When one fixture file isn’t enough to control a real fixture.

Basics in combined fixture.
Here word “unit” are used as name for the fixture hw. and the word “fixture” is the fixture file that are added in Freestyler.



The picture here is American Dj TripleFlex.
It is used as an example but the DMX tables are fictive and just intended to illustrate the difference in the fixture configuration.

Combined fixtures are when more fixtures are combined to control one unit.
It can be a LED matrix where many cells are to be controlled individually or a dual scanner where 2 mirror are to be controlled. It could also be a laser that has more than 150 images are to be mapped to individual icons.
150 images is the limit for macros and some lasers has a bank selection that interacts with an image selection. This makes the image control for the laser to a two or more channels control and this require macros for control.

The fixtures are placed on same or adjacent addresses in Freestyler and thereby gives the full control over a unit.


In this picture, 3 identical fixture are needed to control a whole unit.
Each fixture controls one of the 3 scanners in the unit.

How to begin.
First the fixture DMX table are to be looked through to detects common blocks and relations / individual blocks.

Channel relation.
If the channels are placed next to each other for the unit part that are to be controlled then the combined fixtures can be made same fixture placed on different addresses.
This gives that there is only one fixture to create and to maintain.
In Freestyler the user then are to add the correct numbers of fixtures to control the unit.



If the channels are mixed to control parts of the unit then a fixture are to be made for each part and then placed on the same address in Freestyler.
Though the fixture is 9 channel wide it still only controls 3 addresses



Common Blocks
What goes into this block is controls that only are present once in the unit.
This could be lamp on / off if there is only one lamp, music / manual control, reset and so on.
All these controls are configured in one fixture that is only present once in Freestyler.