Setting up a new Effect playback
Left click inside the playback to bring up the “Effect Playback Properties” dialog. The properties that can be set vary depending on the type of effect. All the dialogs have these properties:
Description - The description field can be used to identify the playback and will appear along the top of the control.
Filter – If labels have been attached to effects, use the pulldown list to select a label which will limit the choice of effects to those that have the label.
Effect - Select the desired effect from the drop-down list and the effect playback will become active.
Radio Group - When a playback is created it is automatically placed into the “Independent” group. Effects contained in the independent group will run independently and can all be run at the same time. Setting an effect into a radio group other than 0 will make it exclusive. Only one effect contained in a radio group can be active at any time. If you start another effect in a radio group while one is already running, then the existing effect will stop and the new one started.
Fader - Assigning a fader to the playback will override the dimmer of the fixtures contained in the effect. As the effect runs, the position of the fader will determine output to the fixtures.
Playback – Assigning a playback will disable the fader edit box as only one can be assigned to the playback. A playback relates to physical console controls or external playback wings. Assigning a playback does more than just utilize the fader but also allows you to use the play, back and pause buttons to run the effect.
NEO Notes & Tips: If you’ve assigned a fader and then wish to assign a playback, set the “Fader” control to zero before assigning the playback.
Color - The background color of the playback may be changed from the default white to other colors from the drop-down list.
Edit - Opens the Effects Editor and automatically selects the effect assigned to this playback.
All dialogs except for a Chase effect have these additional properties:
Start/Stop Shortcut – Set a shortcut number to assign to the playback controls for this playback. Pressing the shortcut will start the effect running. Pressing the shortcut while the effect is running will pause the effect and pressing it twice within 2 seconds will rewind the effect to the start.
Override Effect Length – Set this field to change the length of time the effect will run. If this value is set to 0, the default length (set during creation of the effect) will be used. If the effect length is overridden, then all the segments in the effect will be rescaled to this new length.
Loop Continuously – Check this option to make the effect loop back to the start when it finishes. If this option is not checked then it will stop as soon as the effect ends.
Chase Options
A Chase Effect Playback has these additional properties:
Step Shortcut – If the “Step Time” of the chase was set to 0 when the effect was created and no overriding step time is set for this playback, then you can set a shortcut number to use to step the chase. Pressing the assigned shortcut will cause the chase to transition from the current step to the next. If a step time other than 0 has been specified, this shortcut will act as a “Start/Stop” control.
Fade Time Sub – To manually adjust the fade time or transition time as the chase is running, you can assign a submaster that will control this. As each step executes, the fade time will be dependent on the position of the submaster. The maximum fade time that can be set by the submaster is 10min.
Step Time Sub - To manually adjust the step time (time between automatic executions of steps) as the chase is running, you can assign a submaster that will control this. As each step executes, the time before the next step executes will be determined by the position of the submaster. The maximum step time that can be set by the submaster is 10min.
Direction – Use this drop-down option to specify how chase will run.
§ Forward – The chase will run from the first step to the last. If the chase is set to loop, the chase will return to the first step after the last step.
§ Backward – The chase will run from the last step to the first step. If the chase is set to loop, the chase will return to the last step after reaching the first step.
§ Bounce – The chase will run from the first step to the last step and then back to the first step. If the chase is set to loop, then this operation will repeat.
§ Random – Every step in the chase will execute in a random order.
Step Time – To specify a step time other than the default defined when the chase was created, enter a value into this field. Setting the step time to zero (0) will cause the default step time to be used.
Click on the buttons to the right of the “Step Time” field to set the chase to be triggered by either the audio or tap tempo features.
Fade Time - To specify a fade time other than the default defined when the chase was created, enter a value into this field. Setting the fade time to zero (0) will cause the default fade time to be used.
Run Times – If this value is set to zero, the effect will loop continuously until stopped. You can override this by setting this value greater than zero. The effect will then loop the number of times set and then stop.
Profile Effect Options
Scale Fader – Assign a submaster to this field to manually adjust the scale parameter of the effect while it is running. This can provide a dynamic way to vary the effect.
Offset Submaster – Assign a submaster to this field to manually adjust the offset parameter of the effect.
Length Fader – Assign a submaster to this field to manually adjust the time the effect will run.
Stagger Direction – Use this drop-down option to specify how stagger will operate on the list of fixtures.
§ Forward – The stagger will be spread across the fixtures starting at the first fixture.
§ Backward – This is the opposite of the forward stagger as the fixtures will be staggered from the last one through to the first.
§ Bounce – Each time the effect runs the direction of the stagger will alternate between forward and backward behavior.
§ Random – The fixtures in the effect will have a random order and the stagger applied over the new order.
Matrix Effect Options
Step to points only - Set this option to jump between points rather than tracking a smooth path. When the effect is started, the length of the effect will be broken up into the number of control points. As the effect runs it will jump from point to point at equal time intervals.
Stop at each point - Set this option to run the effect more like a chase where each point becomes a step. The effect will play normally, however when each point is reached the effect will pause and wait for a play command.
Paint Box Effect Options
Direction - Use this drop-down option to specify the direction the effect will proceed. “FX default” refers to the direction that was set when the effect was created in the editor. The other choices allow you to override the default direction and correspond to the 14 direction arrows shown in the editor window.
Spread Submaster – Assigns a submaster to override the spread percentage set when the effect was created.
Length Submaster – Assigns a submaster to override the run time set when the effect was created.
