Getting my head around submaster setup

[lindsayward]

Hi folks,

I asked the "big questions" (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5159) and no one has replied yet...
I got my BCF2000 this morning and one of the things I was looking forward to was using the user-created setups so I could see how people set it up from a creative point of view.
Here's what I think I've discovered is useful... please let me know if I'm on the right track, or correct or add to my understanding.

Using the BCF setup at viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2189 they have faders, buttons and encoders 1-5 for submasters 1-5, with the buttons being next/previous (strangely named Go and Back in FS).

If I create submasters for each logical fixture group, with a cue list of options in each one, then this becomes useful. Here's what I'm trying:
We have 20 LED par cans, 6 on the stage lighting up the back, and the rest up at front of house lighting faces, and we have 2 Mobile Colour changers, which I've currently got pointing in to the middle.
I make each of these 3 a group (Floor, FOH, Mobile Colour) (although I know submasters don't have to be tied to groups),
Create a set of sequences for each group with various changes and options just for that group (the other 2 groups are "OFF" when programming the sequence),
I save the cue list with just one group's sequences and then load this into each of the first three submasters...

Then I can use my controls on the BCF (or manually in FS) to run sequences on each group independently of the others. Fader for intensity (The fader is only useful for sequences in the submaster that control intensity, right?); rotary encoder for speed; buttons for next/previous sequence; plus I made shift+button a blackout for the group.
Essentially, each submaster should control a parameter that is NOT controlled by another submaster - right?

When we buy more lights, like maybe moving heads, we could make another group, another set of sequences, add these to the other submasters (perhaps multiple submasters for different parameters of the movers).

How does that sound? Any additions/corrections/etc.?

This is the sort of thing that I've been unable to find here by the way - help on what are good ways to setup FS to control lights - the help so far assumes you know these ideas. If these are good ideas (above), then I'm happy to write them up on the wiki.

Thanks!

[dmxlighting]

Hi

Did you download and read the document i made (a long time ago now) viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1803 ??

If not have a good look at it it could help you. Does sound like your on the right track

[lindsayward]

Thanks for the reply. The PDF wouldn't display properly for me on my Windows computer (missing font), but worked fine on my Mac. It's the same as http://www.freestylersupport.com/wiki/p ... _submaster isn't it? (The Wiki is a newer version.)
I did look through that, and that's been helpful in getting to this stage.

I now have 5 submasters, Floor Colour, Floor Intensity, FOH Colour, FOH Intensity and Colour changers. This seems good for now. So now I can control my colours and intensities (e.g. chases) independently for the same lights. That's cool.

If I have a cue list in a submaster and I want to edit it, say add another sequence or change one, what's the fastest way? There is no drag-and-drop (yet?), so the fastest I've found is to add the cue list to a cue list button, click on that, stop them all playing, then edit the list in the sequence list and save it again.
Seems a bit more work than it should be, but is there a better (preferred) way?

[dmxlighting]

If I have a cue list in a submaster and I want to edit it, say add another sequence or change one, what's the fastest way? There is no drag-and-drop (yet?), so the fastest I've found is to add the cue list to a cue list button, click on that, stop them all playing, then edit the list in the sequence list and save it again.
Seems a bit more work than it should be, but is there a better (preferred) way?

On the left of the sequence list there is a fast cue switch (its a drop down list). You can load the list even while playing back so no need to stop them all playing. Then edit what you need to and save. Anything you add would then apear on the relevant submaster.

Cue list buttons are used for playback.
For example...

Use the submasters to create the look you want. Each submaster corisponds to a line on the sequence list, you probably already know this. You can then on the sequence list adjust speed, direction, sound activated, and some other parameters. Once you have the scene/sequence how you want it, save it to a cuelist button and then when you select it it will play exactly as you set it up. Its almost like a 'Go' button would be on a hardware desk except that its not a true stack, more of a selectable stack.
I have used FS in a few schools and they tend to just want a way to build simple scenes and then press one button to run it, this is the way i show them.

hope this helps

L

[lindsayward]

Alright, that's great, thanks!

The cue list buttons were a bit of a mystery before, but now they really make sense. That's great to know!

I had seen the Fast Cue selector drop-down but not really used it enough to understand it.
When a cue list is 'on', it's greyed out (not selectable). You have to turn 'off' the cue list (click button again); you can't just stop the sequences.

When I turn a cue list button off it always seems to set everything to off (dimmer to 0%, no light shows), no matter what was on before. Is this normal, and is there a way to have it revert back to previous values or do something else? I don't think it would be good to use the buttons if the only way out was via fading everything to black.

Thanks again

[dmxlighting]

Yes it's normal for everything to go off when u deselect a cue list button.
I think u need to get more into submaster control rather than using these buttons.
I don't really use them but I do run quite complex lighting systems.
My setup would be 8 moving heads using about 12 submasters
4 high power rgbw pars all on 1 sub
2 rgb blinders on 1 sub and override buttons
2 rgb battons on 1 sub
Plus some effects on other subs

Think about how u can group lights up and what control u actually need