Fixture order munged on importing an S24 zos file into Leapfrog 48

[delicolor]

Hi guys, I’ve been merrily rationalising our leaprog config build to fit within the constraints of 48 fixtures 48 subs. The S24 is now our main desk and working OK. Our Leapfrog 48 is now demoted to backup desk. Both are running 7.9.9/2.0.1.

However, despite having fixtures 1 -48 working previously on the preset faders, when I cleared the memory and loaded up the S24 save file, most of the fixtures were re-allocated onto MFFs 101 upwards, only three single channel fixtures survived on the preset faders. The three retained their fixture channel number but the reallocated fixtures had lost their channel number relationship (possibly reallocated by fixture type). The playbacks seem to be fine.

Of course, if I save the Leapfrog file and load it into the S24, all of the fixtures 101 upwards are discarded.

I can reassign the misnumbered fixtures back to their desired fixture numbers but it is time consuming and not desirable in a scenario where we need to use the backup desk!
 

I can duplicate it on Phantom. Showfile on requist.

Ian

[Edward Z88]

Hi Ian,

11 hours ago, delicolor said:

when I cleared the memory and loaded up the S24 save file, most of the fixtures were re-allocated onto MFFs 101 upwards, only three single channel fixtures survived on the preset faders.

When loading shows from other desk types into Leapfrog, fixtures will be loaded from MFK 1 onwards (fixture 101), with the channel faders left for dimmers. This is to avoid compatibility issues, as Leapfrogs cannot have fixture numbers 49-100. Upon loading the show you will receive a message, asking whether you want empty channel faders to have dimmers patched to them.

Once the show file is loaded, you will be able to renumber fixtures in the usual way.

If you have any questions let me know.

Edward

[delicolor]

2 hours ago, Edward- Z88 said:

Hi Ian,

When loading shows from other desk types into Leapfrog, fixtures will be loaded from MFK 1 onwards (fixture 101), with the channel faders left for dimmers. This is to avoid compatibility issues, as Leapfrogs cannot have fixture numbers 49-100. Upon loading the show you will receive a message, asking whether you want empty channel faders to have dimmers patched to them.

Once the show file is loaded, you will be able to renumber fixtures in the usual way.

If you have any questions let me know.

Edward

 

[delicolor]

I’m disappointed with your explanation, it sounds like it is excusing overly simplistic coding.

Leapfrogs can’t have fixtures 49-100 so therefore the software will renumber all fixtures to 101 onwards in an order that bears no relationship to the original numbering unless it is a dimmer, even though the desk can support fixtures on 1-48 and they can be manually renumbered to that afterwards? 

I don’t think you are seeing this through the eyes of the customer. OK the Solution series is now legacy (but only just) and therefore low priority but this is a gotcha I wasn’t expecting.

Ian

 

[Edward Z88]

Hi Ian,

47 minutes ago, delicolor said:

Leapfrogs can’t have fixtures 49-100 so therefore the software will renumber all fixtures to 101 onwards in an order that bears no relationship to the original numbering unless it is a dimmer, even though the desk can support fixtures on 1-48 and they can be manually renumbered to that afterwards? 

I don’t think you are seeing this through the eyes of the customer. OK the Solution series is now legacy (but only just) and therefore low priority but this is a gotcha I wasn’t expecting.

This has always been the behaviour of Leapfrog consoles, stemming from before you were able to patch fixtures onto the channel faders. When the change was made in more recent software to allow fixtures to be patched on the channel faders, show file importing from other consoles followed the same behaviour as previously to avoid confusion. If I had 100 fixtures on a FLX, and transferred the show file to a Solution, having some fixtures on the faders, and then an "overflow" onto the MFKs, would arguably in most cases be more frustrating than having all the fixtures importing in the same place on the MFKs from 101 onwards.

Let me know your thoughts,

Edward

[delicolor]

Ok, but please put this behaviour in the documentation somewhere so that it isn’t entirely unexpected for others who encounter it.

[delicolor]

Interestingly, I upgraded the Leapfrog to 7.10 as well as the S24 and when I loaded up the current file from the S24 into the Leapfrog all fixtures 1-48 retained their fixture numbers rather than renumbering the non-dimmers from 101 onwards. This saves twenty minutes of fixture renumbering when keeping the backup up to date.

So the original grumble seems to be resolved, much appreciated!