cedd Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Hi allI know there are quite a few Fat Frog posts running at the minute, if a mod decides it's worth grouping them all together and changing the title then that's fair enough. The local theatre have a Fat Frog, along with 48 channels of dimming. Most of these are used pretty often, so I can't trade off channels. We're now looking at LED cyc floods. The temptation of multiple colours is great, as is winning back the dimmer channels used by the existing ones for other jobs.I'm keen not to patch the new floods as fixtures as we like to work RGB+1 over 4 faders. However all our generic channels are being used. So, we came up with what we think is a crafty solution, but we don't know if it will work, we don't have the fat frog to hand and as it's not something regularly done, the manual isn't much help - oh, and we need to decide on these cyc floods before we will get near the fatfrog again! We want to address the floods from 49 onwards, soft patch the faders on the desk from 49 onwards, then program submasters in the normal way, so a red, blue, green plus a few others and maybe some cyc chases. Then, we want to patch the desk back to standard 1 - 48 channels. The idea being that we can then use the other generics but the submasters will control the cyc floods and will remain operating the correct channels.The question is - will it work? We're not sure what order things work in inside the desk, but we're hoping that if this method won't work, somebody will have another crafty method that will without it involving a new or second desk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_cahonjes Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Theoretically that seems sound and a good idea to boot. *waits to be contradicted* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I too am interested in whether this would be possible. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 why not try it on the off-line editor?However if it works the same way as a sirus then your going to be disappointed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I don't think it would work on the OLE as the Outputs only show the value of the faders IIRC I havn't paid much attention to that though. I will have a look any way and report back soon. Josh A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on. OK having now looked at the OLE it looks like it cont be done. My method for anyone wishing to try for themselves Patch Faders 1 thru 6 to channels 49 thru 54 Put faders 1 thru 6 @ 100 View the outputs on DMX view on the outputs screen... Channels 49 thru 54 @ 100% Program Submaster View the outputs on DMX view on the outputs screen... Channels 49 thru 54 @ 100% Change patch back to 1-1 Try submaster with outputs on DMX view on the outputs screen. Result... Channels 1 thru 6 @ 100 Channels 49 thru 54 @ 0 It's a shame really as it would be a handy feature. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Console Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I don't think it will work! The submaster will tell the desk that channel 1 was set to 50% in submaster 1. If you then change the patch, it will still say that channel 1 is at 50%, but channel 1 now is DMX output 1, not 49. Hope this makes sense. I think that the Fat frog is the first in the range to have moving light control - I can't remember. If so, read on, if not, move along, nothing to see here!You could set up a personality for four moving lights that only had a dimmer. As a dimmer is HTP, you could program one non-moving moving light to submaster 1, the next in 2 and so on. This might just work...would a dimmer + scroller work as the personality? Edit: One changed a one for a 1 to make things easier... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Yes you can use that personality just use the manual patch and don't patch in the scrollers as they are LTP. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedd Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 Oh well, it was a good idea while it lasted! Looks like it will have to be a fixture, though hadn't clocked the LTP issue on scrollers, thanks for that. We only use 4 fixtures at the minute, so there is a little space, or we'll have to set the floods to the same start address and do away with fancy chases, we've never had them before anyway! This is why I need a bigger desk! Too many generics! And we keep being given dimmers! The theatre incomer just won't cope and we're running out of places to put them. One is currently in the sweet shop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
u_dakka Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 can't you go back into the submasters and edit it such that it then has control over those channels? I would try with the offline editor, but I have an exam this afternoon. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamed2017 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Yeah the LTP issuse on the fat frog is becoming a real pain in the ***, Its annoying me no end and I wish we had got a Pearl. The way to deal with this ive found is to stick all your LTP LED's, on to HTP Channels on another desk, How ever we have 6 LED par cans with 6 DMX channels each = 36 channels of your other desk gone, Then your occasional LED fixtures that you use now and then meens your realy stuck for room. We use a FatFrog and Strand, The fatfrog for are MAC's and are coventionals and the Strand for anything that has LEDs. Umm maybe a futre update of the desk software will save us as its now becoming an increasing pain as LEDs get more popular. Jimmy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ83 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 I haven't fully thought this through yet so not sure if it will work but don't see why not.If you are using 4 LED floods then how about assigning each colour of each flood as a separate fixture on the desk?4 floods each with R+G+B = 12 fixtures on the Fat Frog each with separate HTP dimmers.. :) Programming your subs may take a little bit longer with 12 fixtures to go through but once done you can have colours, chases or whatever you want.Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gherriott Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 As probably mentioned aboved, no it will not work, as I have been there too! The submaster records fader outputs rather than DMX, so if you patch fader 1 to channel 49 and program it, then when you repatch fader 1 to channel one, the submaster you previously programmed will put out channel 1 rather than the previously programmed channel 49. Only way would be to put them onto fixtures. If there is an overall grand master fade for the RGB then great just use that as your brightness fixture and the rest on the colours. Can you not pair up commonly used channels onto one fader instead so in essence creating a similar thing to a submaster, then freing up preset faders for your LED's? If not then the Frog2 has a function where you can include virtual brightness channels, allowing you to put all your LEDs onto the brightness attribute. However, this would mean upgrading your desk, so probably not viable. Anyway, that was my quick 2p worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 It is a real shame the software doesn't allow for more than one HTP Channle Per fixture and also that is doesn't have Virtual Intensaties for the RGB. Would be Nice. HINT HINT! Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Would be Nice. HINT HINT!Given that the Fat Frog has been discontinued, I doubt that Zero88 are doing any active work on improving its software - they're almost certainly too busy making improvements to their current products! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham NZ Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Hmmm You would be wrong on the discontinued product so no support. We will be bringing out further versions of Frog software. There should certainly be one around PLASA. Not sure what will be in it yet. Will add the wishes from this posting to the list. Graham Z88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.