How do I change from a colour chase into a fixed colour?

This is because attributes are LTP and the Content Effect is still running until the Effect Playback has faded out to zero.
So the effect continues to happen during the fade out, and any Effect LTP color changes that happen during the fade will override the color change from the incoming step.

The solution in Cobalt 7.1.1 and older is to stop the effect before the colour change happens.

Eg: Use an FCB (or parameter) delay time to wait until the Content Effect ends, and optionally a Channel Time on the Content Effect Playback to stop the effect earlier (if required)

In the upcoming v7.2 (beta "soon") we're adding a "Return To" parameter for Content Effects that you can use instead.

"In the upcoming v7.2 (beta "soon") we're adding a "Return To" parameter for Content Effects that you can use instead."

Thanks for adding this feature into Cobalt.

Would it be possible to get a video created showing it's use in my above scenario?
I can't get a smooth change back to a single colour; there is always a snap to the colour, no matter what timings I try.
Perhaps it's that there needs to be a timing control set somewhere that I'm just missing the logic of.

Thanks in advance,

"In the upcoming v7.2 (beta "soon") we're adding a "Return To" parameter for Content Effects that you can use instead."

Thanks for adding this feature into Cobalt.

Would it be possible to get a video created showing it's use in my above scenario?
I can't get a smooth change back to a single colour; there is always a snap to the colour, no matter what timings I try.
Perhaps it's that there needs to be a timing control set somewhere that I'm just missing the logic of.

Thanks in advance,

Hi Ric -

If you want to do anything other than a snap return, you need to use the old method of delays and fade times. The Return To parameter was added to facilitate on the fly operations where building the "correct" fade behavior was less important, but a reliable "way out" of effects was needed. For more artistic exits, the delay/fade method is the way to go. 

So, for those who haven't done this before: the content effect will run until the effect's intensity reaches zero. In cases where you want the effect to fade out (because there's also an intensity component in it, or because the lights running the chase are also fading) and then restore to a specific state, you need to add a delay to the attributes that make up the "restore" so that they will not be triggered until the effect has stopped. Those parameters can also be given a fade time so that they restore with some elegance. 

Example: In step 1 the lights are doing a color chase. In step two, the color chase should fade out in 2 seconds and a new color should fade in using a 2 second fade. In step 2, you take the effect to 0 intensity, give it a channel time of 2 seconds, and change those channels to a new color. You record the step and play this transition back and you see that 2 seconds after pressing GO the channels are in the colors they were in at the moment the effect stopped, the new color is nowhere to be seen. This is because the new color was executed while the effect was still running, thus nuking the color instruction for those channels. In step 2, you need to add a delay of 2 seconds (or 2.01 seconds just to be sure) to the COLOR attributes either at the preset/cue level or on those specific channels, so that the command to fade to the new color is given after the effect has stopped running.

Does that make sense?

Thanks -

Sarah

Hi Sarah,
Thanks for the quick reply.
OK, at least I wasn't missing something obvious.
In version 7.3 could I request a 'Fade to' option, with an adjustable time? :-D

For those reading, another solution I have found is to create another Content series with a single step. The attribute of the step is the solid colour you want to change to.
In the incoming Preset change the Series from the multi-colour chase to the single colour. No other changes needed.
Now when you press Go the Content will step by step change into a solid colour.
The effect is still running but each step is being changed to the solid colour; you may then want to fade the effect out in a following preset/step.

Cheers,

Clever! I like it! :-)

Top thinking there Ric !