Artist Help:Workspace Fixtures

Fixture Group

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The first combo box selects the active Fixture group. All fixtures in a group are of the same type (i.e. spawned from the same template). This allows Artist to provide many ready-to-use features such as chases and parameter effects.

The fixtures are represented by square objects which can be icons or an active graphic of the active parameter selected by the third combo box. The objects can be positioned anywhere on the background grid providing a representation of the fixture's location in the real world (i.e. the rig). All these features are designed to make finding the fixtures in your rig intuitive. Also, this can be useful for fixtures that are arranged in a matrix, making it easier to select columns, rows and so forth.

Moving around the view

You can move the Fixture view around by clicking and holding in the view and moving the mouse or using the scroll bars in the conventional way.

Positioning fixture in the view

You can use the Lineup icons function to arrange the fixtures either in a line or a matrix.

The following operation can only be carried out if the fixture positions are unlocked by unchecking the Position Lock checkbox on the Fixture View toolbar or from the Group Properties dialog.

Now if you click and hold in the view but outside of any fixture you can stretch a rubber band over a group of fixtures. These will be highlighted with a white border indicating that they have been selected. Now click and hold on any of the selected fixtures and drag the selected group to a new location.

You move an individual fixture by clicking and holding on it and dragging it to a new location.

Activating and Controlling Fixtures

Activating a fixture means that it is connected to the parameter control in the Fixture Control panel allowing you to adjust any of its parameters.

Clicking a fixture when the Position Lock is checked will activate it - indicated by a red border around it - and clicking again will deactivate it.

If the Position Lock is unchecked, hold the Ctrl key while clicking to activate.

You can also use the small buttons on the Fixture View toolbar to activate patterns of fixtures,

Activation Patterns

O	activates the odd-numbered fixtures
E	activates the even-numbered fixtures
F	activates the first half of fixtures
L	activates the last half of fixtures
M	activates the middle half of fixtures
E	activates the end fixtures
All	activates all fixtures in the group
None	deactivates all fixtures.
Invert	invert the current activated pattern
<	activate the previous fixture
>	activate the next fixture

If the fixture positions are locked you can click on a fixture, hold and drag across other fixtures to active more than one.

Toolbar

This toolbar, located just below the Main Menu, provides easy access to frequently used programming functions.

Programming Functions

Previous Fixture	activates the fixture numerically previous to the currently active one.
Next Fixture	activates the fixture numerically after the currently active one.
Fixture Preset	Sets the preset levels of the active fixtures.
Clear Active Parameter Flag	clears the parameter flags of the active fixture.
Clear Parameter Flags only	clears the parameter flags of all fixtures.
Clear Effect Flags only	clears the effects flags of all fixtures.
Clear All Flags	clears both effect and parameter flags in all fixtures.
Zero active outputs	zeros the parameter output of the active fixtures.
Zero all outputs	zeros the parameter output of all fixtures.
Store Beam	stores the current beam settings in a palette placeholder.
Store Position	stores the position settings in a palette placeholder.
Set memory	Memorises the current parameter values.
Restore memory	Restores the parameter settings stored by previous use of 'Set memory'

Chases and Effects

The parameters of the fixtures contained within a group can be made to chase in various patterns. See Chases.

Effects are ready for use and depend on the type of parameters you are accessing. These effects provide the fastest and most powerful programming for Artist.

Fixture Related Topics

Installing Fixtures	details on installing Fixtures
Group Properties	description of Fixture Group properties
Line-up Fixtures	positioning Fixture in the view
Parameter Flags	describes how Parameter flags are used
Installing Pixel Arrays	details on how to install pixel arrays
Pixel Array Tools	tools for manipulating pixel positions
Fixture Properties	properties of individual Fixtures
Offset Address	changing a Fixture address
Redefine Fixture	change a Fixtures Profile
Accessed by	see a Fixtures use in your workspace
Global Soft Patch	moving Fixture around the DMX universes