PC Stage Robotics

[philbyuk]

Hi

 

I'm an experienced user of PCStage for last 8 years but never used it with robotics before. I'm hiring in 4 RobeWash 250AT moving lanterns for a show in mid March 2012

Anyone got a prebuilt fixture instructions for these lanterns so I can use this in robotics?

Also, if anyone has the Idiot's guide to using robotics in PC stage I'd be obliged.

(I;ve also posted another post asking about lighting 3d simulation software - if tyou know of any good (preferably free!) ones let me know.

Many thanks in anticipation

Phil

[dbuckley]

PCStage isn't very flash at moving lights, but it does work, and for four fixtures it may do all you need and more.

 

There appears to be a fixture file here for the 250 AT.

 

To be able to control these fixture you first need to put the fixture file in the fixtures directory and then restart PCStage.

 

Open the robotics desk, and click Fixtures, then Edit.

 

On the Edit Fixtures dialogue, Click Fixture, New, and give this particular fixture a name. The declare it's type, and its start channel. Repeat for your other three fixtures.

 

These fixtures then all appear in the Robotic desk.

 

One can then change settings on the fixtures, and save the state to a named preset, like a normal PCStage desk. Once you've done that you should be able to click on a robotic preset and whatever you've set up should be recalled. You can then use the robotic presets in events in Cue Lists in the same was as you use ordinary presets.

 

Note that next to each fixture and each parameter of a fixture there is a blue P; if that is off then the preset when recalled will not change that fixture or parameter respectively. This is how you implement what more sophisticated desks implement as tracking. But with PCStage you need to do it yourself. Unless you uncheck blue P's, then every robotic preset is a mark cue.

 

In addition, all the DMX channels appear as "normal" channels as well, so you can apply additional presets on top of anything the robotic desk does, which is a neat way of doing intensity. You can thus also apply chasers. If you create multiple desks then you can do something like palettes, but without the flexibility. For four movers, all should be well.

 

Also downloadable from Lowernab is the Path and ComplexPath plugins, which provide a graphical way to generate chaser patterns.

[philbyuk]

Thanks David