Drafting Questions: String Light, Rope Light, power for practicals

[variable]

Hello,

Couple of drafting questions: I am having trouble finding a drafting symbol to indicate a light string. My Theatre has four light strings across the proscenium, rope light in the house that's dimmed, etc. I was wondering if there was an easily recognizable way of indicating that. Normally I'd just make a note here. What do other LDs do?

Also, I have 3 live plugs backstage that are used to power various practicals or stage lights that are set up during the show. I've got the old practical triangle there, but I'd like to know if there's a way to indicate that for my electrician's purposes it's just a live circuit. Some are dimmed, some are not.

thanks!

 

[CrazyTechie]

If the light string has multiple circuits of control, I'd do a front elevation of the proscenium to diagram it out, otherwise I'd just notate the plot saying something along the lines of "Light string surrounds prosc. opening" and give it the various channel/dimmer/address info that is needed on the plot. You could make a custom symbol for the plot and as long as it ends up in you key to instrumentation I'd say that's an acceptable route as well.

At the University I went to school at, we would notate floor pockets with just a rectangle, if the live circuits are floor pockets I'd do that and then, again, notate it. If they're just wall outlets, I'd probably just draw an arrow to where it is along the wall and call it the circuit for practical X. I typically don't indicate where things should be plugged in/circuited to, in my opinion, that's part of the ME's job. I'll still do the math to make sure I'm not over budget on power/circuits, but I'll usually leave it up to the ME to decide where to plug things in since that decision is sometimes easier to make during hang than in a "perfect world" light plot.