flying scenery vertical AND horizontal

[stellabrickroad]

Hello all! Long time reader, first time poster.

We have a production coming up in a few months where we will need to fly a couple of clouds side to side as well as up and down. I've been involved on the flyrail in a production where we've had this effect before, but I was not part of the install and I'm drawing a little bit of a blank as to how it's accomplished.

We have a large-ish single purchase fly house and access to traveller track. I thought maybe having a "traveller" type rig from batten to floor would work, but I'm not sure how you're supposed to keep the line taut when it needs to travel IN.

The last time we used this trick I remember the floor block/bottom block was screwed to the floor... I think... It's been a few years.

Anyway, if anyone has insight as to how I can accomplish this trick, I'd appreciate the input.

 

[DRU]

Do you need to fly the clouds up/down and left/right at the same time during the scene, or do you need to fly the track in, move the clouds left/right for the scene, then fly the track back out?

 

[stellabrickroad]

Do you need to fly the clouds up/down and left/right at the same time during the scene, or do you need to fly the track in, move the clouds left/right for the scene, then fly the track back out?

It will need to be all the things. The clouds will fly vertically at times, so both need to happen at once.

 

[viking33]

So you need to do two spot lines on track so everything can move independently?

 

[stellabrickroad]

So you need to do two spot lines on track so everything can move independently?

I'm unsure what you mean by spot lines. Are you referring to the handline you'd use for a traveller type curtain rig?

 

[Amiers]

Are you trying to fly clouds IN and clouds from SL n SR?

Personally I would put them on two different pipes. It would save you the hassle of trying to keep the traveler line from going limp.

If your keeping it on the same pipe don't let the traveler block(don't think that's the right word) hit the ground and keep the rope taut from the weight. Then just cut your IN clouds to the right length.

 

[JChenault]

So let me get the requirements straight

You have some cut out cloud shapes.
They need to fly straight in and out
Once in they have to move right and left
Sometimes as they fly in they need to move to the right or left
Sometimes when they fly out they need to move right or left.

Is that about it?

 

[danTt]

There's a way--and someone here can probably explain it/has a drawing of it much better than I, to do this. Your hand line for the traveler needs to run to the grid and through a block there before running to the traveler on the pipe itself. basically the rope runs from the near side of the scenic piece to a block on the near end of the travler, up and over a block on the grid, down to the floor block, back up to a block on the pipe, down through the turnaround on the far end of the pipe, and attaches again to the scenery.

As I said, I'm sure someone here can explain it better, and probably has a fancy picture. It uses much more rope, but it's the best way to make both movements happen simlutaneously.

 

[egilson1]

DanTt is correct. Simplest way to do is so to add a second tension block at the grid. Hand line goes from lower tension block to upper, then down to the live end pulley, then across the track through the master carrier and then to the dead end pulley. Back along the track to the live end pulley and down the the lower tension block.

If you only have one track, you will have little choice but to do both clouds on that one track. In that case you would have the 2 master carries as in a bi-parting drape.

I can dig up a daring sometime this week if you would like.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

I think this is called a carpet hoist. The track doesn't move, but the clouds are hoisted from rigging attached to a carrier. I rigged Cleopatra like this in summer theatre many years ago. The trolley with pulleys travels like and traveller. The lifting line deaded off on farcside, and runs through a sheave on trolley down to load, sheave on load up to second sheave on trolley, and to near side. When you travel the lift line is moving through the blocks but the load does not raise and lower. You can add sandbag if load is heavy. I used a windlass - all made in carpentry shop - for raising and lowering Cleopatra.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Brain fart. French crane, not carpet hoist. Sorry.

 

[stellabrickroad]

Thank you everyone!! This sounds like what we might have done. I was missing the "run it to the grid" piece to make it work like we need it to. Of course.

@Amiers and @JChenault -- yes, The piece needs to move up, down, left, right, diagonal at times... you can see where this gets difficult to wrap your head around. And all on the same track. I won't have enough space in the air to take up two linesets to accomplish it though, so I was looking for a solution that allows me to just use one lineset.

This is great though. A drawing would be baller, but I can almost see it in my head already. Thanks again!

 

[venuetech]

this is a very vague outline, to me it would be best if you could have two tracks, that way the cars could both travel the full width of the stage. with one track they would meet at center. (or as much overlap as you can get.)
we had a main drape rigged like this in HS. if you held the operating lines as it was flown out the tabs would open as it was raised, n visa versa.

 

[stellabrickroad]

this is a very vague outline, to me it would be best if you could have two tracks, that way the cars could both travel the full width of the stage. with one track they would meet at center. (or as much overlap as you can get.)
we had a main drape rigged like this in HS. if you held the operating lines as it was flown out the tabs would open as it was raised, n visa versa.

This is fantastic! Exactly what I was imagining. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[bobgaggle]

Here's my 2 cents. Keep the traveler line set stationary and trim it out enough to hide the clouds when they're at the their max out trim. Left/Right operates like your standard traveler and a separate hand line controls in/out. Haven't thought through anchoring the in/out line. Some kind of cleat on the floor or something.... Really depends on how heavy these clouds are.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Here's my 2 cents. Keep the traveler line set stationary and trim it out enough to hide the clouds when they're at the their max out trim. Left/Right operates like your standard traveler and a separate hand line controls in/out. Haven't thought through anchoring the in/out line. Some kind of cleat on the floor or something.... Really depends on how heavy these clouds are.
View attachment 13237

Yes - that's what I tried to describe above. I think simpler and safer than the flying track but either can work. With the flying track, a little drag or friction from the floor blocks or live end blocks may cause clouds to travel.