If youi’re a Hog 3 user and a WYSIWYG user, you might already know this, but I just started using Hog 3 (being a lifetime Wholehog 2 guy, figuring it was time), and I do lots of pre-viz stuff offline.  As you’re setting up WYSIWYG Perform to connect to the virtual console, in this case, Hog 3 PC, you might notice that you’re only able to bind 4 DMX universes at a time to the Hog 3 PC through WYG.

This, at first, might seem like a real problem - especially if you’re using more than the alloted 4 bindable universes in Hog 3 PC.  For example, I’m designing a rig right now with 5 universe of DMX - my fifth universe has a bunch of VL3500 Spots on it.  So what do you do when you need to have to use more than the alloted 4 universes?  Simple - add another Hog 3 PC and connect!

So, you might recognize the image above as the patch screen on a Hog 3.  At the bottom I have my 8 VL3500’s patched into what appears to be a second DP-8000.  Yeah, that’s right.  A second DP-8000.  How this needs to work is that since WYSIWYG needs to bind four universes of 512 at a time, you have to add a second DP-8000 digitally to the mix.  SO:  universes 1-4 on the first DP stay labeled as 1-4, but universe 5 will appear as universe 1 on the second DP-8000.  Simple.

The next step is to add another DP-8000 in Hog 3 PC.  After clicking the “Patch @” key in the patch you’ll arrive at the Fixture Patch screen.  Once you’re there, click “Add” to add a second DP-8000.  Make sure that you number it 2, and that the first DP is number 1.  Click OK.

The way I have mine set up is that the first DP is using the first 4 universes, and the second DP is mapping the fifth universe to the first output on the second DP.  Confusing yet?  It’s not really.  I have my addresses labeled A-E in WYSIWYG, so 1-4 on DP1 are A-D, and E is on DP2’s first output.  Like below - this image below is DP2’s first output.

What you have to remember is that when you’re patching whichever fixtures you wanted in those universes above 4, you’ll need to make sure to select the second DP, like I have done here.  Only after you patch, obviously, will the data show up on the second DP.  The next step is to tell WYSIWYG that there are two DP’s.

Once you add your two “Wholehog III DP” devices in WYSIWYG, you need to bind to universes and number them.  Mine, just like in the patch, are labeled 1 and 2, with 1 being bound to universes A-D, and 2 being bound to universe E.

Here’s the second DP, numbered, bound, and ready to go.

As in the image above, once you have both of your DPs numbered and bound to universes in WYSIWYG, click each one and click “Connect.”  If you’ve done everything correctly, you should be right as rain and ready to go.  If stuff is still funky, check your settings on DPs in both WYSIWYG and Hog 3 PC, which is usually where the problem lies.

This is repeatable for more than ive universes as well.  If you were using 8 for example, A-D and E-H, A-d would still be on DP1 and E-H would be bound in DP2.  Easy as cake - no, it’s easy as pie.

Mmmm, pie.

A while ago, I wrote about a product called SpectraWOW+ - it’s an LED source, very small, with a very big output.  I was fortunate enough to run into the LDDE booth at LDI this year, and met Greg Fuller, the guy responsible for the USA getting to know the products.  SpectraWOW isn’t the only awesome thing that Greg’s team is working on, I guarantee.

Check out some images of LDI and European Dynamic Lighting, LLC from 2008:

SpectraWOW is just such a great product - low heat energy (well, really nearly no heat exchanged, it’s such a cool product to the touch), and the little rig that Greg had at LDI, which was basically a stand of 4 (from what I remember) with power and signal built in.  Very neat.  I am hoping to hear back from Greg about the lens that SpectraWOW uses to rid the fixture of multicolored shadows, and I will post an article dedicated to that lens, as it is spectacular.

European Dynamic Lighting also has a product - a color changing, fluorescent-esque LED product with a zero flicker on dim feature that Greg was telling me just got ordered for an opera in Europe - on demanded request from the designer working the show.  I hope to get more info on that ASAP.  I *think* it was Patrick Woodroofe, I *think* the product was the CYCLED 9, and I am pretty sure Patrick ordered about 400+ of the units for a show in Vienna.  Cool.  From what I understand from Greg, Cirque is testing some of his products as well.

If you’re a concert junkie like myself, you know about PollStar.  PollStar is a website with pretty much all of the road shows on the road at any one time, complete with pictures, tickets, locations, dates, and information about the tours.

I consider this post to be in the “Tools of the Trade” section, because it is a vital place to get information about what’s on the road.  Check it out, spend a few minutes there and see if your favorites have started hitting the road yet.

I got a press release of a case study from Jennifer at Wybron a week or so ago - because of Turkey Day, I didn’t get it posted.  Check it out!  Wybron has their InfoGate system, a feedback system, onboard Royal Carribean’s ship, Independence of the Seas, RC’s flagship.

WYBRON FEEDBACK SYSTEM EASES MAINTENANCE
FOR ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE SHIP

Cruise ships offer a taste of the good life - sipping margaritas by the pool, exploring exotic ports of call, dining on tasty cuisine.

But on Independence of the Seas, the newest and biggest ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet, the voyages aren’t so relaxing for the ship’s lighting techs, who work seven days a week to dazzle guests with exciting live shows.

Enter Wybron’s Infogate - the feedback software that lightens the workload by monitoring and troubleshooting an entire rig.

As part of Wybron’s Infotrace feedback system, Infogate enables lighting equipment on board Independence of the Seas to talk back to its operators using the industry-standard two-way communication protocol Remote Device Management, or RDM. It constantly monitors the equipment, keeping an eye on any problems or maintenance issues.

That’s especially helpful on a cruise ship like Independence of the Seas, where the lighting crew swaps out twice a year because each staffer signs a six-month contract. The techs spend half a year getting to know the equipment, monitoring it and maintaining it, then leave - taking their knowledge with them.

With Infogate, that knowledge stays on the ship, benefitting future crew members.

“We can track scroller wear and tear, what strings are in which scrollers, identify each fixture individually and basically track how the rig is holding up,” says lighting technician Michael Calder, who’s now headed to Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas - another Infogate ship.

Independence of the Seas launched in April 2008 as the world’s biggest cruise ship. Weighing a staggering 160,000 tons and extending the length of three American football fields, Independence can carry nearly 4,000 passengers and 1,400 crew within its 15 decks. It spends the summer months cruising the waters around the UK and Europe, then heads to the Caribbean for the winter.

Guests on board find no shortage of activities, with a water park, surf pool, rock climbing wall, full-size boxing ring, miniature golf course, and more. And, of course, there are the live productions, which enchant audiences in the ship’s main theatre and ice skating rink. (Yes, you can ice skate on a moving ship.)

Independence of the Seas has two Infogate systems - one in the main theatre and the other in the ship’s ice skating rink.

Infogate comes in especially handy with this slippery situation. It’s difficult to access the lighting equipment hanging above the rink, with guests skating there periodically in addition to multiple ice shows and rehearsals.

And because it’s ice, techs can only access the gear above the rink with one small Genie lift - and only when the ship’s in port.

But Infogate lets the techs troubleshoot problems from the ground, without stepping onto the ice and soaring into the air on the lift, Calder says.

“The less time spent in the air, the better,” he says.

Infogate - and the entire Infotrace feedback system - puts a wealth of valuable information into the hands of its lighting techs. Gathering data from each device on a rig, Infogate can warn users of impending disaster and help them pinpoint problems fast.

Infogate also lets users assign DMX addresses to every piece of lighting equipment on a rig, simplifying a task that typically requires a visit to the fixture itself by climbing up to a truss or pipe.

The Infotrace system leapt onto the lighting scene in 2006 by immediately earning “best product” awards at LDI, PLASA, and the Worship Facilities Conference and Expo. Wybron continues to improve the feedback system by streamlining its operations in response to the wishes of customers - and adding new features.

Wybron recently introduced Infogate for the iPhone, which lets users troubleshoot and manipulate their rigs from a tiny handheld device that can roam onstage, backstage, and beyond. And the latest version of the Infogate software also works with another two-way communications protocol: ACN, or Architecture for Control Networks, which is being used by Electronic Theatre Controls.

ETC is just one of the many manufacturers embracing feedback alongside other big names such as Martin, Robe, and High End Systems.

“As end users see how valuable feedback really is, they’re demanding it from manufacturers,” said Wybron President Keny Whitright.

For more information visit www.wybron.com.

Thanks, Jennifer!

Mike Zinman from ZinmanCo - the guy who brought you great iPhone lighting products like GelCalc, iSwitch DMX, and PocketLD has updated PocketLD to version 1.1 - updated fixture libraries, manufacturer links, and all kinds of other great stuff.

Check out Mike’s iPhone Lighting Apps store, and get PocketLD 1.1 here (direct iTunes Store link).

I had a chance to sit down and interview Mike at LDI this year - more on that soon, as I get some time to transcribe the interview.

Let’s consider this post a plug.

A friend of mine, Wendy Mutz, is a photographer in the Oklahoma City/Tulsa area.  I met Wendy while teaching at a university there, and she shot the shows I lit.  After the first show that I saw pictures Wendy had taken, she immediately became my favorite production photographer.  Her shots are full of color, composed well, and always keep the sense of the moment intact.

Take a moment and check out Wendy’s portfolio.  Thanks for putting up with the plug!

One of the WYSIWYG features that I find the most helpful (with regards to WYSIWYG as a lighting design package) is the ability to print pipe tapes.  For those of you who have no idea what the heck I am talking about, a Pipe Tape is basically a very long piece of paper or webbing that has instrument hang information on it - placement, channel, dimmer, circuit, where it plugs into a mult, etc.  These tapes are very quickly hung onto a pipe and provide the electricians with a fast reference to get the show up and ready for each lighting location.

I have WYSIWYG Perform, and besides the ability to design and program my entire rig in the comfort of my own office, I can also print these tapes to minimize the load-in time for the production.

I talked to a number of people - old friends, new friends, people who read the blog - at LDI this year about WYSIWYG.  A bunch of people asked me why I made a switch from the AutoCAD environment to WYSIWYG in its entirety.  My only response was that I need something that will minimize my time spent behind the computer and maximize my time spent actually designing.  That’s what WYSIWYG does for me.  I still use AutoCAD on a regular basis for all kinds of tasks, but I am able to saw through a plot in about a third of the time I can in AutoCAD.

I’ve been traveling around the world as a designer for nearly 12 years now. As technology has advanced and the world has become more interesting, my travel habits have evolved alongside. A 4 hour layover can be a drag, as can a 5 minute plane change somewhere like Minneapolis/St. Paul airport with its eleventy million moving walkways and big distance between terminals and gates.

I always try to get to the airport a little early, for example, to get coffee and snag a seat in the gate by a power outlet before the crowds snag them all.

What wonders and annoyances have you come to embrace over the years? Post in the comments, share with everyone!

If you read JimOnLight and don’t have an RSS reader of choice, what’s holding you back?

I discovered using RSS feeds a year or so ago, after realizing that it was so much easier to browse the 250+ sites I check daily in one location rather than either having eleventy million windows open, or taking the time to visit each one of the sites in my daily list.  Some of you might think that this is akin to microwaving a pop tart (meaning that if you have to microwave a pop tart, you need to loosen up your schedule), but it really does make browsing a lot easier.

My reader of preference is Google Reader - it’s free, anyone can have a Google account, and it’s got a nice interface.  RSS feeds work with all kinds of readers (and even Outlook if you’re using that), so click the big orange icon in the upper right and set up an RSS feed for JimOnLight!

Mike Zinman, creator of iSwitch (the dipswitch calculator), GelCalc (the color filter calculator), and excellent titles like AutoBlock for AutoCAD has released yet another awesome iPhone program - Pocket LD for iPhone.  First and foremost, if you’re an LD and need touch-of-the-finger photometrics calculations and fixture database info, just go buy it right now.  It’s ten bucks.

The official release: