help creating a blinking effect

If I want fixtures to blink in a certain color I usually create an absolute effect and assign two steps to it:
The first step is the background state ([@]+[Enter] and the second step is a color palette.
If you want the fixtures blink you have to assign a time of 0 to the steps and give them a dwell-time higher than 0, depending on how long you want the steps to take.

I usually create a color palette just for that effect and then copy the color I want to that palette.
I do this a lot when I'm improvising for concerts.

So I would create, say, an empty Color Palette 100 and reference it in the effect.
If I want my lights to blink red, I just type [Color Palette] [numer of the red Palette] [Copy to] [100][Enter],
which basically copies my red Palette to Palette 100. Then I start the effect.

The Color Palette referenced in the effect functions as a placeholder for whatever Palette I want to use.
This is obviously useful for doing things on the fly, because it gives you high flexibility and relatively quick access (especially when using macros). Plus you don't clutter your fader-pages with countless numbers of rate-controls.

When storing cues that will just be played back during a show or a play, where I know I won't have to step in to change a whole lot, I usually create an effect for every single color palette I want to use. If I want a multicolor effect I just assign steps for all the Palettes I want to use to the effect.

I know that there is the option to use linear effects, but when it comes to color effects, in my opinion they take too much tweaking to get where I want. Absolute effects on the other hand give me exactly what I want much quicker, assuming that I have my Palettes straight.

Obviously this will only work, when all the fixtures you want to use the effect on, are actually stored in the Color Palettes you use.


When it comes to choosing the order that the fixtures blink in, the "Offset"-Softkey is your best friend.
It offers you serveral options for grouping the selected channels in such a way, that specific patterns emerge. If you want to specify the order and pattern even further you can group channels together yourself by using [Shift]+[/], which posts open/closed brackets to the command line when making a channel-selection. Grouping channels in this way, thay are treated "as one" by the effect.

If you have 7 channels and you select them like this:
LIVE: (1+7)+(2+6)+(3+5)+4

The effect will treat 1+7 as one, 2+6 as one, etc.
This will result in a classic mirror in effect.
You can create very specific patterns this way, which can be useful when you are having a location that uses a fixed lighting rig.

I hope I could help and that I didn't shoot over the target.

If you want the fixtures blink you have to assign a dwell-time of 0 to the steps and give them a hold dwell time higher than 0

You might also try a strobe feature if your fixture has it. A 1 flash per second rate lets you put it in a 1/10 second cue to get a single flash. Follow and loop come in handy!

Many LEDs have a smoothing feature intended to take the 'steps' out of a slow fade and to imitate the reaction speed of incandescents. Naturally this will defeat a real flash effect. Strobe parameters bypass all that.

You might also try a strobe feature if your fixture has it. A 1 flash per second rate lets you put it in a 1/10 second cue to get a single flash. Follow and loop come in handy!

Many LEDs have a smoothing feature intended to take the 'steps' out of a slow fade and to imitate the reaction speed of incandescents. Naturally this will defeat a real flash effect. Strobe parameters bypass all that.