Editing shape file

[CowBeast]

Hi all,

I'm a little new in the avo world. And I would like to know a few things. I was looking around on the forum and i notice that you can change the SG.DAT file. Ik would like to make a few shape myself. But the problem is I don't understand the coding.
Is there any information about making a shape? A tutorial perhaps?

greeting Math

[niclights]

If you search more you should find a fair amount of info on shapefiles.

What exactly do you want to do?

[CowBeast]

I searched a lot.
But my problem is I don't understand what in it.
For example:

Code: Select all

SHAPE "Dimmer Saw1" "SAW"
8  255   64   0   0  1   0   128
SEND

What does al there numbers mean.
I found this in de SG.DAT file

Code: Select all

;SHAPE <"name">  <"pattern">
;<Channel, 1=Color wheel, 2=Cyan, 3=Yellow, 4=Magenta, 5=Pan>
;<6=Tilt, 7=Iris, 8=Dimmer>
;<Ampitude (0..255)>
;<rate, 512/(rate*16)=seconds>
;<ramp 0=Off 1=ON>
;<repeat-repeats pattern after repeat number of fixtures>
;<spread-how the instruments are spread across the pattern, 0=even spread>
;<phase-0..360, position where the pattern is picked up from>
;<offset-base position for the channel 0..255)>


But what if I want to make somthing width RGB colors? that not listed... But I gues 20 = Red ; 21=Green ; 22=Blue is this correct?
Also whats the difrence between PATERN and SHAPE ...
How do I use PATERN ?

[niclights]

The numbers use the same order as the attributes in personality files, which also don't mention RGB. But it is as follows:

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1-Colour Wheel1
2-Cyan
3-Magenta
4-Yellow
5-Pan
6-Tilt
7-Iris
8-Dimmer
9-Gobo1
10-Gobo2
11-Gobo1 Rotate
12-Focus
13-Gobo2 Rotate
14-Colour Wheel2
15-Shutter
16-Prism
17-Zoom
18-Effect
19-Frost
20-Red
21-Green
22-Blue


Pattern is the dmx offset in hex applied +/-127 to the attribute specified in the shape definition. Only one pattern can be used per shape but each attribute can contain different start phase thus allowing circle (using the same pattern with phase for pan/tilt) or rainbow with phase on the colour components. The pattern offset will be modified by size where 255 gives the full range.

[CowBeast]

Oh thx for the information.
I'm just messing around right know. I have a simple idea for a shape.
In words: (I wanne use is on showtec octostrips)
Al the strips are blue an there is running a red block across. so when de red block passes by blue has to go to 0 and red to 255.
I made this:

Code: Select all

SHAPE "Blue/Red" "running"
22  255  64   0   0   1   0   128
20  255  64   0   0   1   180   128
SEND

Now I want to test it with de pearl simulator an visualiser. I reload my shape file, but my new created shape is not listed! Why?

[niclights]

From memory I think you have to load the shape file from a floppy. Is this what you did?

[CowBeast]

No, I'm using the pearl simulator on my laptop. I don't have a floppy drive.
But in the simualtor you can chance your directory. I did that. En I made changes in that SG.DAT file. But is is nog viewing any changes...

[niclights]

Umm. I'm pretty sure there is no option to choose directory unless something was changed.

System/Utilities/Load Shape File. In my version it either finds it or not. There is no file dialog. I am almost certain it must come from a floppy since that's how it would have worked on the console. Potentially you might be able to remap a drive letter? Unfortunately I have no time to look into this now.

[CowBeast]

Problem solved.
The pad to the SG.DAT file was changed so the simulator loaded an other SG.DAT file.
Now it's working! Thanks for you're help!

[Tumbleweed]

to make a new sg.dat work on the Simulator, put it in the same directory as the file you're working on.


it's the console that requires you to use a floppy to load sg.dat

[stagetech]

I've picked up a lot of details on file syntax and design for Shape and Personality files from various posts on this forum. Thanks to those of you who have contributed.

Is there a detailed summary document available somewhere from Avolites? I would also find it extremely useful to have a List of the standard Shapes with a brief description of what they do. When programming a show, I rarely have time to experiment with shapes I haven't used before, especially when the names don't give me much clue what they act on.