More than one active cuelist button?

[Kings]

I have asked this question before but this time I want to try and explain it a bit better…

So the short of it is:

Is it possible to play more one than one cue at a time (each cue using a different fixture type) using the cuelist buttons?

I currently have two types of moving head lights. If I want to use both at the same time I have to create a ‘shared’ cuelist. If I have seperate cues on a cuelist button for each fixture, pressing one will stop the other cue in its tracks (i.e. still lit but not moving). What I would like to do is have multiple cues working in the background till I decide to unselect them. This is essentially the same as using the multiselect feature when operating your lights when using only sequences via the fast cue switcher list.

The long of it (with pictures!):

I currently have all the attributes (eg shutter, movement, colour, gobo etc) for each fixture programmed into the sub fader display screen. My two fixtures are Geni Shivas and the much simpler Acme Dynamo:

Geni Submaster Screen 3.JPG

Dynamo Submaster Screen 3.JPG

If I want to create a chase for the Shiva’s, I select one or more attributes and then save them as a cue. The saved cue is then added to a cuelist button. The following is an example of a ‘Ballyhoo’ chase:

Ballyhoo Creation 3.JPG

Notice that:

• Each attribute occupies a specific line of the fast cue selctor list depending on which submaster has been chosen
• I‘ve had to program a ‘closed shutter’ sequence for the Dynamos to stop them from stayimg lit during the chase.
• I have different pages of cuelist buttons for each fixture type and one extra page for cues that involve the Dynamos and Shiva’s. The image below is a Ballyhoo using both fixture types

Shared Cuelist Button 3.JPG

Now what I would like to do is eliminate these ‘shared’ cuelist buttons and be able to have a more than one cuelist button active at one time. Perhaps restrict it to only one cue active per cuelist button page?

Why?

Well it would mean that:

• A complete novice could control several fixture types at any time given that someone has already preprogrammed the cuelist buttons. Great for pubs and clubs who can’t afford a full time lighting tech!
• Operating multiple fixture types is currently a headache as you would need multiple shared cuelist pages.
• Using the submasters is currently the only real alternative method of controlling multiple fixtures but it sometimes takes a lot of time to find and select the desired attribute. Not very convenient during a live show

Sorry for the essay but your thoughts on this would be much appreciated!

Cheers!

Kings.

[dmxlighting]

Hi Kings

To begin with I could not see where you were going with this but I do get it and its a great Idea.
Im not sure what the implications are for making that happen but I can really see some advantages for 'Multi-Select Cuelist Buttons'.
This would take the mix and match solution in Submasters to another level!

[Kings]

So the end result would look something like this...

Cuelist 3.JPG

Each page would be pre-programmed with chases and I could run one chase on each page. I could potentially have all fixtures operating at the one time or just the one type.

I could also select an existing cue from the cuelist button, use the submasters to refine it, and then save the new cue if I like the result. I could then add this new cue to a cuelist button. I could potentially create new cues in the middle of a show!

How about a bit of background...

I once walked into a club and the only thing the club used to control the lighting was a touch screen (connected to computer etc). The screen was covered in icons and each was dedicated to a certain fixture. Each fixture also had a selection of icons that could be used to change its colour, movement, strobe rate etc. It didnt take me long to start creating unique lighting scenes as the whole process was very intuitive. The touch screen also allowed me to make the changes really quickly and I could easily keep up with the DJ. We can pretty much do this now using the submasters in Freestyler, but I want to be able to pre-program some 'killer' looks before I get to the venue. It would also be great to have a friend take over while I take a toilet break!

I have no idea what it would take to re-program Freestyler but I have a feeling this would only work if you used the submasters they way I do (ie lists of attributes). But I notice that the sequences used to create my chases always occupy different lines of a fast cue switcher list (see the last image of my original post). Maybe all Ralph has to do is allow all remaining sequences to keep running when a new chase on a cuelist button is selected!? But...its probably a lot harder to do than I think so I'll leave it in the hands of the great Freestyler god himself.

Cheers!