K-Nine

Sounds like the Chilli Master Controller could be what you are looking for ... CLICK HERE

Have a look at the Fat Frog - it has 48 dimmer channels and up to 12 moving light fixtures.

If you lock the monitor screen onto the palettes, then you can quickly move between colour, beamshape and position palettes simply by pressing the corresponding attribute button.

You need to assign the fixture type to one or more fixture selection buttons and patch them to the correct DMX start addresses.

I agree that some sort of indication would be useful but I doubt if the calculation would be quite as simple as you suggest. When turned fully anticlockwise the crossfade stops, centre position is normal (ie programmed fade time) and fully clockwise is snap (effectively fade time X infinity not just 200% or whatever). Therefore the scale of the resistor position to generated value (0-255) and equivalent multiplication of fade time is not a linear one.

Version 4 software runs on the new operating system. For further information CLICK HERE

It sounds like the default values of all your parameters have been set to 255. Normally this is NOT the case. Brightness/Intensity is usually set to 255 (full). Most colour and beamshape parameters normally have a default value of zero which equates to white, no gobo, no prism, shutter open etc. Please check the manual for the fixture, as occasionally parameters like shutters have a non-zero value that equates to open. Pan and tilt parameters are normally set to 50% (ie 128 for 8 bit parameters or 32767 for 16 bit parameters). If you could send us the DMX channel assignment data from the user manual or a link to the user manual then we can check the default values and add the fixture to our library. Hope that helps.

Which fixture type are you using ? Is it one from the Fixture Library or one you have created yourself with the fixture editor ?

If you ensure that the desk is in partial mode, then only what is tagged will be recorded into the memory or onto the submaster. Note - Tagged is NOT the same as selected. In the latest software - You can always check what parameters are tagged via the wheel LCD and outputs screens by holding down the WHEEL GROUP (Shift) button.

It's no so much a 'problem' as a matter of time and resources. The development of new products has to take priority over additional 'bells and whistles' being added to a product that we give away for free. I am not saying that this feature won't be added to Phantom Frog at some point in the future, or provided as a separate PC utility, just that we are working on more important things at the moment.

What you are saying is correct, in that the dwell time only comes into effect after the fade time has completed, and is only really significant if the next memory has an automatic trigger .... this is how it was designed and implemented I can see what you mean by making the dwell time start as soon as the memory is triggered but I think this would probably cause a lot more confusion if it's function was changed at this point. More significantly, it would have major implications on the running of the memory stack, since you could then have numerous memories all fading at the same time, rather than the current and somewhat simpler case of fading from memory n to memory n+1. I think what you are suggesting is more along the lines of multipart scenes (Illusion 500) or the higher level functionality provided by the Frog 2 desk.

The FROG function parameters are a single global set of parameters that apply to the FROG function. Fixtures of the same type will all output the same FROG values.

A complete cue stack may also be made into a Chase via the Cue Stack Setup Window. A Chase has a number of user adjustable modifiers which will determine how it runs: Direction – Forwards, Backwards, Bounce or Random (default = Forwards) Drive – Auto, Bass, Manual or Beat (default = Auto) Speed – Range 0 - 200 bpm (default = 60 bpm) When the Speed is set to zero, the chase will run according to the delay and fade times that are programmed into each cue in the chase. When the speed is non-zero, the chase will run at the corresponding number of beats per minute. All fade and delay times programmed in the cues will be ignored and the transition between the steps (cues) will be determined by the Fade modifier (see below). Fade – Range 0 = 100% (default = 0). This modifier determines how the outputs ‘fade’ between the steps (cues) when the speed is set between 1 – 200 bpm. When the Fade is set to 0% - the outputs will snap between each step of the chase. When the fade is set to 100% - the outputs will fade continuously between step x and x + 1. Note – the Fade modifier will affect all fixture parameters programmed in the cues. There is no distinction between Intensity, Colour, Beamshape and Position parameters (cf Frog series). Shots – Range 0, 1 - 255; Default = 0. When Shots = 0, the chase will run continuously.

Hi Lagstorm, On 3 November we made an update to the installer for Version 4 software. It is called 4.0.0B and can be downloaded here. Functionally this is identical to version 4.0.0, the only change is to the installer to correct a problem found with the Compact Flash card in some desks. If you haven't done so already, can you try downloading this version, burn a CD with it, and upgrade the desk again? Let us know how you get on.

Yes, you can set the chase drive to Bass - see Chase section of the Cue Stack Setup Window.

A chase running from a submaster will stop when you bring the submaster fader back down to zero. The brightness part of a chase will start again when you raise the submaster - the LTP channels (colour, beamshape and position) will start when the submaster fader is raised above the LTP trigger level. Program two different chase memories (one for the cans, the other for the moving heads) Transfer the two memories onto submasters. You then have independent control over the running of the two chases Hope that helps.

Do you want to 'open' the file so you can see what the fixture profile looks like and be able to edit if required ... in which case you need to install the fixture editor on your PC or do you want to assign the fixture type to one or more fixtures on the desk or the Phantom Frog, in which case you go through the assign fixture from floppy option (Super User -> Desk Setup -> Assign Fixtures).

Check what version of software you have on the desk. In version 10 the operation of the WHEEL GROUP button was changed. It no longer cycles through the wheel groups, where there are more than three parameters for the selected attribute - this is now done by the corresponding attribute button (COLOUR, BEAMSHAPE or POSITION). For full details of the software changes see the release notes.

Best places to look are either the operating manual for the fixture or the manufacturer's website (if they have one). When you have a list of functions on each channel you can create your own fixture type using the fixture type editor which can be downloaded from our website. CLICK HERE

I was close

Set up a cue stack with two cues, one where the strobe is off, and the other where it is on permanently (not strobing). Convert the cue stack to a chase. If you have an audio input to the desk - set the chase drive to bass, if not set the chase drive to Beat and use the GO button to set the tempo when playing back the chase.

Frog 2 Operating Manual - Issue 4 The Frog 2 Operating Manual - Issue 4 is now available: CLICK HERE The updated manual contains all the new and modified functionality that was implemented in Version 4.0 software. The Quick Start Guide (available from the support page above) has also been updated to Issue 4.

Fixture parameters which are set to FROG can be triggered in three different ways. This is determined by the FROG Function parameter called Mode (on the FROG Function screen) Manual - press the STEP button below the FROG Screen button on the front panel to output the next FROG value. Auto - the Speed parameter determines how often the next FROG value is output Sound to Light - triggers on the bass beat of the audio signal. The other FROG function parameters are used to determine if the output values snap or fade between values and also the minimum and maximum values for colour, beamshape and pan or tilt parameters. Although the FROG function may be regarded as a 'random chase' it is not treated the same as a real chase memory and therefore is not stopped automatically when the submaster fader is brough down to zero. Set up another submaster in which the parameters which are FROGging on the other submaster are set to fixed values and raise this submaster when you wish to stop the parameters outputting FROG values.

If you use the FROG function you can get any of the fixture parameters (eg colour wheel, gobo wheel, pan, tilt etc) to perform a 'random' chase in time to an audio input. The various parameters on the FROG Function screen allow you to determine the minimum and maximum values for each attribute, snap or fade between values and the mode (ie manual, automatic or sound to light) See manual pages 7-4 and 7-5 for a full description of the FROG function.

1. Yes. Edit the chase memories so that the fixture brightness levels are recorded at zero. Ensure the desk is in partial mode, select the required fixtures, set their brightness (intensity) to maximum using the control wheel. Ensure no other parameters are tagged and then record the channel data directly to the submaster that you wish to control the brightness of the fixtures.