Morn

Hi there I noticed a weird issue with the "Load CFT" function. We bought some new moving heads which had to be intedgrated into our existing lightshow. So I created a fixture type with the fixture type editor for them, then created a new Common Fixture file with the Common Fixture Manager (the old one was lost, so I couldn't simply add it), added the fixture files of our new moving head plus of our old fixtures to it, saved it and load it to the desk. After a power cycle several of the assigned fixtures were replaced by other ones from my common fixture file. I guess it maybe has something to do with the manufacture- and fixturetype IDs or the order in which the Fixture Types where added to the Common Fixture Manager, but i don't know enough of the way the Frog OS and the Fixture Tools work internally, so maybe someone has an idea, how to work around the problem. By the way. I'm working with Fixture Tools 2.1 and Frog OS 10.12 on a FatFrog Desk.

The Problem with the 2.5.3 Common Fixture Manager is not out of date until now. Now I have seen Kirkup_xps pinned topic regarding the release of Fixturetools 2.6 from January 2012. I'm asking myself, if the problem was fixed in that version. The problem is, that at every product download page only the old 2.5.3 version is offered for download. So where can I download the new version of the fixture tools?

Latest Phantom Frog version was released in December 2007 together with latest Frog OS. It is version 10.9. Phantom Frog is always updated together with the Frog OS, so that when Zero88 releases another Frog OS version Phantom Frog is updated, too.

Press "Preview" Button, before pressing "Edit" button...you will get in "Blind Edit" mode, which means that current outputs are not affected by the editing process. :-)

HTP (Brightness or Dimmer) channels of generics & fixtures are always indicated in %, only LTP Channels (like Gobo, Pan/Tilt, Color, Shutter etc.) are shown as DMX Values. AFAIK there is no option to change that.

An other method of controlling Foggers: Most fog machines operate with only one DMX channel. If you have some generic preset fader left, then you could patch this channel on one of those alternatively, saving you a fixture button. With that fader, you now can control the output of the Fog machine easily.

Yes, I have to agree with John! Upgraded from 10.8 to 10.9 this afternoon and looking forward to use it on Sunday on duty. Played a bit with the new features and must admit, that it is a great alleviation not to have LTP channels retriggered (because they track to memory zero) when jumping from one cue to an other or to use the "previewing channels while patching" feature. Even some suggestions/bugfixes from 2005 posted by me & others made it finally to the FrogOS. With hoping that this was not the final release of Classic FrogOS, I am sending a big thank you to the Zero88 guys. BTW: Is there planned an updated user manual?

Indeed reseting while saving is a strange behavior. So if the desk was checked and is in best condition, maybe some of the peripherals are not. I had some weeks ago an unlockable palette screen and found out after a while, that some stupid spilled a drink over the external keyboard, which caused this behavior. After disconnecting the keyboard and powercycling the desk everything was fine again. Remove the peripherals and try to reproduce the error. If everything works fine buy a new keyboard or monitor. :-) If not I guess your Frog is kind of damaged and need service. BTW Checking for an update disk is normal behavior of the desk, when powering up with an inserted disk in floppy drive. Just remove disk before booting and the desk will skip this check. It is also normal behavior that the desk is empty when powering up. The showfile it loaded automatically as last step of the bootstrap from the non-volatile (battery powered) memory of the Frog.

Maybe someone swapped the DMX addresses of your Heads directly at the fixtures, while you were absent with your desk? Nevertheless you have to reprogramm everything, because changing fixture order via "assign fixture" deletes everything of them , as K-Nine (who BTW seems to have an excellent taste in music. ) explained.

Programming of chasers is described in Chapter 4 (Page 4-8) of the Frog manual... (Download: http://support.zero88.com/main/en/product/9 ) Can you describe the desired look of the chaser in detail? You can't save a chaser on Beamshape or any other Palette. Chasers are always stored in the memory stack and can be optional linked to a submaster fader. The only thing you can do with Palettes is for example to activate strobe/shutter function of your fixture via fixture wheels and save it to palettes.

It's always good to update to the latest software version (10.8). Since Version 9 several useful features have been added to the operating system. (e.g. Partial recording down to individual parameter level, brightness tagging & tracking & of course lots of bugfixes). The two latest software releases (10.4 & 10.8) can be downloaded here: http://support.zero88.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=4334 Older shows will of course still work with the new software versions. You can jump around in the memory stack with entering memory number on an external keyboard, followed by pressing enter (on the keyboard) or Go Button on the desk. A second press on enter or the go button will trigger the memory.

I just looked at the DMX Table of those 150XTs. Shutter/Strobe, Dimmer & Gobofunction on one channel ... You may encounter the problem of, when this channel is on e.g. 200, because you want to project Gobo 7, you won't be able to reduce brightness, because the higher DMX value of Gobo 7 takes a higher precedence (HTP principle) in comparison to the values you use for brightness. It seems that the combined usage of the features "Gobo" and "Dimming" is not possible with this fixture. At the moment I don't see any comfortable solution for this problem. Those combined channels always suck. I try to avoid having such fixtures on my desks (no matter if its a Frog or not).

1. You have to modify the fixture file so that fixtures shutter channel is assigned as brightness. After that program every scene or submaster with a brightness value of maximum 64, so that a submaster or Playback X Fader set on 100% will output 64. When you lower submaster/playback X, brightness will decrease propotional until zero. It could be quiet handy to set home value of brightness within the fixture file to 64, too. 2. It is similar to a problem I had recently: http://support.zero88.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=4493 I suggested the feature at this place and hope it'll get an Frog Reference Number soon. Maybe you like to bump it up with showing your interest on this feature,too : http://support.zero88.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=4496 At the moment you have to workaround this by programming an extra "stop"-submaster, which you have to trigger manually, after you lowered your first submaster. 3. LTP means that the latest values stay 'till another value is triggerd. All channels except brightness (of fixtures & generics) are LTP channels (including your moving efects). HTP means that always the highest set value will be put out, no matter if it comes from presets/brighness wheel, submaster, or Playback X, until somewhere a higher value is set or the highest value is lowered. HTP is intended for all the brightness stuff. So if brightness & shutter are on the same channel (or even have some other functions like gobos on this channel, like some of those damn clay paky stuff has *grrrr* ) and this channel is not assigned as brightness within the fixture file,it won't be controllable via faders.

Hi Haytech...thank you for your suggestion, but that is the state very similar of what I had before I extended the lighting system two weeks ago. Actually I have to control 60 cans (30 channels) for disco & 24 cans (12 channels), two theatre spots (1 channel), four 2KW 8-lights (4 channels) and an 2KW PAR 64 Floor-ACL Bar (1 channel) for stage lighting. For my two disco strobes I need four extra channels ( or a minimum of 3 channels if I patch strobe brightness of both on one channel). Recently I bought another flash tube for a 3rd 2,5KW USDMX Strobe I found in the cellar, which is designated for live band action (for example beneath the drum riser)... At the moment I have 2 oder 3 methods of resolution in my mind, but all of them massively reduce flexibility of the lighting system, especially of the stage lighting system...

That was exactly my plan for continuous strobing at different rates. But I often have to use my strobes manually. Imagine for example a Heavy Metal or Metalcore song with some short double bass accents or fill-ins. I like to place a short strobe flash on every bass kick (e.g. kick 1 and 3 left strobe, kick 2 and 4 right strobe) I don't see how to manage this with pallets. The "stop fader" of course is an idea but isn't fast enough for those apocalyptic strobe effects like described above & would cost 4 faders. :( For the show on sunday I used an additional LightCo 12/24 for Strobe controlling...but i fear, that is no permanent solution. :-(