Control/Dimming Paradigm Training
- Thread starterDuckJordan
- Start date
@Lafalot would know the answer, if she's still visiting controlbooth.com.
Paradigm, LightDesigner, and ControlDesigner are intended to be used by authorized service technicians.
Paradigm, LightDesigner, and ControlDesigner are intended to be used by authorized service technicians.
Lafalot
Active Member
I'm here! The best person to talk to about Paradigm training is actually David Fox ([email protected]) in Tech Services. He can give you all the details.
I believe you can get training directly from ETC at the Wisconsin headquarters, otherwise it’s via an authorized dealer that has tech’s that are themselves trained.
I was trained this summer at the ETC NYC Office by a Barbizon representative, as training on the system was part of the system package Barbizon provided to our new facility.
I should note that I am a complete amateur at Paradigm, as it’s a very complicated program. I had already been trained in Unison Light Manager and found Paradigm to be considerably more difficult to understand. I have many things I need to get fixed on our system and will have (and have already had) multiple hours on the phone with ETC tech support upcoming.
To purchase the training, which is supposed to be 2 full days, is north of $2,000, thus and only if you had multiple systems and/or a large and complicated system, would I recommend it.
I was trained this summer at the ETC NYC Office by a Barbizon representative, as training on the system was part of the system package Barbizon provided to our new facility.
I should note that I am a complete amateur at Paradigm, as it’s a very complicated program. I had already been trained in Unison Light Manager and found Paradigm to be considerably more difficult to understand. I have many things I need to get fixed on our system and will have (and have already had) multiple hours on the phone with ETC tech support upcoming.
To purchase the training, which is supposed to be 2 full days, is north of $2,000, thus and only if you had multiple systems and/or a large and complicated system, would I recommend it.
Smatticus
Active Member
I've been going back and forth with an ETC tech configuring Paradigm for a new installation and based on all my communication with him I would avoid messing with their configuration software like the plague. It sounded like they do offer training options for people who are not their certified installers/techs but that it is very expensive. As @SteveB said, it's a very complicated program given the wide variety of things that it can do. From what I understand there may not even be an actual manual for the software. When the installers/techs have issues with it they call ETC. The other question is why would you have to be changing your Paradigm configuration often enough to warrant doing it yourself?
There's a bit of a competition in the architectural controls market (AMX, ETC, Lutron, Crestron, Extron...) to see how complicated and confusing things can be. With the idea in most circumstances being that you only need to deal with configuring it once (and then be prepared to pay lots of money to the company if you ever want it to change) there's not much value in making it completely polished.
I have tremendous respect for Jasmine Roberts, the Barbizon Paradigm tech person, who wrote the 2 systems for our facility, in the early days of our install, with no communication with the end user (me) as to requirements. That lack of communication was due to architects, consultants and college management that just paid no attention. When Jasmine and I finally connected, just prior to her getting into the nitty gritty, we were able to get a functioning system. But it's Paradigm and it's a complicated system, so a lot of finessing is required when you start actually using the building and I recognize there's only a finite number of hours they can commit to. Thus end user training is helpful, but, and this is important, the tech support at ETC is CRUCIAL.
I am aware that the remainder of the architectural lighting control systems, not being ETC Paradigm, are a complete mess and NOBODY at the college is trained on the system to make modifications. I count my blessings that I'm only dealing with Paradigm.
DuckJordan
Touring IATSE Member
Our system being 3 different rooms, but entirely open in their configuration have made the original scope of the design of the "show file" not adequate for the needs of the spaces. There is a lot of extra stuff we don't use and a few features that we had at older iterations of the "show file" that are no longer there. Our building is currently in the process of restructuring how we run events and due to such restructuring a new setup is needed (and possible to change again in my tenure here) hence the question of being trained in the building of a show file. Its nice to know that they do offer that training and our organization has funds set aside for such training.
Thanks for the quick responses I'll get in touch with David and see if we can't set something up.
Thanks for the quick responses I'll get in touch with David and see if we can't set something up.
Hi Jordan,
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Training is actually available as others have mentioned to end-users and not just authorized techs. You can ask any ETC dealer for a quote on paradigm training. It does incur a moderate expense, but this is because we fly and house somone to your site from the ETC Factory usually. The reason we require training before giving anyone access to the software, is that Paradigm installs often involve configuration with life safety devices such as emergency lighting. As the software is very sophisticated someone who doesn't know the software could fairly easily make a building (often a theatre with many people in it) unsafe, or break the config so no button stations/touch screens work. But if you are interested in learning more, please contact your dealer for on-site Paradigm training for 1 or 2 days. I hope this helps clear up anything.
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