Create a Fat Frog Show File?

[vinntec]

(copy of an append to Zero88 support forum)

 

 

In our theatre I would like to remove the need to fly our Fat Frog from the perch down to the auditorium for focusing and plotting to reduce the amount of bashing it gets. We have already substituted a small desk for focusing, but obviously this is no use for plotting. I was wondering about putting together a simple program to control the 48 channels (and fixtures if I could be bothered to do it) which can save the looks of each scene and output a show file which the Fat Frog can read. It might still need tidying up on the FF, but this would be better than flying the desk up and down every few weeks. Is there a reference anywhere of the exact show file format for a Fat Frog which I could have?

 

Additional: If anyone has some info about this which they can share, I would be grateful. Of course we could get a second FF (if money grew on trees), use the offline editor to record the cue states at the same time then transfer this to the FF, or write it down in the old fashioned way. However I was hoping for something a little slicker.

 

Peter

[PaulDF]

I think the file system is only used on the frog range of desks (and the offline editor). I don't know of any online program that runs on a PC and writes a file that the fat frog will read.

Second hand fat frogs come up on ebay from time to time, the last one I saw was around the £500 mark.

[photographic08]

If you're worried about the amount of bashing it gets why not get a case? Alliteratively look into seeing if you can use the Zero88 remote software for smartphones and ipads.

[vinntec]

If you're worried about the amount of bashing it gets why not get a case? Alliteratively look into seeing if you can use the Zero88 remote software for smartphones and ipads.

It is not so simple:

a. Our perch is terribly tight and we can't even lay a case down flat on it - hence the desk has to be taken from its upright position (that's the only way it fits and only just), attach a rope to one slide and fly it over the stage and down on a little crane our chief tech knocked up for us. It works and OK we could make up a cover from foam or similar but it is already a very tight operation through bars, hemps, and lots of LX cables.

b: It's a Fat Frog so has no remote control software (other than remote GO).

 

So we can:

1. Fly it as now maybe with a little more padding.

2. Have a second desk (we are an amateur theatre)

3. Use a mini-desk and write down cue settings and program separately

4. Use Phantom Frog to make up cues on a laptop as they are preset on mini desk

5. Have a mini-desk on PC which can output FF show files with at least most of the cue information - which I could easily do if only I knew the file format it used which is binary so not obvious (and FF won't import ASCII files before anyone asks).

 

Does this make sense? Peter

[Shez]

It's quite normal in the professional world for the designer and desk programmer to be different people. I've programmed a few shows over the years as a venue tech sat in the box whilst the designer sat in the stalls and gave me instructions over cans. Is that a workable scenario for you?

[ocfe]

Zero 88 made a unit called the Frog Box which was a replay unit for a Frog. They come up from time to time on the usual second hand sources.

 

Are all your shows plotted cue to cue and do you just need to play them back? If so you could record the show on the desk in the auditorium, put the disk into the frog box on the perch and play back from there. Nowhere near as flexible as a desk, but dependant on how fixed your shows are it may be a solution..

[jonhole]

Zero 88 made a unit called the Frog Box which was a replay unit for a Frog. They come up from time to time on the usual second hand sources.

 

Are all your shows plotted cue to cue and do you just need to play them back? If so you could record the show on the desk in the auditorium, put the disk into the frog box on the perch and play back from there. Nowhere near as flexible as a desk, but dependant on how fixed your shows are it may be a solution..

Great minds... and all that!

 

http://zero88.com/forum/topic/6538-create-a-fat-frog-show-file/?p=25741