learning ETC Eos, having only used Expression systems in the past?

Ravenbar

Active Member
All my experience in the past 18yrs has been with Express/Expression consoles The local HS(where I light the spring musical) has recently upgrades to an ETC Ion with a bunch of Prolight Eclipse FS, Varilight VL800 and VL2600 fixtures. Also a few Strand PLCYCs fixtures.

I'm way out of my league, having only used conventional fixtures(other than a couple LED Pars, Chauvet Abyss water projects, ect)
 
Last edited:
Get on to the ETC videos on youtube. They are amazing. Play play play. The only way to learn how to do things. They also have workbooks and a capture file so you can see what you are doing.
It all works well. The only problems will be the software in the videos will be a little old but the basics are the same.
Regards
Geoff
 
Get on to the ETC videos on youtube. They are amazing. Play play play. The only way to learn how to do things. They also have workbooks and a capture file so you can see what you are doing.
It all works well. The only problems will be the software in the videos will be a little old but the basics are the same.
Regards
Geoff
I've spent far too much time watching the videos with little gained. The person at the school, who's had the hands on training with the installer filmed the training and that's been much more helpful(who in their right mind replaced the [release][release] with [sneak][enter]? why change one of the most used keys into a key combination?) For the last 2 months I'd tried watching just the video's as the person at the school said the videos from the training were pretty boring. I watched a short section of the videos, then went out last Sunday, and both learned the basics on controlling all the lights(one I found the ML Lights display) and got every FOH fixture focused, in just a few hrs.

Has anyone found a non-Nomad way of getting the ETC EOS software to work with non-nomad dongles? Looking to play at home with a few cheap fixtures just to learn EOS.
 
It depends on what you mean by “dongle”. You don’t need a licensing dongle to run Nomad, as long as you can tolerate the occasional flash. Presumably, you mean a USB-DMX adaptor. The only one that works with Nomad is the ETC Gadget or Gadget II. Another option is an sACN or Art-Net to DMX node. There are many options at many price points, wired or wireless ethernet. If you’re comfortable with hobbyist electronics, the ESPixelstick by Forkineye does various pixel string protocols and/or DMX. I have quite a few of these that I use at the theatre and around the house.
 
(who in their right mind replaced the [release][release] with [sneak][enter]? why change one of the most used keys into a key combination?)
This was a concern of mine twelve years ago when I first touched eos, but it's not really a big deal. Eos "plays back" cues as recorded, which means you're releasing much less, and tracking by default means you need to keep values captured to update multiple cues much less. Your also much more frequently hitting the enter key, such that I don't think it's any slower to sneak enter than release release, and it's much more flexible and not prone to the oh-crap moment that comes when you hit release one too many times and need to start the whole cue over
 
I've spent far too much time watching the videos with little gained. The person at the school, who's had the hands on training with the installer filmed the training and that's been much more helpful(who in their right mind replaced the [release][release] with [sneak][enter]? why change one of the most used keys into a key combination?) For the last 2 months I'd tried watching just the video's as the person at the school said the videos from the training were pretty boring. I watched a short section of the videos, then went out last Sunday, and both learned the basics on controlling all the lights(one I found the ML Lights display) and got every FOH fixture focused, in just a few hrs.

Has anyone found a non-Nomad way of getting the ETC EOS software to work with non-nomad dongles? Looking to play at home with a few cheap fixtures just to learn EOS.
Well that is a shame. I found them to be really good and I still refer to them when I need to remember how to do things.
 
Well that is a shame. I found them to be really good and I still refer to them when I need to remember how to do things.
The problem I'm encountering is the terminology in my head doesn't line up with what they call things now, so once I start getting the conversion table built in my brain, I suspect they'll be helpful.
 
second on putting a copy of Nomad on your own computer, and just futzing with it until you are comfortable. I once laid out my basic cue structure for Cats
sitting with my laptop and video of early dance rehearsals not even in our theater space. It put me way ahead of the game.. when we got to the space, I was ready to
focus the real instruments, and tweak and augment what I had already built. So even if you don't use nomad to actually output to lights, it is a great tool for learning and or
cleaning/editing your show file, without sitting in a dark and possibly cold theater. I even did an "onboarding" with a local high schooler while on a teamviewer session on his computer.. Never had to meet at the physical theater, and
1 1/2 hours of the basics... it made sense to him and he was off and running.. Might see if someone could do the same for you.
 
The problem I'm encountering is the terminology in my head doesn't line up with what they call things now, so once I start getting the conversion table built in my brain, I suspect they'll be helpful.
I went through the transition in 2008, long before the videos were available. Eos uses a different programming paradigm than Express. There are fundamental differences that will get in your way until you stop expecting them to work the same. ETC made Eos similar enough that somebody used to Express can build a cue without much relearning. That's both a blessing and curse.

If I could boil it down to two simple ideas, they would be:
  • On Eos, a fixture will keep doing whatever it is doing until it gets an instruction to do something else.
  • On Eos, a group is a selection of fixtures. Any additional parameters are stored in palettes (i.e. The analog of an Express group is an intensity palette.) The group key means select the fixtures that belong to...
I suggest starting here to get an understanding of Move-Fade (Eos) vs Preset (Express).
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
 
I have a couple thoughts on this, if you are wanting to learn the console. I agree, watch the videos online, it will give you an idea of what can be done and how to do it. But, I think another good way is to just sit down at the desk and mess around with those movers.

I will also say this, with the terminology, just look at it as it's own thing. You wouldn't jump onto the Grand MA and think, why did they do this when ETC does it another way. The EOS software has been out for a long time, so just look at it with a fresh eye. Sure you understand the process of programming, but EOS does it better and more efficient than the Express/Expression line of consoles.

Learn and love Tracking mode instead of Cue Only. it will be very useful with the ML's. Also, learn and love Macros, and Palettes, I don't think I have 1 Intensity palette stored on my console, but "Presets" "Focus Palettes" "Color Palettes" and "Beam Palettes" on the other hand, I have a TON of those stored.
 
All my experience in the past 18yrs has been with Express/Expression consoles The local HS(where I light the spring musical) has recently upgrades to an ETC Ion with a bunch of Prolight Eclipse FS, Varilight VL800 and VL2600 fixtures. Also a few Strand PLCYCs fixtures.

I'm way out of my league, having only used conventional fixtures(other than a couple LED Pars, Chauvet Abyss water projects, ect)
@Ravenbar - If the videos aren't working for you, you could always try some of the in person classes so you could ask a real person about the difference in syntax changes. Many of the ETC offices are starting back up their in person Eos/Ion classes. https://www.etcconnect.com/Training/

Also if you download the offline version of ETCnomad (no dongle needed/free) you can use the Augment3d built in visualizer to see and practice on some basic LED and moving lights. There are even some pre-built files so you don't have to build and virtually hang your lights.

Nomad Software download PC/MAC: https://www.etcconnect.com/Eos-Software/

and

1647494312734.png
 
I've always loved the "Tea Break Tutorials," https://www.etcconnect.com/Support/Tutorials/Eos-Family-v2-2-Tea-Break-Tutorials-Series.aspx Americans should read that as Coffee Breaks, i.e. short time lessons. Though they are getting quite dated they are excellent on the basics. They are hands on lessons, that you can also use with your own show file. Each chapter addresses a limited topic; cues, subs, effects, etc. You can also jump around and dig into one chapter that interests you at the moment.
 
@Ravenbar - If the videos aren't working for you, you could always try some of the in person classes so you could ask a real person about the difference in syntax changes. Many of the ETC offices are starting back up their in person Eos/Ion classes. https://www.etcconnect.com/Training/

Also if you download the offline version of ETCnomad (no dongle needed/free) you can use the Augment3d built in visualizer to see and practice on some basic LED and moving lights. There are even some pre-built files so you don't have to build and virtually hang your lights.

Nomad Software download PC/MAC: https://www.etcconnect.com/Eos-Software/

and

View attachment 22861

If I'd know we were doing a show this year earlier, the installer was doing training for staff. It's a bit too late to set that up now, as we open in a couple weeks. Luckily the director knows more about programming the new board than I do, although I'm figuring out different ways to do things that she doesn't know(i.e. the ML controls display, which I prefer for controlling all lights, as it shows all available parameters).

In October, I was told we likely weren't doing the show, as they tore down the set from to the 2020 attempt that the pandemic shut down a week from opening. Therefore I didn't put learning the new system high on my priority list, as my day job is running a skidsteer and an industrial cardboard baler.

I've got the offline version of the software. The antiquated hardware I run(nearly all my computers are salvaged from ewaste and resurrected running Linux) likely can't handle the visualizer.

I have been playing wit LXPlan/LXBeams. Not all parameters are set up right, but it's correct enough(some elevations are wrong, and/or some positions are directly above others) to give me a plot and paperwork.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back