Random Flicker effect

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Lightingsystemsuk
Posts: 2
Joined: 02 Aug 2022, 16:52

Random Flicker effect

Postby Lightingsystemsuk » 02 Aug 2022, 17:00

I know this question has been asked time and time again and yet I am still unable to either find a satisfactory answer or work out a good tried and tested method.

The conundrum: Quickly and easily create a truly random dimmer effect on a fixture or group of fixtures where you can easily/quickly adjust the High and lower dimmer values as well as the speed etc.

Methods tried: Simple dimmer shape (Saw) with 'Random' direction. Result: Not truly random and how to adjust high and low levels quickly?

Pixel mapper: Some success but again no easy way of adjusting values

KFS: Works to some extent and you can create Macros to replace dimmer level palettes within the KFS but you cannot save these shapes

Does anyone have any good ideas or work around for this, its something I am called for a fair bit in TV/Film and its getting somewhat boring creating them on the fly when under pressure, whilst trying to explain why you don't use MA.

Thanks in advance
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niclights
The eManual
Posts: 4440
Joined: 24 Sep 2004, 01:06
Location: UK

Re: Random Flicker effect

Postby niclights » 02 Aug 2022, 18:00

This might not tick the box in terms of ease/speed to create but I would try autoloading playbacks where each playback contains a chase for a single fixture/intensity and is set to random.

For example:

Create a chase on playback 1, set fixture 1 dimmer @ full and record step 1, set fixture 1 dimmer @ 0 and record a number of empty steps (this will mostly determine the on/off ratio so perhaps 10 or more).
Repeat for playback 2 with fixture 2 dimmer etc.

Create a BPM (or rate) master.

Create a separate playback containing all of the fixture dimmers @ full on a fader.

For all chase playbacks set the crossfade to 0%, the play order to random and the speed source to the BPM or rate master.

Create a cue list on a fader with 1 cue. Set the cue to autoload all of the chase playbacks, fire first cue and intensity kill at 0.


Firing the cue list will fire all of the chases where the fader level determines the high value. Use the BPM/rate master to set the speed. Use the separate playback with all the dimmers to set to low level.

It may be helpful to increase the BPM master range and multipliers or rate master scale so that you can achieve high speeds. Similarly you could increase the speed multipliers on the chase playbacks. Large numbers of empty steps in the chases should help the flicker and potentially you could create a macro to make the chases (based on a selected fixture) to speed up the process.
Lightingsystemsuk
Posts: 2
Joined: 02 Aug 2022, 16:52

Re: Random Flicker effect

Postby Lightingsystemsuk » 02 Aug 2022, 20:41

Now that is a rather interesting idea Nick, defiantly worth a try.

Thank you for your input.

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