Converting from obession to expression and visa versa

Kate,

What Steve says is true and is extremely useful.  If you are willing to go to the trouble you can also edit a show file in ASCII format with any text editor.  I have used this method for transferring Patch for example.  If you have a plot you send ahead and your local head elec. has already patched your show in his/her console, you can use a text editor to copy that Patch into your show file and save you the hassle of re-writing it.  For whatever reason, some consoles do not let you "load all but patch."  At any rate, it is a very useful tool to have a Windows laptop with all the ETC offline software and a text editor on it.  Good luck!!

I have never had luck with a text editor with an ASCII file and if there any suggestions as to which program works best - I.E. - MS Word, Wordpad, etc...   

There's also another way to do this (patch transfer) if you happen to be a user of either Lightwright 3 or 4:  (Noting that I'm not at the PC that has all these programs on it).  It assumes that the Lightwright patch is correct for the theater you are using.  If the theater uses LW then ask for the file with the correct channel to dimmer patch, or ask the head electrician to do this for you.

1) Use the Expression OLE to read and then convert and save the incoming show file in ASCII format, from the diskette.

2) Export the patch out of LW 3/4, adding an .asc extension to the file name (LW doesn't do this).

3) Open/Create a new show file in Expression Off-Line.

4) Import/Read the show ASCII file.

5) Import/Read the LW file as an ASCII import.

The LW file will layer itself over the ASCII cue file, without changing the cues.  It will over-write the patch. 

This can be useful too if you are a road house that uses Lightwright and Express/ion consoles, as you can create a Master console file in Expression OLE that has whatever system size is appropriate as well as the assorted Macro's that are pertinent to the space and console.  You can then use that Master file as the basis for a new show disk with the cues and appropriate patch.  Saves hours.

Steve Bailey   

Brooklyn College

MS Word is quite possibly the worst text editing package in the history of the Universe.

Notepad is not very good either due to the filesize limitation and the fact it uses the MS-DOS standard for end-of-line (LF and CR).

I can thoroughly recommend ConTEXT - while primarily aimed at computer programmers, I find it very good for editing USITT ASCII files (and XML files from other sources).

Thanks for the suggestion

Happy Holidays

Steve B. 

Thanks for the suggestion

Happy Holidays

Steve B. 

In fact, I've just put together a highlighter for Congo 4.3 in ConTEXT.

Extract the attached file into the /ConTEXT/Highlighters folder, and whenever you open an Congo showfile it will highlight the labels used within the file.

 - This is provided without any support, although suggestion are appreciated.