Releasing to pallets and selection patterns for fixture orde

[(iCe)]

Hi,

I've just installed the 3.1 software and once again it's great! I really like the new stuff and improvements made, it's still becoming a better console.

I have two things though, I would like to share here.

First, I wonder how I should make use of release masks. When I'm busking a show, I extensively use pallets to create looks on stage. So I select some fixtures, apply a position pallet followed by a colour pallet. Now I have a solo fader which takes two of the movingheads, moves them to center stage in white to light up the guitar player. Solo is over and I want those heads to return to there previous position once again.

I know I can use mode 2 to achieve this, but I thought that mode 2 became irrelevant with the coming of release masks. I tried using the release mask to release colour / position information, but releasing seems to work for just playbacks; correct? When I activate a pallet, start a playback and then release it; head will return to locate values instead of pallet values. This makes the release mask for playback a lot less interesting since you cannot be sure the stage returns to the look you had setup (if you used pallets to get there).


Ok. Second one. I LOVE the fixture selection patterns. They save me tons of work I used to use groups for. Could such a thing also be used to quickly create a fixture order. For instance, I want to create a 1 to 3 color bump. I can now use fixture overlap to create a two step chase and apply the color bump with the correct group. But to set the fixture order, I need to manually edit it. It would be great if I could apply the same fixture patterns to the fixture order somehow. I hope this makes any sense


Thanks, I'm already looking forward to the next version

[niclights]

Totally agree with you about release to palette.

One possibility for fixture order is to make use of groups. While not exactly what you want and in some ways probably defeating your point about patterns replacing them, you can now apply orders via groups.

Example:

Select relevant fixtures.
Press 'all' and select pattern [1 in 3].
Record group 1.
Press 'next'
Record group 2.
Press 'next'.
Record group 3.
Exit.

[Edit Times]/playback
[Fixture Order]
Select group 1
[Next Step]
Select group 2
[Next Step]
Select group 3
Exit.

[(iCe)]

Hi Nic,

the power of the selection patterns is that we don't have to create groups any longer for stuff like odd/even and all sort of other patterns. I usually try to keep the number of groups less than 10 since you have to remember those. I program a group for every fixture type (i.e. spot, wash, beam, LED), one for all fixtures and then some stuff like odd/even. Those 9 groups are used very quickly.

The touch wing would be a nice option there since you can then create some more groups and label them, but unfortunately I don't have one of those at this moment (and it doesn't look like there will be one soon). So therefore, the pattern option is excellent for these things, especially since you can Next it. Take for instance 4 groups of 8 led strips; let's say you want a 2 in 8 pattern applied to all 32. What would you prefer: creating groups or applying a selection pattern and pressing next a few times?

[niclights]

I understood your request but was just giving a solution for now. You can record labelled groups to grey preset keys (on a spare page if necessary) or onto the groups window and select with mouse. Both methods would be quicker and easier than doing it manually.

[(iCe)]

Ah ok, sorry & thanks

[(iCe)]

Nic, do you have any insight on the releasing to pallets issue? Is this something we can expect to change in a future version? That would be great, because I've now switched back to the 'old' mode 2 approach because the release masks are too dangarous; I've ended up homing everything to white & straight down a few too many times now

[niclights]

I don't have anything I can tell you.

However, there isn't anything particularly wrong with using mode 2. For sure there's a risk a value might 'lock' on if you overlap two mode 2 playbacks that share the same fixtures/attributes but otherwise I think the main advantage of release is in chases and/or where you do need it to work between playbacks.
At the moment I only use release on shutter attributes for momentary strobes or shutter chases since the power-on state is typically open and I do like to have more than one where the chance of getting stuck values is rather high.

For now if you do want to do colour chases that restore to palette values then there are some solutions either with custom shapes (realistically only suitable for white) or cuelists that autoload cues in mode 2.

[(iCe)]

Hi Nic,

I'll manage with mode 2 for now, no biggy. Just hope that this will get fixed in a future version, would be extremely nice.

Another thing I was wondering. Suppose that releasing to pallets would work, would that mean the following becomes possible:

- Create a two step chase, program nothing in step one and white in step two.
- Set release mask to release colour (is that possible for individual chase steps as well? I'm note sure?)
- Perhaps use fixture overlap to create some overlapping effects.

Would this mean that my chase would go from the current set colour to white and back again? That would save tons of time because I usually program several chases which go from a set color to white and back. If I could just create a few different "back to white" chases like that... wow..

I know of the absolute shapes by the way; but I want to to work for a set of colors, not just white.

[Olie]

These are both things we are looking at. The release to palette is something we know about but its not easy to do it any other way. The order editing is also in the list to be looked at.

The example you gave in your last post would work if it released to palettes. You could try it now by using a cue list or playbacks to set your colour.

[ChiekuRs]

I would like to add that implementing autoload function in chases would be great, because you can change speed of chase faster than speed of cuelists.

I haven't used autoload at all but a question came up - does autoload fades in playback that it's autoloading or it just takes it to 100% instantly?

[niclights]

Autoload uses the fade values from the playback(s) it is firing.

As for releasing 'per step', I'm not sure if that would be the best solution or not. No doubt there would be issues, for example how that conflicts with the tracking model in lists. It might be more useful to find a way to implement mode 2 per step instead. At least that comes under the 'times' umbrella and so might be more applicable to steps than a playback option.

[(iCe)]

These are both things we are looking at. The release to palette is something we know about but its not easy to do it any other way. The order editing is also in the list to be looked at.

The example you gave in your last post would work if it released to palettes. You could try it now by using a cue list or playbacks to set your colour.

Hi Olie,

could you perhaps share the difficulty you mention? As I see it, the console should keep track of the 'base' value for LTP channels. On first start, this value would be the locate value, and when you apply a pallet, that pallet value becomes the base value.

When the desk releases a playback, it releases to previously started playback first, and maybe other things (I'm not sure if it does now). And when it comes to the end of the value stack, it reverts back to the base value; which in that case would be the last applied pallet. And if you would want to revert back to white, it's logical you first set the white again yourself with a pallet.

But perhaps this approach is way to simple and I'm missing something?

[Olie]

Sorry but I am not willing to discuss some of the intricacies about the way the software works on this forum. Thanks for your comments and I will bear them in mind. Please be encouraged that we are aware of the problem and are keen to fix it in a future version.