LightFactory and eLumen8

[Zulu]

Hi,

I've got the LightFactory Software for cueing up my scenes, and managing my meager collection of RGB led fixtures.

 

I'm considering splashing out on the eLumen8 Tri-Colour Battens, for Cyc lighting, colour wash, footlights etc.

 

Does anyone know . .

1. where I can download the fixture profile? and

2. how to upload it into the LightFactory Fixture Library?

 

many thanks, Zulu

[peza2010]

im not up on lightfactory software, but I presume their website will have a fixture library to download.

 

if the naming structure is similar to avo's, then it will be under

 

PROLIGHT>ELUMEN8

 

and not under just elumen8.

 

oh and for the record, the battens are fantastic for the money. we've got 16 of them along with 12 of the kudos150 moving heads from the elumen8 range.

[patrick_keys]

If you've got the datasheet/channel mapping for the eLumen8, it's very easy to write your own fixture file for Lightfactory. I don't have the software open in front of me right now, but PM me if you need some pointers to get started.

[Zulu]

Thanks for tehr esponses, guys. Both v.helpful. I've also contacted LightFactory, who acknlwledge the eLumen8 equipment is not on their playlist.

I'll get hold of the channel mapping, and maybe contact you, Patrick, to see if we can do what's needed.

Peza 2010, appreciate the positive comments on the kit.

 

cheers, Zulu.

[patrick_keys]

Thanks for tehr esponses, guys. Both v.helpful. I've also contacted LightFactory, who acknlwledge the eLumen8 equipment is not on their playlist.

I'll get hold of the channel mapping, and maybe contact you, Patrick, to see if we can do what's needed.

Peza 2010, appreciate the positive comments on the kit.

 

cheers, Zulu.

 

Just let me know if I can help - it's easier than you might think to add a new fixture.

[kaareolai]

I'll get hold of the channel mapping, and maybe contact you, Patrick, to see if we can do what's needed.

 

Is it this fixture?

 

ELUM080-um0.pdf

 

Just by a quick look, some of the modes seemed easy to make even as one personality. 24 and 27 channel mode would only be best implemented in LightFactory as 2 personalities: ie: "master + lamp/detail unit".

 

(Kudos to Patrick also! :-) )

 

 

Regards Kåre Olai

[Zulu]

Many thanks, Kåre, for your response.

 

I've progressed a bit, in that I have now purchased the battens, and hung some of them in my theatre. I have a mixture of the 8 Pixel version (your data sheet attached is correct), and also the 4 Pixel versions.

 

I have decided to use them (initially) in 5-channel mode, which offers Offsets1,2,3 for RGB, Offset 4 for dimmer, and Offset 5 split between strobe and sound-active. I have (succesfully, I think), built the fixture profile in the Lightfactory Fixture Editor, and added them to the library.

 

Patching them on different Channels, I can operate them independantly.

However, when giving the different fixtures the same colour settings (DMX Mode, of course), I am disappointed to get a mis-match of colours. In fact, the 8 Pixel batten seems to be mis-behaving badly)

 

Not sure if this is a fixture fault (brand new),

or a software problem (LightFactory seems pretty robust),

or a rigging problem (installing new DMX cabling for the first time),

or me doing something wrong. (I've built the Fixture in the LightFactory Fixture editor, set the Mode and Channel on the fixtures, Patched the units into my show, and played with the levels in the Channel View screens.)

 

Any thoughts?

 

Also, what is normal for powering down such fixtures at the end of the night? Cutting the signal obviously puts them to darkness, but they are still connected to the mains. Does leving them powered at all times cause any signal refresh problems? or use a significant amount of juice? Or do I need to disconnect the power to each fixture at the end of every performance?

 

Any thoughts apreciated.

 

Zulu.

[ianknight]

When you say that you get a "mismatch" of colours - do you mean that when you expect to see all the cells on the Tri 8 in Red that some are blue or green or do you get "almost" the same colour but slight tint variations?

 

I installed 6 of these in a school the other week and they fired up first time - reds were red and so on, the only hiccup was that my addressing was out by one channel on each unit, generally the eLumen8 stuff is reliable "out of the box".

 

The only 'issue' that I can imagine you might experience is if LightFactory is applying a dimming curve to the colour channels of your fixtures (it's been a long while since I saw LightFactory) which might cause the cells to behave in a non-linear way and so could feasibly cause tinting. It might be worth checking the fixture definition for this and ensure that it's using the same law across all your fixture cells.

[kaareolai]

The only 'issue' that I can imagine you might experience is if LightFactory is applying a dimming curve to the colour channels of your fixtures (it's been a long while since I saw LightFactory) which might cause the cells to behave in a non-linear way and so could feasibly cause tinting. It might be worth checking the fixture definition for this and ensure that it's using the same law across all your fixture cells.

 

Let's hope Zulu comes back with more info on how the mismatch is shown... :-)

 

But what do you mean by LightFactory is applying dimming curve to the colour channels? If "Virtual dimmer to inhibit colours" is set in "System Settings", AND the fixture does not have a dimmer channel in the personality (in the used personality mode, that is), I do agree a dimmer curve (LF: "Profile") does influence the individual patched fixture. That because the fading up/down of the "fictive" dimmer will control the colour intensity directly, in conjuction with the slide setting level of the colour itself. But to my awareness you cannot set a dimmercurve of the offset colour channel directly in fixture editor or the patching, unless you are "creative" ;-) and examplewise edit the colour as a dimmer attribute type etc in the Fixture (personality) Editor.

 

 

Zulu:

But here OP has set a 5 ch mode with separate dimmer channel, which of course need to be patched with "Linear Profile" dimmer curve per fixture, but that is also standard. I presume the best setup for OP for testing is to check dimmer curve/law as ianknight suggest, and then choose all fixtures of one type in Channel Display and set values in the Channel detail window (fixture control window) that appears. Then all params for identical fixtures should be set exactly to same settings.

 

Maybe even better way, to do first, is to set all similar fixtures to same DMXaddress, I believe this is best way to rule out possible errors from any chosen DMX desk to check visual differences in similar fixtures. Goods and bads should then be shown on every fixture. Next then look if fixtures themselves are all set to same mode etc.

 

 

Regards Kåre Olai

[Zulu]

Thanks, guys.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "OP".

So far I have 2 x 4Cell Battens, and 1 x 8Cell batten connected. Although they are different fixtures (identical except for the number of cells), they have identical profiles (in the 5-Channel mode). So I expect to be able match them.

 

The two 4-cell fixtures match perfectly. The 8 cell fixture at first appeared to be just a subtle shade of blue different. So I suspected slightly different manufacturing batch, and I was able to "manually" match the colour using the colour control. However, the colour difference was more exagerated in Red shades, and in green shades, was actually shining other shades of red. No sign of green. I was unable to manually complete a match.

 

I had to abandon my testing last Sunday, and won't return till this Friday. I will check the dimmer profiles, but I'm pretty sure they're all linear. I haven't (knowingly) changed any.

 

I like the idea of testing all units on the same DMX channel. I was unsure of doing this, because they are different fixtures (4-cell and 8-cell). As the fixture profile (in 5-channel mode) is identical, should this be ok ? Note, I have generated the profiles myself ! so there is potential for ######-up there. But I believe them to be good.

 

Also, I'm still not sure of the best strategy for "putting the fixtures to bed" between performances? Go round unplugging? Leave powered, but DMX signal switched off? Does sequence of DMX signal / Power up affect the behaviour? Any " Refreshes" needed after editting fixture profile, patching, etc ?

 

many thanks, Zulu.

 

Also . . . .

I've just received a new fixture profile for the 5-Channel mode from Martin Searancke, the LightFactory developer. So I'll install this on Friday, and ditch my "home-made" profile. Martin assures me the same 5-channel profile will be ok for both the 4-Cell and 8-Cell fixtures.

 

Fingers crossed. I'll report back at the weekend.

 

thanks, Zulu.

[ianknight]

Yep - the profile should be the same for the 4 and 8 cell variants in 5 channel mode so no worries there.

 

As to powering them up/down - most of our users leave them turned off until they need to use them, no harm seems to come from that. The only thing you will notice is that they briefly flash all cells to full when powered up so you may not necessarily want to do this under a show state.

 

Whether they're receiving DMX or not makes no never mind - the DMX signal is essentially a 'vampire tap' on the line i.e. it doesn't go in to a processor and back out again so the signal will always pass through as long as it's a good signal getting to them.

 

(OP means "Original Poster" - in this case you... and not Opposite Prompt or Over Powered :) )

[Zulu]

Gotcha. Thanks, Ian.

very helpful.

 

O.P.

[Zulu]

Hi, folks.

I think I've got to the bottom of most of my problems: after dialog with my supplier, I now suspect faulty goods. Sounds like I've got at least 2 faulty units, displaying the wrong colours. So, after my current production, I will be returning them. What a nause !

 

Anyway, thanks for the help, I learnt quite a bit during this process. Hopefully all will be smooth in the future.

 

cheers, Dave