kgallen

Maybe we could translate the French one back into English, it will probably have more information in it! 🤣 😈

Hi Edward, Possibly... So can you define what loading "Setup & Palettes" actually loads (the "Setup" bit, I can guess the Palettes bit - and assume this includes Effects Palettes). Thanks! Kevin

- Save and load (position) palettes alone. So I don’t have to spend hours each new show setting up the same positions for movers that are hung in the same (marked) place in the same theatre. (Or how to do this with existing software). - fixture definition management. Being able to update a patched fixture with a new definition and deleting the old one and not have it hang around in the showfile where I don’t know whether the desk is using the old or new definition.

No, because I don't have an FLX S24 (I don't work for Zero88, I'm just a punter like you!). But this does work, so check your work flow and follow that KB article very carefully!

😀 👍

That Showtec desk has a "DMX polarity switch" (which is a really strange thing to have but probably dates back to the early DMX years when equipment compatibility was shaky). It's possible the DMX lead or connections within the Anytronics dimmer are reversed, because that dimmer has screw terminals not a 5-pin socket for the DMX connection. A clue would be the Showtec desk DMX polarity switch is in the "invert" position (this switch is on the back next to the two DMX sockets). This is the manual for the current version of the desk. It's in the document as "Polarity Switch (38)" https://assets.highlite.com/attachments/MANUAL/50710_MANUAL_GB_V2.pdf I can see from your photo that there looks to be a patch lead wired in to the dimmer with an XLR on the end where you've presumably plugged in the desk. You need to open up the dimmer (WITH THE POWER TO THE DIMMER ISOLATED OFF) and look at the wiring of the DMX connection lead into the dimmer screw terminals. The DMX data-plus should go to XLR pin 3 (5-pin or 3-pin XLR) and DMX data-minus should go to XLR pin 2. They may be reversed.

Sounds like either RED is set as some kind of Inhibit (look it up on the KnowledgeBase) or the fixture is in some other mode. Can you link the manual for the LED fixture and identify the mode you are using in and which fixture definition you've patched on the desk. Also as you've been playing with HTP/LTP settings and the like it might be wise to do a desk factory reset and start a fresh setup following the KB article on R/G/B faders, paying particular attention to the tracking setting and tagging (i.e. making sure you don't tweak any other setting whilst you're in the middle of programming each colour). I take it you're following this KB article: https://www.zero88.com/manuals/zeros/cues-playbacks/playing-back-cues/rgb-colour-mixing-on-playbacks

Is this the dimmer? http://www.anytronics.com/assets/t2180-any-12-24-contractor-issue-2-0809--web2-.pdf http://www.anytronics.com/assets/contractor-24-dd06.pdf Controlling a dimmer like this, which looks to be a perfectly sensible DMX dimmer, should be pretty much the simplest thing one can do and should pretty much work out of the box. Erics has covered some relevant settings like RigSync that might not be compatible or supported by this dimmer. Is the dimmer DMX address set to (say) 1 and the 24 dimmer fixtures you've patched at DMX address 1 through 24? Have you terminated the DMX at the dimmer, or does the DMX chain continue to some other lights?

Yes. Confirmed by Z88 in a similar query a couple of days ago.

Yes that’s what I did. It will want to do coprocessor update too.

Edward, thanks for the confirmation. I'm getting the hang of it... slowly...! What we need to do is write a Crib Sheet...

Thanks Edward. As I don't remember the whole article I'm not sure what bits you've added, but I can see a section on what we've recently been discussing re adding other attributes to the Effect palette. What is not fully clear to me is why I need to use the "green stripe" (I realise this means all parameter of the attribute versus tagged parameters of the attribute) - although I'll hazard that it's the following reason (please correct/clarify): If programming an Effect palette, then it's ok to have Effect with the red stripe, as we're recording an Effect-type palette, so we are allowed to capture only some Effect parameters. If we want to add (e.g.) Colour to an Effect Palette then we are "forced" to record all Colour parameters so have to use the "green stripe" - it's not permissible/allowed to add only some colour parameters to an (Effect) palette, so we can't use "red stripe". (An "interesting" requirement, but that seems to how it is!). Thanks, Kevin

"Oh yes we would!" (Sorry, it's Panto season...)

Whaaaaaaa.... no outtakes? 😪

Add Selected Fixtures button to Update Options Undo/Redo - even one level would be handy, to restore e.g. a lost position or colour. Simplify/unify GUI behaviour recording (effects) palettes when using Record Options to include I/C/B/P. Improve clarity of messaging by including detail of what is being operated on - for example "Delete Palette <name>?" rather than "Delete Palette 17?" - this example particularly, as the Delete confirmation blanks out the entire screen with this one line message plus ok/cancel buttons - so you (a) have to remember what Palette 17 was (b) know that this was the Palette you intended to delete. Undo would also be useful here. Some means to clarify (maybe documentation) which USB port is "Removable Drive [AB][1-3]" - when multiple USB sticks are inserted, which is which? Usable scrollbars. Usable mouse scroll wheel. Speed/accelerate adjust for mouse move. Preview waveforms in the Effects Waveform editor - to show relative alignment of waveforms - e.g. "Trapezoid" with a 33 offset to "Step 1/4" with a 50 offset. For example I had a requirement to do a green-yellow-cyan colour fade and working out which modulators to use and what the offsets should be needs some head scratching and a pen and paper. More predefined/library effects. The new ones in 7.9.6 are good but the library needs to expand a lot to give quick access to prebuilt effects. More complete/detailed user manual. On FLX plenty of functions/buttons are either not described at all or are given scant description. The documentation needs to be much more complete. I know you're not trying to "teach lighting" but what the heck does "Ballyhoo" actually mean? (and I've been doing stage lighting for 23 years). Effects needs more detail on the base modulators. For example "Trapezoid" - what are the relative dimensions of this geometric figure - is it "in 6 sections" and a 0 offset it's low:up:high:high:down:low so if I offset at 50 then I'm in the middle of the two periods of high?

Your great idea/work David, so the credit goes to you! I just found with your original that the red came out a bit purple on my LEDs as the small amount of blue in your red (R=243,B=11) seemed to have quite a disproportionate effect. Kevin

Here's a more saturated version of David's 2-way picker. R/G/B are primaries.

Oh well done! Shows all done already huh! Early Jan for me...! Lots to do before then including sound effects...

Hi Edward, Thanks that finally worked, I've got myself a "Spell" effect setup. Not what one would call 'intuitive' though is is!

Hi Edward, Umm, ok, but why? The "extras" like Beamshape have just been adjusted by me, so they are tagged, so red stripe should be just fine. So why now the change of heart for a green stripe? It's true that after tapping EFFECT, the Effect soft-button had a red stripe and the other ICBP were "off" so did the desk now think they weren't tagged attributes, so needs a green stripe to force the situation? (Desk is off now, I will have to try tomorrow night.) Thanks, Kevin

OK chaps, I'm back here again with 7.9.7 on the FLX. This still doesn't work for me, I still get just an 'E' palette. I want an EBP palette in this instance. I have 4 movers up in the rig. Select all 4 movers using the mouse from the Output Window and @40 just so I can see them. Set Beamshape attributes as I want. Set Position as I want for the "base position" for the effect. Choose Effect Circle, and set the Size and Speed. Press RECORD and hold it to get Record Options. Press EFFECT - this changes the Record Options to turn off SmartTag and Effect soft-button has the red bar (ok looks promising). I tap Beamshape soft-button and Position soft-button to get the red bar. Intensity and Colour have dark "off" bars. I type 50, so the command line now says RECORD EFFECT 50. I press ENTER. I get Effect palette 50 programmed and it's type E not type EBP as I want (and asked for). I CLEAR-CLEAR. I select the 4 movers. I @40 so I can see them. I tap Effect Palette 50. I get the circle, but the Beamshape is not set (it's Home) and the base position is not set (they are dancing around their Home position). Your syntax recipe doesn't seem to work for me. So what am I STILL doing wrong??? (I just reviewed the updated KB article linked above and other than it being an Effect palette rather than Colour as in the KB example, I’m doing what it says).

Edward - there seems to be an issue with the order in which FLX displays the gobo preview images for the Combi Spot - the fixture definition is correct regards the thumbnails and the palettes are correct when the FLX encoder middle button for "gobo" is pressed, but the Auto-palettes generated under Beam have the gobo pictures shifted by one position - the split circle gobo should be "gobo 1/1" but is pictured for "gobo 1/7". I've factory reset the desk and started from scratch and this is repeatable. Why is this? (ETA same behaviour in 7.9.7 as 7.9.5, fixture is Showtec Shark Combi spot as above, and is the only fixture patched). Photos attached. Palettes created by auto-palette. Note the split circle is 1/7, should be 1/1 and the rest shifted along by 1. See the encoder palettes in the second picture, where the gobo thumbnails are in the correct positions and result in the correct gobo in the fixture.

Spot on!

Here are fixture definitions for: Showtec Shark Wash Showtec Shark Zoom Wash Showtec Shark Combi Spot The ones in the library don't quite match the fixture behaviour (e.g. Combi Spot gobos are incomplete/out of order). showtec_shark.ift

Yea - but you'd take me round the back and get Tyler to beat me up for all of my cheeky/grumpy posts! 😆 Whoa... documentation?! 😈 🤣