cut-n-paste- question/feature request

Dean,

I've run into the same frustration.  Unfortunately, the largest block of data that can be copied, cut & pasted seems to be a single event in a timeline.  This is useful (settings for the effect stay with the event), but it doesn't let you copy a sequence that you've got timed out properly from one line to another. 

One trick that I found helped was to store the smallest possible bit of programming as its own timeline.  For instance, I could make one group of moving lights performing one ballyhoo (maybe 20 separate timeline events) into a timeline, while another group of moving lights, doing what they should be doing at the same time would get recorded into a different timeline.  Then you can use triggers to call each group separately, and in different combinations (and at different speeds using the rate functions).  This requires a bit more planning than just making each program as a single timeline, but I think it saves time in the end.

Best of luck,

Doug

Dean,

I've run into the same frustration.  Unfortunately, the largest block of data that can be copied, cut & pasted seems to be a single event in a timeline.  This is useful (settings for the effect stay with the event), but it doesn't let you copy a sequence that you've got timed out properly from one line to another. 

One trick that I found helped was to store the smallest possible bit of programming as its own timeline.  For instance, I could make one group of moving lights performing one ballyhoo (maybe 20 separate timeline events) into a timeline, while another group of moving lights, doing what they should be doing at the same time would get recorded into a different timeline.  Then you can use triggers to call each group separately, and in different combinations (and at different speeds using the rate functions).  This requires a bit more planning than just making each program as a single timeline, but I think it saves time in the end.

Best of luck,

Doug

I've been doing similar... using an empty timeline of flags to call other brief, looped timelines for various durations..

the new problem that was created is when I try to release that "dummy" /flag timeline...  releasing that time line does not necessarily release the other timelines that it has called. unless I use a release all function, which then causes problems if I'm trying to let something else run simultaneously.

 is there a means of releasing a timeline AND all of the timelines it has spawned? but not necessarily releasing ALL timelines?

it would also be handy to be able to cut and paste between files...

or to use a flag or trigger to reference a timeline in another file.

Unfortunately, the answer that I have hit upon is to keep good track of what timelines I'm calling.  Fortunately, one trigger can call a lot of events.  I have some triggers in one file that release 15 different timelines & only call 1.  Because I don't know what was scheduled in the space when a digital input was triggered, and I want to keep an adjacent space doing what it's doing, I have to release every timeline that could possibly be running in the area affected by the digital input. 

I've become increasingly convinced that I need to very carefully manage the data that I put into a pharos file.  The suggestions below are by no means the only way to work, but it has greatly simplified the process for me.

Naming conventions are very important to my system.  If I'm writing moving light position presets I always name them [group]-Position-[pos].  Timelines can be handled similarly.  On the job I'm working on now, I'm naming them [group]-[time of day]-[preset name].  Group represents whatever area of the facility the fixtures are in.  Time of day is generally Daylight, Evening or Night (in this case Evening is any time not during daylight when the facility is open.  This way I can easily scan my list of timelines to make sure that I'm cancelling everything that could be running at a given time of day. 

Better still is leaving yourself a number of blank timelines (or unused timeline numbers) between every group & time of day (for instance all of my Bar-Night-Name timelines will be between 1&19, while Bar-Daylight-Name timelines will be between 21&39).  Now when you create sets of releases you can easily ensure that all relevant timelines are released by simply running down the list from 1 to 19. 

I'm hoping for something like a numbering system for media clips & mover presets in upcoming releases.  Currently I have to create a lot of blank dummy mover presets as place holders, or else everything becomes jumbled & disorganized.  By taking the time to make a dozen or two placeholders during file setup, however, I can keep roughly the same system that I use for timelines, with presets showing up grouped by group name & then by included attributes.  Like with any moving light controller, I find that time put in during file creation greatly reduces the time needed during actual programming to create or call-up looks.

I'm with you on cut & paste, though.  The sooner these functions are improved the better.  And some sort of organizational structure for items other than fixtures would be great.  If I could have a folder system for organizing timelines (or mover presets or whatever) it would keep me sane during late nights of programming.  Better still would be a release timeline action in the trigger screen that let me release everything in a folder (all of my Bar-Daylight presets for instance) with a single command, or that allowed the release of all events on a specific group of fixtures (release group Bar, for instance) so that I knew I had a clean slate going forward.

 Good luck,

 Doug