• 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
      • Assign
      • At
      • Backg [Background]
      • Backup
      • Blind
      • Bt Pg +
      • Bt Pg -
      • B.O. [Blackout]
      • Channel
      • Ch Pg +
      • Ch Pg -
      • Clear
      • Copy
      • Cue
      • Del [Delete]
      • Down
      • Edit
      • Effect
      • [Encoder]
      • Esc
      • Exec [Executor]
      • Executor Buttons
      • Fd Pg +
      • Fd Pg -
      • Fix
      • Fixture
      • Freeze
      • Full
      • Go + [small]
      • Go + [large]
      • Go - [small]
      • Go - [large]
      • Goto
      • Group
      • Help
      • Highlt [Highlight]
      • If
      • Keyboard
      • Learn
      • List
      • MA
      • Macro
      • [Minus] -
      • Mouse
      • Move
      • Next
      • [Numeric]
      • Off
      • On
      • Oops
      • Page
      • Pause [small]
      • Pause [large]
      • Please
      • [Plus] +
      • Preset
      • Prev [Previous]
      • Prvw [Preview]
      • Select
      • Sequ [Sequence]
      • Set
      • Setup
      • Solo
      • Store
      • Temp
      • Thru
      • Time
      • Top
      • Tools
      • Up
      • Update
      • User 1
      • User 2
      • View
      • U1 - U4
      • V1 - V10
      • X1 - X20
    • Workspace
      • User interface
        • Screen layout
        • User-defined area
        • Command line
        • X-Key labels
        • View buttons
        • Master section
        • Time control
      • Encoder bar
        • Preset control bar
        • Encoder toolbar
      • Encoder settings
      • Command wing bar
      • Command section
      • Mini executor bar
      • Work with views
      • Touch gestures
      • Calculator
      • Info
      • Oops and undo
      • Colors
        • System
        • Marker
        • Cue
      • Text indicators and symbols
      • Icons
      • Keyboard shortcuts
        • Turn on or turn off the keyboard shortcuts
        • Edit keyboard shortcuts
        • Add or delete keyboard shortcuts
        • Export or import keyboard shortcuts
    • 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
        • Function keywords
      • All keywords
        • Special characters
        • <<< [GoFastBack]
        • >>> [GoFastForward]
        • - [Minus]
        • + [Plus]
        • AddUserVar
        • AddVar
        • Agenda
        • Alert
        • Align
        • AlignFaderModules
        • All
        • AllButtonExecutors
        • AllChaseExecutors
        • AllFaderExecutors
        • AllRows
        • AllSequExecutors
        • And
        • Appearance
        • Asterisk *
        • Assign
        • At
        • At @
        • Attribute
        • AutoCreate
        • Backup
        • Black
        • Blackout
        • BlackScreen
        • Blind
        • BlindEdit
        • Block
        • ButtonPage
        • Call
        • Camera
        • ChangeDest
        • Channel
        • ChannelFader
        • ChannelLink
        • ChannelPage
        • Chat
        • CircularCopy
        • Clear
        • ClearActive
        • ClearAll
        • ClearSelection
        • Clone
        • CmdDelay
        • CmdHelp
        • Copy
        • CrashLogCopy
        • CrashLogDelete
        • CrashLogList
        • Crossfade
        • CrossfadeA
        • CrossfadeB
        • Cue
        • Cut
        • Default
        • DefGoBack
        • DefGoForward
        • DefGoPause
        • Delay
        • Delete
        • DeleteShow
        • DisconnectStation
        • Dmx
        • Dollar $
        • DmxUniverse
        • Dot .
        • DoubleRate
        • DoubleSpeed
        • Down
        • DropControl
        • Edit
        • Effect
        • EffectAttack
        • EffectBPM
        • EffectDecay
        • EffectDelay
        • EffectFade
        • EffectForm
        • EffectHigh
        • EffectHZ
        • EffectID
        • EffectLow
        • EffectPhase
        • EffectSec
        • EffectSpeedGroup
        • EffectWidth
        • Empty
        • EndIf
        • EndSession
        • Escape
        • ExecButton1
        • ExecButton2
        • ExecButton3
        • Executor
        • Exit
        • Export
        • Extract
        • Fade
        • FadePath
        • Fader
        • FaderPage
        • Feature
        • Filter
        • Fix
        • Fixture
        • FixtureType
        • Flash
        • FlashGo
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        • Flip
        • Form
        • Freeze
        • Full
        • FullHighlight
        • Gel
        • Go
        • GoBack
        • Goto
        • Group
        • HalfRate
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        • Help
        • Highlight
        • IdentifyFaderModule
        • If
        • IfActive
        • IfOutput
        • IfProg
        • Image
        • Import
        • Info
        • Insert
        • Interleave
        • Invert
        • InviteStation
        • Item3D
        • JoinSession
        • Kill
        • Label
        • Layer
        • Layout
        • Learn
        • LeaveSession
        • List
        • ListEffectLibrary
        • ListFaderModules
        • ListLibrary
        • ListMacroLibrary
        • ListOops
        • ListOwner
        • ListPluginLibrary
        • ListShows
        • ListUpdate
        • ListUserVar
        • ListVar
        • Load
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        • Locate
        • Lock
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        • Lua
        • Macro
        • ManualXFade
        • Mask
        • Master
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        • MAtricks
        • MAtricksBlocks
        • MAtricksFilter
        • MAtricksGroups
        • MAtricksInterleave
        • MAtricksReset
        • MAtricksWings
        • MediaServer
        • Menu
        • Message
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        • MidiControl
        • MidiNote
        • MidiProgram
        • Model
        • Move
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        • NetworkInfo
        • NetworkNodeInfo
        • NetworkNodeUpdate
        • NetworkSpeedTest
        • NewShow
        • Next
        • NextRow
        • Normal
        • Off
        • On
        • Oops
        • Or
        • OutDelay
        • OutFade
        • Page
        • Parentheses ( )
        • Park
        • Part
        • Paste
        • Pause
        • Plugin
        • PMArea
        • Preset
        • PresetType
        • Preview
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        • PreviewExecutor
        • Previous
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        • Profile
        • Protocol
        • PSR
        • PSRList
        • PSRPrepare
        • Quotation marks " "
        • Rate
        • Rate1
        • RdmAutomatch
        • RdmAutopatch
        • RdmFixtureType
        • RdmInfo
        • RdmList
        • RdmSetParameter
        • RdmSetpatch
        • RdmUnmatch
        • Reboot
        • Record
        • Release
        • ReloadPlugins
        • Remote
        • RemoteCommand
        • Remove
        • RemoveIndividuals
        • Replace
        • ResetDmxSelection
        • ResetGuid
        • Restart
        • Root
        • Rotate3D
        • SaveShow
        • Screen
        • Search
        • SearchResult
        • Select
        • SelectDrive
        • Selection
        • SelFix
        • Semicolon ;
        • Sequence
        • SetHostname
        • SetIP
        • SetNetworkSpeed
        • Setup
        • SetUserVar
        • SetVar
        • ShuffleSelection
        • ShuffleValues
        • Shutdown
        • SnapPercent
        • Slash /
        • Solo
        • SpecialMaster
        • Square brackets [ ]
        • Speed
        • StepFade
        • StepInFade
        • StepOutFade
        • Stomp
        • Store
        • StoreLook
        • Surface
        • Swop
        • SwopGo
        • SwopOn
        • SyncEffects
        • TakeControl
        • Telnet
        • Temp
        • TempFader
        • Thru
        • Timecode
        • TimecodeSlot
        • Timer
        • ToFull
        • Toggle
        • Tools
        • Top
        • ToZero
        • Unblock
        • Unlock
        • Unpark
        • Up
        • Update
        • UpdateFirmware
        • UpdateSoftware
        • UpdateThumbnails
        • User
        • UserProfile
        • Value
        • Version
        • View
        • ViewButton
        • ViewPage
        • WebRemoteProgOnly
        • With
        • World
        • Zero
      • Work with lists
        • Object list
        • Selection list
        • Executor list
        • Attribute list
        • 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
        • LED
        • Mirror
        • Moving lights
        • Media server
        • Virtual fixtures
    • Operate Fixtures
      • Channel sheet
      • Fixture sheet
      • Sheet options
        • Tools
        • Layer mask
        • Display
        • Title buttons
        • Assign executor
        • Mask (local)
      • Layers in sheets
        • Channel sheet and fixture sheet
        • Sequence content and sequence tracking sheet
      • What is the programmer
      • Encoder grouping
      • Using the color picker
      • Using the shaper dialog
      • Using the smart view
      • Edit a channel or fixture
    • Pools in General
      • Manage pool objects
      • Adjust pool options
      • Call modes
    • Groups
      • Create groups
      • Auto create groups
      • Using groups when programming
      • Choose copy method
      • Change specific group colors
      • Group masters
    • Presets
      • What are special modes
      • Preset pools
      • Preset pool "Dynamic"
      • Create presets
      • Preset pool options
      • Create preset reference
      • Auto create presets
      • Auto create additional presets
      • Embedded presets
      • Edit presets
      • Update presets
      • Delete presets
    • Cues and Sequences
      • What are cues and sequences
      • Looking at the cue sequence
      • Store cues
      • Store options and defaults
      • Cue timings
      • Renumber cues
      • Delete cues
      • Playing back cues
      • Looking at the cue content
      • Update cues
      • What is tracking
      • What is MIB
      • Sequence mini executor
      • Commands in cues
    • Executors
      • What are executors
      • Executors on the screens
      • 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
      • Cue zero
      • Sequence info window
      • Looping cues
      • Cue path
    • Advanced Executor Functionality
      • Executor pages
      • Channel pages
      • Executor options
      • Masters window
      • Special masters
        • Default masters
        • Grand masters
        • Speed masters
        • Rate masters
        • Playback masters
    • Clone
      • Clone in user interface
      • Examples
      • Clone presets
    • Search and Replace
      • Search
      • Replace
    • Image Pool
      • Import images and videos
      • Image limitations & guidelines for symbols
      • Supported file formats
      • Delete images and videos
    • Layouts
      • Create a layout
      • Layout pool options
      • Edit layout
      • Layout view options
    • Worlds, Filters and Masks
      • What are worlds
      • Create worlds
      • Auto create worlds
      • Use worlds when programming
      • What are filters
      • Create filters
      • Use filters when programming
      • Use temporary filters
      • What are masks
      • Create masks
      • Use masks in the sheets
      • Apply worlds or filters to executors and sequences
    • MAtricks
      • MAtricks toolbar
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      • MAtricks interleave
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    • Chasers
      • Create a chaser
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    • Effects
      • Use predefined effects
      • Use template and selective effects
      • Create an effect in the programmer
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      • Create effect forms
      • Pool options
      • Effects in a cue
      • Assign effect to executor
      • Live edit an effect
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    • Bitmap Fixture
      • Import bitmap fixture
      • Apply bitmap fixture in the layout
      • Control bitmap fixture
      • Edit bitmap fixture
      • Example
      • Priorities for bitmap effects
      • Disable bitmap for fixtures
    • XYZ
      • XYZ vs. pan/tilt
      • XYZ and pan/tilt in cues and sequences
      • Use stage markers
      • Link objects to stage markers in MA 3D
    • Remote Controlling the System
      • Remote input
      • MIDI show control (MSC)
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      • Telnet remote
      • Decimal – hex table
    • Timecode
      • What is timecode and timecode shows
      • Record a timecode show
      • Edit a timecode show
      • Playing back a timecode show
      • Organize the show with multiple timecode shows
    • Timer
      • Timer pool
      • Timer pool options
    • Agenda
      • What is agenda
      • Create an appointment in the agenda
    • Macros
      • What are macros
      • Manually create a macro
        • Use variables
        • Create pop-ups
        • Conditional expressions
        • Macro timing
      • Record a macro
      • Edit a macro
      • Command line interaction
      • Assign a macro to a key
      • Example macros
    • Plugins
      • What is Lua
      • Edit plugins
    • Partial Show Read
      • What is partial show read (PSR)
      • How to do a PSR
    • RDM
      • Turn RDM on
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      • Auto patch RDM devices
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      • Work with RDM sensors
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      • Use the RDM sheet
      • Unmatch RDM devices
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      • Turn RDM off
      • RDM specific keywords
    • DMX Profiles
    • Other System Tools
      • Message center
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      • Export by using command line
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    • Update the Software
      • Update via setup
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    • Advanced Fixture Types
      • Anatomy of a fixture type
        • Module manager
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        • Wheel manager
      • Attribute & Encoder Grouping
    • grandMA2 onPC Details
    • Control the MA NDPs
      • Add the MA NDPs
      • Configure the MA NDPs
      • Delete the MA NDPs
    • Control the MA Network Switch
      • Add MA Network Switch
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      • Reset to factory defaults
      • Delete MA Network Switch
    • Control the MA xPort Nodes
      • Add the MA xPort Nodes
      • Configure the MA xPort Nodes in the console
      • Configure the MA xPort Nodes in a browser
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      • Delete the MA xPort Nodes
    • Console Settings
      • Adjust the intensity of desk lights
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      • Local settings
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      • Date & Time
    • Shut Down the System
    • Error Messages
    • Technical Data
    • Glossary
  • grandMA3 Mode2
  • grandMA2 Quick Start Guide
  • grandMA2 Quick Manual onPC solutions
  • MA 3D
  • MA VPU
  • Release Notes
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Version 3.9

Working with MIB

This topic is about some of the details concerning MIB (Move In Black). The What is MIB topic might be a good place to start if MIB is new to you.

MIB values

The MIB value is assigned in the MIB column in the Sequence Executor Sheet.

An asterisk "*" in the MIB cell indicates that a cue is capable of MIB, but no MIB value is given. A MIB value in red, indicates that a MIB value is given, but the cue is not capable to MIB. "MIB capability" is defined as a cue with one or more fixtures with dimmer-value above zero, and previous state of dimmer-value not above zero (= fixture is fading up) - and one or more other additional attributes (= something to preposition).

Editing the MIB cell, will open a pop-up like this:

Select MIB pop-up

This provide three options at the top, and then a list of all the previous cues. This list of cues only displays the cues that are before the cue being edited.

There are more options than this pop-up displays. This is a complete list:

  • None / Off / O (the letter "o" - not number) :
    Same as no value, do not preposition.
  • Late / L :
    Same as the numeric value "-1", preposition 1.000 Cue-numbers before.
  • Early / E :
    Same as numeric value "0" (zero), preposition as early as possible.
  • [x.xxx] :
    Preposition from Cue number x.xxx.
  • -[x.xxx] :
    Preposition x.xxx Cue-numbers before. This option can only be set using the command line - keep reading.

 

Setting MIB via Command line

MIB is a property of cues and its value may be assigned with standard syntax:

[Channel]> Assign Cue /MIB=late

Assign MIB value "Late" to current cue and all its parts.

 

[Channel]> Assign Cue 101 /MIB=99

Assign cue 99 as MIB value for cue 101.

 

[Channel]> Assign Cue 1 Thru 10 / MIB=Off

Removes MIB from Cue 1 thru 10.

 

[Channel]> Assign Cue 15  / MIB=-4

Assign MIB value "-4" to cue 15. This will make the prepositioning to cue 15 happen in cue 11 - assuming cue 11 through 15 exist.

 

A useful MIB macro could be something like this:

Assign Cue /mib=off

SetVar $mibvalue=("Please enter MIB")

Assign Cue /mib=$mibvalue

Pressing the macro and the Please key, will disable MIB for the current cue, while pressing the macro, then a number followed by Please, will set the MIB value for the current cue.

 

MIB timing

MIB uses two general time settings: MIB Delay and MIB Fade.

MIB Delay is the time to wait from a fixture have faded out until it starts to MIB, while MIB fade is the actual time used to preposition.

Increasing MIB Delay may be useful for fixtures with slow dimmer or afterglow. Increasing MIB Fade may be useful for noisy fixtures, or if the movement of the fixture body is visually disturbing for the audience.

These two settings can be found in Setup -> Show -> Playback  MIB Timing.

 

In addition to the general MIB timing, it is also possible via the Fixture Types Editor to set individual MIB Fade and it is possible to disable MIB per Attribute per Fixture Type. It is also possible to disable MIB for each fixture. This can be set in the Fixture Editor pop-up.

It is possible to set a MIB Delay for each "module definition" per Fixture Type.

 

MIB feedback

When MIB Delay is active, or MIB is "put on hold" the backlight of the executor keys will blink fast.

When MIB Fade is active (fixtures are moving to preposition), the backlight of the executor keys will blink slowly

Attributes which have positioned using MIB will be displayed in the ExecutorID and SequenceID layer of the Fixture Sheet with a slightly paler shade of the usual background color (green for selected Executor, yellow for others), to indicate that the source of the value is from a future cue. Please read more about the colors in the System Colors topic.

 

Pitfalls

When using MIB, the desk is not only tracking values from earlier cues, it is also tracking forward and outputting values from future, non-executed cues. This is sort of "Back to the Future", with dilemmas you find in time-travel-theory.

Looking at the example above the fixture is turned on in cue 1 in a blue color, then it turns off in cue 2. In cue 4 it is back on in a red color.

As we do not want to see the scroll to red in cue 4, we mark this cue as MIB Early.

  • everything is fine, fixture 1 preposition after fading out in cue 2

Now we might be in cue 2.5 and want to make some changes...

  • We turn On fixture 1, - it is red - looks good
  • update the cue using Cue Only

Next time we play back the sequence, cue 2.5 does not look the same!

Last time we played back the sequence, fixture 1 was red because it had prepositioned to cue 4, however as it is now used in cue 2.5 it cannot preposition until after the fade out in cue 3. Thus is will be blue when it is faded up in cue 2.5.

These issues may be minimized by not prepositioning too early, or by activating "MIB Never" in the Executor options, if you are to make major changes to your cues - Executor Options are described in the Executor Options topic.


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