PC Lighting program

[juanboquin]

Hey guys i have a question I am running the lights in a high school auditorium off of a PC with a DMX interface. I am currently running the horizon program. The director of our show this year(Bye Bye Birdie) decided that he doesn't want to use Horizon anymore. SO i was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on inexpensive lighting programs that can be run from a PC.

[epimetheus]

Take a look at the Chamsys MagicQ and Cooper Lightfactory software. I've downloaded both and began playing with them. I don't have a compatible output device at the moment, so I'm afraid I can't say too much. Both seem to have decent interfaces and were generally recommended to me.

[Van]

Why would the director care what program you use to run the lights ?
Just wondering.
We use Horizon in both out theaters, We also have an ETC Express for renters and the Horizonally challenged.
While I admit the interface can be daunting, Horizon is a perfectly servicable control program especially in an H.S. situation.

[misterm]

Personally, I like Daslight. Its easy to set-up and use, especially for high schoolers. I've been running it since college and i honestly haven't touched a traditional console since, mostly because our basic lights don't need much more than up and down. We don't have any movers or "toys" so the software is cheaper and much more efficient. Daslight almost runs itself. For basic uses, v1.0 is great as long as you assign your channels properly. v2.0 has more options and is more versatile, but i've also found it to be a bit glitchy in its Live mode, jumping whole sections of scenes at a time unexpectedly. then again, that was a demo mode too.
DmxSoft | Home - lighting control software, Dmx 512 information, computer Dmx 512 control, Sunlite, Daslight, Easy Stand Alone, Dmx 512 resources, dmx soft sells lots of software based programs and offers demos you can play with and figure out whats best for you.

[cghaffoor]

Does the director know something about lighting? Not trying to be mean. I know Horizon from the inside out. If you have any questions about anything, let me know. What ver is Horizon (like Basic, Silver, or Gold) and what are you trying to do during programming?

Chris

[len]

Why would the director care what program you use to run the lights ?
Just wondering.

Me, too.

But to answer the question there's a ton of products now.

Depending on what hardware you have, you may not have to spend any money. If you have the Entec box, just google "entec dmx software" and I'll bet you'll get a lot of choices.

Most of the $$$ ones require you to use the same brand of hardware and software. So you can't use a Hog dongle with Martin software, etc. But you did say low $$.

[Soxred93]

I would have to agree. From what I've seen, Horizon is one of the best computer-based software there is out there. Unless there's a practical complaint about it, I'm curious as to why they don't want to use it.

[DaveySimps]

Why would the director care what program you use to run the lights ?
Just wondering.
We use Horizon in both out theaters, We also have an ETC Express for renters and the Horizonally challenged.
While I admit the interface can be daunting, Horizon is a perfectly servicable control program especially in an H.S. situation.

I agree 100%. We have been using Horizon for 6 years with 300 conventionals, a handful of movers, scrollers, and other DMX toys and love it. We rent other boards for outside folks as needed, but we have never had Horizon NOT be able to do what we need it to. Plus, it programs very quickly for us. Unless the director is designing or programming the show, I do not see what the issue is. The money could be better spent on other things, I am sure.

~Dave

[Soxred93]

Me, too.

But to answer the question there's a ton of products now.

Depending on what hardware you have, you may not have to spend any money. If you have the Entec box, just google "entec dmx software" and I'll bet you'll get a lot of choices.

Most of the $$$ ones require you to use the same brand of hardware and software. So you can't use a Hog dongle with Martin software, etc. But you did say low $$.

But if the person has been using it in the past, he has all the hardware, software, dongles, etc to run it, so that's not an issue anymore.

[len]

But if the person has been using it in the past, he has all the hardware, software, dongles, etc to run it, so that's not an issue anymore.

You lost me.

[Soxred93]

You lost me.

He said that they don't want to use Horizon anymore. That implies that they used it in the past. In order to run Horizon, you need a USB to DMX interpreter, a USB dongle, and other stuff to make it work. This probably means that he already has all that. In that case, it wouldn't be necessary to buy anything to keep using Horizon, only to change.

[juanboquin]

The only reason he wanted to change the program is because he doesn't like one feature on horizon. I told him he was crazy and that we were keeping it but he still asked em to look around for otther programs so i did. He has done lights on horizon before and he mentioned the fact that basic wouldn't do moving lights.(which we dont have) I'll tell him i looked and that horizon is the best i found. BTW we're running a parallel output to the interface not a usb out

[Soxred93]

Horizon does so moving lights... Is that the only problem? If you don't have moving lights and he's complaining about it's lack of movers support...

[metti]

I am not familiar with Horizon although I would have to side with the other posters in wondering why the director would be involved at all. That said, Chamsys MagicQ is free, extremely powerful, and compatible with essentially all DMX interfaces. Since it won't cost you anything you could always give it a shot.

[derekleffew]

...That said, Chamsys MagicQ is free, extremely powerful, and compatible with essentially all DMX interfaces. Since it won't cost you anything you could always give it a shot.

While I often also recommend MagicQ, I don't think it's appropriate in this situation. I suspect it's not compatible with the Horizon interface, it's not as conventional friendly as Horizon, and has a rather steep learning curve unless one is already familiar with WholeHog consoles. Now if the OP had any moving lights to control, I might think differently.

Also, I suspect in juanboquin's case, by "director" he meant "drama director": not only the director of the show, but also the set designer, lighting designer, TD, theatre manager, Thespian Society advisor, etc.-- the typical high school teacher (or community member) charged with putting on the school play.

[juanboquin]

he's into changing the program because this is my senior year and after this he'll have to know the program well enough for him to train an in coming freshman so that he doesn't have to do lights for every show

[Soxred93]

he's into changing the program because this is my senior year and after this he'll have to know the program well enough for him to train an in coming freshman so that he doesn't have to do lights for every show

At my theater, the senior is the one that teaches the freshman/sophomore that does it. If you can't, and he has to teach it... well... welcome to the wonderful world of drama.

[derekleffew]

Why is it that these kinds of issues never come up on Fame, Glee, or HSM?

[Soxred93]

Why is it that these kinds of issues never come up on Fame, Glee, or HSM?

Because you need to be a theatre geek in order to care.

[DaveySimps]

He has done lights on horizon before and he mentioned the fact that basic wouldn't do moving lights.(which we dont have) I'll tell him i looked and that horizon is the best i found. BTW we're running a parallel output to the interface not a usb out

You may just want to upgrade to Horizon Gold if you are going to spend any money at all. Upgrades are still available. Contact Tech Support. Brian should be able to assist you. Since Horizon is (basically) what the new Pallet boards are running in the background, you can still get fixture libraries and such. They just had a new release of build 205 last summer.

Horizon Home


~Dave