Single fixture pallets

[(iCe)]

Hi,

I like the single fixture pallet option which allows you to program a pallet for all fixtures of the same type by programming only a single fixture. I have a couple of questions though:

- When all fixtures of that type are deleted from the console, are the pallets lost or not? Reason is I could make an empty show already containing my most used pallets, patch fixtures and have instant pallets. I know I could also alter the fixture file to include default pallets, but that's not so straight forward as just creating the pallets 'live' and clearing the patch.

- It seems this only works for one fixture type per pallet, is that correct? I had a rig with both spots and washes. I selected one spot and programmed all available colours. I then cleared the programmer and selected a single wash. Tried to program the colours in the same pallets I used for the spots, but then the console doesn't replicate the pallet for all washes any longer. The spots kept on working though, but it would be great if you could combine multiple fixture types in the same pallets like this.

- And how about programming multiple attributes like this? Not at once, but for instance first the colour and then the gobo. On our 'old' 2004 Pearl I use the same pallet selection buttons for colours and gobo's, so I first program only the colours on a single fixture and then the gobo's on that same fixture (after clearing the colour info offcourse).


If someone could demistify these things for me, that would be great

[niclights]

- When all fixtures of that type are deleted from the console, are the pallets lost or not?

They are lost, but there are tricks. You just need to keep one copy parked somewhere.
Park either from Patch/Repatch Fixtures or from View/Fixture Patch - scroll to fixture (press fixture swop key to go instantly), scroll to DMX column, press [edit] and then delete contents (right arrow key is quick) and <enter>.
This stops it taking up valuable DMX channels. But you can also stop it from occupying handles too. Using the Fixture Patch grid again change the handle number to a higher fixture page - for example enter 4.1 assigns this fixture to handle 1 on fixture page 4, which is not normally accessible.

- It seems this only works for one fixture type per pallet, is that correct?

No. You can have any number of shared palettes overlayed in the same palette. This includes different attributes. If you have some attributes in the programmer that have different values across a particular type of fixture then this part will be stored as normal, but it doesn't stop any other shared fixtures/attributes working correctly.
Also, you don't have to specifically select just one fixture to do this. If all attributes for each fixture type in the programmer are the same then automatically it selects shared type. You always have option of overriding this and can toggle shared/normal before storing.

Remember to set store palette mode before storing!

So, all these things work as you require I think. But at the moment you cannot filter attributes when recalling palettes, so overlaying colour and gobo is only an option if you actually want them both at the same time. This is mostly good because it was always easy to have the wrong attribute button selected when you were trying to recall a palette, but it would also be useful to be able to filter in the future.

[(iCe)]

And this works for multiple fixture types in the same pallet? I'll try tonight since I'll have a show to program it for then

[niclights]

Yes

[(iCe)]

Worked fine indeed. But is (part of) this functionality limited to Titan or has is always worked like this?

One tiny annoyance was the question wether I would want to merge the pallet when programming the second fixture type. Is there a way to tell the console "merge and don't ask again"?

[niclights]

I have no idea if it worked like that in Classic or not. Can't remember. Feel free to try

User settings have options for always merge etc.