Pearl simulator with visualiser for preplotting??

[neil]

Hello everyone.

I have a gig coming up New Years' Eve, and I am going to be using a Pearl for it. Trouble is, I want to pre-plot and WYSIWYG is probably not going to be budgetted into the gig.

So, what I want to do is use the visualiser. Firstly to see if its any good and also to actually pre-plot etc.

I am pretty clueless when it comes to software and links, and I wondered if somone could point me in the right direction to how I can get the Pearl Simulator to work with the visualiser to allow me to pre-plot.

Will this involve me buying anything, or needing specific bits of kit?

How do I link it together?

Thanks in advance

Neil

[Phil]

It's completely free now. Bascially, you should be able to download both pieces of software onto one PC, and run them both. If in Visualiser, you then set the "Run mode" to "Simulator" - I think it is - then Visualiser will take it's 'DMX' from the Pearl Sim.

If you want to run the Pearl Sim and Visualiser on different machines then you'll need a copy of ACDI from the Avo Shop, and if you want to connect Visualiser to a desk then you'll need both ACDI and a serial to midi cable.

As for how good it is, it's basic, but gets the job done in terms of basic positions, colour, zoom, strobing and suchlike. Since it costs you nothing, download it and give it a go!

[neil]

Thanks Phil.

Is there a way I can change the gobos in a unit.

Currently the Mac250 has either open round or a strange triangle shape. I cannot get any others. Does anyone have any ideas to how I can do this?

Thanks

[Ed]

You can change the Gobos that the visualiser is showing.

Go into your extensions folder (typically C:\Avo\vis\Extensions or C:\Program Files\Avolites\vis\Extensions) and open up two files, your personality file and your gobo library file.

Your personality file will either be MT250M4.VIS or MT250M2.VIS, depending on what mode you are using and your gobo library file will be default.glb. Open both files in notepad.

In the personality file scroll down to Gobo 1 Vismode value. It should look like this:

Code: Select all

ChanRef Gobo 1
    Vismode Value
    UseBits 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
    DmxOffset 4
    Mapping 0 9 Twelve Point Circle
    Mapping 10 19 Number One
    Mapping 20 29 Number Two
    Mapping 30 39 Number Three
    Mapping 40 49 Number Four
    Mapping 50 59 Number Five
    Mapping 60 69 Number Six
    Mapping 70 79 Number Seven
    Mapping 80 89 Number Eight
    Mapping 90 104 Number Eight
    Mapping 105 119 Number Seven
    Mapping 120 134 Number Six
    Mapping 135 149 Number Five
    Mapping 150 164 Number Four
    Mapping 165 179 Number Three
    Mapping 180 194 Number Two
    Mapping 195 209 Number One
End


The text after the DMX range tells the visualiser what gobo to use from the default.glb file. You can change this text to refer to a different Gobo that is in the default.glb file.

For example, one of the other gobos in the default.glb file is a Grid Ball. In order to get this into your visualiser personality you would have to change the text after one of the ranges. For example:

Code: Select all

ChanRef Gobo 1
    Vismode Value
    UseBits 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
    DmxOffset 4
    Mapping 0 9 Twelve Point Circle
    Mapping 10 19 Grid Ball
    Mapping 20 29 Number Two
    Mapping 30 39 Number Three
    Mapping 40 49 Number Four
    Mapping 50 59 Number Five
    Mapping 60 69 Number Six
    Mapping 70 79 Number Seven
    Mapping 80 89 Number Eight
    Mapping 90 104 Number Eight
    Mapping 105 119 Number Seven
    Mapping 120 134 Number Six
    Mapping 135 149 Number Five
    Mapping 150 164 Number Four
    Mapping 165 179 Number Three
    Mapping 180 194 Number Two
    Mapping 195 209 Number One
End


Now between 10 and 19 the visualiser will display a Grid Ball rather than a Number One.

There are pleanty of gobos listed in the default.glb file. It may be worth having a play around with it and changing the gobos in your personality file!

I hope this helps

[neil]

Thanks,

I think we spoke on the phone.

Interesting stuff.

The next question I have, being very very annoying, is can I make my own Gobos??

[niclights]

Have a look at this document: http://www.avolitesdownload.com/Downloa ... o-info.doc