Programming Moving Lights on an ETC Express(ion)

[Grog12]

While certainly not anyone's first choice, the ETC Express can be, and is used for programming Moving Lights.

Getting Started
1. Make sure you have the User's Manual for the moving light handy, as well as the User Manual for your particular model of Express. The Expression3 manuals, especially the "v3.1 Supplement," are useful as well, as, although the hardware is different, the software is the same/similar.

2. Know how many control channels are available to you on your console, as well as how many channels all the devices you intend to control require.
Each moving light is going to eat up at least 12 of those control channels, if not more. Make sure you or the designer plans for this when channeling conventionals and deciding on the number of moving lights. The 24/48 has 96 patchable control channels, the 48/96 has 192 patchable control channels, the 72/144 has 240 patchable control channels, and the 125 and 250 have the stated number of control channels (125 and 250 respectively). In short, the two scene preset console have far fewer faders than channels. The danger is, though, that if you have a full 96 rack on a 48/96 console, you cannot have more than 96 channels of moving lights. And with some moving lights taking upwards of 30 channels, those 96 other channels disappear fast, and you may have to twofer some things.

3. Make sure you have updated your console to the latest software version. Current software versions can be found in the downloads area of ETC's site, etcconnect.com.

4. If using a fixture not among the six or eight fixtures included with the desk, one must obtain or create the proper personality file (having the extension ".prs"). Most fixtures are capable or being used in more than one mode, and the file must match exactly the mode. Personalities for many fixtures can be found on the ETC site here. To create one's own, download the Expression Personality Editor, decompress, and follow the instructions.

Patching
When patching the moving lights, in the latest software version, you will patch moving lights in "Setup/15-Moving Lights/2-Fixture Patch" not under "Patch." Here you will be able to choose your Moving Light Personality, Fixture Number, Patch ect. When the board says "Port" it means DMX Universe. The "Fixture Patch" will display in your normal "Patch" screen. In your normal "Patch" screen remember that the ETC Express sees DMX Universe 2 Channel 1 as "Dimmer 513."

Submasters
Due to their HTP functionality, submasters are not particularly useful when dealing with moving lights, except for the intensity channels. An Inhibitive sub again containing only intensity can be useful.

Groups
One of the most important groups one should create is a group containing all of the fixtures' "Control" channels, for housekeeping purposes such as LampON, LampOff, and Reset functions. Another invaluable group would contain Intensity channels for all the fixtures.

Focus Points
Focus points are very similar to groups, with some major exceptions: There is a limit of 99 focus points. Updating a focus point will change all the cues that reference it. Specific data can be extracted but still referenced from a focus point with judicious use of the [Only] key.

Use of The [Only] Key--Masking Parameters
The [Only] key allows one to selectively recall certain categories of parameters from a Focus Point: Intensity, Position, Color, Beam. The syntax is [Fixture#] X [at] [Only] [Intensity, Position, Color, Beam] [focus Point#] Y.

Effects and/or Subroutines

Macros
See this thread: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting/9624-lamp-strike-de-strike-macro.html#post109323, and as well as the ETC forum: Lighting solutions for Theatre, Film & Television Studios and Architectural spaces : ETC.

See also Expression/Express Moving Lights Programming Guide.pdf from ETC's site.

A quick overview of the process (much of which reiterates the above):

... which universe you use is merely a matter of setup convenience. If there's a second universe (a second DMX line) installed in your venue, running from the console to somewhere near where you want the moving lights, you can use that. If not, you can probably daisy chain out from your dimmers to the lights, then one to the next. [However, most installed dimmer racks do not have a "DMX Thru". An opto-splitter can be placed at the console, with one output going to the house dimmers and another output to the first ML.] That will put it all on the first universe, which is fine. Or maybe it will be most convenient to run a new DMX line from the second universe from your consoles to the MLs. Almost all DMX-contnrolled devices have an IN and OUT (Thru) for daisy-chaining.

As I mentioned, you have to count up your channels. The 48/96 is limited to control only 192 channels. (The Express has two universes of 512 outputs (Expression has 3), but these must be patched to control channels.) This is the main reason that console is priced lower than the full Expression3, which depending on model, has 400, 800, or 1200 channels.) How many dimmers do you have? Guessing 96, that leaves 96 channels for MLs. What MLs are you using, and how many channels do you need for each? (Some units have two or more modes, one of which will sacrifice some precision control to use less channels.) Somewhere between 18 and 32 is common. So you can probably run 4-6 MLs.

If your MLs are on universe 1, you'll set the first address to the next number higher than your last dimmer (guessing 97). The next light is that plus the number of channels used by the first light. (i.e. 101, if the ML or LED uses only 4 channels). If the MLs are alone on a second universe you can start with 1. In the board, you patch them not in the normal patch screen, but in moving light setup through the setup menu. That's where you tell the console which DMX addresses to assign to which console channels to control the MLs, and which universe they're on. 1/x indicates the first universe, 1-512, and 2/x the second 513-1024. It also gives each ML a fixture number, which is how you select them for control. The ML patch relies on the board knowing the personality (what attributes are on what channel). A few are in the boards as default, others are available for download from ETC (do you still have a computer with a floppy drive?), or can be built manually.

Once everything is patched, MLs are controlled by hitting [fixture] (softkey) # enter (or a range), which brings up a control screen listing all the attributes which you control via the touchpad. (Tapping the upper of the small pads puts you in gross control and the lower puts you in fine control.--[Express only. On an Expression 2x/3, the X/Y wheels, or external pointing device (mouse/trackball) is always in fine mode.]) That's the basic method. As we've said, you can also assign individual control channels to subs or groups, to get some control without using the touchpad for certain circumstances.

Read all the guides posted above, read your console manual cover-to-cover, read the ML manual cover-to-cover. (Technicians do not take this as a sign of weakness.) Also, here are some good explanations of DMX basics:

Doug Fleenor Design - DMX Primer
Doug Fleenor Design - DMX Basics