Touring and Change Fixture Type questions

Hi,
I'll try to answer.
Do you have to recreate your groups every-time you move into a new venue?
No if you program a show and you use spot/was/beam fixtures then any groups that you have will have changed type. So if you started with fixtures 101-110 (Robe spots for example) and you change type to Martin Vipers they become 101-110.

If you have a rig that has more of one type of fixture than the day before, Which fixtures do you copy?
I try to copy spot fixtures to spots/wash to wash/beam to beam/LED to LED and so on.
I try to use as many fixtures from my original show programming as possible.

Do you have to recreate all your effects if you have something specific like a dim chase that goes from the middle of a truss outwards?
No, If you change type and you have the same amount of fixtures you shouldn't have to alter the effects.
That said fixtures have certain characteristics. Shutters/Colours/Gobos differ from fixture to fixture so effects can look different and may need to be edited.

When I start a show I know I am going to have to change type on I try to keep that in mind from the off.
A good habit is to try and name your fixtures in a way that makes sense to you so no matter how many fixtures you are using you are always changing type to the correct fixture.
For example.
Spots 101>110 would always be the most upstage spot fixtures in a rig from stage right to stage left.
Wash 2001-2016 would always be the most downstage wash fixtures running from stage right to stage left.
So if you arrive in a venue which only has 8 spot fixtures you might change type 102>109 and ignore the end fixtures 101+ 110 depending on how you programmed the original show.

Always use palettes to program the show. Editing and updating palettes is a much easier way to keep a show intact rather than having to go through every cue and try to figure out where or what you did yesterday,

Have a master show that you start with and can go back to if everything gets a bit much and you decide you want to go back to a show you know works.

Try to keep in mind when programming the original or master show what will happen if in a few days you have a
show with completely different fixtures.
Sometimes its more desirable to have a show that clones/changes type perfectly with less information and complexity that a very complicated show that doesn't clone/change type at all.

C

Hi,
I'll try to answer.
Do you have to recreate your groups every-time you move into a new venue?
No if you program a show and you use spot/was/beam fixtures then any groups that you have will have changed type. So if you started with fixtures 101-110 (Robe spots for example) and you change type to Martin Vipers they become 101-110.

If you have a rig that has more of one type of fixture than the day before, Which fixtures do you copy?
I try to copy spot fixtures to spots/wash to wash/beam to beam/LED to LED and so on.
I try to use as many fixtures from my original show programming as possible.

Do you have to recreate all your effects if you have something specific like a dim chase that goes from the middle of a truss outwards?
No, If you change type and you have the same amount of fixtures you shouldn't have to alter the effects.
That said fixtures have certain characteristics. Shutters/Colours/Gobos differ from fixture to fixture so effects can look different and may need to be edited.

When I start a show I know I am going to have to change type on I try to keep that in mind from the off.
A good habit is to try and name your fixtures in a way that makes sense to you so no matter how many fixtures you are using you are always changing type to the correct fixture.
For example.
Spots 101>110 would always be the most upstage spot fixtures in a rig from stage right to stage left.
Wash 2001-2016 would always be the most downstage wash fixtures running from stage right to stage left.
So if you arrive in a venue which only has 8 spot fixtures you might change type 102>109 and ignore the end fixtures 101+ 110 depending on how you programmed the original show.

Always use palettes to program the show. Editing and updating palettes is a much easier way to keep a show intact rather than having to go through every cue and try to figure out where or what you did yesterday,

Have a master show that you start with and can go back to if everything gets a bit much and you decide you want to go back to a show you know works.

Try to keep in mind when programming the original or master show what will happen if in a few days you have a
show with completely different fixtures.
Sometimes its more desirable to have a show that clones/changes type perfectly with less information and complexity that a very complicated show that doesn't clone/change type at all.

C