Control/Dimming So..... What are your Favorite Macros/ Cheats?
- Thread starterGoph704
- Start date
Okay, here we go. When I program on the Eos, I have over 100 macros that I start every show with that streamline my programming. I'm halfway through a lengthy tech right now, and I've already added a few macros to my collection for this show. They're not very cool, but they make programming so much faster and cleaner. I'll list some of the ones I use most often or find most useful.
Macros linked to Snapshots for Presets, Beam/Color/Focus/Intensity Palettes, Groups, Effects, etc.
Macros for all the different Flexi modes
Partition TOGGLE, and Macros for each Partition I'm using
User 1-5 - just switches what user I am at the moment
Rosco/Lee/Gam/Apollo - just puts Color #/ onto the command line, and it also swaps the color format from HSB into native CMY/RGB
Shutters Start Over - sneaks out the shutters on the fixture I'm working with, useful when I get all screwed up with my shutters
Shutters 1&3/2&4/ALL - throws the respective shutters onto the command line so I can quickly adjust opposite shutters with the keypad without needing to go to the encoders
Record Preset FB - puts Focus Beam Record Preset on the command line, so I don't have intensity and color in my show presets
Record New Color - puts Record Color Palette By Type on the command line, saving me some keystrokes
Record New Beam - puts Record Only Beam Palette By Type on the command line - same as above
Make Mark P20 - probably my most used Macro - creates a Part 20, Marks it, and labels it Mark - I could just mark in the base cue, but marking in a discrete part lets me quickly see where my marks are when I'm in Blind, and it cleans up my timing on the PSD so it's easy to tell when I've made a mistake
Make Hard Mark - a fairly complex macro which copies channel values into the previous cue (or one I can optionally designate), puts them in P19 (so I can tell the difference) and labels it Hard Mark, then unblocks the values in the current cue so they'll track through. Used mostly when I need a fixture to move as its fading up
Q Link Haze ON/OFF - When I'm storing hazer data into a cue list, I prefer to put it on an Effect sub (running 30s-on, 30s-off), and trigger that sub on or off via the cue list. This makes it really easy for the operator to see what the haze is doing, and he/she can easily bring it up or down via the fader as needed for that performance. This macro just links the ON or OFF macro to the cue I'm in.
Stage Out in 4:00 - waits 4 minutes, then sneaks out the stage. I link it from the "house up" cue in most shows I program
Sequential Startup - steps through each fixture, lamping it on and resetting it at 5 second intervals - useful when I have a lot of fixtures and not a lot of overhead to risk powering them all at once
Select Active Query Preset - I just made this one yesterday during a 10-out-of-12, it just lets me query my live fixtures and saves a few keystrokes
There's a bunch more, but these are the ones I use most often.
EDIT: I'm actually trying to write a Preset Cleanup macro for my current show, but I haven't had much luck. Basically, I want to find out what channels stored in a preset don't actually get used with that preset in the show, then delete those references from the preset so that I don't have extra channels in a preset that aren't used in the show. The show I'm doing now is a tour, so they'll need to update every fixture in every preset for each venue, so I want to keep the presets as clean as possible so they're not updating unnecessary channels. That's a mouthful. Anyone have any ideas how I might accomplish this?
Macros linked to Snapshots for Presets, Beam/Color/Focus/Intensity Palettes, Groups, Effects, etc.
Macros for all the different Flexi modes
Partition TOGGLE, and Macros for each Partition I'm using
User 1-5 - just switches what user I am at the moment
Rosco/Lee/Gam/Apollo - just puts Color #/ onto the command line, and it also swaps the color format from HSB into native CMY/RGB
Shutters Start Over - sneaks out the shutters on the fixture I'm working with, useful when I get all screwed up with my shutters
Shutters 1&3/2&4/ALL - throws the respective shutters onto the command line so I can quickly adjust opposite shutters with the keypad without needing to go to the encoders
Record Preset FB - puts Focus Beam Record Preset on the command line, so I don't have intensity and color in my show presets
Record New Color - puts Record Color Palette By Type on the command line, saving me some keystrokes
Record New Beam - puts Record Only Beam Palette By Type on the command line - same as above
Make Mark P20 - probably my most used Macro - creates a Part 20, Marks it, and labels it Mark - I could just mark in the base cue, but marking in a discrete part lets me quickly see where my marks are when I'm in Blind, and it cleans up my timing on the PSD so it's easy to tell when I've made a mistake
Make Hard Mark - a fairly complex macro which copies channel values into the previous cue (or one I can optionally designate), puts them in P19 (so I can tell the difference) and labels it Hard Mark, then unblocks the values in the current cue so they'll track through. Used mostly when I need a fixture to move as its fading up
Q Link Haze ON/OFF - When I'm storing hazer data into a cue list, I prefer to put it on an Effect sub (running 30s-on, 30s-off), and trigger that sub on or off via the cue list. This makes it really easy for the operator to see what the haze is doing, and he/she can easily bring it up or down via the fader as needed for that performance. This macro just links the ON or OFF macro to the cue I'm in.
Stage Out in 4:00 - waits 4 minutes, then sneaks out the stage. I link it from the "house up" cue in most shows I program
Sequential Startup - steps through each fixture, lamping it on and resetting it at 5 second intervals - useful when I have a lot of fixtures and not a lot of overhead to risk powering them all at once
Select Active Query Preset - I just made this one yesterday during a 10-out-of-12, it just lets me query my live fixtures and saves a few keystrokes
There's a bunch more, but these are the ones I use most often.
EDIT: I'm actually trying to write a Preset Cleanup macro for my current show, but I haven't had much luck. Basically, I want to find out what channels stored in a preset don't actually get used with that preset in the show, then delete those references from the preset so that I don't have extra channels in a preset that aren't used in the show. The show I'm doing now is a tour, so they'll need to update every fixture in every preset for each venue, so I want to keep the presets as clean as possible so they're not updating unnecessary channels. That's a mouthful. Anyone have any ideas how I might accomplish this?
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shiben
Well-Known Member
Why I hire people like you.
How do you accomplish this? All I can think of is using {Wait For Input}, but how would you opt out of that and use a predetermined value instead?
It's actually two different macros. I almost always just send it to the cue immediately prior, which is totally automated with a macro, but I have the same macro written with a {Wait For Input} on another page that I have used once or twice. I tend to spend my down time at the console writing all sorts of crazy, unusual macros mostly to expand my knowledge and see what all can be written, so I probably have a macro written for almost everything
Then I just shuffle the good ones onto my "main" macro pages.I wish more people would.
It's actually two different macros. I almost always just send it to the cue immediately prior, which is totally automated with a macro, but I have the same macro written with a {Wait For Input} on another page that I have used once or twice. I tend to spend my down time at the console writing all sorts of crazy, unusual macros mostly to expand my knowledge and see what all can be written, so I probably have a macro written for almost everything
I wish more people would.
Michael if I were in a position to hire you for a one-off or on a continual basis, your number would be in my iPhone.
Thanks for your sense of community here!
Some of my favorites:
- Yankee Check". An all on to 25% channel check that takes all the conventionals up to 25% in a 5 count. Useful to do a quick rig check, look for obvious burnouts, etc... Steve Literest at the University of Delaware coined the phrase. Sometimes it's all you need to see.
- Any set of macros you need to do a temporary Patch @ Zero for channels common to a position, I.E. patch to zero all the dimmers/addresses in the center cove, as example. Or box right position, or 3 Electric, etc... Very, very useful when you have channels across positions where you are not yet ready to focus and don't want to see the lamps. Or for channels focused when you only want to see the position the electricians are sitting at. Ion/Eos uses the term Proportional Patch. I keep one per position as well as a reset all addresses to full. Easier to configure when it's a rep plot.
- Yankee Check". An all on to 25% channel check that takes all the conventionals up to 25% in a 5 count. Useful to do a quick rig check, look for obvious burnouts, etc... Steve Literest at the University of Delaware coined the phrase. Sometimes it's all you need to see.
- Any set of macros you need to do a temporary Patch @ Zero for channels common to a position, I.E. patch to zero all the dimmers/addresses in the center cove, as example. Or box right position, or 3 Electric, etc... Very, very useful when you have channels across positions where you are not yet ready to focus and don't want to see the lamps. Or for channels focused when you only want to see the position the electricians are sitting at. Ion/Eos uses the term Proportional Patch. I keep one per position as well as a reset all addresses to full. Easier to configure when it's a rep plot.
kicknargel
Well-Known Member
When running movers on a Leviton Innovator (grr) this is invaluable:
fixture screen
fixture 1 enter enter
fixture 2 enter enter
(etc)
As far as I've found, this is the best way to capture all the mover attributes. Then I can hit back (into the previous cue) and record a new point cue as a mark. (Oh to have a mark button!)
fixture screen
fixture 1 enter enter
fixture 2 enter enter
(etc)
As far as I've found, this is the best way to capture all the mover attributes. Then I can hit back (into the previous cue) and record a new point cue as a mark. (Oh to have a mark button!)
joeyfergie
Member
I use macros to execute cues via midi using Control Change (when MSC or Program Change won't work). Also use it to 'copy' the light board keys to a computer keyboard so we can control the lighting board completely from our computer (which runs both lights and sounds for our shows).
But more importantly, at least in my eye, I have macros set up to be able to control the entire lighting board wireless via my iPod Touch. This includes turning lights on/off, setting levels, recording and running cues, testing lights. Basically anything that can be done on the lighting board without needing faders I can do wirelessly.
Haven't tried macros to perform more advanced functions (like multistep functions), but that's my next plan.
--ETC Express 48/96--
But more importantly, at least in my eye, I have macros set up to be able to control the entire lighting board wireless via my iPod Touch. This includes turning lights on/off, setting levels, recording and running cues, testing lights. Basically anything that can be done on the lighting board without needing faders I can do wirelessly.
Haven't tried macros to perform more advanced functions (like multistep functions), but that's my next plan.
--ETC Express 48/96--
Michael - those are awesome! If I was working with an Eos this semester I'd definitely try to use a lot of these. Want to post a full list?
I don't believe so, but then again I'm not programming one right now... rochem?
As usual, I lied. For the record it's in the CIA under Print, Print to File, Show File Archive then Macros (row 3, column 2)
First, I want to make it clear that I didn't come up with every single one of these all by myself. A good portion of them, and much of my programming style in general, is based on being taught by others who are far, far better programmers than I. Of course, I refine my style and learn more and update macros with every show I program, but many of the basic principles behind these macros were taught to me by others.
Sadly, most of the ones I haven't already given away are either painfully simple (M726 = "Color_Format") or too filled with external links (Cue Execute Enter Cue Execute Macro 410) to make any real sense. Also, a great deal of them are only relevant to the show at hand - for example, I have permanent macros for Console Works/Run Lights/Spotting Light On and Off, and Haze Park Out and Haze Normal, but these obviously get written with whatever channel/dimmer those fixtures are on. The Eos v1.9.8 software (currently in beta) also finally has startup and shutdown macros, and I'm just starting to experiment and play with those, but the possibilities seem incredible! I also have Top of Show Subs and a Top of Show Macro and tons of things like that that just park specific channels or take certain subs to full or whatever, so posting a full list would be meaningless. But I will post a couple, some that I've already mentioned.
I also have some fantastic macros that I've just recently added, which I shamelessly ripped off from another programmer who showed them to me. They won't make sense without a photo, so here's a screenshot of one of these pages:
Anyone who's ever programmed MLs with shutters will probably understand why this is useful - I first saw it about two months ago, and I still think it's brilliant. The manufacturers still haven't managed to figure out a way to standardize where shutter 1 is, even between their own products, so all these macros do is post that shutter(s) to the command line where I can adjust them with %+ and %- - practically though, I use them more to quickly double check which shutter is which. I have these written for VL3500s, VL1000s, Mac 2K Perfs, and Revs, and I'll write new ones whenever I have lights in sidelight towers that have different shutter orientations.
The 7 macros on the bottom just link to a snapshot of direct selects - I set my console up so that I have 50 macros displayed above the CIA, then each macro -> snapshot opens a 100 bank of that target on the opposite touchscreen. I have these same 7 macros on the bottom of every group of 50 (M691-697, M741-747, M791-797, etc.) so I can have quick access to my record targets no matter what macro page I'm on.
Sadly, most of the ones I haven't already given away are either painfully simple (M726 = "Color_Format") or too filled with external links (Cue Execute Enter Cue Execute Macro 410) to make any real sense. Also, a great deal of them are only relevant to the show at hand - for example, I have permanent macros for Console Works/Run Lights/Spotting Light On and Off, and Haze Park Out and Haze Normal, but these obviously get written with whatever channel/dimmer those fixtures are on. The Eos v1.9.8 software (currently in beta) also finally has startup and shutdown macros, and I'm just starting to experiment and play with those, but the possibilities seem incredible! I also have Top of Show Subs and a Top of Show Macro and tons of things like that that just park specific channels or take certain subs to full or whatever, so posting a full list would be meaningless. But I will post a couple, some that I've already mentioned.
M755 said:
M777 said:
M787 said:
M798 said:
I also have some fantastic macros that I've just recently added, which I shamelessly ripped off from another programmer who showed them to me. They won't make sense without a photo, so here's a screenshot of one of these pages:
Anyone who's ever programmed MLs with shutters will probably understand why this is useful - I first saw it about two months ago, and I still think it's brilliant. The manufacturers still haven't managed to figure out a way to standardize where shutter 1 is, even between their own products, so all these macros do is post that shutter(s) to the command line where I can adjust them with %+ and %- - practically though, I use them more to quickly double check which shutter is which. I have these written for VL3500s, VL1000s, Mac 2K Perfs, and Revs, and I'll write new ones whenever I have lights in sidelight towers that have different shutter orientations.
The 7 macros on the bottom just link to a snapshot of direct selects - I set my console up so that I have 50 macros displayed above the CIA, then each macro -> snapshot opens a 100 bank of that target on the opposite touchscreen. I have these same 7 macros on the bottom of every group of 50 (M691-697, M741-747, M791-797, etc.) so I can have quick access to my record targets no matter what macro page I'm on.
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I was moderately successful in changing the dimmer check that is mentioned in the Express manual to start a minute and half later, so that when I got to the theater, I could go to the board (in the balcony) and then run down to the stage to see the electrics to actually see what was working. It took a lot of trial and error (for me, who had never written any macros before) to get it so that it wouldn't delay 90 seconds between each channel, but only on the start. I don't remember how I did it though...maybe I should try again sometime...
I like the idea of putting macros for the shutters in different positions. (could have saved a lot of time.)
I like the idea of putting macros for the shutters in different positions. (could have saved a lot of time.)
felixgeiger
Member
on an EOS, to make the most of the flexi view "show channels", you have to get rid of channels that have a value of 0% in a cue but no other value. because the EOS is a tracking desk, 0 and "nothing" is not the same. i have a macro that looks for all those 0% in channels that never actually get switched on and removes them.
i use it usually after dress rehearsals or before the opening to clean up and update the paperwork for our rep shows so we don't focus lights that never get turned on.
felix
i use it usually after dress rehearsals or before the opening to clean up and update the paperwork for our rep shows so we don't focus lights that never get turned on.
felix
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