Expression Offline Editor

[disc2slick]

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this question, but I just want to double check. If I create a show file using the ETC Expression Offline Editor can I load it into an Express 48/96? Are there any special steps I need to take?

Thanks,
Dan

[jmabray]

Just need to set your console type in the offline editor to a 48/96.

[gafftaper]

Yep it's no problem. As a one-man show (aka High School Teacher)... I used to record all my cue appearances at school then take them home and edit them for things like time, link, follow, add in my blackouts, house to half, move my I-cues in darkness, etc... all the stuff that you don't need to see what's going on, then take it back to school the next day. It works really well.

One note, I believe they never upgraded the software to work in Windows XP and it does really crazy things if you try it. I had an old laptop with Windows 2000 that I used for my Express software.

[zac850]

Originally Posted by gafftaper

One note, I believe they never upgraded the software to work in Windows XP and it does really crazy things if you try it. I had an old laptop with Windows 2000 that I used for my Express software.

Nope, it works in XP.

For the OP, no special steps, just put in a floppy, format it via EOL, then write show to disk. Make sure to format the disk first though, unless it was already formated for the Express.

You can even put in a show name (i believe the short cut is K on the keyboard) and label cues and other things. No real reason, but its kinda fun.

[gafftaper]

Great. I know there were some problems when XP came out and ETC wasn't going to re-write the software since they were already thinking about a bunch of new consoles. But I never heard if those problems were resolved or not.

[SteveB]

Originally Posted by gafftaper

Great. I know there were some problems when XP came out and ETC wasn't going to re-write the software since they were already thinking about a bunch of new consoles. But I never heard if those problems were resolved or not.

No problems with flavors of XP from Home, to Pro to all current updates (on my machine)

FWIW, pre-formatted floppys work fine on EOL and Express. I never had a need to format using EOL or at the console.

Also make sure that after setting console to 48/96 in EOL you also set EOL system size to the same as the console (number of channels and dimmers). Having fewer channels and/or dimmers in EOL (then the console) will result in dropped dimmers in the patch as well as dropped channels in a cue file.

Steve Bailey