HOG2 Programming Blackout!

[spence88]

Hi Guys,

 

I have been working in a venue now for a couple of months that currently uses a HOG for the LX. Our shows run on a 2 week program and I am currently doing everything on the fly however I think the audience and I would benefit alot more from programmed shows as I could make the shows look more of a spectacle.

 

I know how to program in cues to specific cuelists and program in different shows into different pages, the only problem I am having is programming in a blackout!!! As simple as it sounds it just doesnt want to play ball. I am having problems with all of the LEDs blacking out but the Robe Movers staying on etc etc. It just being a pain :(

 

If anyone has worked with a HOG before It would be much appreciated if someone could help me out.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[phloot]

Hi Matt,

 

The general command for a blackout is to select the relevant fixtures, then "@ 0 Enter".

 

They may have the "dimmer" programmed as a shutter instead, which should be another control under "Intensity" on the desk, so try this too.

 

Failing that, what happens when they are dimmed from a fader? Do they dim successfully, or do they snap off?

 

HTH,

Alex

[Joe Bleasdale]

You also have to remember Tracking comes into force... So, you may have to use a BLOCK cue to blackout the fixtures effectively within the CueList. Page 67 of the Wholehog 2 Handbook covers the use of Tracking.

 

Thanks.

[indyld]

I agree with Joe, sounds like it could be a tracking thing. To simply sort this, record the blackout cue by hard blocking the intensity of ALL the fixtures @ 0 ( 1 - 999 @ 0 or whatever - not just the ones that you have "ON" at the time) then you might find the problem goes away. If you want to find out a more programmery way to do it, read the user manual on creating Block cues.

[Firewood1]

A couple of other things to try...

 

Have you checked to make sure that your Robe's are not being held on by a different cuelist (perhaps even a virtual cuelist), which might be set as HTP not LTP, or simply as High Priority in the cuelist options? Assuming you are not powering your rig through non dims on the console, try holding down pig and pressing release. If they still do not go off, and your programmer is cleared, then you either have them parked on (please see next point) or there is a problem with the fixture library file. This method would certainly rule out any tracking issue in the cuelist for which you are trying to create the blackout.

 

Are they parked on accidentally? Check in the output screen that it does not say parked in the intensity column. If it does, then select your Robe's at any intensity and hold down pig and press park on the right hand touch screen, then clear the programmer.

 

Another simple little test, do they go off when you pull down the grand master? Again, if they do not, then this points to either them being parked on or a bad library file.

 

If the Robe fixture has two intensity attributes, then I have found in the past the @ 0 enter command through the keypad does not always work, as it does not know which intensity attribute to take to zero. You can check this a number of ways. Simplest is select your problem fixtures and press the position key. In all likelihood you will see intensity, pan and tilt above the 3 encoder wheels. If you see two intensity attributes, then rather than using @ 0 on the keypad, wheel them to zero with the encoder wheels and record them into your blackout cue.

 

Feel free to PM if you like for my email address. I'd be more than happy to take a look at your showfile for you to try and identify your problem if these points and the others above do not help.

 

I hope this helps you out. Do let me know how you get on.

 

Colin