Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1993 - 34

size of the gel ftame fot each insrrumenr,
which the ptogtam then uses for the
"Color Cut Lisr." Enrering the frame size
for each insrrument on the light plat
would make the data enrry more time consuming and frustrating for designers, with
the added problem of consistency in t:ypmg.
The "Template" also provides a field
called "Warrage." The "Warrage" field corresponds ro the lamp warrage for each
instrumenr. The "Template" does not
undersrand "1K" or "1K\V" So when
designers type in lamp wattages, they need
ro only use numbers (750, 1000, etc.). The
program uses these numbers in computing
dim met loads, which are prinred in the
"Hook Up" tepons. fileiVlaker Pro provides a method that saves the typing of rhe
lamp warrage and frame size for each
mstrumenr.
The "Template" uses a file called
"\X!attages" which conrain recotds for a
number of different types of lighting
instrumenrs. Each record has the name
(6x9 Leko, 6" Fresnel, etc.), the gel frame
size, and a typical lamp wattage for that
insrrumenr. \X/hen a designer enrers the
name of an insrrumenr inro the proper
field, the program will look for rhat instrumenr in rhe "\X!arrages" file ro see what the
frame size and lamp wattage is for that
unir. The program then places that infotmation inro the corresponding fields in the
"Template."
The feature that allows File/vlaker Pro
ro find the information in anorher file is
called "Look-up." The "Look-Up" command is assigned ro fields in the "Define
Fields" pan of the program. The fields
"Warrage" and "Cut Size" use "Look-Up"
as an option (see Figure 2), which saves the
designer the time required for typing information for each unir.
Once all of the dara has been enrered
inro rhe "Template," the designer can prinr
the Jnstrument Schedule and other
repons. Printing normally requires several
steps. Fi rst, the designer needs ro select the
layout for the Jnsrrumenr Schedule. Next,
the designer selects the "Sort" option from
rhe menu. A "son order" must be esrablished so rhat rhe program will prinr the
information in the correct order. Then the
designet selecrs "Son" and the program
rearranges the information. Once complered, rhe designer selects "Print" from the
menu, and the file is senr ro rhe prinrer.
A problem designers may have in
printing out rhe variety of repons for a
lighting design is remembering the proper
"son order" and sequence of commands
needed to prinr rhe reporr. The "Template" uses another powerful fearure ro
simpli~' this process.
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1993 FAll

TD&T

This feature, used in rhe input layouts,
are butrons for previewing and printing
reporrs. The butrons in the "Templare"
activate scripts, which operare a series of
commands for prinring the repons. For
example, when the designer presses the
Jnsrrument Schedule burron \\'ith the
mouse, rhe program sons the file, switches
to the lavout, prints the reporr, then
returns ro the inpur layour. The rem plate
provides a burron for each reporr.
The "Template" itself has basicallv rwo
features. One is a series of repons needed
for lighting design paperwork. The other is
a layour designed ro make entering information from a light plot fast, easy, efficienr, and accurate.
The designer needs ro creare a copy of
the "Templare" before using ir for a lighring design. The copying is accomplished
by selecting "Save a copy as" from the file
menu. Once in the "Dialog box," the
designer needs ro rename the "Template"
and select "Save a copy as a clone." This
acrion will copy the template inro a new
file without any records.
Next, the designer should open the
"Production Tirle" file. The template uses
this file ro enrer the name of the production, designer, rheatre, and producer inro
the template. Current show information
can be typed over the previous show. This
file conrains only one record and designers
should not add records ro this file.
When the designer opens the "Template," the "Channel Input Layour" is displayed. This layout is designed ro be used
with Dimmer per Circuit Control sysrems.
If the designer currenrly works in a thearre
with a patch panel, then the "Dimmer
Input Layout" should be used. The input
layouts are designed for the designer to
type in the information direcrly from the
light plor (Figure 1).
The cursor always appears at the rop of
the screen behind the currenr dare. The
template enters rhe dare auromarically.
Pressing the tab key moves rhe cursor from
field ro field. The first location for data
enrry is the "Hang Position" field. Here, a
Pop-Up list displays the names of standard
hanging positions. The designer can use
the mouse ro select a posirion and enrer it
inro the field. Another Pop- p List provides a choice of lighting insrrumenrs for
rhe "Instrument Type" field. If designers
want to use a posItIon or lIlstrument not
listed, they can type the name inro the
space provided.
\X!hen the designer enrers information,
it is imponanr ro remain consistent. The
Pop-Up lists help maintain consistency by
ensuring the same spelling and wording
each time information is enrered. However, when fields like "Color" do not have

Pop-Up list, rhe designer must remain uniform when typing in the data. For example, when enrering a color like Roscolux
02, if the designer types in "02" for one
instrument and "X02" for another instrumenr. the program will rreat these as two
separate colors.
The "Template" requires "Dimmers,"
"Circuits," "Channels," and "Instrumenr
Numbers" ro all be numbers. FileiViaker
Pro will nOt properly sorr an insrrument
number ifit is AI, Bl, A2, ete. When
numbering strip lighrs, the program works
properly if numbers like 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, etc.
are used. If the designer typically uses letters for re-patches, numbers assigned as
above will work more efficiently.
After completing all of the information
for rhe firsr lighting instrument, the
designer uses the "Command-I" key
sequence ro begin a new record. When
field information in the new record is the
idenrical ro the information in the previous record, using the "Dirro" command
saves typing and helps maimain consistency. The "Dino" command works in any
field, even fields using Pop-up lisr. For
example, most lighting positions have several units. So when the designer enrers
each record, the "Dirro" command copies
the Hang Position inro the new record.
After the designer enrers all of the
information, the file can be checked using
"Pteview." Pteview allows the designer ro
visualize the finished reportS befote ptinring. Figure 4 shows the preview screen for
a Channel Hook-Up reporr. This allows
the designer ro view the tecords on rhe
screen and ro verify and correcr information such as typing errors, overloaded dimmers, or othet problems.
Previewing is a simple process because
of the butrons designed into the "Template" for pteviewing each reporr. The
designer needs only ro press the "Preview"
burron under the repon name. The program then sortS the file appropriately and
displays the report one page at a time. The
scale can be reduced ro see an enrire page
or enlarged ro read the information on the
screen. Once the designer finishes previewing rhe reporr, the computer returns ro the
Channel Input Screen (Figure 3).
Records can also be checked in the
browse screen. The program provides controls to allow the user ro easily move
through the records one at a time, or by
skipping rhrough the file.
\X!hen the repons are read" for prinring, the designer presses the prim butron
for rhe reporr desired, and the program
resons the file, switches lavours, prints rhe
report, and rerurns ro the Inpur Layout.
The designer repeats this step for each
reporr.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1993