D::light request list

I could not find a topic with wants / request, so here I have one, all these requests come from the fact that I do tours (every day another theater) and it is not always possible to use all of your channels and not every theater has the same dimmers. So here goes:

1. Multiple dimmer curves

I know it is possible to select more dimmers to set a curve to, but only "[dimmer] x [thru] z". But sometimes you want to give more dimmers the same curve. For example a front, English, so the dimmers are not consecutive: "[dimmer] 1 [and] 4 [and] 8 [and] 10 [and] 14 [and] 18". If one wants to change the curve for a lot of dimmers that are not consecutive it takes a long time.

2. Multiple dimmer test

Sometimes I have to use my own lighting desk (:light in this case) to set the lights. This is before I have the time to patch and before I know the dimmer numbers. When I want to set the lights, I would sometimes want more than one light on. For example "[test] [dimmer] 1 [and] 4 [and] 8" because those are my left front lights. This need not be in the patch window of course. There is already a "test channel" window, maybe a "set lights" window wherein it is possible to select certain dimmers..?

Maybe you think: why not use the 1:1 dimmer patch and then put on the channels in the main view? Well, because I save my basic dimmer patch (almost everything is 0:0 except for all my DMX effects) so I do not have dimmers patched that need not be patched (that could be a risk).

3. Set curve to CHANNEL

Let me explain this: In my lighting plan I use some things that ALWAYS use the same channel # (of course) AND the same curve (certain lights I bring have certain curves and some things have to be nondim). Now I have to put those curves on another dimmer every day. If I could assign a dimmer curve to a certain channel I would not have to do this every time.

4. Patch multiple dimmers

When touring I always use CH 100 as my public light (the lights the venue uses for lighting the seats) and most of the times these are more dimmers and a lot of times I have to exclude certain dimmer numbers. It would be great if I could patch multiple dimmers like this: "[ch] 100 [at] 100 [and] 102 [and] 103 [and] 105 [and] 121 [and] 125 [and] 231 [and] 233 [and] 250 [thru] 300" when nessecary.

5. Multiple channels on one dimmer

This is something I have always missed on lighting desks. I cannot understand why I can't use more channels on one dimmer. I will explain why this is useful: I have a light plan consisting of 70 channels. The show has 80 light cues and a lot of FX. A lot of those channels are specials. When touring it is on a regular basis the theater does not have as much dimmers or fixtures. If that happens now I have to make a new show, checking which lights I could replace for the missing ones. This can cost hours of work, which I don't have most of the time.

Example: My front light is English with six front lights. The theater does not have six but four. Now I have to make choices which channel I assign to which lamp. Most of the time I let channel 1 and 6 go. But… There are a lot of cues in which 1 or 6 is the only light I use. So if I could patch channel 1 AND 2 to the first dimmer and channel 5 AND 6 to the fourth dimmer the problem is solved.

Another example: I have a special light on a decor piece (say ch 7) and one above it (ch 10). If there are not enough fixtures to make two specials, only one, I could use one light to do both channels. If I could patch that dimmer to both ch 7 and ch 10 I do not need to change the complete show and FX etc. If something like this happens with sound one could simply patch or use a matrix, with light not so. A great miss!

6. fade in and out curve[/6]

Actually I don't know if this is already possible (could not find it) but if it is not: It would be nice to change the way a channel fades in or out in an FX. Sometimes one wants it to fade in linear, sometimes, exponential, sometimes…

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I hope this all makes sense and would like to hear what others think about this.

Merci beaucoup!

I vote for this too!

It's exactly some of the things (the 3 first) I wanted and said in another post but not as precise as this. But I can't desagree with the other request. Event the multiple channel on dimmer but this one is, I think, extremely dangerous even if it could be extremely useful when narrowing your plans for a small venue...

@Wilf

For example a front, English, so the dimmers are not consecutive: "[dimmer] 1 [and] 4 [and] 8 [and] 10 [and] 14 [and] 18". If one wants to change the curve for a lot of dimmers that are not consecutive it takes a long time.

with the actual look/feel of the Patch window it's not possible because as you've noticed, there's only a THRU option.
what design of the patch window do you imagine to achieve that?

maybe a "set lights" window wherein it is possible to select certain dimmers..?

This can be a beginning of solution...
maybe a 'Dimmer Pool' option that lead to a window like the channel page of the main window or like any editor's channel page but instead that the white number is the channel, it could be the dimmer
just a thought....

Now I have to put those curves on another dimmer every day. If I could assign a dimmer curve to a certain channel I would not have to do this every time.

I understand.
if you have a dmx box with several universe, you can put the one that never change on a separate universe and when you choose to 0:0, only do this on the universe that do not include your 'all days address'.
but if you don't have access to several universe you're screwed...

moreover, what you said is part of another project to set per step channel's curve (individually like TGroup or in a massive way)
that would be a great feature that I keep in my mind but first, I would like to focus on motorized devices.

It would be great if I could patch multiple dimmers like this: "[ch] 100 [at] 100 [and] 102 [and] 103 [and] 105 [and] 121 [and] 125 [and] 231 [and] 233 [and] 250 [thru] 300" when nessecary.

echo with my first/second response (the Dimmer Pool)

5. Multiple channels on one dimmer

possible but complicate in regards of traditionnal patching way...

6. fade in and out curve[/6]

same as per step channel's curve idea...


thanx for all these proposal and your interrest in DL!
++
Nicolas

sl1200mk2 wrote: @Wilf

For example a front, English, so the dimmers are not consecutive: "[dimmer] 1 [and] 4 [and] 8 [and] 10 [and] 14 [and] 18". If one wants to change the curve for a lot of dimmers that are not consecutive it takes a long time.

with the actual look/feel of the Patch window it's not possible because as you've noticed, there's only a THRU option.
what design of the patch window do you imagine to achieve that?

maybe a "set lights" window wherein it is possible to select certain dimmers..?

This can be a beginning of solution...
maybe a 'Dimmer Pool' option that lead to a window like the channel page of the main window or like any editor's channel page but instead that the white number is the channel, it could be the dimmer
just a thought....

I was thinking of something simpler actually. What about simply adding a TRHU option and a curve button on the channel setting. These 2 could be on a separated part to prevent confusion between the patched channel and the "THRU/CURVE" whose function is to allow selecting a bench of separated dimmers and apply a curve on them…

Anyway, this is a simple workaroud while actually having a kind of dimmer pool as you said or anything else would be more usefull for the other features...

there is a + command you can use to select multiple channels. if you can use this in the patch to select multiple dimmers it should do what Wilf wants no?

@birt,
yes, but I need a graphical design for such an option And the Dimmer Pool seems to be a good way...

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