So I usually alternate between an
Ion/
Element (depending on where I am at) and
Magicq with a miniWing (when I am using projection, need to viz, or when they have an
element and we need to run different stacks,
etc, or when the board is not one of the usual ones).
So, workflow depends on time you have, and how often you are at a
venue. A touring workflow is a hugely different beast than one in a theater you are in often. In fact, my workflows tend to reverse in those cases: In a theater I'm in, I patch first. If touring, you already have a patch from someplace else and are just reconfiguring the channels you already have
preset to the new
venue.
It also depends on the designer, frankly. Some work with groups and just tell you which
fixture in the group they want, others
re-patch to have the channels laid out the way they want. The best thing to do is try and get as much of the information as you can early.
A
magic sheet will do you wonders either way. If it is your own
venue, just to have the channels on their electrics in order to start from. If you are going
venue to
venue, then having the actual fixtures on there and then you can just change the targets, and create groups from the targets.
But in reality, it all deals with the workflow of the designer. I've sat next to a person who went light by light down a row to set levels. I have been with others that went by groups and then tweaked it down from there (which I think is a better usage of time, but that's me).
I don't often use queries. I use logical groups and a
magic sheet (Which is way easier to create on
magicq with their output plan, but that's another story). Some of it comes down to you having to be flexible to the designers needs and workflow though.