Pearl 2008 - On-the-fly shape macro and color control?

[pe2950]

Is it possible to map a specific Chanel on a group of fixtures to either a playback fader or handle?

For Example, I would like to map the color wheel to a fader to give me quick access to select a color, or set to higher value 200+ for color scrolls. Switching to takeover mode, and then grabbing the figures is not quick enough for playback.

My 2nd question is the same, but for the movement generator, is there an easy way to take a movement macro that is running and easily control either the amplitude or speed of the macro?

If there is not a way to do this, what is the preferred way in the pearl to do this?

[niclights]

For both you could use mode 2.

For fixed colours or similar record a cue with the target value then [Edit Times], toggle mode until [Mode = 2], <enter>. Set origin base value by any means (for example manually by wheel or from a palette). Now when you lift the fader it will adjust the value proportionally by fader level from the base value to the target value.

Similarly for shapes you can adjust size and/or speed by fader by setting the fader to mode 2 as above. By default this will fade size and speed. To specify one or the other use [Shape Gen]/[Playback Parameters] and toggle size/speed = static (fixed) or timed (fadeable) as required. Note that when doing this it is important that the cue only contains the shape information. If it also contains attribute values then these would be proportionally adjusted by the fader level too which might be rubbish!

Finally, regarding doing things quickly you might not be aware of the user setting [Quick Palettes]. When enabled this will recall everything in a palette if no fixtures are selected. By recording palettes to take advantage of this you can eliminate the fixture selection step entirely making it a one button press recall without timing.

[pe2950]

Thanks for the post. Can you explain a bit more about how to do this in mode 2?

As i understand it, from program mode, i would select the movers, clear out anything, then adjust the color on them(what would i set it at? DMX value 1), then edit times, toggle mode until 2, then save the cue into the playback memory slot?

THen on the fly, this would allow me to keep a base program running and switch to that program and just adjust the color wheel on the fixtures i programmed it?

The concept seems the same for speed / size....

I was aware of quick paletts but have not set them up yet and the manual was very brief on covering them...

[niclights]

I think you have understood it ok. If, for example, you wanted to be able to fade through the entire fixed colour wheel for some fixtures from zero to 255 then you would program the cue at 255 and then set the origin to zero.

[pe2950]

Thanks for the help mate. Just to clarify, when i program the cue into memory, it should have a value of 255 (or whatever i want the max to be), what do you mean by origin should be 0?

For the shape / size control, all i need to do is program -> select fixtures -> edit times -> mode 2, and by default that will control speed/size?

[niclights]

By origin I mean the current value that the channel is at and this will be the 'from' value, where the value programmed in the cue will be the 'to' value.

Example steps would be:

- Clear
- Select fixtures
- Select colour attribute bank
- Set colour to 255/100%
- Record cue (using 'by channel') mode
- Set colour to 0 (*)
- Clear
- [Edit Times]/toggle Mode 2/<enter>

Lifting fader will now adjust value from 0-255 proportionally.

(*) this value could alternatively come from another cue or a palette.
If you set the colour value to 50 then the fader would fade between 50 and 255.
Similarly, if you programmed the cue at 0 and then set the 'origin' to 255 the fader will fade from 255 to zero where zero is fader at full.

I did forget to mention that for this to work the attribute must be set to fading (as opposed to instant). This is defined in the personality but can be adjusted from patch/[patch utilities]. Typically colour wheels are set to instant so will need adjusting. You will need a VDU connected to see the current state but if desperate you can guess.

And yes about shapes. Just make sure you press <enter> after setting to mode 2 in the edit times menu or it won't stick.

[pe2950]

Thanks again mate. I wont be at the board for a bit but will try out.

Can you explain more about how i modify the fixture profile if needed? They are martin MACs

[niclights]

Changing instant/fade within the software:

- Patch/[Patch Utilities]/[Set/Reset Instant Mode]
- Select attribute bank for attributes you want to adjust
- Use the add and swop keys to toggle between instant and fade where add represents one wheel and swop the other. If you don't have a VDU you will be doing this blind.

Classic (R20) personality files look like this in their raw format:

(example of Martin Mac 250 Krypton Extended mode)

Code: Select all

; DMX channel description
;
; Column by column description of each DMX channel
; 1. The channels bank number (1..12)
; 2. The upper faders in the bank (1) or the lower faders in the bank (61)
; 3. Channel type (L=LTP, H=HTP, I=Instant LTP, S=16-bit instant LTP,
;    s=16-bit Fadeable LTP
; 4. DMX offset (1..number of DMX channels)
; 5. The output level is proportionally recdced by this level (0..100%)
; 6. The curve number (applicable only to HTP channels), usually set to 1
; 7. Inverted (I) or Normal (N)
; 8. Attribute type (A=Color Wheel1, BCD=Color Mix, E=Pan, F=Tilt,
;         G=Iris, H=Dimmer, I=Gobo1, J=Gobo2, K=Gobo1_Rotate, L=Focus,
;         M=Gobo2_Rotate, N=Color Wheel2, O=Shutter, P=Prism, Q=Zoom,
;         R=Effect_Rotate, S=Frost, 0=uncategorised)
; 9. Checksum channel (Always 1)
;10. Attribute name, must be enclosed in quotes and upto 12 characters allowed
;11. The ON value of this channel (0..255)
;12. The Highlight level of this channel
;13. The Lolight level of this channel
;
DMX
2   61   L   1   100   1N   O   1   "Shutter"      35   35   35
1    1   H   2    99   1N   H   1   "Dimmer"      255  255  255
0    0   L   3   100   1N   H   1   "DimmerLo"    255  255  255
4    1   S   4   100   1N   A   1   "Colour"        0    0    0
0    0   I   5   100   1N   A   1   "ColourLo"      0    0    0
6    1   I   6   100   1N   I   1   "Gobo"          0    0    0
7    1   s   7   100   1N   K   1   "GoboRot"       0    0    0
0    0   L   8   100   1N   K   1   "GoboRotLo"     0    0    0
5   61   s   9   100   1N   L   1   "Focus"        70   70   70
0    0   L  10   100   1N   L   1   "FocusLo"      70   70   70
9    1   I  11   100   1N   P   1   "Prism"         0    0    0
3   61   s  12   100   1N   E   1   "Pan"         128   -1   -1
0    0   L  13   100   1N   E   1   "Pan Fine"    128   -1   -1
3    1   s  14   100   1N   F   1   "Tilt"        128   -1   -1
0    0   L  15   100   1N   F   1   "Tilt Fine"   128   -1   -1
8    1   I  16   100   1N   0   1   "P/T Speed"     0    0    0
8   61   I  17   100   1N   0   1   "FX Speed"      0    0    0
END
;

Note that column three defines the channel type. In this fixture/mode the colour wheel is currently set to 16 bit instant with types 'S' and 'I' representing the most significant bit and least significant bit respectively. To make this fade by default we change the types to 's' and 'L' respectively:

Code: Select all

; DMX channel description
;
; Column by column description of each DMX channel
; 1. The channels bank number (1..12)
; 2. The upper faders in the bank (1) or the lower faders in the bank (61)
; 3. Channel type (L=LTP, H=HTP, I=Instant LTP, S=16-bit instant LTP,
;    s=16-bit Fadeable LTP
; 4. DMX offset (1..number of DMX channels)
; 5. The output level is proportionally recdced by this level (0..100%)
; 6. The curve number (applicable only to HTP channels), usually set to 1
; 7. Inverted (I) or Normal (N)
; 8. Attribute type (A=Color Wheel1, BCD=Color Mix, E=Pan, F=Tilt,
;         G=Iris, H=Dimmer, I=Gobo1, J=Gobo2, K=Gobo1_Rotate, L=Focus,
;         M=Gobo2_Rotate, N=Color Wheel2, O=Shutter, P=Prism, Q=Zoom,
;         R=Effect_Rotate, S=Frost, 0=uncategorised)
; 9. Checksum channel (Always 1)
;10. Attribute name, must be enclosed in quotes and upto 12 characters allowed
;11. The ON value of this channel (0..255)
;12. The Highlight level of this channel
;13. The Lolight level of this channel
;
DMX
2   61   L   1   100   1N   O   1   "Shutter"      35   35   35
1    1   H   2    99   1N   H   1   "Dimmer"      255  255  255
0    0   L   3   100   1N   H   1   "DimmerLo"    255  255  255
4    1   s   4   100   1N   A   1   "Colour"        0    0    0
0    0   L   5   100   1N   A   1   "ColourLo"      0    0    0
6    1   I   6   100   1N   I   1   "Gobo"          0    0    0
7    1   s   7   100   1N   K   1   "GoboRot"       0    0    0
0    0   L   8   100   1N   K   1   "GoboRotLo"     0    0    0
5   61   s   9   100   1N   L   1   "Focus"        70   70   70
0    0   L  10   100   1N   L   1   "FocusLo"      70   70   70
9    1   I  11   100   1N   P   1   "Prism"         0    0    0
3   61   s  12   100   1N   E   1   "Pan"         128   -1   -1
0    0   L  13   100   1N   E   1   "Pan Fine"    128   -1   -1
3    1   s  14   100   1N   F   1   "Tilt"        128   -1   -1
0    0   L  15   100   1N   F   1   "Tilt Fine"   128   -1   -1
8    1   I  16   100   1N   0   1   "P/T Speed"     0    0    0
8   61   I  17   100   1N   0   1   "FX Speed"      0    0    0
END
;

Where a channel is 8-bit the types are 'I' (instant) or 'L' (fade). (HTP ('H') is natively fadeable.)


These can be edited in a text editor but unless you really want them to work from default it is probably easier to adjust within the software.