Specifications

13 LightJockey Help file - (C) Martin Professional 2010
LightJockey Help
It is important to understand that the cue only contains references to the sequence, not the actual
sequences themselves. This means that if a sequence is edited to a new contents, this change will
take effect in ALL cues that contains a reference to this sequence. It also means that it is not
necessary to re-save cues just because the sequence has been changed, the changes will implement
automatically.
It is normally not desirable to program every fixture and effect into the same scene, even to obtain the
'complete look'. The reason for this, is that by combining a number of sequences each with elements
that together forms the complete look, it is much easier to re-use some of these elements to obtain
other looks. It is also the only way of obtaining simultaneous different fade times on different effects in
the same fixture, as the sequence only allows one fade time pr scene, e.g when combining a slow
color change with a fast speed intensity chase.
An example is a very simple cue consisting of 3 sequences:
- Sequence 1 contains instructions to all fixtures output light with full intensity (static sequence)
- Sequence 2 contains information to all fixtures to fade between red, green and blue colors (non-
static sequence)
- Sequence 3 contains information that moves the fixtures beams around in a pattern (non-static
sequence)
The combined result has the fixtures moving around in the complex pattern, all changing between the
colors and all with full intensity.
By replacing sequence 1 with another static sequence that orders the fixtures to strobe on full
intensity, a different expression has been created. Still the same colors changes, still the same
movements, but now the fixtures are strobing rather than having full intensity. To obtain the same
result in a single sequence, all scenes would have to be edited so that they contain a strobe
command and not full intensity for all fixtures.
Another example would be to have the original cue running, but two of the fixtures should point to a
specific location in open white at 50% intensity, while all the other fixtures still moves the beam
around in the pattern and changing colors.
Without the cue construction, the only way to do this would be to edit the two fixtures in every scene
of the sequence, creating a new sequence with this look particular look.
However, by using the cue and its rules of priority (see below), it is possible to write just a single
static sequence instructing just these two fixtures to go to the position in open white with the right
amount of intensity. This static sequence is then added at a priority position within the cue and takes
control over only the programmed fixtures - the rest still runs the original cue since they are not at all
affected by the new sequence.
The way the priority works within the cue is not related to fixtures, rater to individual fixtures/effects
(DMX control channels to be precise). How to program the sequences and use the cue is very much
up to individual tastes, and most likely also fixture types and fixture count.
Some programmers programs complete fixtures, or groups of fixtures into sequences including all
desired effects for these fixtures. They then use the cue to combine different groups of fixtures, each
group of fixtures contained in it's 'own' sequence. Other programmers swear to modularity and only
programs single effects into sequences. E.g. color information in one sequence, gobo information in
another, movement information in a third sequence and so on. By combining these sequences in the
cue they create complete looks.
Most programmers however, tends to use some from both methods. There are no rules governing how
to use the cue - in the end it is up to personal preferences.
See cue control for more details.