Gaff's USITT report

gafftaper

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I plan to update this thread throughout the weekend with the highlights of the USITT experience. Respond with any questions you may have and I'll do my best to answer.

So I just landed in Louisville. Had to fly from Seattle to Houston wait 3 hours then hop a second flight. Oh well I'm here. Looking forward to tomorrow.
 
The expo hall is open and the mad rush to get bags from Syracuse Scenery and Stage Lighting is on! IMG_20190321_105804.jpg IMG_20190321_110037.jpg
 
BTW the insert credit card for cellphone stand does NOT work with a Galaxy 9... :)
It doesn't work with any of the larger phones. But the rest of it is cool.
 
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Just watched the demo for ETC's new Eos Augment3d software. It's a FREE fully visualizer that will be fully integrated into Eos. It's a huge game changer for the industry. It does basically everything the other visualization tools do and did I mention that it's FREE and fully integrated with EOS? It's a bad day for the other visualization software competition.

And the cool toy, it has a magic wand! You can take a phone and run AR software on it, select a fixture in your rig and point to where you want it on the stage and the fixture moves there. It's fun, and a great tool for setting focus points. IMG_20190322_133805.jpg IMG_20190322_134019.jpg
 
Re: Augment3d, does it work with all the EOS line. For instance the Element 2 and Nomad? It's so new that nothing is posted yet at etcconnect.
 
Re: Augment3d, does it work with all the EOS line. For instance the Element 2 and Nomad? It's so new that nothing is posted yet at etcconnect.

There's an FAQ here: http://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Consoles/Eos-Family/Augment3d/FAQs.aspx

"Augment3d can be installed on any Eos family consoles that have a DisplayPort on the back and are running Windows 7 or newer. Alternatively, Augment3d can be installed on a separate Mac or PC and connected to a console network."
 
It's still in development for 3.0. This is a tease about a feature that is yet to be released. You're not going to get too many details yet.

I would speculate it works on any Eos platform to varying degrees depending on the CPU and GPU. So it technically ought to work on Element 2 and Nomad.
 
Any way to see a video of the presentation? I have a theater I'm interested in this for and would love to show them the presentation since they aren't here. I may be able to get it myself tomorrow but just haven't been over there when they are doing it.
 
It's a FREE fully visualizer that will be fully integrated into Eos. It's a huge game changer for the industry.
Oh, you mean that which grandMA has had since (at least) 2005? I'm sure it will be nice and all but how how exactly is this a "huge game changer for the industry"?

"Magic wand" OTOH, I got yer magic wand right here....
 
I'm sure it will be nice and all but how how exactly is this a "huge game changer for the industry"?

It's ETC this time. The biggest manufacturer of consoles this time. There is a HUGE portion of our industry who will suddenly have free access to a visualizer. People who would not have ever purchased a visualizer will have one for free. It won't take away all the business from the other visualizer companies, but it could easily take 10%?, 20%? , 30%? of their business. No one in this industry is rolling in cash so hard they can just give up 20% of their customers.

It's also one more reason for people to buy ETC products over their competitors. So it could be a hit to sales to other console manufacturers.

The best benefits: lots of schools, small colleges, universities, smaller theaters, and HOW's will now have the ability to improve the quality of their designs. Many future technicians will have access to learn on a visualizer much easier than before.
 
Any way to see a video of the presentation? I have a theater I'm interested in this for and would love to show them the presentation since they aren't here. I may be able to get it myself tomorrow but just haven't been over there when they are doing it.
Hey friends at ETC, will you be posting a video of the Augment3d presentation online? If yes please share it here or send me a link and I will post it.
 
Oh, you mean that which grandMA has had since (at least) 2005? I'm sure it will be nice and all but how how exactly is this a "huge game changer for the industry"?

"Magic wand" OTOH, I got yer magic wand right here....

AVO has had a version of Capture built in for about 3 years now as well. And had a basic wire frame visualizer built in for years before that. They also used to have an AR style thing before AR was a thing. It used a Wacom tablet. You could draw out your stage, set a few locations with each fixture to help it learn the layout. Then just point your fixture wherever you wanted it. It also had a color picker, some playback buttons, and some other fun stuff. And that was back in the mid 90s.

So like derekleffew I don't really see anything groundbreaking here. It's cool that the theater world will have more access to a visualizer. But I see it more as catching up to the competition with the checkbox for visualizer ticked than anything else.
 
Had an awesome time on the tour of ZFX today.

They have this insane collection of true master craftsmen building things by hand with great old tools made the right way and designed to last forever. Their lathe was made in 1942, their table saw was from the 50's, their welding table is about 100 years old made during WWI as part of the material they used to weld shops together. IMG_20190322_083926.jpg

The founder Robert Dean has a collection of old chain motors, hoists, and rigging gear:
IMG_20190322_092945.jpg IMG_20190322_092940.jpg
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We also went into their dojo and watched a flying demo.
IMG_20190322_095507.jpg

Every rigger I know has a passion about work ethics. Doing things the right way. Focus. Intensity. I was amazed to see that same love and passion obviously on display in every department of the company. From welding to the stitches in the harness, the intense passion for doing it correctly in every sense is on display all over that building.
 

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The thing I found on the floor and immediately ordered:

it's the RapcoHorizon LTIGLBLOX. It's the sound gadget you didn't know you were desperate to buy. But look at these pictures:
IMG_20190322_163247.jpg
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@dvsDave and I always love to look for new gadgets that you didn't know existed and can make life much easier. So far, this year's winner is a pair of products from I Gerrietes, called the Pipe Cat and Pipe Clamp.
It's a simple quick clamp for hanging curtains. Comes in a grommet version ("cat") and a grip version ("clamp"). Locks on pipe quickly, comes off quickly. Rated at 22 pounds. $9. Awesome! I plan on ordering some Pipe Clamps for hanging banners in my theater.
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@dvsDave and I always love to look for new gadgets that you didn't know existed and can make life much easier. So far, this year's winner is a pair of products from I Gerrietes, called the Pipe Cat and Pipe Clamp.
It's a simple quick clamp for hanging curtains Comes in a grommet version ("cat") and a grip version ("clamp"). Locks on pipe quickly, comes off quickly. Rated at 22 pounds. $9. Awesome! I plan on ordering some Pipe Clamps for hanging banners in my theater.
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What booth are they in? I think I'll head over and take a look.
 

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