This is a “How to” make a fixture for a center effect.



Center effects can look a bit complex but in most case it is just a matter of breaking it down pieces that can easily be handled.
The American DJ triple flex which will be used in this example is basically 3 scanners that are to controlled.
Looking into the DMX table they can be one unit using 4 channels or they can be controlled individually as 3 units using 3 channels. ( That’s a total of 9 channels, 3×3 channels )

Here both fixtures are made.
The 4 Channels fixture may seems a bit trivial where the 9 Channels fixture is the more interesting but still just as simple as normal scanner fixture. The 9 channel fixture is made as a combined fixture solution.

4 Channel fixture
9 Channel fixture

The center effect has in this mode chase and movement build-in. There is a speed control for the chases and a strobe control.
The fixture is configured the following way.

Open Fixture Creator in Scanner mode.
Add Image (Find one on the net from the manufacturer) Scale it to the size. Pictures and Icons
Give the fixture a proper name.
Add info in the info box: Creator, 4Ch mode and so on.
Set the Total Channel to 4.

If the fixture is saved at this time then follow the name convention. File name convention

Channel 1 Chase.
goboch.1 = 1, with 16 gobos, 14 chases + off + sound.
The off value also goes into the shutter channel.
Shutterch. = 1 and Closed = 0, Open no value.
See: Gobo Configuration


Channel 2 Chase Speed
Speed requires fader to get the best control.
For this purpose Gobo wheel control is chosen.
Here is a tradeoff because speed goes from 0 to 249 and from 250 to 255 speed is sound controlled.
When the fader comes to the high end, 98%, then it goes from high speed into sound mode. This is not optimal but usable.
By adding icon is it possible to add speed in steps and a decent control.
10 gobos fit into one row. “Speed” icon = 0, 8 volume icons (249 divided with 7 pr. Step) and node / sound = 255 as the last.
The “Speed” icon is extra, which only to tell what this row are for.
See: Gobo Configuration


Channel 3 Movement.
This is only fixed values and this don’t require a fader. Here it is placed on goboch. 3 but it could have been made as macro and with the show in “Gobo” function it could be shown in the gobo window.
By not using the macro but only the gobo then the shown control panel will only be lamp and gobo panel. Since no macros are used the macro panel is not present and this gives a solution with only 2 panels to control the fixture.
Goboch.3 = 3, with 10 gobos, 8 movements + No movement + an extra.
The extra have the same value as “No movement” but a “Move” text icon is placed there to tell what this row are for.
See: Gobo Configuration

Channel 4 Strobe.
Strobe ch. = 4, off = 0, low = 8, med = 132, high = 255.
See: Lamp Panel configuration
Remember to add channel description.
This is one of the small things that makes the fixture pro.
Channal 1: Chase, Channel 2: ChaseSpeed, Channel 3: Movement, Channel 4: Strobe.
All default values are set to 0.
See: Channel description

The fixture is now saved as Americadj_tripleflex, (not tested), exported to have a backup copy and uploaded to the forum so it can be your part of Freestyler.
See the name convention. File name convention




americandj_tripleflex_4ch.pff

The center effect is in this mode 3 scanners that each has 3 mirrors, 3 color wheels and 3 strobes to control. Individually.
This can not be done in a nice way in one fixture so the solution is to make a fixture that control one scanner and then add 3 of them in Freestyler.
See: Combined fixtures.

In this case there is no common blocks and the 3 scanner are grouped nicely together.
One scanner has the following control, Channel 1: mirror, Channel 2: color, Channel 3:strobing.

As combined fixture this is the solution where only one fixture are to be made and then in Freestyler added 3 times on adjacent addresses.
Open Fixture Creator in Scanner mode
Add Image (Find one on the net from the manufacture) Scale it to the size. Pictures and Icons
Give the fixture a proper name.
And add info in the info box. Also the info that this fixture has to be added in groups of 3 on adjacent channels and that it is the 9 channel mode.
This fixture only control one of the 3 scanners in the unit and one scanner uses 3 channels as mentioned above.
So Total Channel is set to 3.
If the fixture is saved at this time then follow the name convention. File name convention

Mirror control, ch1
The mirror has only one axis to control. This goes into the “Movement” panel in Pan channel.
The “Movement” is only shown if there is a value in the Pan channel.
Using the Pan channel gives the advantages that shapes and all the functions related to movements can be used. The Tilt control don’t have any function here so shapes and other controls don’t react in this direction.
See: Movement configuration

Color control, ch2
Here 31 color macros and blackout / off settings are to be configured. In total this is 32 icons/values.
The colors goes direct into the color wheel.
The colors is defined as colormacro 1 2 3 4 …… 31. and at the moment there is no images of these colors. The simple solution are just to add numbers that fits the colors later. The alternative is to search the web or contact the manufacture for color images that fits the fixture. An other solution is to take some snapshots of colors and crop it, resize it to icon size and then use it. Link to icon: Pictures and Icons
The values for the colors are set to the mid value.
See: Color Wheel Configuration

The shutter are set Ch 2 Closed = 0 (Off), Open not used.
The shutter now have the following function.
In no strobe mode the shutter have the following function. Closed = Light off, Open = no function.
In strobe mode the shutter have the following function Closed = Light off, Strobe off, Open = strobe off. Light stops strobeing and lights with the settings for the color wheel.
See: 1: Shutter, strobe and intensity and lamp control are on separate channels.

The Strobe, Ch 3
Strobe is set to Off = 0, Low = 8, Med =132, High = 255.
The strobe fader then goes from 8 (0%) to 255 (100%).
See: 1: Shutter, strobe and intensity and lamp control are on separate channels.

Remember to add channel description.
This is one of the small things that makes the fixture pro.
Channel 1: Pan, Channel 2: Color, Channel 3: Strobe.
All default values are set to Pan = 127 (middle value), Color = 0 (equal blackout), Strobe = 0 (equal off).
See: Channel description

The fixture is now saved as Americadj_tripleflex, (not tested), exported to have a backup copy and uploaded to the forum so it can be your part of Freestyler.
See the name convention. File name convention


The fixture now look like this.



In Freestyler this fixture has to be added 3 times on adjacent addresses.
See: Combined fixtures.




americandj_tripleflex_9ch.pff