Fixture Creator Feilds too rigid

[blaide13]

Is there a way to rename the fields in fixture creator? It was fine when lights were simpler and had less channels and functions but now there are moving heads and units with 4 moving heads on one bar and the DMX channel modes are getting into the mid 30's. Also, it's a real pain when the DMX channel fields are pre-named. Is there a way to change them? I thing an overhaul of the fixture creator software is due. Make it simple like a vertical row that follows the form of a DMX chart from the manual of the light. This way you have a field to select how many channels and when you do, that many fields appear with the channel number to the left, Function name next and the third field can display values and additional function descriptions if you have multiple functions at different values within that DMX channel such as the case with Macros. This way you can have a clear list of what each channel does.

The way the software is now I'm having a hard time writing a profile for a 4 moving head bar that has a 31 channel mode. Each head is individually controllable and has Pan, Fine Pan, Tilt, Fine Tilt, Speed, Dimmer and Strobe. There are only named fields for 1 head. The other three I'd have to place channels and values in fields named Focus, Iris, Zoom etc.,. That gets very confusing trying to look at the desktop and try to remember what function the Iris slider actually controls on this unit.

[spud1511]

The 'fixed' list of functions are that way because they relate to the controls and buttons in freestyler. It wouldn't really help doubling up functions as the way you describe would have things like 'head 2 gobo', 'head 3 pan', etc that there is no functions or buttons in freestyler to click to activate them since there is only one pan/tilt window, one gobo selection window, etc.

But you can change the channel name, default value (eg starting point when you first launch freestyler), and locate value (the value send on each channel to identify the light when you click locate fixture in freestyler), this is under the 'channel description' tab.

You can get better control making the main fixture for the first head only, then a 'B', 'C', and 'D' fixture with the same start address but channel numbers for the other 3 heads. At least then you can have individual head control by selecting and deselecting them from the main freestyler screen.

[Jan_K]

As spud1511 it will not help to just to rename the controls.
The FreeStyler build in functions will not work.
You won't get the pan/tilt control panel for all 4 heads and the black-out only works on shutter / dimmer channels which you only have one no matter how much you rename.

I have made some of there fixtures as combined fixtures where you think all of the 4 heads as one separate fixture. And in that way you have all the features FS supplies you with.

http://www.freestylersupport.com/wiki/f ... d_fixtures
http://www.freestylersupport.com/wiki/f ... ter_effect

The only tricky thing is here to figure out where to split then.

And when other people are to use them, then to combine them correct.

(Think I have a feature request hanging on a linked adding sequence so that all the fixtures is added just by adding one of them and that they are placed on the correct relative addresses.)


What fixture are you working on?

/Jan