Removing fixtures from Keyframes shapes... bug or just me (as usual)

[DJH]

Ok, so.....

I have created a keyframe shape with two steps.
simple one, just an easy colour fade for testing with 10 parcans.

I use the following method to try and remove some of the fixtures :-

INCLUDE the playback that contains the keyframe shape.
open the 'Effect Editor' window
Select the icon to the right of the keyframe shape name (Looks like a moving head).
Click softkey A - Add/Remove Fixtures
Select one of the parcans (it turns red signifying it is going to be deleted and the softkey A 'Remove Fixtures' apears.

Now, when I goto select another parcan to delete, it does NOT go red indicating it is going to be deleted.

If I softkey A 'Remove Fixtures', sure enough, the second parcan is still in the keyframe shape when I record it to another playback and run it again.


I've tried also dragging a selection on the first click and all the parcans go red to be deleted, but trying to select more lights, individually or dragging over several, does not work and the same problem happens. they don't turn red or get removed from the playback when clicking softkey A 'Remove Fixtures'.

Is that by 'design' that you can only select once be it single or drag selection ?


Thanks in advance !

H.

[Gregory]

Did you create the key frame shape using any groups? If so, the fixtures will be coming from the group so you would have to either change the group or break the link to the group.

[DJH]

Hi Greg,

Yep - they were created from a big group of fixtures.

So, it would seem the trick is to select a few fixtures for deletion, let them turn red, then click the softkey A - 'Remove Fixtures'.
After which, every I can then select other fixtures individually and they remove themselves from the shape - although no softkeys appear at all during the process.

H.

[niclights]

I think this is behaving mostly as designed.

As Greg says this is because you have used groups.

When you make the initial selection in the Add/Remove fixtures from a key frame shape menu it recognises this and prompts "one or more fixtures is part of a linked group. Removing fixture will break the link between shape and group", the affected fixtures and associated group are highlighted in red with the softkey options to [Remove Fixtures] (in other words break the link) or [Cancel]. This is important as you might want to retain the link and adjust the group instead (for example if the group referenced a number of shapes and you wanted them all to change).

So the red highlight and [Remove Fixtures] is not actually part of the add/remove fixtures process but rather a warning and an option to break the link. Where there is no link it is normal that you can add/remove fixtures freely without having to press any other softkeys.

The part that is causing confusion and probably wrong is that you can continue to select other fixtures while in the 'Remove fixtures and groups' menu which appears to perform a normal select/deselect but doesn't really achieve anything. Either it should not allow any selection or it should add to the red selection as part of the break group link.

[DJH]

Hi Nic,

I think your last paragraph is absolutely spot on the way my brain was working.

I just wasn't sure if it was me (more than probable) or Titan that was confusing my braincells !

Another one for v11.x

Thanks for clearing up the confusion though.... it now explains Normal Shape Generator behaviour as well.

Still Learning !

H.