Spark 4D Soft Patch issues

[Tomo]

On my ship we currently use a Spark 4D (v6r4 software) desk to run the shows in the theatre, and we've had a request from the new magic act for some extra scans on stage.

 

Now, I've nicked some Martin Roboscan 518 units out of the other venue on the ship and set them up on the DMX chain, but in order to patch them into the Spark 4D as actual moving lights (rather than as dimmers and faking it) I have to change the settings in Service Tools.

 

Currently the desk is set up as having 12 x 22-channel units, and no others. This results in my Cyberlights (running in S-Mix protocol on output 3) being numbered 1 thru 12, and the existing shows are programmed accordingly.

 

When I add in 4 x 12-channel spots in Service Tools, this changes the numbering scheme so that the new 12-channel fixtures are numbered 1 thru 4 and the existing 22-channel Cyberlights are numbered 5 thru 16 - this immediately breaks the existing shows!

 

Is there any way to force these new fixtures to be numbered 13 thru 16?

This will ensure that the existing shows will work, and just have some extra unpatched fixture slots...

[gareth]

Andy Stone (compulite guru) would be your man for this question - I'd suggest a PM to him if you're looking for a rapid response, in case he doesn't see this for a while.

[andystone]

Unfortunately not, the way the Spark 4D works is that it allows you to configure the console for moving lights with different quantities of parameters to keep the display as uncluttered as possible, but it numbers these in order of quantity of parameters so 12 parameter spots will always come before 22 parameter spots.

 

However, there is nothing to stop you from just increasing the number of 22 parameter spots by 4 (although I think you might have to add 8), then you can load your existing show in and it will work, then patch in the new fixtures as 22 parameter spots, it won't matter that they don't have 22 parameters, this is only a display thing.

 

In fact most people always configure the consoles for 22 parameter spots, then you never have a problem.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Andy

[Tomo]

Many thanks Andy!

I read your answer way back, but never got a chance to reply.

 

That was the solution I ended up using - I'd been hoping for something a little less clumsy, but it works...

 

For anybody else having this issue:

It turns out that if you simply load the show and merge into the new settings, the show's 22-channel units (1-12 inside the show) will be automagically renumbered 5-16 on load and everything works fine, UNLESS you have any Effects in the show!

 

Effects get completely borked as they appear to be attached to fixture number as opposed to fixture type & number.

 

On the other hand, you have to start remembering new spot numbers for your existing units, which could get a little confusing!

 

On another note, I found that the Roboscan 518 personality provided in Device Pack 8 didn't work - no ignite function at all, and it gave a continuous strobe which seemed to be impossible to get rid of.

I got around it by dropping the control & strobe channel out of the personality and using a GM-independant dimmer channel for it.

 

There's probably a better way to do this and it's probably because I don't know the personality settings on a Spark4D all that well, but when pressed for time...