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Use Preset

Presets are often used for live playback or as building blocks in cues. Tapping a preset to get the values uses the At keyword.

Calling Preset Into the Programmer

The first step is to select the desired fixtures and then call the preset into the programmer.

The workflow is the same for every kind of preset (MAgic, Recipe, Multistep, standard single step, etc.)

If the programmer does not have a fixture selection and a preset is tapped, then the first tap selects all the fixtures that can use the preset. In this case, it works like a group.

Tapping a preset with a fixture selection in the programmer calls the preset if it is valid for the selected fixtures.

Timing values can be stored together with attribute values in the preset, and calling a preset that includes timing information calls the values into the programmer using the preset timing.

Calling presets that only contain timing values call the timing values into the timing lavers of the programmer.

Another way to use timing with presets is the Programmer Time master. Learn more about the master in the Time Control topic.

Presets with stored timing values have a higher priority than the Programmer Time master, and the stored timing will be used when the preset is called.

Presets Running from Executors

Preset can be assigned to executors.

Preset can be assigned to executors using the Assign keyword or by using the Assign menu. Learn more about this in the Assign Object to an Executor topic.

If the preset uses global or universal data, then the executor button should use the At command to call the preset values.

Other playback commands (like Go+, Toggle, Flash, etc.)are relevant for presets with Selective data. This also means that presets with selective data can be played back from the preset pools using, for instance, a Go+ command.

Opening the EditSetting-tab of the assign menu of an executor that has a preset assigned offers some of the same settings as for sequences. For more information on playback settings, see the Sequence Settings topics.

Edit the global preset playback settings in Menu - Preferences and Timing - Preset.

The OffFade property of preset playbacks determines the fade time when switching off a selective preset playback.

Store Presets in Cues

When a preset is in the programmer, it can be stored in cues. Learn more about storing cues in the Store Cues topic.

A reference to the preset is stored for the specific fixture attributes. This means that the value stored in the preset is not stored in the cue, but a reference to the preset is stored. So if the value stored in the preset is changed after the cue is stored, then the cue still looks in the preset to get the value when the cue is played back, and the values in the preset will be used.

Be aware that the Absolute value layer is connected to the Fade and the Delay layers. The Fade and Delay layers are used by individual fade and delay times for an attribute. Storing a value in the absolute layer for an attribute in a preset has the potential also to add values from the fade and delay layers.

This means that if a preset contains absolute values, it also contains a connection to possible values in the fade and delay layers. If the fade or delay values are later added, changed, or updated, this change will be reflected in the cue referencing the absolute value. See the examples below.

The phaser layers (Speed, Phase, Measure, Accel, Decel, Transition, and Width) are also linked. Adding one of these layers in a preset effectively adds all the phaser layers.

The Relative value layer does not add any references to other layers. Adding individual fade and delay values to a preset with relative values can automatically add the fade and delay layer values to a cue without a preset reference (hardcoded values). See the examples below.

This is very important to keep in mind when updating the preset information.

Examples

This first example is about absolute values.

1. Create a new Selective preset with an absolute dimmer value for a fixture. Make sure this is all it contains.
2. Make the preset active in the programmer.
3. Store cue 1 in a new sequence.
4. Select the sequence.
5. Clear the programmer and run the cue.

Notice that the value is output using the cue fade and delay times (default is 0 seconds).

Look at the stored content in the Sequence Sheet in Tracking Sheet mode. Notice that the Absolute layer has a link to the preset. The Fade and the Delay layers show the value from the cue with no link to the preset.

6. Turn Off the sequence.
7. Tap the preset twice to get it in the programmer.
8. Select the Fade layer for the programmer and give it a value higher than the cue fade time.
9. Do the same for the Delay layer.
10. Press Update (the key should be flashing).
11. Make sure to tap the preset in the Update Menu - NOT the cue.
12. Clear the programmer.
13. Run the cue.

Look at the cue content in the Sequence Sheet in Tracking Sheet mode. Now the Fade and Delay layers show links to the preset. This means that running the cue automatically uses the individual fade and delay times stored in the preset (when they exist).

This second example is about relative values.

1. Create a new Selective preset with a relative dimmer value for a fixture. Make sure this is all it contains.
2. Make the preset active in the programmer.
3. Store cue 1 in a new sequence.
4. Select the sequence.
5. Clear the programmer and run the cue.

Notice that the value is output using the cue fade and delay times (default is 0 seconds).

Look at the stored content in the Sequence Sheet in Tracking Sheet mode. Notice that the Relative layer has a link to the preset. The Fade and the Delay layers show the value from the cue with no link to the preset.

6. Turn Off the sequence.
7. Tap the preset twice to get it in the programmer.
8. Select the Fade layer for the programmer and give it a value higher than the cue fade time.
9. Do the same for the Delay layer.
10. Press Update (the key should be flashing).
11. Make sure to tap the preset in the Update Menu - NOT the cue.
12. Clear the programmer.
13. Run the cue.

Look at the cue content in the Sequence Sheet in Tracking Sheet mode. Now the Fade and Delay layers show the values stored in the preset - not a reference to the preset. Changing the Fade and Delay values again automatically changes the values in the cue.

This third example is about both relative and absolute values.

1. Create a new Selective preset with absolute and relative dimmer values for a fixture. Make sure this is all it contains.
2. Make the preset active in the programmer.
3. Store cue 1 in a new sequence.
4. Select the sequence.
5. Clear the programmer and run the cue.

Notice that the value is output using the cue fade and delay times (default is 0 seconds).

Look at the stored content in the Sequence Sheet in Tracking Sheet mode. Notice that the Absolute and Relative layers have links to the preset. The Fade and the Delay layers show the value from the cue with no link to the preset.

6. Turn Off the sequence.
7. Tap the preset once to select the fixture in the preset.
8. Select the Fade layer for the programmer and give it a value higher than the cue fade time.
9. Do the same for the Delay layer.
10. Press Store and then tap the preset.
11. Tap Merge in the "Store to Preset #" pop-up.
12. Clear the programmer.
13. Run the cue.

Look at the cue content in the Sequence Sheet in Tracking Sheet mode. Now the Fade and Delay layers show links to the preset. This means that running the cue automatically uses the individual fade and delay times stored in the preset (when they exist). Both the relative and absolute values use the fade and delay values from the preset.

If attributes are added to or deleted from the preset after it is used. And the stored cues referencing the preset need to reflect this new change, then the preset needs to be recast. This can be done using the Recast keyword or the Edit Preset Object pop-up. Recasting a preset removes or adds attributes to the fixtures in the cue.

The recast function only recasts presets to cues where a preset reference exists for the absolute layer.

When presets are used in cues and later deleted, the preset values are transferred to the cue (hardcoded values in the cue).

Assign Presets to Attributes in the Tracking Sheet

When a value is edited in the Track Sheet, the available presets can be chosen in the Calculator.

Extract Preset Values

Preset values can be extracted to the selected fixtures. The preset needs to be valid for the selected fixtures. The Extract keyword is used for this.

The values stored in the preset will be pulled into the programmer without a reference to the preset. The values are then like any other typical programmer values.

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