Busking w/ Moving Lights on the Ion

The way you're operating sounds like it may be an ideal situation to use Direct Selects [which are, I think, being revamped to be even better in the near future, but are busker-friendly now]  ...even if you're stuck using a mouse, and not a touchscreen, to get at them. You'd certainly save a lot of time without having to filter what you're recording at any rate, and selecting the features directly (with clicks of the mouse/poking virtual buttons) rather than selecting cues from multiple lists would be, I think, at least as fast. I'd keep the intensity sub, and free up the other faders for other things... like a cuelist of effects, maybe?

And boy, I really wish I had a "clue stack".

J

I found the user freindlyest way of controlling any intelligent fixture on an Ion to be the ML Display. It allows you to click on the 'icon' for the exact DMX address & value of that option of that fixture. It even allows you to program what each 'icon' is in that Fixture!! eg: 2 color scrollers - 1 has a Theatrical gel String the other a Rock N Roll String, Once programmed and saved it will remember which gel is at what DMX value on each gel string instead of your mind or notes(It evens gives an accurate color if you use a color monitor!)

How to find it:

 - Display

 - - Virtuial Controls

 - - - ML Display (Moving Light Display)

It helps immensely to have dual touch screens.

With a rig of about 100-160 conventionals, as well as 6-16 ML's

Left screen has Direct Selects in a Tab, lowest is 2x20 Groups for all individual fixtures plus a master.  If I have 2 fixture types, I break that up.  Above that is a 2x20 with Focus Palettes, above that is a 2x20 with Beam, expandable to show all the possible gobo's per fixture, in a line (Studio Spot CMY /Zoom), so Lava Small Static, then Sm slow clockwise spin, then slow CCW, then fast CW, then fast CCW, then Large Static, then repeats across the line for 20 DS's.  Next row down has next gobo. etc...  Then top 2x20 is preset colors, either a wheel choice (MAC700 Profiles) or pre-chosen CMY colors, usually about 20 choices from CMY

This the left screen get me quick access to the fixtures, positions, gobo's and colors.

The right screen has a DS opened in Lower Left (why is it always on the right screen ?, beats me).  This DS is 10x20 of Presets.  I have LOT of presets as collections of all the palettes, all with intensities full.  I use Recall From as well as Sneak or Sneak XX time to use the presets.  I have a number of Strobe looks as well built in.

The fader wings then have individual subs with just fixture intensity to add-on as needed, as well as Inhibitive subs for all individual fixtures as well as a master groups.  Then I dump a number of effects to subs, Can Can, Fig 8, Bally, etc.... for movement, then 2 color effects, Smooth (slow color transitions) and Bump. 

I then use the Presets or Fix groups with color, position and beam palettes, adding intensity from subs as well as movement from the effect subs.  Ot can simply use Recall and Sneak from Presets, with inhibitive subs to add/subtract and control various fixtures.

On top of this will be some conventional effects on subs as Step based effects, Sides and Backs, usually a bump time, as well as 1 sec. time for slower ballads.  I also will make up some Cue Stacks for manual timing of conventional chases/loops.  Also a bump as well as slow. 

I pay attention to recording the Presets that have gobo movement to make sure the Gobo Function selection has Encoder wheel speed control selected when I record, this way when I recall the Preset, the gobo rate populates the encoder.

About the only things I miss are an easier way to grab Rate for an effect without having to manual key it in "Effect, 11, Enter".  The other would be an Effect Freeze button that would freeze ALL movement and position until started again.

I would NOT be able to do much of this without both touch screens, as they make it all possible.  Would it be possible to do it off Subs ?.  Maybe.  Still exploring some of that.    

Steve Bailey

Brooklyn College

I've been playing around with this in offline, and it does seem like the way to go! Indeed, I only have a mouse, but I think you're right about it being easier regardless. Perhaps someday we'll get the touchscreens. Someday...

Thanks for the advice!

so what is your syntax for the following:  select a group of fixtures and change their color in time 0 and move them in time 6...  all in a single command or as few keystrokes as possible?

DS for color change and proportional sub for movement? 

what if i want to change color in different time than position in same action? 

group _F_ color _G_ time 0 focus _X_ , _Y_ time 6 ( 'focus _X_ , _Y_' can be replaced with 'focus pallet _#_' assuming you have them recorded)