Change Type accuracy

Cormac,

This should usually be ok.

I would normally set up a show using pan/tilt inverts in the patch to have all the fixture types move the same way should you grab them all.

eg turning tilt encoder clockwise to moves fixtures out to audience and then pan encoder clockwise to move fixtures toward house right makes most sense to me.

So, when changing fixture types the first thing to do is use pan and tilt inverts so the new fixtures move in the same way as the ones they replace.
This is unlikely to be the case with all fixtures in their default settings, especially when replacing fixtures from a different manufacturer.

When this is done the next step is to check a preset focus. A straight and forward preset position is handy here. If the pan and tilt inverts are correct the position should look right with the new fixtures, assuming they are hung in the same places as the ones they have replaced.

However some fixtures' yokes will not always be square to the stage at 0º pan - xSpots, suoercycs, some varlites can be guilty of this.
In this case the straight forward focus will have all the new lights pointing off to one side. To correct this open the edit fixtures window and alter the pan offset of the fixture so whilst in the focus (or at 0º pan) it points in the right direction. This will often apply to all fixtures on that truss or in the same orientation.


After the fixtures are so 'calibrated' the rest of the preset positions should be pretty close.

I have even used the pan and tilt offsets to 'focus' a festival/outdoor rig when i don't have time to update all my positions. make a 0º pan 45º tilt position and update it when you do a proper focus.
Then when time is tight put your lights in that focus and using Edit Fixtures, get it looking right. Aterwards the lights are at least calibrated relative to each other, and should be close at least in the rest of the presets.....


Hope this helps and isn't all too obvious.

You've probably figured it out already....

Hi Rob,
thanks for the reply.
I have a few similar methods like having a tilt audience position palette which should have all fixtures @45deg into audience and i set-up fixtures to all pan right and all tilt together but the varilites seem to be really far out every time.

This may also be me but is there a good or better method than i have to get HE PC beams to change type correctly?? I have a feeling because they have a colour wheel and cmy flags the colour information is not getting transfered correctly,intensity and position is all fine but colour is never right until i update the first cue of every list.
I remember having this issue with hog II cloning....

Again cheers for the reply.

Cormac,

You are correct about some color problems when converting to or from StudiO Beams. This is a known problem and has been logged for fixing in the future. It is because if the shared color wheels as you suspected.

Hi brad,
Ok cheers at least i can ignore that issue then...if you had this problem what would your workaround be ?
This is more than likely my show but a few things i'm seeing often.

Colour information does not update lists after change type from CMY to fixed wheel fixtures even if you update colour palettes.
Again this may be my show but my guess was if you update a colour palette no matter what the fixture the list should update?? I know and understand that fixtures vary but why if i update a palette will the list not then update?
So if i update "blue" no matter if it's CMY or fixed wheel that is blue...i'm getting varied and not constant results when changing.

Using "fan" in any position when creating focus palletes creates issues in new fixture show ie varied and not constant results.I feel this could be more reliable.

Would be great if there was some sort of mask available when changing type...to include/exclude colour/position/time/effects/beam.
Would mean that not all information is constantly changing and having to be updated.

thanks again for the reply.
C

Cormac,

You said " Colour information does not update lists after change type from CMY to fixed wheel fixtures even if you update colour palettes."

This is true. If you have a fixture with CMY and then convert it to a fixture with only Color 1, then there is no data in the cues for the color 1 parameter. After you update the palette then you need to also update the cues with the palette information. Note though that you can "get lucky" if you are converting from a fixture that has CMY + Color 1 to a fixture with only Color 1 because there will be color 1 data in the cues and palettes prior to converting.

" Using "fan" in any position when creating focus palletes creates issues in new fixture show ie varied and not constant results."
Do you mean that the positions are different? Please explain further.

"Would be great if there was some sort of mask available when changing type...to include/exclude colour/position/time/effects/beam"
Interesting.. I will think on this and then log the suggestion.

Hi brad,
Ok understood i always under the impression that if after changing type i then updated the palettes i would have an updated show but having to reload every cue is just another step i suppose.
Is there any way to avoid this?

I used to have a show clone macro in hog II and i would manually load every used palette before the macro was loaded which would mean the new fixtures would have a referance point to clone from,would it be possible to do something similar with change type....could i add one fixture in the patch update the palletes and then change type..
perhaps i'm missing the point here and should just limit the show i have to something using fewer pallettes.

going to look at the "fan" thing again tomorrow so i can explain better.

Regards C

Hi Brad,
what's the chance of having the studio beam change type glitch fixed?
Great fixture but when i see them on an on equipment list when i have to change type i know i have along day ahead.
Even a possible start date would be good.

Regards C

Cormac,

The trouble with fixing the Studio Beam change type glitch as you call it is very involved and rather unique to Studio Beam (and Studio Color 250). The reason as you know is that the fixture has fixed colors that share with the color mix wheels. This resulted in a special library that breaks the CMY into fixed colors as well, and this leads to the bug.

I wish I could give you a date of when we will fix this, but right now we have many other items that are higher priority. I will talk with Steve to see if there is anything we can do in a short term, but I know we have looked over this many times.

Fortunately this is a rather isolated bug to the Studio Beam and Studio Color 250 fixture types.

thanks for your understanding,

Thanks for the reply,
any help with this would be of a great help to me even if it was not a final fix.

Regards C