Can you filter the fixture library on an Ion?

Patch a channel and it becomes a favorite.
Delete as needed...

Or don't delete. My template has very high channel numbers patched to silly high addresses to hold ByType palettes. So my template already has one of every fixture I'm likely to run into.

FYI the highest channel number in a color palette sets the 'swatch' color for direct selects and magic sheet buttons. My latest change is setting palettes for all the "standard" colors because they can't be called like a gel number.
 
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I'm not in at the moment and I don't add new instruments often (although I frequent "patch > fixtures" (soft key) to list what's there and update if necessary (can't tell you how long I didn't know those fixtures weren't updating when I installed updates).

That said -- I could swear the list had a "favorites" (or something) section. No?

[EDIT] Just checked the manual. It's there. Something about a softkey that toggles between "Manfctr" and "Favorites" -- Top of page 13 here also: https://www.etcconnect.com/uploaded...ideo_Tutorial/Ion_L1_Workbook_v2.3.0_revA.pdf

I've been looking for that workbook for *at least a year*, since I first saw it and it got away; I couldn't remember what it was called. Thank you!
 
The "favorites" he is referring to is NOT a filter.
Favorites is the tab when assigning "type" that shows the profiles used in the current show file (when you patch fixtures those profiles automatically appear in favorites)

Ah. In short, Favorites isn't really Favorites, it is Patched, and hence is also not what I'm really looking for. Thanks.
 
Ah. In short, Favorites isn't really Favorites, it is Patched, and hence is also not what I'm really looking for. Thanks.
Well not really, there is a difference between profiles stored in the show file, and the whole profile database. When you patch fixtures it pulls the profile from the database and adds it to the show file. Then instead of searching through the whole database you only look through the profiles you actually use. The idea is you build your "master" show file with all the profiles you think you'll use and then you never need to look through the whole database. The "favorites" I'm sure can be customized but I've never had need.

Instead of always creating a "new" show file from scratch, create it out of your 'base' or 'master' show file, containing your color pallets, presets, highlight and lowlight settings and various other things. Saves an obscene amount of time when you are creating new shows, and keeps all your time saving customizations. Having well-built color pallets, for instance, saves me a lot of time instead of every time having to match colours on various fixtures.
 
Well sure, but - for example - as a technical director in a house - that does not help me when a traveling LD comes in and needs to patch new fixtures into a show file they brought with them. I'm not looking for something that is at the show file level, I'm looking for something that is at the desk level, and *that* is not the facility which that provides me.
 
The solution to your use case may be to ask ETC to provide a fixture database editor so you can remove the fixtures you want from it. Philosophically, the patch feature and the show file is viewed as just such an editor so the feature is a pre-editor editor.

FWIW, as a traveling LD/programmer I would likely merge my show file with your stock show file before arriving since I would need it for the pre-vis work, stock plot, house lights, relays, etc. I usually keep a collection of unpatched fixtures up in the 4000's range to build by type palettes.
 
Possibly; we don't get a *lot* of touring showfiles in my house, so I don't know if those LDs actually asked for our grandmaster file or not.

That said, I continue to boggle that everyone appears to think this is as uncommon a use-case as it is; apparently, it's just me.

So many things are just me.
 
I think the fundamental difference is how often one starts from a blank file. Nearly everything about Eos is show file related, the fixture database and a few hardware settings are the exceptions.

FYI the difference between Favorites and Patched is that favs are any profile that is or has ever been called into the show file. I believe one could have a show file that only has favs, so they could be merged into any working file. Would that meet your goals?
 
I see the use case here.
Much like in Photoshop, I can manage my brush types. Sometimes I make a brush for a specific purpose and want to purge it after that project is over because I know I'll never use it again.
Makes sense to me that a house with specific models or even specific modes on models should be the only patchable fixture types to reduce immense similar fixture confusion.
 
I suspect it's largely RickR's last observation that's the issue here:

Most people copy a grandmaster file and then edit, and the patch is largely laid out.

I've spent a fair amount of time patching from scratch, for various reasons, so I am more sensitive to the issue; this is often the reason why things seem insane to me in the production space. :)
 
Sure of course.
I work in a large office building that has about 250 networked printers. But my desktop computer only readily shows me the 2 that are in close proximity to my desk.
I'm sure I could have a sticky note so I know to choose ANX-2RC5100 or ANX-MXRC5110 every time by searching through the list of 250, but it sure as hell is easier to only have those 2 choices in the dropdown.
 
I've spent a fair amount of time patching from scratch, for various reasons, so I am more sensitive to the issue; this is often the reason why things seem insane to me in the production space. :)

Dig into File> Merge, especially the advanced parts. Reusing past work is a major time saver! Moving blocks of channels is also fun.
 

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