Shapes and Tracking

[CSmithDesign]

Shapes don't seem to track at all, they end when I go to the next cue.

To get around this, I recorded the same shape with the same fixtures into the next cue, but this always seems to cause the shape to snap back to an initial starting position and then continue running like normal, which is really too bad.

Is there a way to have a shape continue to seamlessly run as I press go on a cue stack until I block the shape?

Thanks

[Simon]

Currently the only way to achieve what you want is by auto-loading the shape from a separate cue. I know that there is an issue with shape fading from one cue list step to another and am hoping to look at that in version 8.

Thanks
Simon

[niclights]

Without wanting to contradict Simon I find that you can get a smooth transition by setting fade in to zero. The simplest way to ensure you have the same shape recorded in each cue is to include it (using advanced if necessary to get just the shapes). If you have other attributes in the same cue that you need to fade you can do this by setting attribute group or individual attribute times that override the global setting.

Obviously this is not ideal and there needs to be a proper tracking system. The problem with that is how do you define when the shape stops? Using a block shape as it stands would not be the best way as it would mean multiple shapes running.

This also highlights a need for separate fx attribute group timing where in the workaround above we could have just set the fx group to fade in zero and left all the other attributes using global.

[snorhyvel]

I have some big problems with shapes... I'm not sure though that shapes always doesn't track? It seems that they sometimes do, and it's different for different fixtures... I get a lot of problems with editing cues (in cuelists) when they becom larger. It takes an awful long time to merge, and often if I for example change intensity on a dimmer, and merge it, then the shapes have stopped in that cue... but it seemes that it's not gone, but there have automatically been added a block all shapes in the cue... but as I said, it doesn't affect all types of fixtures... Very strange... but I've got information from the support that this will be solved in version7...

[niclights]

The performance issues with updating large cuelists have been fixed, along with preventing mulitple block shapes.

I'm confused about other issues you mention. They really need to be separated out with more details. But shapes definitely do not track and it will be the same for all fixtures regardless.

[snorhyvel]

I'll give you a simple example;

I have a cuelist, record in stage mode and will append the first cue like; pick all my LED pars, 100% intesity and red, pick my MAC 600, full intensity and blue, pick all my elation platinum spot 5r, full intensity and green. I pick my MAC 600 and 5R's and create a cirlce shape on them and append the cue.

I won't press exit or clear, I just change the colour on my leds to let's say green, and append the new cue. I will think that the shape will track, as well as all other settings on this. If I now will edit cue #2 and merge the changes to it, most of the time it will stop the 5R's from moving, but the MAC 600's will continue. If I view the cue I will see that the programmer has automatically added block all shapes to the cue...

[niclights]

I've had a look but cannot repeat this in either 6.1 or 7.0. However, I am having to guess at what edits you are making.

I have tried clearing the programmer after appending cue 2, setting all groups to full/magenta and merge cue 2. I have also tried not clearing and just setting all to magenta before merge.
In both cases the shapes play back in both cues as they were originally recorded there. In the non-cleared example we do end up with two copies of the circle shape in cue 2 in 6.1 and if you try to view the shape it throws an exception. In 7.0 this does not occur.

It is possible there is something else you are doing before merge and the combination of this and record by stage are causing the block shape. If possible please provide more details, preferably some exact steps to repeat the issue from a new show.

As for tracking they definitely don't track. They record in the two cues because they are outputting to stage and you are using record by stage. Given that you do not clear the programmer they would also record in both cues using 'by channel' or 'by fixture'. This does not mean they are tracking. An example of tracking would be to record a shape in cue 1 by channel or fixture, clear the programmer and record a second cue. If the shapes tracked they would run in cue 2 but they do not. I'm struggling to give an example when using record by stage!

[snorhyvel]

ah, then I understand that they not track. I also get this exception when I try to view the cue sometimes... But I'm waiting for ver7 now and hope for a bright future

still I have the probem that the shapes stop on the Elation spots if I edit a cue, but not on the MAC 600s... Let's hope v7 solves this problem too... When is the release date for ver7?

[niclights]

If you can detail what the edits are I can have a look.

At the moment you explain what is recorded in cue 1 and 2 but not what you do after that before merging back into 2.

[snorhyvel]

the changes I make could be very simple, change colour on a led or add a dimmer and then merge it in to the cue... The way I often do it is to run the cuelist and step forward to the cue I want to change, make the change and then merge...

[niclights]

I thought that maybe the running of the shape in conjunction with record by stage might be significant, but testing in both 6.1 and 7.0 I still don't see any block shapes or other unexpected results.

Once version 7 is released try it and if it still happens please provide exact steps to repeat from a new show.

[snorhyvel]

Yes.