Artist Help:Converting from text templates

Converting from Text ShowCAD (the DOS version) used text format templates. Artist will load these text templates and convert them to an Artist format.

To Load Text Templates Select Templates in the Client area

from the main menu, select File/Import Text Template

select the text template file from the standard file dialog. Note that the text template files have the same file extension as the Artist template file. Be sure not to load an Artist template using this method.

You will now see new folders have appeared on the Template tree view representing the FABRICANT names defined in the converted template file.

ShowCAD has a less sophisticated use of templates than Artist. It is therefore necessary, therefore, to make manual alterations to the converted templates in order to achieve maximum performance.

Check list Open the template properties.

Check that the correct image is specified.

Correct the name. The name should have any modes or versions in parenthesis. This prevents those details from being duplicated when instances of the fixture are created, i.e. Mac250 (mode 4).

Check the warnings List box. You will find that Lamp on and reset are not defined. This is not done in the conversion and will have to be done manually. If there is a warning regarding channel offsets this will need to be resolved later. The most important warning at this stage is 'No dimmer defined!". A template must have a dimmer. The conversion routine may have defined it as a shutter. You should select that parameters properties and change it to a dimmer.

Open the tree branch and scan the parameters to ensure that they are all as expected. This means making sure that a channel that is a rotation of a gobo is defined as a rotate, a speed as a speed etc.

Set Level type control Shortcuts and Ranges. Some of the ShowCAD templates were badly defined in that all the Shortcut information was not provided. This must be added in particular, to color channels.

Open the template properties again and select Channel Offsets. Correct the channel offsets as necessary and recheck any warnings.

From the Template tree view you can right click on any of the fixtures or its parameters to change properties and types.

Dimmer Check that the dimmer is defined correctly. A fixture must have a dimmer if it is to respond to the system Master faders. If the conversion has not defined a dimmer, you must redefine a parameter to me a dimmer.

In the case of the Clay Paky products the dimmer and strobe share a channel. The default Open state can be at 100% or 50%. If you fade from 100% the unit will strobe as it passes through the strobe range. Therefore the default maximum for the dimmer must be 50%.

Movement Check that the movement parameter is defined correctly. The conversion routine makes all 8 bit resolution movement a mirror and all 16 bit movements as a yoke. This of course is a generalization that does not hold. If the device has a yoke check that the resolution and type (i.e. yoke) are correct. You must also set the yoke or mirror angular details.

Control Shortcuts Most controls in a template are of the level type. It can be defined as a full height slider and Shortcut button or as just a button. The simple button type can be displayed in full height by clicking on the control name.

It is important to set the short cut values. It is usually desirable to have a zero position (in the case of a color channel this might be White = 0). It is not necessary to have a maximum value, since clicking above the slider knob will cause it to jump to maximum and clicking below the knob will jump to minimum.

Control Ranges Most controls in a template are of the level type. It can be defined as a full height slider and Shortcut button or as just a button. The simple button type can be displayed in full height by clicking on the control name.

Many of the ranges produced by the conversion will have invalid names. You should changes these names. It is not necessary to create a default 0 - 255 range.

Template Functions The functions that need to be considered are Reset, Lamp On and Lamp Off. If a fixture has any of these functions they must be defined.

Preset Level The conversion routine will not have produce very sensible preset levels. You should check all of these to make sure they appropriate.

Final You can view the completed template by using the 'Try' button on the Template Properties page. While viewing the control panel you can right click on any parameter and set its properties.

You must also include a text description of the new Template in the Notes tab of the Monitor frame.