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The Lighting Controller User Guide

1. sl Setup ShowXpress NN ecu Where should Show Xpress be installed A A E tae RA RIT To continue click Next f you would like to select a different folder click Browse At least 66 7 MB of free disk space is required 5 Select a name and location for Windows to place the Start Menu folder ul Setup ShowXpress ee ele Select Start Menu Folder Where should Setup place the program s shortcuts L Setup will create the program s shortcuts in the following Start Menu folder To continue click Next If you would like to select a different folder click Browse lt 6 Check the box titled Create a desktop icon if you want a folder to be created on your desktop This action cannot be undone so it may be better to create the folder and delete it later on Click NEXT Select Additional Tasks Which additional tasks should be performed Select the additional tasks you would like Setup to perform while installing ShowXpress then click Next 7 Confirm the settings and then click INSTALL Setup is now ready to begin installing ShowXpress on your computer Click Install to continue with the installation or click Back if you want to review or change any settings Destination location C Program Files ShowXpress Start Menu folder Show Xpress 8 After the installation completes click FINISH to confirm gt You must be logged in as Administrator to instal
2. Step 1 becomes the last step 2 becomes 1 3 becomes 2 4 becomes 3 etc Changes the display to allow for easily resizing the movement of a particular scene Please see page 29 for further information about this part 28 2 When the icon above the channel slider is a color or gobo wheel right click it to access all of the color and gobo possibilities of that particular fixture Simply click the color or gobo and the light fixture will instantly jump to it clock Mee ok_for_3DView A ok for 3DVien o dis GR glass F ok for 3DView poe triangle color ok for 3DView star my ok for 3DView phone cm ok_for_3DView 3 lmeofbeams ok for 3DView ok _for3DView bar Y ok for 3DView _ open 29 Display Window The display window has a few different functions depending on the fixtures that are being used FUNCTION KEYS Fl F2 F3 F4 F5 1 When the fixture has pan and or tilt channels programming on a 2D drawing board can be accomplished simply by clicking the fader that corresponds to the pan and or tilt This will also give access to the function keys which allow the programmer to change the look of the drawing board to something different Please read below for more details about the function keys DESCRIPTION Opens the manual in HTML format This can be pressed at any time while the software is running Displays a grid for beam targeting type effects Use this gri
3. Take a picture of the desired location and import that picture to your computer using any method you are familiar with Make sure to store this picture in a location you will remember Right click anywhere in the 2D VIEW and select CHANGE BACKGROUND Point the software to the location of an image you wish to import and click OPEN gt You can also change the picture of the fixture by right clicking the actual fixture and choosing change fixture picture It is also possible to import your own fixture drawings please refer to the online forum for more details Selecting Deselecting Fixtures Fixtures can be selected by double clicking the icon that represents each fixture A fixture is selected when there is a red box around it There is no limit to how many fixtures can be selected simultaneously To select multiple fixtures double click each fixture while holding down the CTRL key on the keyboard To deselect a specific fixture double while others remain selected hold CTRL while double clicking each fixture you wish to remove Additional Options 1 2 Change fixture picture changes the picture of the fixture to any other PNG file Picture size adjusts the size of the fixture icons to normal half or one third their normal size This will allow more icons to fit within the 2D VIEW Change background this allows to change the background picture Accepted formats include JGP BMP JPEG and PNG Lock fixtu
4. STEP AREA DESCRIPTION BUTTONS Displayed when a step cannot be deleted Only occurs when there is a single step in any scene Copies any step and puts it into the computer s memory Pastes a copied step in front of the one that is currently showing ml Adds a step to the current scene Inserts a step after the selected step Displays the length of time the step will take to move to Displays the name of the the next one current step This can be renamed to anything you want by typing in the text box Step area Step 1 00 01 0 Total steps 1 Duration 000 01 0 ta lll Displays the length of time the entire scene occupies 21 Scene Area The scene area gives access to all programmed scenes typing names to new scenes inserting scenes into each other saving scenes and deleting them as well SCENE AREA DESCRIPTION BUTTONS Plays the current scene All other functions will be disabled until stopped 1 Allows to manually enter a name for a new scene or rename a previously recorded scene ds 2 Gives access to all previously recorded scenes Creates a new empty scene Sj Opens a previously recorded scene and closes the one that is currently open When a scene is open click the pull down menu to access another scene and then click this icon to merge the two scenes together The second scene will be merged before the last step of the first scene Saves the scene th
5. The white dots represent the location of the fixture 33 10 These can also be opened edited and resaved for future use Placing the mouse over a red dot will display the pan first number and the tilt second number of that specific point Click the PLAY icon to start the playback and then click the DMX icon to send the data through the interface to the fixtures The selected fixtures will now begin moving based on the movement and speed that was entered Adjust the amount of time for the entire scene to play back in seconds by entering the desired length of time into the text box titled DURATION Slide the FAN slider on the bottom to adjust the delay between each fixture The greater the number the greater the distance between the first and last fixture Fan p 29 A fan setting of 0 will result in all fixtures moving to the exact same spot at the exact same time with no delay Click the GENERATE icon to save the movement as a scene SCE This file is immediately ready for editing in the BUILDER window Open the new scene from BUILDER make any changes or additions such as shutter color gobo and save again The scene is now complete This part intentionally left blank 34 Creating Curves To create basic curves with delay please follow these steps l Click GENERATOR on the CONTROL_BOARD to open the window Open the BUILDER screen also from the CONTROL_BOARD and select the group of fixtures
6. AAA AE asda A 27 PIS OI AY VU a 30 GENERATOR ans aaa tren aor ttt rhner terran trees paren nn tne Teen ne rent riperr A Meer rarer A A T terre corner 32 CREAN AMONMIOVE ICI IV ACI OS ss trio acetate tra se ica ss ace ahah ec en ae cias 33 Creamy COVES aen tee E ee EE E en eee en eee er 35 EX GAIN DIC id a A A ta 37 A dc EEE EE PEES EAEE EAE EE E E EES 38 A O 39 ESE A neon 40 Keyboard MOUSE Operator DL EEEa LA daa ise Sawa dl cias 40 Crealing a Mele a said tii ais ltda total dl ata 41 HNE ee A A A 43 A A ee 46 PISYINO BACK SCONES ti A A la ld 46 O gre A ee 46 e uct Ore perenne ett orey Rec re tres emt ree a Ee or Pe eee ee en Ten a en ore enter eee ea 47 Selecta DESECIECHNIO FIKUS a dino eetsle tances fa dtduandas dncees Sa dudualls des tested a a 47 PO GIONI A OO DUONS Ssss pon sate can AAS EATE boas sale E AA sual ainesl leat geese 47 EIN COIN COE ee 48 OE AE A o PF E A E cs 50 Navigating IoD wees AAA daa 50 O A A A inet eat aides cand putas vires A Ni hare 51 Bia SEMIN ETE te i ae EAEN Gt S AEE it AT E A ESA AESA EEE T A e 52 PKU SC IIS to ea E O EEE A OA T E E R coiaed Ae 53 SC IDO AAS ET E A T EE E A A E AEE EAE E A AT 54 DMAINP UT aan A EE A Aa TN E NEN 55 BAGKUR AAA a N A TE RO O e 56 RESTORE aac cana TO 57 STAND ALONE AA o O OO EE O 58 ER AAA A NNT OST COP MeO Neer Ee Senta eT RTT eee Renter ee eee eee 59 HME GINE dd A nat hau tart Monsen a o o a alates 59 BE OE e ener eae ee Rete ers em MR re eae ere Re wees ean eee AE eter eM n
7. an additional identical step after the step that contains the movement to keep the look for as long as desired FIXTURE 1 Each fixture can be a part of up to 5 different groups at the same time and they must all be lower case letters 2D VIEW 1 You can change the picture of the fixture by right clicking the actual fixture and choosing change fixture picture Itis also possible to import your own fixture drawings please refer to the online forum for more details 3D VIEW 1 Objects and fixtures can be moved around freely simply by selecting them hold CTRL to select multiples and moving the mouse around the X Y and Z coordinates 2 Custom 3D objects can be imported into the window by importing any OBJ file created in other software The more complex these files are the more 59 processing power the computer will use to move about 3D VIEW Make sure not to go overboard with the details Custom gobos can be added and seen in 3D VIEW and FIXTURE by making them specific sizes and formats Please see the online forum for more details The following 3D object is special _special matrix_panel obj It shows the video coming from the screen MATRIX VIEW 60 Operating Instructions Insert text here Building a scene 1 Each fixture can be a part of up to 5 different groups at the same time and 61 Glossary Below is a list of common terms found throughout this manual and lighting in general 1 2 Black
8. both units must have the same firmware version CONTROL BOARD Every screen except Stand Alone is initialized from the CONTROL_BOARD and it must also be running in the background in order to correctly send and receive DMX signals It will display the installed software version and it will also list any connected interfaces on separate lines Since this is the software s main point of access it cannot be minimized to the task bar or maximized to fill the entire screen You can however drag and drop it to a secondary monitor In order from left to right these are the windows accessible from the CONTROL_BOARD a 10 11 12 13 14 15 INIT_PARAM sets the language that the software will operate in BACKUP exports the entire show except multimedia files RESTORE restores an entire show or a portion of one FIXTURE setup a show Includes DMX addressing individual channel assignments DMX values and creating new fixtures BUILDER easily program steps scenes and shows GENERATOR generate new and edit existing macros with variable fanning effects LIVE user configurable playback window with layering TIMELINE synchronized multimedia creator with lighting audio and video DMX INPUT patch any DMX channel to an external controller 2D VIEW manage the fixtures in a 2D environment 3D VIEW see and control a complete show in real time from any point of view Manual opens this manual
9. in PDF format Support opens the Software forum must have an active Internet connection 0 shows a visual of the DMX output Exit closes the CONTROL_BOARD window software version 5 12 EFKO 2008 X support no available interface z manual Oo W i 2 Fixture Builder Generator Live Timeline DMX input 2DView FIXTURE The FIXTURE screen is the window that assigns DMX addresses to the fixtures of a show creates and edits new and existing fixture profiles assigns group letters and 3D settings and finally sets the level or value of each DMX channel Channel 3D View attributes attributes Level or value attributes List of fixtures in the main library CA TA foe ie TURES SDVIEW CHANNELS LEVELS main library Po T E moving head i other name color other name ES BRAND_A A 3 ee e MODEL qe E MODEL TARSA i MODELS 3 7 MODEL4 E 000 S g 0i hutt hit MODELS Fe p2 TRH 000 ds TI MODELE I DMak N I 250hao D2 S goba A a green HEAD List of personal fixtures angle reverse AAA 023 a orange personal fiztures pan 1 6 i 023 Xx NT tilt s0 O 04 El pan 034 cyan Hew 034 o i cs i E W yellow dimmer C O46 H iis c 057 m s DMX ADDRESSING 067 A be dms name group tupe gh movement Ob O01 my headl_left gx HEAD 1 O78 pink DOG my headl tight we HEAD 1 078 M1 mu_head2_left ex HEAD 1 089 016 my head right m HERDZ 1 029 dt a 101 4
10. in hr min sec New timeline 0 E OO j 00 O Moves the green marker to the last file in the timeline Moves the green marker to the beginning Plays back the timeline Stops the playback from the red marker Plays back the timeline from the green marker 42 LIVE LIVE screen is the application that plays back the pre programmed light scenes by layering them Please refer to the glossary for a definition of layering LIVE 1s designed to use in a live situation where the software will be manned throughout the entire show Menu bar Play Pause pic Page tab ee oo Boards display administrator Help Scene board Freezes the playback 43 There are a few buttons that can be found within the LIVE screen These buttons are LIVE BUTTONS DESCRIPTION actually deactivating the scene While scenes are playing back click this button and then click the scenes that are currently playing and then click scenes that you want to playback next When this button is clicked for a second time it will switch the scenes that are currently playing to the ones that are not gt This sets the board to allow you to select the next scenes you want by deactivating the button without Tap this button to the beat of the music to manually set the BPM of the light scene AAA ET td Activates the 3D View to watch the show in real time m Activates the DMX output This must be on green in order t
11. then click NEXT Found New Hardware Wizard Welcome to the Found New Hardware Wizard Windows will search for current and updated software by looking on your computer on the hardware installation CD or on the Windows Update Web site with your permission Read our privacy policy Can Windows connect to Windows Update to search for software O Yes this time only O Yes now and every time connect a device Click Next to continue On the next screen select the bubble that reads Install the software automatically recommended Found New Hardware Wizard This wizard helps you install software for BOX Interface version 1 01 If your hardware came with an installation CD lt 6 or floppy disk insert it now What do you want the wizard to do O Install from a list or specific location Advanced Click Next to continue 5 Windows will then ask for a specific place to install the drivers from Click BROWSE and direct the driver path to the C WINDOWS system32 drivers folder and select the CyUsb driver Click OPEN and then OK on the following screen to start the installation gt Substitute the driver FTD2XX for CyUsb if connecting an USB to DMX cable Files Needed The file CyUsb sys on Unknown ls needed Cancel Type the path where the file 13 located and then click OF Copy files from CAWI OWS sustemse drivers a 6 When the following window appears
12. will not occur Puts the video in the center of SCREEN CONTROL window 49 This part intentionally left blank 3D VIEW This window shows a representation of a show in three dimensions It incorporates most aspects of any environment including people truss speakers lighting fixtures and stages Each object can later be manipulated and placed anywhere within the window to copy any setting or to create a new one Once the 3D View is set up and everything is in the proper place programming can be done offsite and still be able to see if the show is going to look good To print the 3D view simply right click and click PRINT to immediately send the current view to a printer of your choice To export the current view to the 2D View right click anywhere in the 3D View window and click EXPORT AS 2D VIEW BACKGROUND to immediately set the background image in the 2D View as this one Navigating in 3D In 3D View both mouse buttons and even the scroll wheel play equal parts in maneuvering throughout the window When clicked and held the left mouse button will change the orientation or view of the window You can move left right and even up and down Press and hold the SHIFT key to adjust the pivot point of the orientation Scroll the mouse wheel to zoom in and out of the window from any angle Pressing the mouse wheel and then moving the mouse is the same as left clicking while holding the SHIFT key to change the pivot po
13. you wish to make a movement macro with That group now shows up in the GENERATOR window and lists the group letter and the quantity of fixtures within it This example selected group d and it contains 2 fixtures The list of channels below the group and quantity shows the channels that the selected fixtures have in common Select the check box next to the channel s you wish to create the curve for Multiple channels can be selected simultaneously such as color and dimmer to program at the same time group lt d gt 2 2 Pan Titt uPan uTit color E 48 gobo 8 gobo_rotate ij Eb prism Airis Lal pal shutter gobo2 WB gobo rotate Create a new curve by moving the red points around the workspace until the desired effect is reached If you do not want to create one from scratch click the OPEN icon to the right of the duration and select any from the list Click the PLAY icon to start the playback and then click the DMX icon to send the data through the interface to the fixtures The selected fixtures will now begin moving based on the movement and speed that was entered Adjust the amount of time for the entire scene to play back in seconds by entering the desired length of time into the text box titled DURATION Slide the FAN slider on the bottom to adjust the delay between each fixture The greater the number the greater the distance between the first and last fixture Fan p 29 35 gt A f
14. 01 S light_blue z DI iin gt lt C1 A lA I2 DMX addressing fixture Buttons to edit the levels renaming and grouping or values Buttons to edit the channels Here 1s a list of the buttons within this screen and their function BUTTONS _ DESCRIPTION ar Closes the screen Creates an empty workspace for a new custom fixture 1 Saves a custom fixture s settings and moves it to the Personal Fixtures window LL 2 Drops a fixture from the Personal Fixtures to the DMX Addressing window 1 Adds channels to a new custom fixture under the CHANNELS column 2 Adds values to specific channels under the LEVELs column Deletes a fixture from the Personal Fixtures and removes the TXT file from the hard disk 1 Removes a fixture from the DMX addressing window 2 Removes a DMX channel from the channel column 3 Removes a group of values from the levels column Copies a DMX channel to another DMX channel This will work for two channels within the same fixture or even from one fixture to another Pastes a DMX channel to another DMX channel This will work for two channels within the same fixture or even from one fixture to another 1 Inserts a channel above the highlighted channel when in the channel column 2 Inserts a set of values above the highlighted trait when in the level column To add fixtures to the show start at the top left and work down Choose t
15. Controller vse Y Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller vse 9 Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller T Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller 3 Highlight the BOX Interface version x xx or cable or rack mount interface and select uninstall on the top menu bar This will uninstall all associated drivers for the interface 4 Click scan for hardware changes also on the top menu bar to have the computer auto detect any new hard ware 5 The computer will automatically scan and install the necessary drivers for this device Driver Reinstallation Windows XP If the driver installation fails or you need to reinstall the driver for any reason the driver can be installed manually Please follow the instructions below 1 Click START gt CONTROL PANEL gt SYSTEM gt HARDWARE gt DEVICE MANAGER to access the hardware devices on your computer 2 Extend the Universal Serial Bus Controllers section by clicking on the small he left SA EAE 4 4 sound video and game controllers System devices Universal Serial Bus controllers BO Interface version 1 01 Intel R 828016 ICH Family USB Univ Intel 828016 ICH Family USB Univ 3 Highlight the BOX Interface version x xx or cable or rack mount interface and select uninstall on the top menu bar This will uninstall all associated drivers for the interface Es Device Manager File Action wiew Help amp E l
16. Monitors BB Network adapters eL Other devices i Modem Device on High Definition Audio Bus a fl mamta domar 4 Click scan for hardware changes also on the top menu bar to have the computer auto detect any new hardware Device Manager File Action View Help ME Monitors BB Network adapters 4 Other devices 5 Repeat the same steps from Hardware Installation Windows XP to install the driver again 6 A popup balloon in the lower right side of the monitor will indicate that the driver installation was successful and the device is ready to use USING SOFTWARE Initial Parameters Init_param When the CONTROL_BOARD 1s opened for the first time you must first select the operating language for the software and the manual Simply click on the flag that corresponds to the desired language This can be changed later for multi lingual users Close the INIT_PARAM window and re open the CONTROL_BOARD This time it will open in the language that was just selected and will also read USB box interface ok Please substitute the interface name if an Rack mount interface or USB to DMX cable is connected gt If there are multiple interfaces connected such as two Box interface or two Rack mount interface the line of text will be doubled Two USB to DMX cable interfaces cannot be used for two universe support gt If opting to use multiple universes such as two Box interface interfaces
17. T ER Nee ORS te RO SO eR er ERE em ee ee ee ane eee 59 FIXTURE a AS ID A A oe ethers canna pale wanes Minas Mats 59 3D VEW A FTE ERE Ra Fe TER Ne VEER TORE Pe ea Ee ene 59 OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS es 61 o E O A E E 61 A ee ee ene er een een eee eee eee 62 BEFORE YOU BEGIN What is Included gt 1x USB to DMX cable Box interface or Rack mount interface gt 1x USB cord Box interface and Rack mount interface only gt 1x power cord Rack mount interface only gt 1 x Software Installation CD ROM Unpacking Instructions Immediately upon receiving the interface carefully unpack the carton check the contents to ensure that all parts are present and have been received in good condition Notify the shipper immediately and retain packing material for inspection if any parts appear damaged from shipping or the carton itself shows signs of mishandling Save the carton and all packing materials In the event that a fixture must be returned to the factory it is important that the fixture be returned in the original factory box and packing gt Do not plug in the USB interface before installing the software AC Power This product receives its power from the USB input and does not require any external power supply as long as a computer is present If the interface is needed to run without a computer a 9 12VDC 300mA power adaptor Box interface is required not included gt If running the Box interface from a portable computer notebook a
18. The Lighting Controller User Guide set the language a a Restore uE support a a A Stand_alo manual i FD Ei Fisture Builder Generator Live Timeline ODOM in put 2D View SD View TABLE OF CONTENTS BEFORE YOU BEGIN out ii a EA eer wos ace RA DAA AAA A A 3 INTRODUCTION Soup A a diia 4 SI TO DMA CABLE REMURES E dE claeatte 4 BOXINTERFACE FEATURES a 4 AAN TINTE ACE RS 5 A A 6 COP REQUIREMENTS neos 6 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION WINDOWS VISTA ANDA Pos 6 HARDWARE INSTALLATION WINDOWS STi ti dslecaraensiid oui lanai alata A aa aes eels 9 HARDWARE INSTALLATION WINDOWS AP Justa crust toca E ala eae ic al aah 10 DRIVER REINS TAGPATION WINDOWS VISTA i set cxcso3 tn see sactese2b che saan vactsaeastan adenda a a 12 DRIVER REINS TALIA TION INDOOR coi 12 USING SOFTWARE les ai o ieee o dd O 14 NITAL PARAMETERS INIT PARAMI ode e alado 14 CONTROLCBOAR D ar A a A 15 FA PURE eaaa AA E T A er een A eaten reer errr 16 CeT N NE E S T E TAT ei rent T ETA E heme Sy etre epee 18 EOIU EXISHING FUTO S es ra A alii ide ES 18 DMX Addressing PIOCCOUICS isis A EEA AAA wees 19 BUNDE Miesin aa Werte crime ner Mec ears Cars eran SR ICE TCT EMT SMe rer tes i Rite Pr eat COL ERT Ms STE A ret ETT Roper Ee COL RR eer eNn cle ene rT 20 SOD ATOT A ee 21 SOCIO A E E E NO 22 MOUSE A do 23 Miscelaneos AIC A A A A E 24 VEMOS AO lt aa a E 25 ONECARE ta AA eit cece A EE AAA AAA AAA AE E A 26 Activated vs Non Activated EDESA A AA A AAA AA
19. View screen Saves generates all settings and creates a scene file SCE to be recalled in the BUILDER window Locks and unlocks the selected channels on the left side E 29 32 Creating Movement Macros To create movement macros with delay effects please follow these steps l Click GENERATOR on the CONTROL_BOARD to open the window 2 Open the BUILDER screen also from the CONTROL_BOARD and select the 3 Drag and drop these red dots to adjust the values Right click anywhere to access additional functions and features group of fixtures you wish to make a movement macro with That group now shows up in the GENERATOR window and lists the group letter and the quantity of fixtures within it This example selected group d and it contains 2 fixtures The list of channels below the group and quantity shows the channels that the selected fixtures have in common Select the check box next to Pan Tilt uPan uTilt The single check box will take into account all fixtures within the same group group d gt 2 el G Pan Tilt uPan u Tit a color Create a new movement by moving the red points around the workspace until the desired effect is reached If you do not want to create one from scratch click the OPEN icon to the right of the duration and select any from the list Right click any dot to access additional functions and features
20. a signal to be sent and received when one is not being sent from the LIVE screen 2 OVE stands for override and will override any signal s sent from the controller to the patched channels This option will always leave the fader in control once activated 3 HTP stands for highest takes priority and will only send a signal if the DMX value is higher than the one being sent from the LIVE screen 4 LTP stands for last takes priority and only concerns the LIVE and DMX INPUT screens Whichever window sends the latest information the fixtures will respond to it Lists the fader number from 1 to 48 Click the pull down menu to change the way the fader is controlled Shows the channels that 3 OWE e 70479 are patched to the external ove Bl controller 4 HTP vw 145 190 9f8 300 4500256 In this example channels 5 LTP 4 as 78 and 79 are patched to fader number 3 and will always have priority since OVE is selected glorF wi por wi gt Orr wi gjorF wi tojorF WM mjor al jor vj BACKUP BACKUP exports the current settings and saves them for future reference There is no limit to the amount of backups the user can create unless there is no space available on the hard disk gt This does not save multimedia files Please make sure to save these files separately To backup or export a show follow these instructions ol Shows where the backup file
21. an setting of 0 will result in all fixtures moving to the exact same spot at the exact same time with no delay 9 Click the GENERATE icon to save the curve as a scene SCE This file is immediately ready for editing in the BUILDER window 10 Open the new scene from BUILDER make any changes or additions such as movement and save again The scene is now complete The curve style points lines or curves changes the display to reflect how the movements and curves are seen 1 Points displays only the points of a particular movement or curve Lines displays the movements of the fixtures yellow lines without any curves and will adjust the fixtures accordingly 3 Curves displays the movement of the fixtures yellow lines with all curved settings This is the default This part intentionally left blank 36 Example This example demonstrates what the screens should look like when creating a scene with pan tilt movements color chasing and keeping the shutter dimmer open throughout the entire scene This first step shows that the pan tilt color dimmer and shutter are all selected to be a part of the scene When the channel is highlighted in blue pan tilt the window to the right will change to reference its steps within the scene Each of the red dots indicates a movement step You can follow the path of the scanner or moving yoke by looking at the numbers next to each step These dots can als
22. at is currently being programmed Each time a change is made this icon will flash red and yellow to remind the programmer to save their work h Deletes the light scene that is currently open This is a permanent action and cannot be reversed Type names of new scenes and open existing Play stop the ones opened scene Scene area d new z Deletes the current scene 5 k El ch Starts a new scene Saves the current scene Opened a saved scene Insert a scene into another one 22 Mouse Area The mouse area displays the position of the mouse coordinates using both DMX values 0 255 and percentages 0 100 and scrolls through all fixtures using the arrows on the sides Shows the percentage of the pan and tilt Scroll the visible channels to the left Mouse area Ao wie Y9 Yi nS bar Shows the DMX values of the Scroll the visible pan and tilt channels to the right This part intentionally left blank 23 Miscellaneous Area The miscellaneous area activates the 2D View 3D View activates or terminates the DMX signal coming from the computer allows to undo a mistake and activates the mask feature Misc AREA DESCRIPTION BUTTONS This is a scene that can only contain a single step and is designed to be added over the current scene ay playing back Program a scene called mask and move the pan tilt and dimmer to any position where it MASK becomes visible s
23. ation from device to device The last device receives the exact same information as the first device Laser Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation emits light in a narrow single colored beam with a well defined wave length USB Universal Serial Bus designed to allow many peripherals to be connected using a single standardized interface socket and to improve the plug and play capabilities This allowed different devices to be connected and disconnected without having to reboot the computer This is known as hot swapping USITT United States Institute for Theatre Technology a membership organization which aims to advance the skills and knowledge of theatre entertainment and performing arts professionals involved in the areas of design production and technology Relay packs a device that offers the ability to turn on and off any non DMX fixture these packs are not dimmable RGB an additive color mixing process that combines red green and blue to create other colors in the spectrum These primary colors of light at 100 will produce white Scene single or multiple steps in sequence which create movement color changes and effects or as simple as a single look Step one static setting or look consisting of selected fixtures their constructs and timing Show multiple scenes put together and run by themselves solo or in a sequence Split color the position on a color wheel in betw
24. ays the time in hours minutes and seconds Displays the MIDI key that a particular scene is set to be triggered by Displays the external DMX command that a scene is set to be triggered by Displays whether a scene is set to be triggered by automatic Speed info beats per minute manual beats per minute or manual speed default Mio saauidh e when it is opened from the Disable screen resizing Disables the ability to resize the LIVE window Allow to shutdown computer Allows the user to shut down the computer has Automatically activates the DMX signal when LIVE is opened EAS SOM a a une indicated by the DMX icon on the right side MIDI note on velocity Lock screen button When activated prevents changing settings by right clicking Use password Uses a password to unlock the lock screen setting Opens this manual in PDF form Keyboard trigger MIDI trigger DMX trigger 45 Adding a Scene l E VV WV Right click on the top of the page in the tab area that you wish to add a file to and select the appropriate option To add a light scene click add light scene to add a Timeline file click add Timeline and to add an audio video or still image click add multimedia Direct the software to the file s location and click OPEN Multiple files may be added simultaneously by using a combination of the CTRL and SHIFT keys Follow the same steps to add scenes timelines or multimedia files Right click menu
25. conds to the right Auto rotation aaa Click this button to have the enable software run a quick test to check the maximum frames per second that the Check this box to keep the AD View graphics card can handle 3D View on top of all other windows Window always on top Close 94 DMX INPUT DMX INPUT connects the interface Box interface or Rack mount interface only to an external controller When connected to an external controller and correctly patched see glossary for definition the faders will be able to override the settings of the show that is playing back This is very useful because it allows the playback operator to manually alter the show without changing the actual programming gt The Box interface interface must be connected to a computer in order to link with an external controller gt When the Box interface and Rack mount interface interfaces are connected to the PC the DMX INPUT window will manage the first 48 channels inputted When the interfaces are in stand alone mode they will only manage the first 24 channels and they will always be set to OVE as the others are not managed Before patching the faders to the DMX channels it is important to know what the four different settings are for Each fader can have only one setting and if any of these are selected the fader is considered active The only way to deactivate a fader 1s to set it to OFF 1 NOT stands for not overridden and will allow
26. d as a scaled model of a dance floor or a wall to help with positioning of moving fixtures Press F2 a few times to change the scale of the grid Displays a single step of the light scene or the entire scene This tool is useful in seeing where the fixture came from and where it is going next Allows to resize the current step of the scene Click and drag the pink box that shows up to resize the step Switch between icon mode and value percentage mode for all icons above all channels 30 2 When the icon above the channel slider changes to look like this icon me it means that channel can now controlled by using the color mixing palette Displays the actual color emitted from the RGB color mixing fixture Copies the selected panel color to memory Pastes memorized color from memory Adjusts the brightness of Move the mouse over the output this area to select the color To use the color palette simply click and drag the mouse over the spectrum of colors on the bottom and the selected RGB fixtures will change instantly to the color that was selected The brightness can be controlled by the slider on the right and the RGB values can be copied and pasted to other fixtures quickly and easily This feature will also work with a CMY color mixing system Using this palette does not affect any other channels except red green and blue or cyan magenta and yellow 31 GENERATOR This window contains so
27. e for 1024 DMX channels 2 universes DMX input for on the fly external override works in stand alone Connector for external triggers Selectable power options USB or AC cable included Playback up to 14 shows without a computer with speed control and layering Unlimited shows when using a computer Trigger scenes automatically without a computer l space 1U rack mount VVVVVVV VV Used for external triggering of light scenes Pini button 1 Pin 16 button 16 eo Pin 25 ground connection Power supply input C on a n E a A e e _ ig l E e E A Ptah Pas a E 3 B i m a 7 A Ter 24 ar baig B y o a 4 y gt t 473 i v Mes E n p z ee aa ee F i PA E e A ae E o e de a y 4 y o gt Bey i mj E 2 a tus ul 3 e Je NOUVREZ PAS_RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE gt WARNING THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTHED 15 14 USB POWER SUPPLY AC 100V 240V 50 60Hz 0 34 DMX Power input selection switch DMX output SETUP CPU Requirements MINIMUM HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS without 3D visualization VVVV V 1 USB port MINIMUM HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS with 3D visualization gt All requirements above gt ATI Radeon 7000 or NVIDIA GeForce2 gobo viewing disabled gt ATI Radeon 9000 or NVIDIA GeForce4 maximum 3D rendering gt Desktop colors set to 32 bits Software Installation Windows Vista and XP l 2 Click NEXT to continue Pentium 1Ghz
28. een 2 color which allows to see 2 colors emitted from the same lighting fixture at the same time Taskbar the application bar which is used to launch and monitor applications in the Windows operating environment It is the part at the bottom of the screen that contains the Start button Quick Launch taskbar buttons and notification area which also contains the clock This is commonly and incorrectly referred to as the system tray Universe a single DMX 512 data line that can be carried over a 3 pin DMX cable carrying a maximum of 512 channels Any amount of additional information must use a second universe which will in turn need a second DMX cable Connecting 2 universes to a DMX controller will allow 1024 channels of information to be used X amp Y movement of a scanning mirror barrel or moving head The X is the horizontal movement pan and the Y is the vertical movement tilt 64
29. elect multiple channels Double click this icon to paste values on all steps within the same scene g Sets the fade style on specific channels to all steps of a particular scene Use the standard Windows a shortcut keys such as CTRL and or SHIFT to select multiple channels Sets the value on specific channels to all steps of a particular scene Use the standard Windows shortcut z keys such as CTRL and or SHIFT to select multiple channels Deactivates a Sets all values of the channel from the selected channel to the step same for all steps within the scene Override area LPa Changes the way steps go from one to the other to all the steps within l the scene Copies the channel value into memory Pastes the channel value from memory 25 DMX Channels Area The DMX channels area provides the way to control all fixtures connected to the interface using a series of sliders The icons above the channels are the same ones that are in the FIXTURE screen and offer an easy way to select multiple channels for simultaneous programming The names and group letters are also displayed along with the DMX channel under each fader There are many parts of the DMX channels area that when combined together create a very powerful light programming tool The term channel in the BUILDER screen consists of an icon slider and DMX channel number Displays the icon for a Right click the icon to see specific channel Col
30. f the laptop to upload all information to the interface s To erase all memory in any of the interfaces click the icon on the bottom right side and click the upload button again 58 Tips amp Tricks The Tips amp Tricks section is designed to give a little more insight into each of the Software screens and even offer some tricks with navigating around from screen to screen gt These tips and tricks may not apply to all software versions gt Please visit our website s download section for tutorials about each window TIMELINE l When multimedia files are placed over each other the one on top will take priority 2 Line up any file to the red and green markers by clicking and holding the file while it is in its timeline The red and green numbers that appear tell you how far away they are to the exact marker points 3 LIVE must be open for TIMELINE to playback correctly 4 The multimedia files are played back via the SCREENCONTROL program included with Software and can be found in the taskbar of the Windows operating system BUILDER 1 To create a fading blackout program a scene with the fixture s dimmer channel at value 000 and set the time to 2 sec or whatever time you desire and save it separately Make sure not to accidentally activate any other faders 2 The time above the duration is the time it takes to move from one step to another To keep the step stationary insert or add
31. g the three bars on the bottom of the window 2 Orientation allows to pivot an object on its X Y and Z axis by sliding the three bars on the bottom 3 Scale allows to enlarge or shrink any object using an XYZ format length width depth 4 Color allows changing the color of any object using RGB color mixing Click the color palette in the lower right to access preset colors Select an object from the Click an object from the left list on the right and click list and a preview of it will the scissors to remove it show here Displays a list of all objects on stage Object setting Bank of objects o Objects in the stage H computer A circular triangle 2m 1 gt E 3 circular tangle m 2 nr ERRA circular triangle _2m_3 a E circular_trangle_ lt m_4 room 7 podium rect 2 H sound podium rect 3 Gi stage a keyboard_1 truss S de square_4m_ Pe square 4m 2 Position Orientation Scale Color Undo a single mouse click Te oP es Exits the Object setting menu ppa O a gt F a 3 ul lt gt Click POSITION Type a number in the text ORIENTATION SCALE or field tggnstantly jump to COLOR and then slide these that setting or position bars to make adjustments Fixture Settings The Fixture settings allows editing the fixtures within the show such as the position orientation scale and color Much like the Object settings the Fixture settings allows editing and mani
32. he manufacturer of the fixture by double clicking on their name The software will then expand and list all available profiles for that manufacturer Since this is a master list fixtures must be added individually to the Personal Fixtures in order to work with them This part intentionally left blank Creating New Fixtures 1 Click the icon to make a clean working space for the new fixture 2 Type a name for the fixture where it says NEW_FIXTURE 3 Define 1ts 3D properties by choosing whether 1t is a moving yoke moving yoke wash mirror etc Once that has been chosen other options may become avallable Enter the required information for the new fixture r 4 Click the icon for each channel of DMX that the fixture requires For example 1f it is a 5 channel scanner click the icon five times gt This information can be found in the product s user manual 5 From the pull down menu under the channels column select the functions for each one of the channels For example if channel 1 is the color wheel select color Use the chart above to manipulate the channels as needed 6 Each of the channels must be defined in order to use Software to its fullest To Ee r define each of the channels highlight the channel and click the icon to add its values for each of its DMX channels as F Ll 7 Click the flashing to save the fixture and it to the Personal Fixtures g
33. he first place to check if something turns off when it wasn t supposed to To deactivate a fader simply click the icon so a red check mark appears and click the scissors in the Override area Non activated Activated a a 9 la 27 Right Clicking There are a few additional menus that become accessible when clicking with the right mouse button The list below explains how to access these hidden menus and what their functions are FUNCTION Load Movement Save Movement Reverse Movement Shift Forward Shift Backward F4 Resize 1 When the icon above the channel slider is an X or Y pan or tilt right click it to access a hidden menu that allows to load save or reverse movements shift movement one step forward or backward and it enables the F4 key to resize the movement 8 8 bq E E a De laz E Wal hl LAP a Pe Load movement Save movement y Reverse movement Shift movement one step forward Shift movement one step backward Use key lt F4 gt to resize the movement DESCRIPTION Enters the movement macro window and allows to load pre determined sets of pan tilt to create unique shapes with the movement Saves a scene the programmer created to the library of other movement macros for future use Changes the last step into the first second to last into the second etc Shifts step 1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4to 5 and the last step to the first step
34. ia gt files on vour combuter 2 Direct Software to the location of the audio video and or image files and click OPEN Repeat this process as much as necessary View full path gt These files will available until the current project is closed Make sure to save your work Keyboard amp Mouse Operation Using the keyboard and mouse to navigate within TIMELINE can help align scenes to the exact position you are trying to reach and enable you to do multiple things simultaneously The keyboard s functions are 1 Space bar alternates between play and stop Enter plays the timeline from the red marker Home End go to the beginning or end Zoom in and out Left right arrow moves the green marker Shift left right arrow moves the red marker oa a The mouse s functions are 1 Scroll wheel zoom 2 Press scroll wheel move 3 Double click the digital timeline sets the red marker 40 Creating a Timeline To create a new timeline from scratch please follow the directions below l Check this box to add an additional timeline which TimeLine duration mn will allow to place labels similar to Post It notes within that timeline Click TIMELINE on the CONTROL_BOARD to open the window Click D to start with a fresh palette Enter the amount of time for the timeline and type it in the text box where it says Timeline duration Enter the amount of lighting timelines t
35. ing steps and step time saving light scenes and activating some built in movement macros Just to name a few Before immediately diving into the software understanding the lingo will drastically save time when trying to program for the first time Opposite of a lot of physical DMX controllers Software uses the same terminology but in a different way For example a step 1s a static look of a scene and a combination of steps 1s considered a scene A scene may also consist of a single step Multiple scenes are considered a show and when using a computer there are an unlimited number of shows scenes and steps that can be created Let your imagination run wild Step area Scene area Display window new Step area S 1 tep 1 Misc area Total steps 1 Duration 000 01 a X a a RIA Miscellaneous area ae Y eo aa eo Mouse area mask _ dmx 3d 2d X 253 99 4 b Override area Y 150 58 wW DMX channels area eC3_1 erC32 aq Q575_a 0575 b Override area a a c3 ba Ss 5523009050080 4 KYKYWKRFOSROOGs 4x 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 u 15 16 710 019 2 21 2 3 2 xo 2 28 3 V 3 2 B 34 5 Y B 39 DMX channels area Mouse area 20 Step Area The step area shows the number of total steps in a specific light scene the duration of the entire show and of a specific step and allows for editing of existing steps and creating new ones
36. int Same concept as the paragraph above The right mouse button gives access to the 3D menu settings which allow to edit fixtures 3D settings etc rotate view move object move rotate p i Bail J select Ba a T 50 J move view Stage Settings The Stage settings allows editing all aspects of the stage including dimensions brightness textures of walls floor and ceiling etc Set the unit of measurement to either meters or feet E Stage settings Stage Units width 2 Meters O Feet H eight Brightness Adjust the overall brightness of the 3D View Depth Type in the exact numbers P y for the width height and depth of the 3D View Walls Texture Ground wood1 bmp Front wall a back wall brick 1 bmp Left wall 7 brick1 bmp Right wall brick1 bmp Roof Check the boxes to the walls you want to show If the box is Close not checked the wall will not appear in the 3D View Import your own image and set it as the ground walls or ceiling or use the textures that are built in 91 Object Settings The Object settings allows adding and editing objects within the 3D View such as the position orientation scale and color By selecting the objects in the 3D View and then using the mouse the objects can be moved around freely without having to slide the faders listed below 1 Position allows to move an object on its X Y and Z axis by slidin
37. iven piece of hardware such as a printer or external hard drive File extension the portion of a filename following the final dot which indicates the kind of data stored in the file It also tells the computer which program is needed to open it correctly a AVI Audio Video Interleave a multimedia format introduced by Microsoft named after Avi Cohen and contain both audio and video data that allows synchronous audio with video playback Just like DVDs these files support multiple streaming audio and video b BMP Bitmap an image file format used to store digital images within the Windows operating environment c GIF Graphics Interchange Format an 8 bit per pixel bitmap image format that is commonly used for the Internet due to its wide support and portability Also supports animations d JGP e JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group a graphics compressions format which makes pictures smaller in terms of data size with some loss of detail 62 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 f MP3 MPEG 1 Audio Layer 3 a digital audio encoding format using a form of data compression It is the common audio format for consumer audio storage g MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group a working group of technicians in charge of the development of video and audio encoding standards h OGG is a free open standard format and is unrestricted by software patents and is designed to provide fo
38. l the software This part intentionally left blank Hardware Installation Windows Vista After the software 1s installed it is time to connect the interface to the computer Make sure the Software software is not running while attempting to connect the interface to the computer To connect the interface please follow the instructions below gt These instructions do not account for the User Account Control security pa measure that Windows Vista has Simply click CONTINUE if that window should appear during installation Close all Software windows Plug the USB cable into the back of the interface and the other end into an available USB port on the computer A message will come up indicating that Windows needs to install a driver Click Locate and install driver software and the computer will automatically search for the drivers that were installed during the software installation Windows needs to install driver software for your Unknown Device gt Locate and install driver software recommended Windows will guide you through the process of installing driver software for your device Ask me again later Windows will ask again the next time you plug in your device or log on Don t show this message again for this device Your device will not function until you install driver software Cancel gt This may take a few minutes to complete 4 A message indicating that the pub
39. lisher cannot be verified may pop up simply click Install this driver software anyway to continue with the installation Don t install this driver software You should check your manufacturers website for updated dover soltware for your device Only install driver software obtained from your manufacturer s website or disc Unsigned moftwane ror other sources may harm your computer or steal information j ha See details 5 A message will appear indicating that the driver installation was successful and the stand alone LED will turn off Box interface and PC Link will turn on Rack mount interface indicating that a proper connection to the computer has been established Hardware Installation Windows XP After the software is installed it is time to connect the interface to the computer Make sure the Software software is not running while attempting to connect the interface to the computer To connect the interface please follow the instructions below gt A driver must be installed for each interface connected to the computer pa Close all Software windows Plug the USB cable into the back of the interface and the other end into an avallable USB port on the computer The Found New Hardware Wizard must be completed in order for the computer to communicate with the When Windows XP asks if it can connect to Windows Update to search for software select No not this time and
40. me of the newest technology in the lighting controller market and allows the programmer to quickly and easily generate movement and basic curve macros with delay effects in a matter of seconds This technology is seen in larger concert style control desks and is also available in Software There are two different functions of the GENERATOR window The first is a movement macro creator which incorporates only the pan and tilt channels for all moving head and scanners In this mode the horizontal axis represents pan from 000 255 and the vertical axis represents the tilt from 000 255 The second function of the window 1s to generate basic curve effects using all other channels In this setting the horizontal axis converts to the time and the vertical axis represents the level or DMX value from 000 255 GENERATOR BUTTONS DESCRIPTION 1 Creates a new blank curve to generate effects 2 Creates a new project 1 Opens an existing curve that was previously saved 2 Loads a saved project 5 y F 1 Saves the curve and stores it for later use 2 Saves the project and stores it for later use Activates plays the current file and sends data to the fixtures Pauses the playback and the fixtures will stop exactly where they are VI Stops playback and resets all fixtures to 000 3 E Activates the DMX output This must be on for the PLAY button to work correctly x Sends the data to be seen within the 3D
41. n an address immediately after the one that proceeds it the software will never skip channels To set the fixtures that will be in a specific show double click their names in the Personal Fixtures window to add them to the DMX addressing window If multiple identical fixtures are needed double click the amount of times to add it For example if four COLORado 3 s are needed double click the fixture four times To further explain the DMX addressing window please see the chart below DM ADDRESSING dm name group tupe nb movement 00T miror deg MIRROR SHOW 1 A a M4 miror dgr MIRROR SHOW it 2r head ja HEAD SHOW 1 r 040 head fg HEAD SHOW A the pan amp tilt movements 053 color changer U COLOR CHANGER SHOWN 057 color changer U COLOR_CHANGER_SHOW 1 061 color tube i COLOR_TUBE SHO AR G7 RRR g tilt 4 Check these boxes to reverse Use this text box to manually enter a DMX starting address Use this text box to manually enter fixture names Use this text box to manually enter fixture groups Each fixture can be a part of 5 different groups to help with programming Use this text box to manually enter the number of fixtures to show in 3D View The default number is 1 Displays the binary addressing for a fixture with dip switches In this example switches 1 2 4 5 are on and 3 6 9 are off BUILDER The BUILDER screen is the window that allows for fixture programming edit
42. n external power supply is recommended but not required 2 UNIVERSE 2 UNIVERSE CPU PRESENT STAND ALONE eons Required n a n a n a cable Power via USB 9 12VDC 9 12VDC power Power via USB 9 12VDC 9 12VDC power CPU PRESENT STAND ALONE Box interface power adaptor adaptor required power adaptor adaptor required recommended not included recommended not included Rack mount Power via USB cable Power via power Power via USB cable Power via power cord interface included cord included included included Requires the purchase of an additional Box interface or Rack mount interface interface INTRODUCTION USB to DMX cable Features gt USB to DMX cable gt 10 fixtures with a maximum of 100 DMX channels gt Unlimited shows when using a computer gt 3D rendering only while interface is not connected DMX output Protective cap USB connection Box interface Features DMX 512 USB interface Connect 2 Box interfaces for 1024 DMX channels 2 universes DMX input for on the fly external override Selectable power options USB or DC adaptor not included Playback 1 show without a computer 100 DMX channels max Unlimited shows when using a computer VVVVVV Power selection switch USB connection DMX output use ext power with laptop PC power a self bus 9 12VDC power supply input Rack mount interface Features Rackmount DMX 512 USB interface Connect 2 Rack mount interfac
43. ne to access a menu which will allow you to go tS TS Move a button moves a scene within the page Remove a button deletes that scene from the page Color a button adds a background color to the scene Speed button sets the scene to playback via automatic beats per minute BPM manual BPM or manual speed Trigger button opens a secondary window which allows you to set the scene to trigger via a keyboard letter a specific date and time MIDI or an external DMX controller No loop button sets a specific scene to stop after playing back instead of looping Flash button sets a specific scene to be triggered only when the mouse button 1s holding the scene down Preset button sets the scene to be able to scroll through each individual step within that scene This is primarily used for scenes that contain RGB or CMY color mixing fixtures In addition to these options clicking on the menu bar at the top will offer many additional options and settings for the LIVE window These options and descriptions are listed below Menu Option Boards Display Administrator Options Help Sub Function Description Displays a single board on which to load light scenes into for playback Displays 2 boards on which to load light scenes into for playback Displays 4 boards on which to load light scenes into for playback Displays the keyboard letters that are currently set to activate a scene Calendar trigger Displ
44. o be dragged around to any location and the lights will move in real time group l gt 6 A imme SP color 22 dimmer sa at Fa shutter 10 sec Fan 3 The second image shows the color wheel s position Place the mouse over the red dots to see its value Right click the mouse to access a menu that will allow to edit the points group lt l gt E ut Par Tilt 285 dimmer OO ja shutter 3 sec Fan 16 37 This third and fourth image show the level or value of the dimmer and shutter Right click on any dot to access another menu which will allow to edit the points group lt I gt E MA PansTil Ea dimmer ee 4 4 shutter E g gg y II II II II II II II III group lt l gt E 2 Pans Til ap color 28 dimmer ds EME d Changing Groups To change the fixture group that you are working with please follow the steps below 1 Click the padlock icon to unlock the window Go back to the BUILDER screen and select another keyboard group or select the fixtures on the fly by using the 2D VIEW 3 The group letter and fixture quantity will change based on the new group 4 Repeat the steps from Creating Movement Macros or Creating Curves to program an effect 38 Control buttons of the open timeline file TIMELINE TIMELINE allows the programmer to create shows by synchronizing lighting audio video and still pictu
45. o have within the file from 1 to 10 This can be changed at any time Click OK to save the settings of the new timeline Enter the maximum time fie Properties Enter the amount of lighting timelines gt Label timeline Nb light timelines Add any necessary multimedia files to the current show by following the instructions in Adding Multimedia Files above Click and drag the multimedia file s to their respective rows and drag them to your desired starting point Add light scenes by clicking the desired scene and dragging it onto any of the Light timeline rows The amount of Light timelines can be adjusted by going to the EDIT menu and selecting the PROPERTIES option E Use the LS tool to stop the playback of any multimedia file Click to ensure the show 1s what was desired and then click to save your work To delete any scene right click it and select DELETE 41 Digital timeline used to The green dot shows the sync files to each other location that is currently playing back Click and drag this marker to start the Set the red dot to any spot playback from any point within the timeline to 0 00 16 0 00 32 0 00 48 automatically start playback when the is clicked Artistmp3 Video file sample Video WMV Title Sample Audio file iris_effect be_effectt col_gob_ mirror Light scenes paneli Displays the name of the current timeline file Displays the time of the timeline
46. o successfully run a show Please see the imix administrator options to automatically activate the DMX when LIVE is opened ES Click this button to immediately pause freeze playback MIDI aa Indicated whether a MIDI interface is linked to the computer Timeline DE Indicates whether LIVE is receiving the order to play scenes from the TIMELINE window Right click any tab to access a menu which will allow you to Add a page adds a page to the top to help organize scenes Rename page renames any tab Move page moves a page left or right Remove a page deletes a page and all of the scenes within it Add a light scene adds 1 or more light scenes to the current page Add a timeline file adds 1 or more timeline files to the current page Add a multimedia file adds 1 or more audio video or picture files to the page 8 Solo out a scene sets all scenes within that page to only allow 1 to play back at any given time This option will not allow for layering 9 Chase play plays back a scene and then the scene directly below it When that column of scenes has completed its playback it will automatically trigger the next column and continue to playback the scenes in order Multiple starting points are acceptable 10 Random play selects scenes within the same page at random to play back The user must trigger the first scene and the computer will take over after A A E 44 Right click any sce
47. o when this MASK scene is activated the light will move to a specific position and the shutter will open This way the colors gobos and other effects can be seen gt Click this icon to undo the last action T the DMX signal d off urns the signal on and off dix 8 int Opens the 3D View tel p lt Opens the 2D View 20 gt The undo feature will only undo the last mouse click and will not restore a scene that was just deleted Miscellaneous area den Ep ET den Ep den Ep den Ep mask dmz 3d 20 Activates the Activates the 2D MASK feature View for grouping on the fly Undo the last l Activate the 3D mouse click View to see the lights in real time Activates the DMX signal from the interface 24 Override Area The override area allows for additional control of a single channel or multiple channels Time saving icons include set value on all steps set fade on all steps copy and paste functionality and cut not delete OVERRIDE AREA DESCRIPTION BUTTONS Deactivates a channel from a specific step and sets its value to OFF not 000 This will prevent accidental overriding when using the LIVE screen Copies a channel s value and puts it into memory Use the standard Windows shortcut keys such as CTRL and or SHIFT to select multiple channels Pastes the value from memory onto the desired channel or channels Use the standard Windows shortcut keys such as CTRL and or SHIFT to s
48. or all possible settings wheel shown e se Allows manual control of each channel separately Move the slider up to increase the value or down to decrease it Values range from 000 to 255 FADE STYLE DESCRIPTION BUTTONS The current step will snap into the next step The current step will fade into the next step Adjust the time in the step area to create a slow smooth fade Displays the DMX channel number or the fade style 7 E The current step will rotate in a circular clock wise movement into the next step Will be replaced with the Bezier curve in future releases of the software The current step will rotate in a circular counter clock wise movement into the next step Will be replaced with the Bezier curve in future releases of the software Uses the Bezier curve style which is created from the GENERATOR screen QU vi t 4 Left click to change the fade style 26 Activated vs Non Activated Faders There is a big difference in how scenes are played back based on if a specific channel has been activated or not Non activated faders will show a DMX channel beneath the slider example below shows 13 Once the fader becomes activated it will show one of the fade styles When multiple scenes are played back in the LIVE screen it layers or stacks the scenes on top of another and the last scene to be triggered will take priority This may cause unwanted behavior of the fixtures and should be t
49. out an action that instantly douses all output usually by pressing a single button CMY a subtractive color mixing process that combines cyan magenta and yellow filters to create other colors in the spectrum These secondary colors of light at 100 will produce black or the absence of light Device manager a Control Panel applet included with Windows operating systems that allows the user to display and control the hardware attached to the computer When a piece of hardware is not working the offending hardware is highlighted where the user can deal with it The list of hardware can also be sorted by various criteria Dimmer packs a device that offers the ability to dim lighting fixtures typically parcans Dipswitches dips sets the starting address of the fixture using binary code Each switch has a value and when the sum of those values is added together that is the fixture s starting address a Switch 1 1 b Switch 2 2 c Switch 3 4 d Switch 4 8 e Switch 5 16 f Switch 6 32 g Switch 7 64 h Switch 8 128 1 Switch 9 256 DMX 512 a standardized protocol monitored by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology USITT that allows all lighting manufacturers products to communicate with others Uses a 3 or 5 pin XLR style connection and has a maximum of 512 channels per line or universe Driver a software module that tells the operating system how to control a g
50. parameters param Select these check boxes to restore that part of the show For example if you want to keep the current setup in the 3D View uncheck the box that is next to 3D Stage 97 STAND ALONE STAND ALONE is the link between the computer and the interface when trying to upload lighting scenes to run without a computer gt The interface s must have a successful connection to the computer in order to upload the scenes The Box interface can store a single scene without a computer and the Rack mount interface can store up to 14 gt No scenes can be uploaded to the USB to DMX cable interface To upload lighting scenes to the interface s please do the following l 2 V V Close the CONTROL_BOARD and open STAND_ALONE from the Windows Start menu Select which universe you want to upload the scenes to by filling in the corresponding bubble next to universe 1 or universe 2 From the list of light scenes on the right double click the scene you wish to add to flash button 1 Only the first flash button will be available if using an Box interface When a scene is double clicked the flash button will automatically move to the next and after 14 it will automatically cycle back to 1 Select which group you want each flash button to be a part of by sliding the group fader to 1 2 3 or 4 Scenes that are a part of the same group cannot be played simultaneously Click the picture o
51. people interact with something else that they would not normally be able to communicate with The Box interface or Rack mount interface would be an example of an interface Layering playing back multiple light scenes without affecting the ones prior to it also known as stacking Show a series of scenes or a single scene playing back in a sequence or simultaneously MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface a standard protocol for communication between electronic devices such as keyboards to activate or trigger a controller Open GL Graphics Library is a standard specification defining a cross language cross platform for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three dimensional scenes from simple points of information Patch patching cross connecting lighting circuits and or channels and assigning them to a different control source Preset scene the names given to the individual steps when programming BUILDER screen can be seen in the LIVE screen when a scene is set as a preset scene in the LIVE window 63 19 20 21 22 DS 24 23 26 2i 28 29 30 31 Daisy chain a wiring practice in which device A is connected to device B device B is connected to device C device C is connected to device D etc each device in the chain carries the same inform
52. pixel mapping information that is sent to CONTROL_BOARD The image below shows an example Matrix view Y 8 Pr sident de la R publique 48 5 Stop immediately stops the playback of the selected multimedia file but does not close the window 6 Exit closes the window and removes the icon from the taskbar Menu Option Video output Matrix capture Screen Display Sub Function No border Always on top Force position Screen mode Enable matrix capture Matrix width pixel Matrix height pixel Original size Full screen Fixed size Preserve aspect ratio Centered Description Removes the Windows border and prevents you from accidentally closing or minimizing the window Keeps SCREEN CONTROL on top of all other windows Forces the window to a fixed position within the monitor s resolution Will output the multimedia files to a secondary monitor Selecting this option will allow you to choose which display adaptor to send the files to Converts the video pixel mapping and sends the data streaming to CONTROL_BOARD Sends the size of the matrix being transmitted to CONTROL_BOARD Displays video files in their original resolution Displays video files at the maximum resolution supported by the connected monitor This may make some videos appear blurry Displays video files in a fixed user defined size Saves the resolution ratios of video files so increasing the video s output stretching
53. prompting that the driver did not pass the Windows Logo testing compatibility simply click CONTINUE ANYWAY to continue the installation Hardware Installation A The software Pou are installing for this hardware Contr leur de bus USB has not passed Windows Logo testing to verify its compatibility with Windows sF Tell me why this testing is important Continuing your installation of this software may impair or destabilize the correct operation of your system either immediately or in the future Microsoft strongly recommends that you stop this installation now and contact the hardware vendor for software that has passed Windows Logo testing Continue Anyway 7 When it s complete click FINISH and the window will disappear and a popup will indicate that the driver installation was successful Driver Reinstallation Windows Vista If the driver installation fails or you need to reinstall the driver for any reason the driver can be installed manually Please follow the instructions below 1 Click START gt CONTROL PANEL gt SYSTEM gt DEVICE MANAGER to access the hardware devices on your computer 2 Extend the Universal Serial Bus Controllers section by clicking on the small square to the left l H N Sound video and game controllers cet Storage controllers cl System devices G Universal Serial Bus controllers MB BOX Interface version 1 01 E Generic USB Hub i Y Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host
54. pulating each fixture individually Select the fixtures you wish to edit from this list T Fixtu es setting Fixtures in the stage Position Orientation mirror A mirror a Undo a single mouse click me color changer color changer eolear Er hal se Exits the Object setting menu Slide these bars to adjust the position orientation Type a number in the text scale and color field to instantly jump to that setting or position 93 3D Settings The 3D Settings allows editing all aspects relating to the 3D performance of the window Beam resolution and rendering frames per second and auto rotation can be changed from this menu Changes the beam resolution from low to 5 3D setti ngs medium or high Beam resolution Low O Medium High Switches between a computer generated light beam and one that has more definition and structure Beam rendering Realistic beams impact Gobos BINS SSIES OPE light beams Check this box to show the 4 Beam intensity FPS and faces counter in J Length the upper left corner of the Adjusts the length of the beams 3D window coming from the fixtures Frame Fer Second Max autorized FPS ag 1 60 Check this box to allow the L show real FFS amp faces counter Use this text box to manually software to auto rotate Check mas FPS enter the frames per second for after a specific time frame 0 the 3D rendering Enter the number in se
55. r efficient streaming and manipulation of high quality digital multimedia 1 PNG Portable Network Graphics is a bitmapped image format that employs lossless data compression It was created to improve upon and replace the GIF format as an image file format not requiring a patent license J TIFF Tagged Image File Format used for storing images including photographs and line art and is now under the control of Adobe Systems k WAV Waveform Audio an IBM audio file format for storing an audio bitstream on personal computers D WMA Windows Media Audio is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft and needs the proper codecs in order to work properly m WMV Windows Media Video a compressed video file format for several codecs and was originally designed for internet streaming applications Forum an online chat board for individuals to exchange ideas post questions offer answers etc The website for Software is http forum thelightingcontroller com Gobo a piece of metal or glass which fits into a gobo holder and set inside of a lighting instrument for projection of that image Gobo is derived from the words GOes Before Optics and sits before the optical lens within lighting fixtures and is the picture seen coming from the lights Group grouping setting multiple fixtures to respond to a single command in this case a letter on the keyboard Interface the means by which
56. res this locks all icons and prevents them from moving around the screen Show hidden fixtures shows the fixtures that are hidden in 2D VIEW Window always on top sets the 2D VIEW to always remain on top of all other windows even when other windows are selected Help opens this portion of the manual About displays a popup indicating what version of the 2D VIEW is currently running 47 SCREEN CONTROL This window will remain dormant on the computer until a multimedia file is played back from either LIVE or TIMELINE SCREEN CONTROL is the same as Windows Media Player iTunes or any other multimedia playback program and even uses the same codecs as these third party programs To activate SCREEN CONTROL a multimedia file must be played in either LIVE or TIMELINE first and then the icon will appear You can access SCREEN CONTROL from the taskbar lower right corner where the clock is and with a simple click of the mouse the following options are presented 1 Za ScreenControl Properties please see chart below for detailed description Play file will open a dialog box in which you can select a single multimedia file to play back These file formats can be either JGP BMP JPEG PNG GIF WAV MP3 OGG WMA AVI MPG MPEG MOV or WMA Show on screen opens the window on top of all other windows Show on DMX matrix this becomes available when matrix capture is enabled and it shows the
57. res together by using drag and drop technology gt The LIVE screen must be open for TIMELINE to playback correctly The Light scenes window displays a list of all scenes created from the BUILDER screen These scenes are ready to be dragged into a new or saved timeline file The Multimedia files list shows all imported sound video and still images that are a part of the show The accepted file formats are as follows 1 Audio wav mp3 ogg wma 2 Video avi mpg mpeg mov wma 3 Still images bmp gif jpg png Lists all light scenes Shows a list of all created in BUILDER multimedia files that are and or GENERATOR loaded and ready for use a Try x f M TimeLine C COIL FleEdtr DS E Cw Multimedia files Light scenes Stops the playback of any color_changer sce 3 i a A col_gob_head sce 3 timeline video audio or col_gob_mirror sce head sce lighting head1 sce 0 3 00 z 00 0 Ea head2 sce New timeline x head3 sce head4 sce mmm Vewfulpth eget SO 0 04 16 0 08 32 0 12 48 0 17 04 0 21 20 0 25 36 0 29 52 0 34 08 39 Adding Multimedia Files To add multimedia files to the list please follow the directions below 1 Click the import multimedia files icon directly under the Multimedia files heading Import multimedia files Multimedia files Remove multimedia files Shows the full path location of the multimed
58. s are only available on the first board Playing Back Scenes ae 1 Activate the DMX output by clicking the icon 2 Click on the scene you wish to play back unlimited scenes may be played back simultaneously and the scene will change colors to a darker shade of grey indicating that it is active gt Right click any scene to access additional scene options which will manipulate the scene to help achieve the desired look An explanation of these options is on the previous page 2D VIEW This window allows for grouping on the fly by using a 2D environment Much like pressing a letter on the keyboard to activate a group of fixtures the 2D allows to manually select each fixture or fixtures and will automatically trigger them in the BUILDER or GENERATOR windows for programming The 2D View can be resized at any time by clicking the corners and or sides and dragging to the desired size To set up the window simply click and drag each fixture to their respective locations so each one can be identified quickly and easily To further help with fixture location and identification you can change the background image to mimic the actual surroundings of the fixtures For example if the lighting is suspended in a nightclub ceiling a picture of the actual ceiling may be taken and imported in to the 2D View The icons of each fixture can then be placed over the real ones to help identify them 46 Importing a Picture l 2 3
59. t This information can be found in the product s user manual gt Ifa profile for a specific fixture is not included in the Main Library please contact Chauvet s customer service department and one can be created Edit Existing Fixtures If there is a fixture that needs to be updated for any reason simply follow the instructions above to add it to the Personal Fixtures highlight it and use the options from the 3D View Channel and Level columns to edit as many fixtures as needed gt Edited fixtures will be saved in the Personal Fixtures until they are deleted and will not be permanently saved to the Main Library DMX Addressing Procedures Check this box to address on the 2 universe Two fixtures having the same address is possible when using 2 universes The fixture on the 1 universe would have an address of 007 and 007 for the 2 The fixtures in the DMX addressing window are the fixtures that are going to be used in a show When they are added from the Personal Fixtures they will automatically be given a DMX address based on the quantity of channels used by the fixture before it These DMX addresses may be manually adjusted as needed When no fixtures are present in the DMX addressing window it will automatically start the first fixture at DMX address of 001 If a fixture is added to the DMX addressing window after other fixtures it will automatically be give
60. will go when SAVE is clicked Open the CONTROL_BOARD and click BACKUP Enter a name that will describe the show Click BROWSE to select a location to save the backup file Click SAVE and then close the BACKUP window Choose where to save the file select the path browse CADocuments and Settings Allan Desktop enter a name enter name here fave Enter a name for the backup file 56 RESTORE RESTORE will restore a show or a part of it as many times as needed To restore or import a show follow these instructions 7 Open the CONTROL_BOARD and click RESTORE 8 Click BROWSE and find select the folder that contains the information 9 Select any and all check boxes that you wish to import If the check box is selected it will overwrite those settings gt This will not restore multimedia files from TIMELINE or LIVE gt Be sure to have a backup of the files you are writing over 10 Close the RESTORE window and the show has been imported P restore select the path restore Select the location of the file you wish to restore Displays the location of the l browse i file that will be restored C Program Files S howe press select files to restore light scenes pan tilt shapes private fisbures channels in BUILDER screen projectscurves in GENERATOR screen show in USERALIVE screen shows in TIMELINE screen names in STAND ALONE screen 30 stage inputs parameters dms input
61. with 512MB RAM under Windows XP 32 bit only Pentium 2Ghz with 1GB RAM under Windows Vista 32 bit only 100MB of hard disk space 1 CD ROM drive Double click the Software icon to initiate the software installation 5 Setup ShowXpress Welcome to the ShowXpress Setup Wizard This will install ShowXpress on your computer lt is recommended that you close all other applications before continuing Click Next to continue or Cancel to exit Setup 3 On the License Agreement page click I accept the agreement and then click NEXT 5 Setup ShowXpress qpa O H a S License Please read the following License agreement i Agreement Please read the following important information before continuing Agreement You must accept the terms of this before continuing with the installation Except where otherwise noted all of the documentation and software is copyrighted by EFK This software is provided asis without any express or implied warranty In no event shall the author be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this software This software is free however it is dedicated to EFK interfaces Using this software with another interface is strictly forbidden Copyright C EFK All rights reserved Ge Gees 4 Choose the installation directory to install Software The proposed path usually does not need to be altered

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