Background effect question

that's a simple absolute effect. open the effect list and create a new effect by typing an effect number that doesn't exist in the list yet. from the choice of 5 effect types choose Absolute.

the default absolute effect consists of two actions (rows in the table), that's all you need. look at the level column, the seconds row reads Bkgrd, that's short for Background. leave that, but in the first row enter the color palette for Open White, e.g. CP 1. apart from playing with the timing that's all you need.

Thank you so much.  Now I just need to learn how inhibitives work!

think of inhibits as little grandmasters. they have their default at 100% where they let their channels pass through without change. when you lower the handle you suppress values provided by other sources.

you decide which channels (and which of their parameters) should be controlled by an inhibit. make a sub, give the channels you want to control any value (it doesn't matter which value, only that there is one). and then in the sub properties you change the mode from Additive to Inhibitive

That makes sense.  While I have you on a roll.  I make a random effect because I had some moving lights that didn't have a built in macro for them.  How do I make a sub just do intensity and not control other parameters like pan and tilt?

If you've recorded a submaster that has unwanted NP data, you can remove that data in blind. Blind Sub x Enter. Chan x Thru y AllNPs At Enter will remove the unwanted NP data.