Lighting Design Software

[joshb167]

I'm a student at a school and am looking for some free lighting design software that I can use to help me design shows and to show the teachers who want lighting what I am doing. I have done some searches and can't find anything. I've also herd of WYSIWYG but it's well beyond our budget (0!). We have conventional dimmers, some LED dimmers and occasionally hire in some moving heads. Does anyone have any suggestions on what is available (if anything!). Thanks in advance

[sirrus]

I'm a student at a school and am looking for some free lighting design software that I can use to help me design shows and to show the teachers who want lighting what I am doing. I have done some searches and can't find anything. I've also herd of WYSIWYG but it's well beyond our budget (0!). We have conventional dimmers, some LED dimmers and occasionally hire in some moving heads. Does anyone have any suggestions on what is available (if anything!). Thanks in advance

 

 

http://www.blue-room.org.uk/index.php?showtopic=3369 - "What software is available for creating lighting rig plans?"

 

 

Should be a good starting point B-)

[paulears]

You are a bit confused between visualisers, like wyg where the beauty is that you can enter your stage and set and then the fixtures, focus them and see roughly what it looks like - or you want something you can draw simple plans on, or ....

 

What exactly do you need to show your teachers with the limited kit at your disposal? Wyg is over the top, and being frank, takes a long time to learn how to use, then a decent time to get your set in, then more time to produce the image you're after!

 

Maybe a piece of paper would be better, simpler and look better?

 

There's not really any such thing as lighting design software, the software lets you see how your design would look - and if there's not much kit, you could probably produce something as nice looking with a still image of the set, overlaid with photoshop lighting - which already probably exists in school somewhere?

 

Why complicate things. Find out what your teacher actually want. Maybe all they are expecting is a ground plan?

[Cooper]

Google Sketchup is good for making ground plans and 3D mock ups IMO however it has its limitations, not being able to place functional lights in mock ups. You can import models of fixtures, desks, video panels and alike but they are non functional models.

Robe cyber control is free software (in demo mode) that allows you to make venues and toy with looks and different lights etc but it really isnt great IMO.

 

Hope this helps

[joshb167]

I've got SweetLight from the link sirruss gave and its just what I was looking for - thanks! I have to say that it wasn't just to show the teachers but for personal enjoyment as well, just something to play with! B-)

[spartacus]

Hi, I'm in a similar predicament.

 

I currently use American DJ's MY DMX Software. It's free use, you only have to pay if you want it to output to the dongle. It's got an inbuild fixure library and simple to use. It also has an inbuilt visualizer in it. Simply patch in you lights and then place them where you want them. It has a fair few set pieces but for some you will have to 'improvise' for. I think there is a way to make your own but I don't know. Once you've created the state that you want - simply press Print Screen. It costs nothing but a little bit of bandwidth.

 

Best Performance System Requirements:

• Windows XP or any up-to-date version

• 1280x1024 screen resolution

• 512Mb Memory

• Clock frequency: 1.5 GHz

• 128Mb RAM video card to use the "3D software" supporting Microsoft DirectX 9.0

 

Here's the screenshot from the website:

http://www.americandj.com/images/new/mydmx.jpg

 

Download link: http://www.americandj.com/ProductDetails.a...ory=DMXSoftware

(It's about halfway down on the right)