VW prints plots just fine. It can do renderings. It can save TIFF layers. It can do all sorts of fun things. LW is just a program to create paperwork, not plots. It'll do patch sheets,
hookup lists, accessory and
gel lists,
etc. It's an awesome program for this, and fills in where VW lacks. VW is good at plotting, set design, and visualization, but the Spotlight package is just a set of scripts that allows you to implement lighting. It's an add-on set of scripts, not built into the program, and this is why it can't do paperwork as well. I'm not saying that VW can't do paperwork, because I've never tried, because we have LW, and LW does paperwork alot better than anything else.
What soundlight says is mostly true, except that VW does do assorted worksheets and can create
Channel Hookups,
Instrument Schedules, color schedules,
etc... They tend not to get used a lot, as VW is generally considered a poor paperwork generator. Lightwright has very good interface with VW and is a far superior paperwork program.
The work method I use is as follows:
- Draw the theater
ground plan, 2d or 3d as desired, save as a
template for future use.
- Import or create the set. Usually in a separate layer from the theater
ground plan and any follow on Lighting
plot. Do whatever 3d work you desire to visualize the set. I have zero 3d experience, nor do I design scenery, so this process is not detailed.
- Open a new layer, or import to a separate layer, a 2d version of the
ground plan to a new drawing called
Light Plot, which might well be based on the original
template of the theater
ground plan. I usually have the entire
plot on a single layer, but may put title boxes, keys,
etc... on a different layer on a different scale. Think of layers as separate velum sheet pages, that can either be hidden on
screen, greyed out, or fully visible. This applies to printing as well. Thus it's possible to have elements of the
ground plan, but not the entire set detail, visible on a separate layer in a greyed out view - still partially visible, but not overwhelming the light plan. Very useful.
- Create the
light plot. Note that VW requires that after you place a symbol on the drawing - be it a 40ft.
line in 10 weight as a position, or an object as a
fixture symbol (S4/36 degree), you then need to Create Lighting
Instrument, or Create Position, or Create Multi-Circuit
Instrument. This Creation for Units and Multi-Circuit units tells VW to add a code for ea.
fixture, called a Unique ID Number. This number is sent to LW with the export and is what LW sees and uses to match up units when information about that
unit - Color,
Channel,
etc... is changed/modified in LW.
- My method is after assigning label legends to all units, as well as assigning units to positions and numbering all units, is to only include on the
plot (at this
stage) the type of
fixture, position, general focus (which way it points), possibly the color, and a Use - which on my plots goes above the color and is an abbreviated version of purpose that is readable on the
plot (so I know what the
fixture does). I do not assign purpose,
channel,
dimmer or anything else at this
point. What info. you want adjacent to a lighting
unit is designated in the Label Legend(s) you create, I.E. a circle around the
channel number (called a container), the text style and size, where it sits next to a light,
etc.... I have 20 -30 Label Legends for all types of different fixtures hanging in all different positions. They can be bulk or individually imported from drawing to drawing, so you do not need to re-create the wheel.
- Using the VW Spotlight Export
Instrument Data command, clicking on Lightwright and adding a check next to User Field 1 (which for me is Use), I export to LW
- Import data into LW, using the Import command. It should have every
fixture created in VW, with correct
unit numbering and positions,
fixture type,
etc... (You can view the Unique ID numbers in LW - only now they're called External ID numbers, to verify that the fixtures imported properly. Without matching ID's you are dead in the water.) Since I use a standard terminology between all VW plots and LW paperwork, I can merge a master set of LW data that gives me color frame info, dimming
system,
instrument types and wattages,
etc...
- I then sort by position (having already done a Position order - I.E. 1
Cove, 2
Cove, 3
Cove, Box Left,
etc...), giving a Purpose to every
fixture. I then sort by Purpose, which gives me the
channel order, I then enter channels and color. LW is very, very good at allowing sorting by multiple fields to make the entry process fast. As example, I can sort by " R21" and "1 thu 4
Electric", which would give me all my Amber backlight. I then give them all the purpose "Amb
Bax". I then do the same for the R26's, and R80's. Then I sort just 1
Electric and do a Append in the purpose column called "DS", which adds the text "DS" after "Amb
Bax" to read Amb
Bax DS", as well as the "Red
Bax" and the "Blue
Bax". In short order I have a complete purpose list, which if sorted, becomes the
channel order. Adding color becomes simple as well. This is where LW really shines, the ability to quickly sort and add information.
- After the
hookup is complete, I then Export back and Import into VW. Both LW and VW have automated functions for all this, which makes it a 2 or 3
button process.
- I then refresh the
plot, and all is complete.
- LW can then export a color order (which I sort out in a Word file) as well an
ASCII Patch file, to
send the
Channel to
Dimmer patch to the
console, and can then print any sort of schedule you desire.
- My
Vectorworks plans include a master set of drawings for my
FOH positions. I can import the LW file to create a set of Hanging Cards for the electricians to use when loading color into
FOH positions. It even counts how many of what cuts per position.
- If it's a new
plot, I can also cut and paste the VW positions into a drawing that becomes a Hanging Card for the overhead electrics, using Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical to get the
fixture oriented correctly to the drawing as the electricians stand onstage.
- Note that it also veru easy to Add units after all this has taken place, as you can simply add into VW, and export ONLY the new additions to LW, which will merge in new units into the master file.
Etc.....
FWIW, the issue you ran up against with
WYSIWYG Perform
Console Edition, as well as many, many issues I read about with Cast's pricing and upgrade policies, made m eessentially abandon
WYG as a tool, except for the required use in Emphasis.
Steve Bailey
Brooklyn College