beginner questions on fixture creator

[dicky96]

Hi guys
I am new to Freestyler and pretty new to DMX programming so first of all may I apologisae if I ask some dumb questions

I have had some previous experience with MyDMX2.0 but found it would not do what I need (particularly synchronising my light show to music or 'tapping' a beat so it knows what speed to run the show at)

I've watched a few youtube tutorials to get some idea what I need to dom however the first thing I realised is I need to make some fixture files as my lightshow seems to be a bit unusual

None of my fixtures appear to have ready made fixture files

I have
2x Acme Cheetah
2x Chauvet DMF10
2x Acme Dynamic 25 Spin
2x Acme Dynamic 25 Roller
2x Acme Dynamic 25 Scan
4x ADJ X On

and a few lasers

So first things first I tried to make a fixture file for the Acme Dynamic SPins and based this on the fixture file for the Acme COugar as it is a similar device

My first basic questions are - when I assign the gobo channel values where can I easily find (or create) some images that look lke my gobos - I have the manual so I now wat they look like

On the gobo channel I have values from 000-127 selecting 10 gobos and then values from 128-255 selecting the rotation speed slow to fast. I can figure out how to add the fixed values for the gob selections on the '1st gobowheel' tab in fixture creator 6.8 but how do I then enter the rotation speed selector as it is a range of values 127-255 not a fixed value?

That will do for a start, I am sure I have lots more to learn

Thanks
Rich

[dicky96]

HI guys - sorry to see I have no answers maybe I asked too dumb a question?

I found a few tutorials and watched those so I got a lot further with creating a fixture file for the Acme Dynamic 25 Spin.

I now have the gobos, rotation and dimmer channels sorted.

However I have (at least) one question as this is my first fixture file

This light has on Channel 1 (Strobe) the following settings

1-14 - stop
15-137 Gobo Shaking (with my manual DMX controller I can find six shake speeds)
138-255 Strobe (again with manual dmx controller I can find 5 strobe speeds)

Now am I supposed to add channel 1 as a Strobe channel in Fixture Creator 6.8 - in which case I can add strobe speeds for off/low/medium/high? But in that case how do I add the six gobo shaking options and the other strobe speeds in-between?

Can I add Macros on the same channel to add those extra options?

Or do I ignore the strobe channel settings and just create macros for the gobo shaking and strobe effect on channel 1 instead?

And if I do either of the above how will this affect the working of Magic D easyview for this fixture?

Sorry to be asking questions like these but the available documentation seems to be a bit too scarce for my liking and this is proving a bit of a steep learning curve for me. Not that I ain't making an effort and getting somewhere...... but some help from you guys would really be appreciated.

Please.

Rich

[Jan_K]

Hej Rich

These combined functions on the same channel is a bit trade of where you need to figure out what is the most natural way for you to operating this fixture.

I think I would place it on the strobe channel Off = 0, min = 138, max = 255.
This gives that the strobe fader only operate in the range 138 -> 255.
You then can control the shake with this fader and by accident mix it up.

Under macro I would place 1 shake text icon and 5 speed icons and use the show in function (has to be "Lamp")
The 5 speed icon should have values covering the rang 15 - 137.

If you then need to fine tune this shaking then you are to use the faders in right side of FreeStyler.


You can try exporting the fixture to pff format and upload it here and we can have a look.


Regarding easyview.
That is an external program which have nothing to do with FreeStyler.

In Freestyler you just set the dmx values. It has nothing to with how it looks in easyview.

If there exist a fixture file for easyview then it receive a dmx value from FreeStyler and depending on the easyview fixture file it does what the easyview fixture file translate it to do.

So if a fixture file in easyview don't exist then you also have to create one for this.

Hope it makes sense.


/Jan

[dicky96]

Thanks for the reply, that makes sense to me and I will get back to working on this this later today after 'the day job' lol

Your answer raises another question I am not sure about - what do the 'Show In' properties on macros actually do?

The options
Macros Only, Gobos, Colours, Lamp, Beam?

[Jan_K]

Hej again.

Show in makes the macro visible in the macro panel and ex lamp panel.

If you use show in,, "Lamp" then there will be a little green triangle in the lower left corner of the lamp panel.
When you click that one all macros with the Lamp property will be shown there.

There are a lot of information on the freestyler wiki about this.

/Jan

[dicky96]

Hi thanks very much for the help - I tested it on my Acme Dynamic 25 Spins and the fixture file works

I have a couple of little questions - because I set the gobo shake as lamp macros for channel 1 and also I set strobe for channel 1 I don't have any option under macros to stop the gobo shake once I start it - I have to go to strobe and select 'Off'.

I assume that is just a quirky thing when I use the same channel as strobe and also for gobo shake?

Also I have some blank boxes (see screen shots below) should these contain some text?

Other than that it looks pretty good, hope this was OK for a first attempt, anything I can improve please let me know

Rich

[Jan_K]

The way "Off" is one way. An other could be to shift the "Shake" icon to stop icon and then enter the dmx value which correspond to off.


Regarding the empty boxer.

When you start making a sequence then they are used to toggle between fade and snap. And inother situations they are used to release override.

So the way you see them now are correct. you can't enter any text in them.

/Jan

[dicky96]

Ahh OK thanks, Iam sure more will be clear when I coume to set up some scenes and sequences

I noticed I had some mistakes in the 'Show In' column in the Macros so here is my updated version of the Acme Dynamic 25 Spin Fixture file. I will next do the Acme Dynamic 25 Roller and Scanner then we will have a complete set of these

I hope this fixture definition is of help to others here too

Cheers
Rich

[Jan_K]

Hej Rich

It looks nice.

Normally I add info of when the fixture is created and if it is tested or not.
But many don't fill in anything.

Macros.
If you want to arrange macros nicely then you can add empty lines in between the macros.
Example is the "Shake".
You can add empty lines meaning macros without any values in and the add the icon "blank"
I think it is in the folder Generic.
If you add 3 empty lines in between the "X" and the shake icon then your shake icon will be on a new line.

There are 10 icons in each line in the panels except from the lamp panel. In the lamp panel there is only 6.

/Jan

[dicky96]

Thanks Jan

OK I improved that fixture file by adding comments as you suggest and also adding the blank icons to the macros. I also found some better icons for the shake and it does look better now, thanks for the tips - here is the modified upload.

I am now looking at the Acme Dynamic 25 Roller


This is a 5 channel fixture
Channel 1: Pan (0-255)
I have no problems with that one

Channel 2: Tilt (well actually it is roll)
This has values as follow
0-9 Stop
10-120 Left Roll Slow to Fast fully variable
121-134 Stop
135-245 Right Roll Slow to Fast fully variable
246-255 Stop
Am I best just implementing this as a Tilt channel?

Channel 3: Shutter/Strobe
This appears to have a multitude of values as I found out by using a manual DMX box on the fixture
0-7 close
8-15 open
8 strobe speeds (slow to fast) at 20,30,51,67,80,95,106,130
132-139 Open
140-181 It has a sorta 'shutter fade in' option (slow open/fast close) which seems to be fully variable speeds
182-189 Open
190-231 'shutter fade out' option (fast open/slow close) again fully variable speeds
232-239 Open
240-247 Random Strobe effect
248-255 Open

This is the channel I would appreciate some advice please on how best to implement this?

Channel 4: Gobo Select/Shake/Rotation
I can handle that

Channel 5: Dimmer
Again no problem for me


Thanks for the help
Rich

[Jan_K]

When you use Pan and Tilt channel then you have to use both.
You can't just use one of them.
I think as a start Pan and tilt is the best way to do this but this you have to test in practice and see how it works for you.

As an alternative you can use two gobo channel and then use some images, as gobos, which tell about position (Pan) and some which tells about speed / direction (Tilt)



Strobe /shutter
Think I would do it as macros and then show in "Lamp"


/Jan

[dicky96]

OK I created some fixture files and posted them in the relevant place