Getting Started Guide - Creating the first presets

In the last chapter we looked at controlling the colors of our LEDs. But it would be annoying to always use this method when we have to select the colors we use in our show.

So we can store our selected color into a color Preset.

Presets are divided into different types - they are called Preset Types - according to the fixtures you have patched. It's the same preset types you select on the right side of screen 1. Right now we have "Dimmer", "Color" and something called "All".

On screen 2 you need to tap where it says Presets. This opens the Preset view. This view is dynamic. So when we select Dimmer, Color or All on the preset bar on the right side of screen 1, then the preset view will change the type accordingly - notice that the title bar changes text. Try it out.

The preset view is much like the group pool. Each square is a preset. The preset contain not only a selection of fixtures but also the values of the fixtures - but only the values within that preset type. The exception is the "All" type. In this you can store all types of values - e.g. Dimmer, color, Position, Gobo, etc. The preset only works for the fixtures you have selected when you store the preset.

When you store presets in a cue, you don't store the values that are stored in the preset. You store the reference (or link) to the preset. So if you change the content of the preset afterwards, then your cues look different. We are going to try that. 

Making presets 

Select the four LED's and give them a color. Press Store and then the first available color preset in the preset view.

Notice that the console automatically gives the preset a name. You can change the name if you want to - just like working with groups.

The preset we just stored is now in our programmer. So we don't have the values in our programmer, we have a link to the preset. If you store a cue now, then you would store the preset in your cue.

The best way to see this is in the Fixture Sheet View.

Try to give your fixtures a dimmer value and a new color. Now store this as a new color preset. Notice that we still have the original dimmer values in our programmer. That's because we can't store dimmer values in the Color preset. So we have the original dimmer values and the link to the color preset in our programmer.

Now try to tap All then Store and tap one of the empty All presets. Now we have store a preset that have the red color and the dimmer value.

Make some more color presets so we have something to choose between.

Make a red colored preset and call it MyColor.

Using presets

Clear your programmer and tap one of the color presets once. That didn't change the color. What it did was selecting the fixtures that can use the preset you tapped. Tap the preset again. Now they got the color.

If you don't have a selection when you tap a preset, then the fixture(s) who can use that preset gets selected. If you have a selection of fixtures and tap a preset, then the fixtures that can use the preset, get the reference to the preset in the programmer and the output from the preset. Remember that you are not actually getting the values from the preset in your programmer, you get the reference or link to the preset.

Make the MyColor preset active and give the fixtures a dimmer value. Store this as a cue on executor 101 (top row closest to the main executor).

Clear the programmer and run the cue. Now your fixtures should be red. 

Select the fixtures and give them a blue color. Now press Store and then the MyColor Preset. Select the Merge option in the store pop-up. Finish by clearing your programmer.

The fixtures are still blue. That's because the cue we stored is still active and even though the cue was stored when the preset was red, then you changed the preset, so now the cue will give us the fixtures in blue.

Try to delete the MyColor preset. Say OK in the confirmation pop-up. 

The fixtures are still blue!

When you delete a preset then the (real) values from the preset is stored into the cues where it was used. So you loose the preset and thus the link. But your cues still looks the same.

Making more executors

Before we move on, we are going to make some more executors and change what the executor keys does.

We still have the blue cue on executor 101. Select your four fixtures and then one of the presets you made (don't select a blue one) - and give them an intensity. Now store this on executor 102.

Clear your programmer and try what happens with the color of the fixtures when you press the executor keys.

Right now the executor keys work as a toggle function, this means you can turn executor 101 on or off with the same key. There's an added twist to this. If all the values stored in the active cue is under the control of a different executor, then the executor is automatically turned off.

 

In the next chapter we are going to have a closer look at the external screen.