Will Sunlite Suite 2 be the right thing for me?

[lemon]

Hi folks,

I'm looking for the ideal dmx software for me and wonder if the following things could be done with Sunlite Suite 2.
Though I have downloaded the trial and watched the videos I hope that some experienced user will help me answering my questions.

And her they are:

1) MIDI-controllable
2) control of pan/tilt of the moving heads with joystick/trackball
3) Touchscreen control (programmable buttons on screen to start/end sequences or start commands)
4) submasters
5) change speed of moving scenes on the fly (during the show), possibily using only one slider/MIDI knob for all the movings and NOT one slider/knob for each scene)
6) calibrate the moving head during the show so that programmed moving scenes could be changed in their aperture angle (p.e. when a moving scene was programmed for a bigger stage and should be adapted for the actual stage on the fly without changing the scene itself)
7) timelineprogramming
8) effects groups: when starting an effect/scene of the same group another already running effect/scene from the same group will be stopped
9) assistant for chaser programming
10) assistant for programming moving scenes
11) macros, p.e. to be able to change some dmx channels by only using one MIDI-command (actually I use macros in my dmx software to change gobos and colors of the moving heads by assigning a macro to a MIDI pad)

Thank you very much!

Lemon

[simonB]

1) MIDI-controllable

Yes using the console. Check out the MIDI tutorial

2) control of pan/tilt of the moving heads with joystick/trackball

Not unless its a midi joystick. Joystick control is on the todo list as it was in the previous version but wont be done for another few months.

3) Touchscreen control (programmable buttons on screen to start/end sequences or start commands)

We have many customers using suite 2 with a touchscreen

4) submasters

In suite2 there is a page for each fixture type, you can use the dimmer control of each page as a sub master.
You can also create a custom sub master:
-create a new switch
-assign the dimmer property to whichever channel you want to include in your sub master
-use the dimmer dial as your sub master
-you can set the switch as "always on" if necessary and you can also play with the switch priorities. There will be a "scale" priority coming soon, for now you could use "Add to current level" or "subtract from current level".

5) change speed of moving scenes on the fly (during the show), possibily using only one slider/MIDI knob for all the movings and NOT one slider/knob for each scene)

Not sure that I completely understand this. You have a scene with an XY effect and a color changing effect and you only want to change the speed of the XY portion of the effect? This is impossible as a scene is 1 object. What you could do is remove your XY effect from the scene and add it to a switch to layer ontop of the scene. You can then trigger it at exactly the same time with a cycle or with the same keyboard/midi shortcut.

7) timelineprogramming

Yes, using easytime. Drag and drop the effect you want onto the timeline.

8) effects groups: when starting an effect/scene of the same group another already running effect/scene from the same group will be stopped

If you activate a switch which affects the same property as another activated switch, and your switch is set to LTP(latest takes priority), the previously activated switch will stop

9) assistant for chaser programming

You can use the curve effect in easytime. We will also be making a new effect dedicated to chasers at somepoint in the next few months.

10) assistant for programming moving scenes

yes, the pan tilt effect in easytime

11) macros, p.e. to be able to change some dmx channels by only using one MIDI-command (actually I use macros in my dmx software to change gobos and colors of the moving heads by assigning a macro to a MIDI pad)

Yes, program the channels into a switch and activate the switch by midi, or use the "favourites" tool

[lemon]

Hi Simon,

thank you for your answers. What about 6)?

And another thing about 5):
I want to program a few moving scenes for my moving heads. Theses scenes should contain only the moving itself (=only changing the pan/tilt channels). When one of these scenes are running I want to change the speed of the scene by using a knob on my midi control unit. With this knob (and it should be only one!) I want to change also the speed of the other moving scenes. Was this clear enough?

Thank you again!!!

[RichterMC]

And another thing about 5):
I want to program a few moving scenes for my moving heads. Theses scenes should contain only the moving itself (=only changing the pan/tilt channels). When one of these scenes are running I want to change the speed of the scene by using a knob on my midi control unit. With this knob (and it should be only one!) I want to change also the speed of the other moving scenes. Was this clear enough?

Every page got a "master" speed dial, if you only want to change X-Y speeds make sure you have only checked the X-Y abilitys in the fixture patch.
Otherwise you could just assign one midi controller knob to multiple speed dials of your XY switches.


Best Gernot

[lemon]

Thank you, Gernot.
Maybe you could answer my question no. 6)?

Thank you again!

[simonB]

I want to program a few moving scenes for my moving heads. Theses scenes should contain only the moving itself (=only changing the pan/tilt channels)

These shouldn't be programmed in scenes, they should be programmed in switches. A scene is intended to store multiple channel types and a switch is intended to store one channel type;.

6) calibrate the moving head during the show so that programmed moving scenes could be changed in their aperture angle (p.e. when a moving scene was programmed for a bigger stage and should be adapted for the actual stage on the fly without changing the scene itself)

Sorry, missed this one. Yes this is possible and you have 2 options. Option 1 is to go to page settings->patch, click the XY icon in the top right, select your fixtures and resize the square on the right to scale down the XY. Another option is to program using palettes. See the palettes user manual topic or video tutorial for more info.

[lemon]

Hi Simon,

These shouldn't be programmed in scenes, they should be programmed in switches. A scene is intended to store multiple channel types and a switch is intended to store one channel type;.

With "moving scene" I mean that the moving heads are moving continuosly, repeating the programmed figure. Is there still a switch to program?

Another option is to program using palettes. See the palettes user manual topic or video tutorial for more info.

I've watched the tutorial, very interesting. In the example the palette is used to change the position, there is no moving in the example. Can I use palettes also when the lights are moving around (as moving heads usually do?), so that p.e. I can change the position of a circle I've programmed?
And what about the aperture angle? It's needed when I want to change the size of the circle I've programmed without changing the circle itself.
Obviously these are options I need in live shows, and I won't miss them.

Thank you very much!

[simonB]

Any effect which only uses one channel type, whether static or dynamic should be programmed into a switch. See the suite 2 "quick start" video tutorials or user manual topics. They explain the core differences between scenes and switches.

Can I use palettes also when the lights are moving around (as moving heads usually do?), so that p.e. I can change the position of a circle I've programmed?

You can use palettes in a moving effect, drag and drop the XY effect, create a shape, select a point on the shape and add a palette

And what about the aperture angle?

note sure what you mean. you can use the size dial on any button to change the size of an effect, modifying a palette will modify the positions used in an effect and scaling the XY values is also possible in the page settings.

[lemon]

note sure what you mean. you can use the size dial on any button to change the size of an effect, modifying a palette will modify the positions used in an effect and scaling the XY values is also possible in the page settings.

I'll make an example: I have 1 moving head programmed to run a circle figure. When I come to the location there are two points to consider:
a) is the circle figure too big / too small for this stage?
b) should the circle figure be moved because it runs out of the stage?
What I'd like to know is if Sunlite Suite 2 can give me the possibility to solve these 2 problems in less time possible, without having to change the figures themselves.

Thank you again

[simonB]

you could use a position palette for these 2 points, for example say you want the circle to moves around the stage, you can set your two side points as 2 palette positions. change the palette and all your circle effects will be updated

[lemon]

I'll try this this evening.
Maybe there are some example projects to load that will contain these palettes?