The Avolites Discussion Forum

I am just trying to create some color shapes for a Pearl 2008. My idea is to switch between two colors, for example white/green; blue/red etc using an oscillator, but using as limits the DMX values of the colors I want to switch between.

My question is: do I have to set up these DMX limits in the pattern or in the shape values (phase, ramp, offset, etc)?

You can either set this up fixed in the pattern and then set the size to maximum or set a high number in the pattern and then limit by size. The shape values are simply the defaults when you first load a shape, so the size can be adjusted for each shape recorded and is not important in the file.

Whichever method you use, the base value will always depend on the last value set in the console. The pattern will then apply an offset. For fixed colour wheel bumps like this you want a pattern that only applies a positive (or negative) change from zero. You do not want one that oscillates around both (ie. like Sin wave).

When I have experimented with this before I have created a pattern that jumped up enough for one whole colour. When I then applied with a size of 255 it would give me an effect where current colour swaps with next colour.

I still don´t got completely the shape syntax, so any helps will be welcome!

For my tests I'm using Mac250Krypton:

RANGE 3 ;Colour
0 0 "Open"
1 10 "Op/CTC %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
11 11 "CTC"
12 21 "CTC/Ye %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
22 22 "Yellow"
23 32 "Yel/Bl %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
33 33 "Blue"
34 43 "Bl/Pnk %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
44 44 "Pink"
45 54 "Pk/Grn %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
55 55 "Green"
56 65 "Grn/Bl %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
66 66 "Blue"
67 76 "Bl/Red %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
77 77 "Red"
78 87 "Rd/Mag %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
88 88 "Magenta"
89 98 "Mag/Bl %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
99 99 "Blue"
100 109 "Bl/Orn %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
110 110 "Orange"
111 120 "Orn/Gr %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
121 121 "Dk Grn"
122 131 "Gr/Pur %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
132 132 "Purple"
133 142 "Pur/Op %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
143 155 "Open"
156 159 "Purple"
160 163 "Dk Grn"
164 167 "Orange"
168 171 "Blue"
172 175 "Magenta"
176 179 "Red"
180 183 "Blue"
184 187 "Green"
188 191 "Pink
192 195 "Blue"
196 199 "Yellow"
200 203 "CTC"
204 207 "Open"
208 226 "Scr CW %3d%%"100-(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
227 245 "Sc CCW %3d%%"0+(((c-a)*100)/(b-a))
246 248 "Rnd Fast"
249 251 "Rnd Medium"
252 255 "Rnd Slow"
REND

I built a pattern that swops blue/magenta:

PATTERN "PULSE0.0"
21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21
21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21
58 58 58 58 58 58 58 58
58 58 58 58 58 58 58 58
PEND

SHAPE "Color test" "PULSE0.0"
1 255 64 0 0 0 0 0
SEND

When I just apply the shape it runs fine in the Simulator, but if I try to set size/speed/coarse it goes weird. How do I build an universal pattern that takes the current color and jumps for the next one or more colors and then back to the base-color?

As I mentioned before, for a shape that takes current colour and jumps to next you want a pattern that runs from zero thru' a value equivalent to one colour increment on the wheel.

For example:


For this you would always use size 255.

For a shape that allowed jumping variable numbers of colours you would use:


And adjust range by size. This gives max offset of 127.
To achieve a greater range you would have to employ negative offset, making it much harder to determine the correct origin.


As for problems when altering parameters I have seen this too, but unfortunately I have no answer. Noone has ever explained. In fact I have never been able to get any official information on anything regarding shape files. Chances are it might be ok in the console but you should double-check before using in a show.