Color Not Working On Paradigm

Campbell;

Sorry you are having issues. This is a really confusing one when you encounter ie and is an issue between Paradigm and Element and the data they send.  Uelireigg is absolutely right. This comes down to a core decision we made about how to handle fixture profiles and home values. We decided that the home value for a fixture ( the value the console resets to when you release the fixture) is to set the color to white and intensity to zero. Why you may ask? The simple answer is we wanted to set profiles up so that to see light come out of a fixture you had to adjust the least possible number of parameters. So fixture 1 at full turns intensity on and you see white. It was decided that this was better than having to set both intensity and color parameters. to get output. You can argue both sides of this for days (because we sure did) as to which it "right", but the fact is this is how it works. 

Another decision we made was to use the same profiles across our products. So that you can replicate that exact right shade of periwinkle from any ETC device by simply using the same values when you program. This is a good thing, but also means that when you release a fixture in any device the default is going to be all color values to full and intensity to zero.  This is where your problem is occurring. 

The problem you are seeing is one we have seen in other sites and it is troublesome because it is not so much a problem as an unintended result of everything working as it is supposed to. Both your console and Paradigm are outputting data (I'm gonna guess sACN). As it is supposed to do, that device is going to merge all data streams in the highest takes precedence manner meaning that if the Element is on but the fixture is released, the color data is coming in at full. If Paradigm is on and the fixture is released the same thing is happening. The end result is that you get weird stuff. A great way to see this is to set the Element to Yellow and PAradigm to blue. Your output at the fixture would be some bad green.

I am assuming you only want either Paradigm or the Element to be in control, but not both at the same time. The solution involves setting something up to allow you to arbitrate which of your systems (element or Paradigm) has priority at that moment. There are a number of ways to do this. 

The ideal way to do it is in Paradigm via a button hit or some form of automation so that when the console is on, Paradigm gives up control. You would still be able to snapshot, you would just not get any output to the fixtures. This is done by altering the configuration of the system. Your local ETC service provider or ETC Technical support should be able to work with you and make this change without needing to come to the site, provided you can send the configuration to them. Not knowing the particulars of your system makes it hard for me to say what the best method will be. I suggest you think about what type of architectural controls you have that are console adjacent and if you can give up a button to let you toggle console and paradigm modes. 

If you are unable to get the configuration changed or would prefer not to do this in Paradigm, you can also set the priority of your sACN universe in the console to be higher than Paradigm. They both default to 100 so even setting the console to 101 would work. In that case, whenever the console is on, it has priority.  The other in-console method is to set priority per address so that most of the universe is priority 100 and the fixtures are priority 101There are a few drawbacks to doing this

1. If you set it as a universe priority EVERYTHING in the universe is now console controlled which may affect other lights like houselights.
2. If you set it as a universe priority, because the console is outputting the universe at a higher priority, zero at P101 has a higher value than full at P100.
3. You need to remember to set this every time you clear a show.

TLDR- I suggest you contact your local support center and let them know you are having a priority issue between Paradigm and Element. They will absolutely know what that means and can work with you to find the best solution for your system. 

Hope this helps

David Fox

Training and Documentation Specialist

888-908-2193

608-824-5056

Campbell;

Sorry you are having issues. This is a really confusing one when you encounter ie and is an issue between Paradigm and Element and the data they send.  Uelireigg is absolutely right. This comes down to a core decision we made about how to handle fixture profiles and home values. We decided that the home value for a fixture ( the value the console resets to when you release the fixture) is to set the color to white and intensity to zero. Why you may ask? The simple answer is we wanted to set profiles up so that to see light come out of a fixture you had to adjust the least possible number of parameters. So fixture 1 at full turns intensity on and you see white. It was decided that this was better than having to set both intensity and color parameters. to get output. You can argue both sides of this for days (because we sure did) as to which it "right", but the fact is this is how it works. 

Another decision we made was to use the same profiles across our products. So that you can replicate that exact right shade of periwinkle from any ETC device by simply using the same values when you program. This is a good thing, but also means that when you release a fixture in any device the default is going to be all color values to full and intensity to zero.  This is where your problem is occurring. 

The problem you are seeing is one we have seen in other sites and it is troublesome because it is not so much a problem as an unintended result of everything working as it is supposed to. Both your console and Paradigm are outputting data (I'm gonna guess sACN). As it is supposed to do, that device is going to merge all data streams in the highest takes precedence manner meaning that if the Element is on but the fixture is released, the color data is coming in at full. If Paradigm is on and the fixture is released the same thing is happening. The end result is that you get weird stuff. A great way to see this is to set the Element to Yellow and PAradigm to blue. Your output at the fixture would be some bad green.

I am assuming you only want either Paradigm or the Element to be in control, but not both at the same time. The solution involves setting something up to allow you to arbitrate which of your systems (element or Paradigm) has priority at that moment. There are a number of ways to do this. 

The ideal way to do it is in Paradigm via a button hit or some form of automation so that when the console is on, Paradigm gives up control. You would still be able to snapshot, you would just not get any output to the fixtures. This is done by altering the configuration of the system. Your local ETC service provider or ETC Technical support should be able to work with you and make this change without needing to come to the site, provided you can send the configuration to them. Not knowing the particulars of your system makes it hard for me to say what the best method will be. I suggest you think about what type of architectural controls you have that are console adjacent and if you can give up a button to let you toggle console and paradigm modes. 

If you are unable to get the configuration changed or would prefer not to do this in Paradigm, you can also set the priority of your sACN universe in the console to be higher than Paradigm. They both default to 100 so even setting the console to 101 would work. In that case, whenever the console is on, it has priority.  The other in-console method is to set priority per address so that most of the universe is priority 100 and the fixtures are priority 101There are a few drawbacks to doing this

1. If you set it as a universe priority EVERYTHING in the universe is now console controlled which may affect other lights like houselights.
2. If you set it as a universe priority, because the console is outputting the universe at a higher priority, zero at P101 has a higher value than full at P100.
3. You need to remember to set this every time you clear a show.

TLDR- I suggest you contact your local support center and let them know you are having a priority issue between Paradigm and Element. They will absolutely know what that means and can work with you to find the best solution for your system. 

Hope this helps

David Fox

Training and Documentation Specialist

888-908-2193

608-824-5056

Thank you very much it helos a lot