macro use

visigoth

Member
I would like to know what everyones favorite use of the macro.
 
If Icewolf is lurking I'm sure this will be one of his since it's off his console but he had a macro that was "cue [0] time [2] GO." We always had cue 0 be a B/O. SOOOOoooo useful when you're like I have no idea what's on but I want it out now. Past that if it's Rep plot or something like that that has constant addresses of multiple moving light fixtures a macro to destrike them all at once is very useful.
 
Working with a limited intelligent fixture set I have a set of macro's I use constantly. I have a Strand 300 board, and while it shares the software with the 500 series the hardware is not as simple to program our fixtures. I have macros to select parameters on each fixture, macros for commonly used colors, each gobo etc, and to return them to their home position. Essentially I have used the macros to create easily accessible pallets.
 
I have 3 or 4 disks laying around that are just full of macros I have built for all kinds of consoles. My 500 series disk alone has around 50 or so on it.
 
Im using a Innovator 48/96 and have pages of macros but I tend to use about a dozen or so, I was looking to for more creative ways for there use. I run about 8 different intelligent lights some scanners ,hazer and chase lights.
 
My personal favorite is the boldly labeled "Next" and "Last" macros so that way if you have to have someone inept running board (yay educational theater! This happens a ton when the LD isn't there, and in the small space the ME is the LBO, so someone on deck has to learn to punch buttons) they can do channel/dim check from the booth, while you are onstage.
Simple, yes. But it makes my life easier.
 
Last year we had a save to disk macro on our Expresses. However, when I mentioned this to another technician, they were disturbed by the thought of saving a show without going through the keystrokes (I believe they thought there would be a chance to mess it up using the macro). So, I'm curious, are there reasons why one should not have, or use a record to disk macro?

We record three disks normally (unnaturally precautious, definitely. However, I understand why we have this practice.), so should one be recorded manually, the others by macro? It didn't seem to be that big of a deal before, but now I'm concerned.
 
We record three disks normally (unnaturally precautious, definitely. However, I understand why we have this practice.), so should one be recorded manually, the others by macro? It didn't seem to be that big of a deal before, but now I'm concerned.

Unnaturally precautious?:confused: Cautious would work just fine 'dip.;)
 
Unnaturally precautious?:confused: Cautious would work just fine 'dip.;)
If student designed, the LD, board op, and Lighting Supervisor get copies. The supervisor's is hidden somewhere. The designer doesn't show up after opening night often, and let's face it, things happen. Especially in high school theater.
We've only had one show (to my knowledge) that came to a point where using the supervisor's copy was necessary.

Edit: I didn't create the policy, I just enforce it out of paranoia (or is it mistrust? :twisted: )
 
If student designed, the LD, board op, and Lighting Supervisor get copies. The supervisor's is hidden somewhere. The designer doesn't show up after opening night often, and let's face it, things happen. Especially in high school theater.
We've only had one show (to my knowledge) that came to a point where using the supervisor's copy was necessary.

Edit: I didn't create the policy, I just enforce it out of paranoia (or is it mistrust? :twisted: )

Actually, I wasn't critiquing your school's policy. I was critiquing your grammar.:rolleyes: The word precautious doesn't exist in the English language.:twisted:

As for the policy of saving to three different disks, I think you be acting just a little carelessly there. Down in Pageantland, our programmer saves to five disks. I mean seriously, how can you expect your data to be safe with only two back-ups?:rolleyes: You should ask her why she saves to five disks the next time you're in the neighborhood.

And a healthy dose of paranoia can be a good thing.
 
Macro I use most is one that hits Stage to rerack the softkeys, hits More Softkeys to get Quickstep on top, toggles Quikstep, then hits Stage to rerack the sofkeys again. Lets me get into and out of Quickstep instantly without having to mess with More Softkeys, and leaves me with the basic set of softkeys up front. This lives on the M2 button.

It used to live on M1, but has been replaced by [FlashOff][Flash].

Oh, I'm on an Expression 3.
 
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The macros I use the most are my ML strike and destrike macros and my goto 0 macro. The ML strike macro sends the strike command to each fixture, waiting 5 seconds between fixtures, then it homes all the fixtures. The destrike does all fixtures at once and homes them. My goto 0 macro is just [goto]0[time]2[*] which just saves a few keystrokes when we need to take everything out.
 
When you strike your ML lamps do you do that by parking the channels or what?

If they are on relays (which they should NEVER be on dimmers, right???) you have to capture and hold those dimmers open. Strand consoles don't have a park. Every light strikes up differently. Usually though you have to close the shutter then get onto the control channel and run it to a certain level for a certain amount of time. On older consoles, you have to do this manually, on some consoles you simply hit the strike lamps button and the console does it for you. Through the control channel you can also reset the fixture, power it down, power it up, and power up/down the lamp.
 
When you strike your ML lamps do you do that by parking the channels or what?

Well, firstly, there is no "Park" on a Strand console like there is on ETC. The fixtures that I have don't require any of the channels to stay at any level to keep the lamps lit. To strike all that has to happen is you have to put the shutter channel at full. The destrike requires two separate channel moves, so it would be pretty hard to get to by accident (unlike some fixtures). Destrike requires the shutter channel to go to 0 and the control channel to go to some value which I can't think of at the moment, and you have to be there for at least 3 seconds. So no real need for "park."
 
Actually, I wasn't critiquing your school's policy. I was critiquing your grammar.:rolleyes: The word precautious doesn't exist in the English language.:twisted:

As for the policy of saving to three different disks, I think you be acting just a little carelessly there. Down in Pageantland, our programmer saves to five disks. I mean seriously, how can you expect your data to be safe with only two back-ups?:rolleyes: You should ask her why she saves to five disks the next time you're in the neighborhood.

And a healthy dose of paranoia can be a good thing.

I didn't think it was either, but I googled it, and seeing so many dictionaries I assumed it had to be one...

Have you had your five servings of lighting paranoia today?


So, no one thinks a record to disk macro is a bad thing? Sounds good to me.
 

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