to happen at a preset time before another event. The RDY ACT DONE columns show the current state of each timer.
Exorcist User Manual The Sound Player Screen In addition to VSA routines, which usually have their own sound file embedded in them, you can play other sound files using up to 8 separate sound players. The sound players function just like VSA routines do. You can define triggers and resets and specify various conditions, functions or timers to activate them. Sound Players are capable of playing multi channel sound files (2.1/5.1/7.1/quadrophonic).
Exorcist User Manual The Menu Bar Above the tabs are the FILE, ROUTINES and HELP menus.
Exorcist User Manual Playing multiple routines Exorcist has the capability to play multiple routines simultaneously; however should more than one routine try to access a servo board or DMX converter at the same time then a VSA error will occur. This means that each prop that will be required to play simultaneously with another prop under VSA/Exorcist control needs to have its own servo board or DMX converter. Unless of course you have multiple props programmed in the same VSA routine.
Exorcist User Manual Logic Functions Most logic functions compare the STATE of two flags when one of the flags changes STATE and triggers a change EVENT, this comparison will produce an output as indicated by the truth tables below AND The and function will turn on when both the triggers are on Trigger 1 Off Off On On Trigger 2 Off On Off On Output Off Off Off On OR The function will turn on when either trigger is on Trigger 1 Off Off On On Trigger 2 Off On Off On Output Off On On On NAND The functio
Exorcist User Manual The function will only turn on if one of the inputs are on, if both are on then it will turn off Trigger 1 Off Off On On Trigger 2 Off On Off On Output Off On On Off 17
Exorcist User Manual NOT The NOT function ignores the state of the second trigger, normally this shouldn’t be set to anything, but even if it is set then its condition will be ignored The not function turns on when trigger 1 is off and turns off when trigger 1 is on Trigger 1 Off Off On On Trigger 2 Off On Off On Output On On Off Off LATCH Latch is different to the other functions because it’s a latching relay not a Boolean function.
Exorcist User Manual The Exorcist Input Box hardware description: Features: • The box has four tabs for mounting. • There are 8 red input buttons on the top surface. They are numbered from the end where the IR Receiver plugs in. In the Exorcist software they come pre-labeled as Input One through Input Eight. The names can be changed in the software and you can use tape or marker pens to label the box to match. • Along the side are 8 mono mini-phono jacks.
Exorcist User Manual Programming your Haunt Exorcist has been designed with the fully automated haunt in mind, something that in practice is a lot harder to get right than it sounds, and its not until you have tried it without the Exorcist that you realize how hard a job it really is. The thing to remember is that there is no real right or wrong way, and what works for one haunt scene is unlikely to be any good for another.
Exorcist User Manual Reset: - Timer 1 Done Dwell: - 100 This method ties the reset to a timer. When you trigger the routine it plays and then will not trigger again for 10 seconds (100 tenths). This gives everyone plenty of time to walk away before the next group arrives. Using timers has one flaw; it doesn’t take into account people who run through your haunt They are likely to trigger the prop, watch the first 10 and leave with the routine running.
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Exorcist User Manual Zone Control (Entry and Exit) You can of course extend your zone control to monitor entry and exit. VSA 1 Trigger: - Function 1 ON Reset: - Input 3 ON (Exit Mat) Function 1 Condition 1: - Input 1 ON (viewing Mat) Condition 2: - Function 2 ON Operator: - AND Function 2 Condition 1: - Input 2 ON (Entry Mat) Condition 2: - Input 3 ON (Exit Mat) Operator: - LATCH With this version stepping on the viewing mat alone is not enough to trigger the routine.
Exorcist User Manual Function 3 Condition 1: - Input 1 ON (view Mat) Condition 2: - Function 2 ON Operator: - AND Function 4 Condition 1: - Input 3 ON (Exit Mat) Condition 2: - IR RC 2 ON Operator: - OR This version works exactly like the previous version, only it gives the Hauntmaster an opportunity to override the mat switches (or other triggers) and control the Exorcist system using the infrared remote.
Exorcist User Manual Mixing it up Someone on the forums gave us this idea, it’s not actually something that was ever thought about during Exorcists design and development process, but gives an excellent example of how you can adapt Exorcist to control many situations. The problem Suppose that you want you haunt to appeal to a broad age group, you may want to vary your routines to play a spooky mode for the under 7s and a scary mode for teenagers…..
Exorcist User Manual Condition 1: - VSA 1 Done Condition 2: - VSA 2 Done Operator: - OR With this routine the hauntmaster can select the mode the haunt will operate on by pressing a button on the IR remote as his guests enter, press 1 and the haunt will work in Spooky mode, press 2 and it will work in Scary Mode 26
Exorcist User Manual Protection against running multiple routines to the same output device. This problem can be something of a nuisance, during the development of Exorcist; we were met with the dilemma of permitting Exorcist to run multiple routines simultaneously, yet sidestepping the problems that can arise, should VSA try to send multiple commands to a serial port from different routines.
Exorcist User Manual Condition 2: - VSA 2 Done Operator: - OR The All VSA Off flag is a shortcut flag provided to make such programming easy 28
Exorcist User Manual A more selective method In this example we are going to look at how inspired use of different functions can simplify programming, but first lets look at a straightforward method.
Exorcist User Manual NOR Trigger 1 Off Off On On Trigger 2 Off On Off On Output On Off Off Off NOR is another way of saying if this AND that are OFF, where AND is saying if this AND that are ON lets look at the routine again using NOR VSA 1 Trigger: - Function 1 ON Reset: - Timer 1 Done VSA 2 Trigger: - Function 2 ON Reset: - Timer 1 Done Timer 1 Trigger: - Function 3 ON Reset: - Timer 1 Done Dwell: - 100 Function 1 Condition 1: - Input 1 OFF Condition 2: - VSA 2 Active Operator: - NOR Function 2 Condit
Exorcist User Manual needs to be OFF. Now for the headache….. The Input n OFF flag is off when Input n is ON, which means that function 1 will come on when Input 1 is ON AND VSA 2 Active is OFF Sound players and Surround sound As yet we have made no mention of the sound players, this is because they are programmed in exactly the same way as VSA players. Throughout Exorcists development it was intended to maintain as much similarity between the controls as possible.
Exorcist User Manual Making your own switches An Exorcist input switch should be a dry contact switch that shorts between two contacts. NOTE When making your own switches its important to ensure that you don’t pass a voltage to the Exorcist box, if the switch requires no power source then it’s usually safe to assume that it’s a dry contact switch. Switches with a power source would need to be buffered with a transistor or relay. Switches connect to the Exorcist Box using a 3.
Exorcist User Manual Troubleshooting If your Exorcist is crashing you must quit Exorcist, load VSA and test your routines again. Once the routines work OK in VSA then you can save them and go back to testing in the Exorcist. Problem Cause Exorcist doesn’t respond to Infrared receiver not infrared plugged in properly or IR transmitter is not transmitting RC 5 codes Solution Check that receiver is plugged all the way in, then on the Misc screen press the reset IO Boards button.
Exorcist User Manual not exorcist Volume doesn’t change on my Vista computer Volume doesn’t work in Vista Exorcist stops responding when Windows screen saver turns on Some screensaver modes can stop programs from functioning properly I see a flickering input but the sensor is not activated Probably an inducted signal 34 If the conflict is a DMX port tehn you need to add a separate DMX converter Exorcist isn’t currently supported on Vista this problem was discovered later during testing.
Exorcist User Manual Problem My sensor is activated but it flickers off occasionally and disrupts my routine Cause This is normal. Inputs can flicker off.
