ETC Nomad Setup for dummies

I’m going to chime in here a year later as another new Nomad user, on the Mac side. I’m coming from an Express (OLD school), and we’re about to get an EOS console, so in the interim, I’m trying to figure out the software. here we are a year later from this thread, and the software UI is still not even remotely intuitive (and I don’t think it’s from a lack of hardware control surface buttons).

I see frequent references to the Fixture Editor (I need to create entries for our vintage Sensor dimming rack modules, which ETC inexplicably forgot to include in the software), but the software UI doesn’t really tell you how to get there, nor does the documentation. Gone are the normal menus that one typically finds on a Mac or PC application. The built in “manual” tab is very difficult to navigate, and won’t let you open section headers… so I can tell that there *is* a fixture editor, but I couldn’t tell you how to get to it if my life depended on it. 

there needs to be some significant improvement of the documentation (have someone who has not designed the product develop the documentation, so that no assumptions are being made and steps omitted because they seemed obvious to the person that designed them), and make some significant improvements to the software UI. 

I’m going to chime in here a year later as another new Nomad user, on the Mac side. I’m coming from an Express (OLD school), and we’re about to get an EOS console, so in the interim, I’m trying to figure out the software. here we are a year later from this thread, and the software UI is still not even remotely intuitive (and I don’t think it’s from a lack of hardware control surface buttons).

I see frequent references to the Fixture Editor (I need to create entries for our vintage Sensor dimming rack modules, which ETC inexplicably forgot to include in the software), but the software UI doesn’t really tell you how to get there, nor does the documentation. Gone are the normal menus that one typically finds on a Mac or PC application. The built in “manual” tab is very difficult to navigate, and won’t let you open section headers… so I can tell that there *is* a fixture editor, but I couldn’t tell you how to get to it if my life depended on it. 

there needs to be some significant improvement of the documentation (have someone who has not designed the product develop the documentation, so that no assumptions are being made and steps omitted because they seemed obvious to the person that designed them), and make some significant improvements to the software UI. 

this is the section in the manual that tells you how to get to the fixture editor: https://www.etcconnect.com/webdocs/Controls/EosFamilyOnlineHelp/en-US/Default.htm#05_Patch/07_Fixture_Editor/About_the_Fixture_Editor.htm

the vintage sensor dimming modules you're referring to, can they do things other than dim conventional fixtures? if not, then just patch them as regular dimmers.

Probably what is most maddening about it as a new user is that normal software UI conventions like multiple selections have been completely thrown out the window. 

Trying to create a relay module - also baffling that this wasn’t included in the stock list. 

and I seem to have stumbled into getting it created, but changing a group of channels within a single patch seems to be impossible, making me do it individually. 

For that matter, I’m not even 100% sure this is the right approach - I have a bunch of ArcSystem house lights that require about 40 relays to be activated to turn them on, and then they are dimmable (they were set up as banks sharing an address, it seems)… 

is the module in your dimmer an actual relay? then you can use the NonDim fixture profile that you find in the Generic manaufacturer. of course you can also use this profile if you connect to a dimemr module, but while this will switch on and of the channel it will not make it into an actual relay.

you're using a software that's made for command line interaction. everthing you do ends up in the command line. if you want to change multiple channels at the same time you will hape to type them into the command line (or use the mouse to click channels which finally will write them in the command line).

Yes, the arcsystem was retrofitted onto the Sensor Wiring (previous house lights were dimmed from the same rack), but the fixtures themselves, once they’re on, then have a DMX to ArcSystem mapping for dimming control. 

I was able to create a fixture with two modes labeled “on” and “off” at 0 and 100… I’ll need to do some testing in the space to see how much time they need to boot up once power is applied before I can send a dimming command. 

As someone who spends an unhealthy amount of my professional life in a CLI (I’m a network engineer), I can appreciate the CLI aspect of it, but bolting it onto a GUI could have been done a lot better. 

Good morning everyone. I would like to express my opinion about what has been discussed in this thread. 

From the moment I discovered the EOS family (which was when I saw a console at a local theatre) I had never touched such a console (previous experience was 2 scene cross fade) so to say I was a total beginner is to over state my ability.

I knew what a parcan was but nothing else really. So my story goes like this.

I did some research on the internet and found the software and the online videos and downloaded it. Knowing I can't break anything because I was not connected to anything I pushed buttons and clicked on screen and followed the video tutorials provided by ETC and made great progress. Even learning the keyboard shortcuts (which I still use today even when working in several venues as a tech) 

Yes it did take time to learn and I have completed the online learning stages from level 1 to 3. I found it quite easy to do the most basic functions on the software. It has taken time for the more advance features to creep into my mind and stick but every day is a learning opportunity. 

What helped me understand everything so far has been YouTube videos on everything like what is DMX to the ETC videos. Talking to others and using forums such as this one to ask questions and get the answers I need. 

I can see how someone can be frustrated with this software especially if you are time poor and need to get it going. I had time to sit, watch and play and because I don't really like reading I hardly used the manual

As a result of learning this software and the physical consoles, the theatre is my main income where I work several venues in my local area.

I am quite good at tech stuff and somehow it just sticks when I learn it. I also find it helps to helps to learn if I have to pass on what I know.

This is my story and I acknowledge that everyone learns at different levels and paces. For me it has bee a great experience on my tech journey without too many bumps in the road.

Kind Regards

Geoff 

You can add whatever you want to a custom Magic Sheet, including console buttons. No reason you can't make your own GUI using EOS.