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Author Topic: Cuelux - BASIC QUESTIONS - PLEASE HELP!!!  (Read 4598 times)

March 16, 2010, 11:31:53 AM
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ashmadness

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I am very much a beginner in lighting board/software programming and truly need some practical advice. I have read the manual for the Cuelux (just purchased the software for an Amsterdam based theater research lab - DasArts) and have some very basic questions. Please excuse the simplicity of them ahead of time.

I have to program a very simple on/off installation using 32 florescent tubes. Basically I am plugging in 32 lights into 2 dimmer packs which are connected to each other and then running a DMX cable to my MacBook and using Cuelux. I am looking to assign one channel to each light and then to be able to set up a regular (most common) cue sheet to run the show.

Example:

Cue 1 - Channel 1-8 (on, 100%, 0 sec)
Cue 2 - Channel 1-8 (off, 0%, 0 sec) + Channel 9, 10, 11 (on, 100%, 0 sec)
Cue 3 - Channel 9,10,11 (off, 0%, 0 sec) + Channel 24-32 (on, 100%, 0 sec)
Cue 4 - Channel 24-32 (off, 0%, 0 sec)
Cue 5 - Channel 1 (on), after 1 second Channel 2 (on) and Channel 1 (off), after 1 second    Channel 2 (on) and Channel 3 (off), etc.

So basically I am playing with different channels on and off, snapping (0 seconds fade in/fade out).

After programming all of these cues (roughly 100) I would then like to be able to just have a NEXT button assigned to one Button in Cuelux and also to have the same function (NEXT) in the iPhone or the Novation Launchpad Midi Controller.

This is the basic set up and programming for this installation.

Specific questions:

1. I connected the lights to the dimmer packs and now need to choose the fixture type in the Patch List. Which fixture do I add for each of the 32 florescent non-dimmable lights (Generic/Dimmer 1 x 32)?

2. Assuming I add Dimmer 1 in the Patch panel and add 32 of these I will have Address 1-32 for Dimmer 01x. Then for example in order to make it simpler I can group Dimmer 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32 as well as another group 1-32, or just even, or odd.
After this I think I need to start assigning cues - this is where I get confused. For example if I want Cue 1 to be Dimmer 1-8 (on, 100%, 0 sec) - I go to the grid view and select Dimmer 1-8 and in the Beam section put Dimm to 100%. Then should I go to Cue menu and select Add, and add a Cue 1 with targets of Dimmer 1-8, then press Record and then for example press the Play button of Bank 1, Channel 1? Is this correct? Will this then write Cue 1 that will turn on Dimmer 1-8 at 100%? Or am I doing this wrong? When I try this I get automatically: in the Cue list Cuelist01, Cues 0, with no Attributes or Targets, and then Cuelist02, Cue 1, with Attributes and my 1-8 dimmers as targets - why does it add Cuelist01, Cue 01 automatically?

3. If the above logic is correct then for the next cue (Cue 2) should I then preset the dimmer I want and then click again Add Cue, Click Record and then the same Play button of Bank 1, Channel 1? Will it then have 2 cues on the same Play button and so I can just keep going doing this with all my cues? Or am I going about this wrong?

4. After I write all the cues - and do the setup for the iPhone - will I then have the same Bank 1, Channel 1 button on the iPhone to be able to press and just go to the next Cue, and so on?

5. The same question goes for the Midi Controller - can I assign any button on the Novation Launchpad to be linked to the Bank 1, Channel 1 button to be able to press to go to next written cue?

Again I am very sorry for these elementary questions - but after the manual I am thoroughly lost. Thank you in advance for your help!

Ash

March 16, 2010, 01:57:43 PM
Reply #1

Maarten Engels

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hi Ash,

Please begin by making sure you're running the latest version of the software v1.01 build 16.

1. I connected the lights to the dimmer packs and now need to choose the fixture type in the Patch List. Which fixture do I add for each of the 32 florescent non-dimmable lights (Generic/Dimmer 1 x 32)?
Yes, I would suggest you add 32 times "Generic" - "Dimmer 01x"

2. Assuming I add Dimmer 1 in the Patch panel and add 32 of these I will have Address 1-32 for Dimmer 01x. Then for example in order to make it simpler I can group Dimmer 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32 as well as another group 1-32, or just even, or odd.
After this I think I need to start assigning cues - this is where I get confused. For example if I want Cue 1 to be Dimmer 1-8 (on, 100%, 0 sec) - I go to the grid view and select Dimmer 1-8 and in the Beam section put Dimm to 100%. Then should I go to Cue menu and select Add, and add a Cue 1 with targets of Dimmer 1-8, then press Record and then for example press the Play button of Bank 1, Channel 1? Is this correct? Will this then write Cue 1 that will turn on Dimmer 1-8 at 100%? Or am I doing this wrong? When I try this I get automatically: in the Cue list Cuelist01, Cues 0, with no Attributes or Targets, and then Cuelist02, Cue 1, with Attributes and my 1-8 dimmers as targets - why does it add Cuelist01, Cue 01 automatically?
Creating groups is indeed handy, I would assign them to the playback buttons (top of the screen).

3. If the above logic is correct then for the next cue (Cue 2) should I then preset the dimmer I want and then click again Add Cue, Click Record and then the same Play button of Bank 1, Channel 1? Will it then have 2 cues on the same Play button and so I can just keep going doing this with all my cues? Or am I going about this wrong?
Creating cues: from the main screen, select all your lights (CTRL-A) and set the dimmer fader in the programmer-windowto 0%. Now select any light you wish to have a value other than 0% and set the dimmer fader accordingly. If you have created the 'look' that you like, you press RECORD button and then the 'go' button of an empty playback (I recommend a playback button at the top of the screen because later you would like to use iPhone remote). The 'look' you've built up in the programmer is now stored as a cue in a new cuelist. Now change your look with different dimmer values and store it again by: press RECORD and press 'go' button of the same playback. Now you have added a second step to your cuelist.

4. After I write all the cues - and do the setup for the iPhone - will I then have the same Bank 1, Channel 1 button on the iPhone to be able to press and just go to the next Cue, and so on?
that is correct. albeit that v1.01b16 for mac has a bug in the iPhone support. The fix will be online this week.

5. The same question goes for the Midi Controller - can I assign any button on the Novation Launchpad to be linked to the Bank 1, Channel 1 button to be able to press to go to next written cue?
Yes that the way to go... but we need communicate the behaviour of Launchpad in order to create a midimap file...

I hope this get you started... I am sure there will be more question on the way...

have fun!
Maarten Engels
Visual Productions BV

March 16, 2010, 04:58:48 PM
Reply #2

ashmadness

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Hello Maarten,

Thank you very much for your replies. They all make sense - and I think I will manage to do this.

One quick question (Creating groups is indeed handy, I would assign them to the playback buttons (top of the screen).)

After I have a group set how do assign that group to the top playback button?

I will try to get the Midi parameters for the Launchpad for you today or latest tomorrow.

Again thank YOU!

ash

March 16, 2010, 05:00:54 PM
Reply #3

ashmadness

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And one more: after a set of cues is created how can i look up quickly in Cuelux which dimmers and at what levels are assigned to each cue - without actually calling it up physically and seeing it in space?

a.

March 16, 2010, 08:30:14 PM
Reply #4

Maarten Engels

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After I have a group set how do assign that group to the top playback button?

go to 'PLAY' menu -> press 'GO BUTTONS' button -> select a cell -> press 'SET GROUP'

And one more: after a set of cues is created how can i look up quickly in Cuelux which dimmers and at what levels are assigned to each cue - without actually calling it up physically and seeing it in space?
- go to 'CUE' menu -> select a cuelist -> press 'EDIT'
- alternatively you can also double-click on the little info-rectange above a playback

regards!
Maarten
Maarten Engels
Visual Productions BV

March 22, 2010, 07:05:22 AM
Reply #5

markbrown

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I have a similar simple question that might be brain dead obvious but can't seem to figure out.

I recorded two cues. One on fader one and one on fader two and I'd like to be able to use my korg nano kontrol midi controler to fade in and out of each cue (fader one is set to one set of colors fader two is set to another).  When I have both fader buttons activated, regardless of being faded all the way down on the first cue, the second wont display.  Is this something that's possible to do / is there any easier way to do what I'm describing?  Or will one cue always over power the other when multiple fader buttons are set to on?

March 23, 2010, 07:06:29 PM
Reply #6

Zoë Castle

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please try disabling the 'colour mix htp' option ('general' tab). I don't know if your cues control the colourmix attribute, but it could explain your question.

good luck :)
Zoë Castle
Sales Manager
Visual Productions BV

 

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