Roving Focus Palettes with EOS family/VL3500s

Are the DMX values changing, if so by how much?  If the DMX is not changing the problem might be with the fixtures.  I have seen Color palettes drift with VL 1000s.

-Gregg

Hi,

we do have the same thing on Mac III, here it is the fixtures which do not move back properly. Especially when moving fast, they override the point where they should stop.

In fact we do have one show where everytime a certain Mac palette is being corrected in the afternoon and the fixture shall not move the rest of the day until the show is over.

After reassuring the correct DMX-output of the Console, I would try and copy the palette and sequence to another VL to see, if only your special is not working properly or if its a general problem of that fixturetype.

If changing the unit doesn´t help, my simple answer would be to take the special VL out of your ballyhoo and move only the others around or if that is impossible to move (back) your special in a slower time that it may have a greater chance to hit the target correctly.

 Maybe anyone has a better idea.

greetings from munich,

J.

I see this all the time with VL3Ks - when they are off by a bit, they just need a recal.  Moving them around a whole lot can make the problem appear quicker.  I don't really know the cause, but they are very large, heavy units, and they always seem to be off by the same amount when this happens.

Basically - it's not the console.

I see this happen with VL 1ks a lot.  Recalibrating always makes a difference.  I've noticed that if there is a cable or safety cable that even brushes the unit, it can throw off calibration after a while. 

-Josh

Hiya...

VLs generally become more accurate at returning to positions if you can set them to a position in zero time.

If that's not possible in the context of your show, try using their built-in timing channels rather than console cue time to control their final movement - this can also help by allowing the light to figure out their own movement rather than going 'move-a-bit, move-a-bit, move-a-bit STOP!', as they do on DMX.

Also, are your timing channels set to zero or Full? This controls the amount of smoothing the light applies to its movement. This may also affect the precision at which they come to rest in their final position.

Rob.

Also, VLs are usually at least 'consistently' wrong - ie. if you move them from the a known position to another known position (ideally in zero time) they're usually spot on. The trouble is if you move them from a different position to your final position there will be an error. The danger here, of course, is that you jump to a cue out of sequence, see the position's out, 'fix' the position.. but you've got there from the wrong position.

If the focus is critical it's worth going back to the previous position in the show, then stepping into your final position, then fixing and updating.

Rob.