• grandMA2 User Manual
    • New in the Manual
    • Introduction
      • About this manual
      • System requirements grandMA2 onPC
      • Installation of grandMA2 onPC
      • Help from MA technical support
    • Safety Information
      • Symbols used
      • Intended use
      • Dangers caused by electric current
      • General safety instructions
    • Device Overview
      • grandMA2 console
      • grandMA2 replay unit (RPU)
      • grandMA2 fader wing
      • MA onPC command wing
      • MA onPC fader wing
    • System Overview
      • Standalone systems
      • Network systems
        • What is the replay unit (RPU)
        • What is the network processing unit (NPU)
        • What is the MA video processing unit (VPU)
        • What is the network dimmer processor (NDP)
        • What is MA 3D
        • What are the MA nodes
      • Parameters vs. DMX channels
      • Parameter expansion
      • Big systems
      • Media systems and CITP
    • First Steps
      • Unpack the device
      • Check scope of delivery
      • Position the device
      • Connect power
      • Connect desk lamps
      • Connect external screens
      • Connect USB mouse and USB keyboad
      • Connect DMX
      • Connect sound
      • Connect SMPTE (LTC)
      • Connect Ethernet
      • Connect analog remote control
      • Connect grandMA2 fader wing
      • Setup your PC
      • Turn on the console the first time
    • Keys & Buttons on the Console
      • Key overview
      • >>> [GoFastForward]
      • <<< [GoFastBack]
      • . [Dot]
      • Align
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      • At
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      • Channel
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      • Clear
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      • Cue
      • Del [Delete]
      • Down
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      • Fix
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    • Workspace
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    • Windows in General
      • Create and manage basic windows
      • Clear the screen or delete windows
    • Command Syntax and Keywords
      • General syntax rules
        • Helping keywords
        • Object keywords
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      • All keywords
        • Special characters
        • <<< [GoFastBack]
        • >>> [GoFastForward]
        • - [Minus]
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        • AddUserVar
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        • Agenda
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        • And
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        • Solo
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        • Square brackets [ ]
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        • Value
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        • With
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      • Work with lists
        • Object list
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        • Station list
    • Using the Backup Menu
      • New show
      • Load show
      • Save show
      • Save show as...
      • Delete shows
      • Using a USB stick
      • Setting up a file server
      • Partial show read
      • ASCII show read
      • grandMA2 to grandMA3 show file converter
    • Single User and Multi User Systems
      • The difference between a single user and a multi user system
      • Create user profiles and users
      • User settings
      • Login
    • Networking
      • What is networking
      • Set the IP address in the console
      • Set the IP address in the onPC
      • Using DHCP in MA devices
      • Session control
        • How to create a session
        • Protecting the session and station
        • Adding devices to the session
        • How to end or leave a session
        • Session collision
      • Getting DMX in and out of the system
        • Setting up DMX ports on MA devices
        • Network DMX protocols
        • What affects my DMX output?
      • Using CITP
        • Streaming CITP
        • Thumbnail exchange
      • PosiStageNet (PSN)
      • FTP connection to console and NPU
    • Patching, DMX, and Fixture Setup
      • What are channels & fixtures
        • Attributes
        • DMX break
      • What is 3D and stage setup
      • Adding fixtures to the show
      • Delete fixtures from the show
      • Working with layers
      • Multipatching
      • Live patching
      • DMX sheet
      • DMX testing
      • DMX and parameter lists
      • Universe pool
      • Stage view
      • Virtual 3D cameras
      • Position fixtures in the 3D stage
      • Auto calibrate fixture positions
    • Basic Fixture Types
      • What are attributes, features & preset types
      • ColorMix vs. MixColor
      • Different fixture types
        • Conventional
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    • Operate Fixtures
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      • What is the programmer
      • Encoder grouping
      • Using the color picker
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      • Edit a channel or fixture
    • Pools in General
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      • Call modes
    • Groups
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    • Presets
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    • Cues and Sequences
      • What are cues and sequences
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    • Executors
      • What are executors
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      • Assign a function
      • Looking at the active executors
      • Common executor options
    • Advanced Sequence Functionality
      • Using different view sets in the sheets
      • Working with MIB
      • Using cue modes
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    • Advanced Executor Functionality
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    • Search and Replace
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      • Import images and videos
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    • Layouts
      • Create a layout
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    • Worlds, Filters and Masks
      • What are worlds
      • Create worlds
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      • What are filters
      • Create filters
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      • What are masks
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    • MAtricks
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      • Import bitmap fixture
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      • Example
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    • Remote Controlling the System
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      • What is partial show read (PSR)
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    • Advanced Fixture Types
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    • grandMA2 onPC Details
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  • grandMA3 Mode2
  • grandMA2 Quick Start Guide
  • grandMA2 Quick Manual onPC solutions
  • MA 3D
  • MA VPU
  • Release Notes
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Version 3.9

Live patching

You can change the patch of fixtures without going into the full setup or "Edit Setup".

If you have not added any fixtures to your show yet, then you need to read the Adding fixtures to your show topic. This is also a good idea to read if you are in doubt about anything described in this topic.

The problem with the full access to the entire fixture schedule is that you might make structural changes to your show file. So when leaving the fixture schedule the console will do a show upload to all connected devices - this causes a stop in the DMX transmission while the upload is running.

So, the thing that does not concern the fixture structure, can be changed without giving a show upload, this is called "Live editing/patching".

Important:
Be aware that live editing a lot of fixtures at the same time might be distributed with a delay throughout all stations and NPUs in the session. For instance changing the pan or tilt offset for several hundred fixtures with one command will cause a delay in the distribution of the values. The real time DMX output has a higher priority and this needs to be calculated at the same time. If possible then only edit a small amount of fixtures at the same time or use the EditSetup instead.

 

Live patching using the Setup Menu

You can access this in the Setup menu. Press the Setup key and then tap the Patch Only (Live) button.

Then you get the LiveSetup menu. It could look like this:

LiveSetup menu

This is very similar to the EditSetup menu (Long description in the Adding fixtures to your show topic).

Everything that has a gray background can be edited. Everything with a black background is locked and cannot be edited.

Looking at the layers and their content, shows you what you can change "Live" - without causing a show upload.

This includes the DMX address.

 

Live patching using the Command Line

If you are looking for multi patching then please read the Multipatching topic. 

This is the process using the command line:

[Channel]> Assign Fixture [Fixture-list] At DMX [DMX-address]

Assigning a list of fixtures (or just a single fixture) will remove all patch data from the fixtures and assign them DMX addresses beginning from the typed DMX address - without an Offset.

You might get a warning pop-up telling you about any collisions.

You can do the same with Channel IDs.

You do not need to type the "At".

Examples:

Patching fixture 101 at DMX address 2.1:

[Channel]> Assign Fixture 101 At DMX 2.1

Assigning fixture 101, 103, 105 DMX address beginning from address 5.61:

[Channel]> Assign Fixture 101 + 103 + 105 DMX 5.61

 

Live patching by editing the fixture

If you edit the fixture then there is also have the possibility to change the DMX address.

In the top part of the Edit pop-up you will find the fixture (and any multipatched fixtures) and there is a Patch column. Editing this values will change the address.

 

Live patching using the DMX Sheet and the DMX Tester

To read details about the DMX sheet please follow this link. To read about the DMX tester follow this link.

You can also patch using the DMX Sheet and the DMX tester.

  1. Open the sheet
  2. Activate "Link Encoders"
  3. Locate the DMX address where you want to patch the fixtures and tap the location
  4. Know you can tap the right encoder. It opens a screen like this:
Patch Address to Fixture/Channel pop-up

This pop-up shows you all the fixtures in the show. It might look like you can edit the DMX address directly in this pop-up, but you cannot.

You can filter the list by typing a Fixture ID or Channel ID in the respective green input fields at the top. There is also a dropdown list that allow you to filter the list to only show unpatched fixtures.

  1. Select the fixture you want to patch to the address
  2.  
    1. If you want to patch the selected fixture to the selected address then tap the Patch button 
    2. If you want to add a multipatched fixture to the selected fixture at the selected address, then tap the Add Multipatch button (Follow this link to read more about Multipatching)

 

A second option for the DMX sheet is to press the Assign key and the Channel or Fixture key followed by the ID and then directly in the DMX sheet, where you want the selected fixture.

 

 

This was some different ways of editing the DMX address of a fixture without creating a show upload.


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