[Record Only] Help

[Record Only] stores only manual data, so it's a convenient way to prevent storing unwanted parameters or channels into a record target. [Record] stores the state of every parameter. Both [Record] and [Record Only] can be used to create a new cue list so there's no difference there.

In your example, if you made the focus and color parameters manual then both would be saved using [Record Only]. If only the color changed then only the color move would be saved using [Record Only].

As to which is better, it depends on your programming style and how much you embrace the move-fade philosophy. I tend to use [Record] for the first cue in a show and [Record Only] almost exclusively thereafter. [Record] is great if you can work from start to finish building a cue list and never change your mind. I'm not that organized. So I jump around, sketch in cues and rework them later, often several times during the tech process. [Record Only] helps me cut down on cleaning up unwanted moves and unexpected consequences, like watching a mover change position or a scroller zip for no good reason, only to move again on the next [Go].

Many threads have accumulated over the years about record, record only, update, selective storing, and the relative merits of each.
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Wow, you were looking over my shoulder when that ML beam skittered across stage! Nice answer, though can you expand a bit on  manual versus none manual data. Is it only 'stuff' in palettes that is none manual.

For historical reasons we always run ELE2 in Cue Only which may alter what you said a bit. But, totally agree. We start off putting some ball park 'looks' (like upstage, downstage etc.) onto Subs which we pull up, modify and save as a very early cue. We then add or subtract from that and save as a new cue etc. Then, when we  go through blocking the cues are constantly visited changed and updated. We run 'linear' plays and musicals several times a year.

Anything in red on the channel display is manual data. That is, anything you touched and have yet to record into a target.
Your rig includes more than conventional lighting. Do yourself a favour. Embrace the move-fade philosophy and turn off Cue Only mode. It will greatly speed up your programming once you've crossed the chasm.

Anything in red on the channel display is manual data. That is, anything you touched and have yet to record into a target.
Your rig includes more than conventional lighting. Do yourself a favour. Embrace the move-fade philosophy and turn off Cue Only mode. It will greatly speed up your programming once you've crossed the chasm.

OK OK. I know, I know and meeting these consoles for the first time last year I would have gone along with tracking. I have 3 or 4 guys who used an Expression 3 in Cue only for more than 20 years! They never went beyond putting on legacy lights and saving cues so MLs are anathema to them. I am considering starting the next show file when Oliver is over as "Tracking" but even as I think about it I'm trying to work out how it might effect one of them and what sort of call can I expect of an evening when they are blocking. A good excuse would be to remind them are no longer using just (simple 1 to 1) legacy lights. 

One point (just to show off a little) you mention Tracking can speed up programming. Presumably because a change to a channel in a cue will automatically 'go forward' so we won't have to visit subsequent cues. But tell the old boys if they want that change to go forward to use the [Cue only/Track] button.

Are there any other arguments I can use to support the move to tracking?