Using I-cue with ETC Express

[Lightingman48]

First, let me say I do not have a lot of experience programing movers. I have been using a couple of I-cue mirrors with a Zero 88 Frog with good results, nothing fancy, just specials and the like. Now I have a similar setup in a venue using an Express 125/250 and find myself getting all sorts of unexpected results. Most troublesome is getting the Express to hold the I-cue's in place during programing. Is there a feature that I have not found that will accomplish this while I set levels for the remainder of the fixed lights? How about a method to have the mirrors "snap" to the next position as the next cue fades up? Any insight is most appreciated!

 

[chausman]

To get the movers to snap to place, you might be able to make two cues for that linked together. The first to tell the movers where to go, the second to do what ever you wanted the rest of the lights to do. The set the timing for the first cue to "0" and don't put any wait time for the link.

 

[JChenault]

I 'Think' that what you are trying to accomplish is 'When the light comes up, I want the mirror to be where it should be." This is usually accomplished by a 'Dark Move' or 'Move in Black' or some other manufacturer name. IE when the light goes out, the mirror should move to the next position.

I do not know of an easy way to do this on the Express. What you can do, however, is to go ahead and record the show ignoring the movement of the mirror. Later you write the location of the mirror in an earlier cue so it will move before you need it.

It is possible to write a macro to do the copying of the values for you - but even so it is a real pain in the posterior. Read the section of the manual on Macros. It has been a few years ( I now use a stand alone program for intelligent lights that understands dark moves ) but basically you want to record the values of your ICue into a group - go back to the previous cue, and record the group into that cue. So for example ( Let's assume your iCue is on channels 101 - 104 and there are 196 channels in all) the macro would say something like:

// Start in blind, on the cue where the intensity comes up

• chan 1 thru 100 @ 00 // Clear out all values but the ones you care about.
• chan 105 thru 196 @ 0
• rec group 999 // Record the values you care about in a group
• Cue 'minus' // position to the prior cue
• chan 101 thru 105 @ 0 // Deals with an edge case where some ICue value may be 0
• group 999 at full // Put the ICue values into the cue
• record Enter // REcord it.

 

[derekleffew]

A better method would be to use focus points to contain the I-Cues' position parameters. See the collaborative article Programming Moving Lights on an ETC Express(ion) - ControlBooth .

 

[dramatech]

I find it helpful to put the X and Y channels on to individual submasters. Then as you create the Cue-list, only move the the subs when needed. In this way the instruments will not always return to "0", when you clear the board before making the next cue.

Your cue-list will need much less editing or dark move cues. If you have quite a few moving yokes, you can put them on page two of your subs.

Once you have established places that the instruments focus on frequently, record that at as focus point, as was suggested by Derek.

 

[xander]

Read the collaborative article that Derek linked to.

Number 1 thing to do for movers on the Express: use the fixture patch! This does many helpful things including setting the parameters as independent channels and allows easy use of the track pad for positioning. These are both possible without using the fixture patch, but it is much simpler if you do. I've also written personalities for the express that put a color scroller, DMX iris, ICue, and intensity all together so they are all controlled as though it were one fixture. If, even after reading the article, you still have specific questions, feel free to ask them here or PM me and I will be happy to help you out.

-Tim

 

[Lightingman48]

Thanks to everyone for the tips. I had pretty much realized this morning that I was going to need to build a cue for each special and have a blackout positioning cue proceed each as well as following. My frustration is that the Express sends the movers back to 0/0 when not told to do otherwise. That would be fine, but, this has happened several times when I am not using the I-cue in the next cue and they seem to snap to the 0/0 position as the cue fades the dimmer. I think I get "it" now so I will end the rant! Thanks everyone. Dave

 

[xander]

My frustration is that the Express sends the movers back to 0/0 when not told to do otherwise.

The board is not doing anything that you are not telling it to do. I can't tell you exactly how to avoid the situation you are confronting because it has a lot to do with how you, personally, write cues. No, it is not a tracking console, but there are many different methods one could use to write cues and some are better than others at avoiding the live move conundrum. I think setting the ICue channels to independent might help alleviate your problem.

-Tim

 

[Lightingman48]

xander, you are right, it has something with the way I write the cues. Interesting thing, last night I wrote follow on cues for all the specials. (we had a local barber shop group doing their annual fund raiser) Every thing worked just fine, or at least the way I wanted, including the back function. I was happy with that! Then after clearing the cue stack when the show was over, I brought up the two I-cue equipped instruments and guess what? They were still pointed at the last special location. I wouldn't have expected that based on some of the previous experiences.

I do need to practice some on the Express. I do use the fixture patch and focus points most of the time. Most of the unwanted light movement I see is the lamp fade time and some residual filament glow after a blackout. Right now I have the dimmers separate from the fixture but would certainly be interested in your personality file if we do add dmx iris. Thanks again!