newbie on programming lights...need help

[fuze75]

got a fat frog console. trying to program a studio spot 250. dont even know where to start. i am very new (obviously) in the lighting thing. read the fat frog manual, but doesnt seem to help! any suggestions

[Haytech]

Hi fuze75, welcome to the forum.

what makes problems exactly ?

Is the studio spot already setted up to a fixture botton ?

are you programming in full or partial mode ?

is your DMX correct wired / patched ?

what software rel. do you run ?

 

the most things can be found in SuperUser

press + / - and Enter at same time

[Paul]

Have a look at THIS POST for a quick start guide.

 

edit: fixed link

[sam.henderson]

Right I will start very simply and hopefully this will help you.

 

For all of these instruction it will be presumed that you are using a monitor and a keyboard. It is also assumed that you are in Full Mode NOT Partial

 

Some things you should know about DMX

DMX is the protocol for controlling modern lighting equipment. DMX is run through a 5 pin XLR cable. Each universe (think of it as a line of DMX) has 512 channels available to use. The Fat Frog is capable of outputing 1 universe of DMX (or in other words 512 channels of DMX). Another important note is that the Fat Frog can be opperated a lot easier with the use of a Keyboard and Monitor. Info on how to connect these will be found later in this post.

 

Another important thing to not is all the instructions here are for connecting 1 studio spot. If you are using more than 1 then please say becasue you will have to deal with issues like terminating the DMX line etc.

 

Another thing to note is that Moving Lights (like your studio spot 250) are often called Fixtures.

 

Some things you should know about the Fat Frog

 

The Fat Frog isn't radicly different to lots of the smaller Moving Light boards on the market. It has 48 fadders that can control any normal dimmer channel. These DO NOT control moving lights. The control for the moving lights comes from the right hand side of the console under the title "Fixture Control".

 

There are 12 fixture selection buttons (this means you can control up to a maximum of 12 different fixtures with different DMX addresses)- these are the buttons that allow you to select and unselcect certain fixtures (e.g. you studio spot 250) to change there DMX values (e.g. change their colour, position etc. etc.). When you have selected a fixture the red LED inside the fixture selection button will start to flash. It is possible to select more than one fixture at once. To deselect a fixture all you need to do is press the fixture selection button again and the red LED display will stop flashing and the fixture will be de-selected.

 

Part 1- Set up and address the fixtures

 

1. Position the Studio spots where it is needed and connect to a power supply. To start with, while your learning, it might be an idea to put it down in front of you to have 'a play. Turn on the power supply and the fixture should turn on.

 

2. Now you must set the start DMX address for the fixture (you will see later but I suggest unless you are using other fixtures and dimmers that you set it to 49). To do this:

Press and hold the Menu button until ADDR is shown on the LED display. Press the Enter button. Use the up and down buttons until you get to the desired DMX start address.

 

3. Now attach a DMX Cable (5pin XLR) into the Data In socket on the fixture and the other end into either DMX Output A or DMX Output B (which ever is easier- it makes no odds to the way you control the fixtures) on the back of the Fat Frog. Note DMX A and B Outputs are labelled so they should be easy to find but they are at the back of the desk on the far right (when you are looking at it from the back) and they each have a LED above them that should be glowing Green when the desk has power!

 

Part 2- Set up the board

 

1- Plug in the monitor and keyboard if you have them. The monior is plugged into the port marked "VDU" on the back of the board and the keyboard into the small port marked "Keyboard".

 

2- Turn the board on. To do this simply plug it in, the Frog Series don't have power switches so as soon as you plug it in it will start to come on.

 

3- Assign the Fixtures. Before you can tell the board what DMX addresses you have given your fixtures you need to tell it what fixtures you want to control first. To do this you must enter Super User by Pressing down the Plus button, the Minus button and the Enter button together. The Plus and Minus buttons can be found directly under the main LCD display and the Enter button is found 5 buttons under the Red Program button to the Right of the Main LCD.

 

A Blue Box will then appear in the middle of your monitor display with the Title "Super User". Under this there is a list of different options. We want to access "<Desk Setup>" so make sure this is highlighted (it is highlighted if it is red behind the text) and if it isn't use the up and down arrows on the keybaord or the desk until it is and then press Enter on the desk or the Return key on the keyboard. A new menu (in the same blue box) will appear, select "{Assign Fixtures}" and press enter or hit return on the keyboard.

 

Yet again a new Blue Box will appear, the number 1 should already be highlighted so just press the down arrow (on desk or keyboard) until the empty space is highlighted. Now just use the Left and Right keys on the keyboard or the Plus and Minus buttons on the desk to scroll through all the different fixtures. Eventually you will get to one that says:

"HIGH END SYSTEM Studio Spot 250".

When you see this press the down key so "[Assign]" is highlighted and then hit enter (on desk) or return (on keyboard). You will find that the number one is highlighted again, press the up key and so "{Exit}" is highlighted and hit enter or return. You will be faced with the "Desk Setup" box again. Scroll down (using arrow keys) to "{Exit Desk Setup}" and then proceed then hit enter or return. It will say saving then go back to the original Super User screen.

 

4- Patch the Fixtures. First go back into the "Desk Setup" screen again (as described above). This time scroll down (using up and down arrow keys) to "{Patch Functions}" and enter.

 

You will now see the "Patch Functions" box. Make sure "Manual Patch" is highlighted and hit enter or return.

 

Channel 1 will be highlighted when you first enter, hit the up arrow ket twice and so Fixture 1 is highlighted. Now use the left to right arrow keys to select the DMX start address that you set on the fixture earlier.

 

Now press the down arrow key and "[Exit]" will be selected, hit enter or return. You will now go back to the Patch Functions box, exit this and then exit desk defaults (it will do the usual saving display) and then exit super super user (do this by scrolling to the correct one using arrown keys and then hitting enter like you have done before!).

 

Part 3- Set up and store a memory

 

1. Select the Fixture. To do this press Fixture Selection Button 1 (the one which will have the Yellow LED illuminated) to select the fixture.

 

2. Home the Fixture to test it is working. Press the Home button (which is above an to the left of the Fixture Selection buttons). The fixture should come on and emit some light, if not check you have completed all the steps above properly!

 

3. Set up the state as you want it. With the fixture selected press the Brightness button and use the 1st vertical wheel to change it. You will see the percentage value under the word "Dimmer" go up (and down depending in which way you move it). Next you can set things like colour, gobos etc. To do this press the colour button and the wheel under each name on the dispaly above will control that parameter. The same applies for position, beamshape and all the other attributes.

 

When there is more than 3 paraneters per attribute the "Wheel Group" button LED illuminated and when you press it it will show you the other parameters.

 

When you have the state as you want it.....

 

4. Store the Memory. To do this hit the "Memory" button directly under the "Memory Control" title on the board. Use the Left and Right arrow keys on the keyboard or the + and - keys on the board to select a free memory (a free memory can be seen as on the main LCD it will show a astrix * next to any memory that is free). Now hit the red "PROGRAM" button.

 

Congrats, you have just made your 1st memory (and I have just got repetive starin injury from all this typing!!). For further information on more stailed things like LTP/ HTP, Fade Times, Palletes, Groups, Playback etc. etc. look at my guide (linked to in the sig) or re read the frog Manual!!!

 

Best Wishes,

 

Sam[/i]

[sp]

Wow that's an impressive post Sam - fuze75 I highly recommend Sam's FatFrog Training Program.

 

sp

[sam.henderson]

Ahh, thanks !

 

Sam