One of the most important lighting design tools to emerge in the post-automated lighting era is lighting design software. The first to market was the WYSIWYG suite of CAD, paperwork, rendering, and visualization software for lighting designers and programmers. Eighteen years after version 1.0 comes the latest release from Cast Software, Release 23, and it represents a major step forward in terms of real-time visualization, detail, and quality of rendering. In the early days, WYSIWYG visualization represented light beams only in wire frame or shaded-view representations. It did the job but left something to be desired in terms of realism and dazzling presentation visuals. R23 is the second half of a major upgrade that started with R22 and a newly rebuilt graphics engine that narrows the gap between real-time rendering and the real world. The result is a much-improved visualizer that more accurately displays information about a lighting and control system and some added features.
New Features
The new version of WYSIWYG makes it easy to get good results quickly. To get my beta test started, I took a PDF of a performing arts center, imported it, scaled it, and used the plan view to build a 3D model. The CAD tools in WYSIWYG are not as advanced as in AutoCAD, but they are sufficient for most applications in our industry. The flip side is that they are very easy to use and there is a very short learning curve.
After the model was built I added pipes and set pieces in the CAD mode before I imported lights from the extensive library. For added effect I imported people and band instruments from the library and placed them on the stage. Then I focused the lights using the new fixture point of view (POV) feature. This allows you to select a fixture and focus it by clicking on the properties of the fixture and selecting the Point of View tab, which shows a small window displaying the point of view of the fixture. Since I like to draw a focus grid on the stage (in its own layer so I can make it invisible later on), this feature makes it very easy to focus fixtures on the stage because you can see exactly where the fixture is focused. You could also capture the fixture point of view graphic and e-mail it to the electrician to use as a reference for focusing. Imagine showing up on site and having all of the fixtures already focused!
Once the fixtures were focused, I adjusted the ambient light levels, and added a few scenes with crossfade times just by selecting a light, adjusting the intensity and color (if applicable) and naming the scene. In the case of automated lights, I used preset focus positions that I created to speed the process of focusing. It took only a couple of hours after the model was built.
Real-Time Visualizer
It was quick and easy, but most of it is not new to WYSIWYG. What is new, however, is the real-time rendering quality that appears in the shaded view. It looks as good on screen as a fully rendered JPEG. I even started with the default settings and in my opinion, it looked great. But I knew from the sneak preview at PLASA and LDI and by reading the literature that one of the new features is variable focus and real-time shadows, neither of which I could see. After doing some research, I learned that the trick was to click in the visualization window and adjust the setting for “footprint” and enable “footprint focus.” The footprint setting ranges from 0 percent to 100 percent and it affects the intensity of a projection against a surface. When footprint focus is enabled, the visualize projects a yellow line in the center of the cone of the fixture which represents the focal distance.
In the Design mode there are a number of tools available to quickly set up a scene. They include such things as intensity, color, gobo, etc., and selecting one opens a small dockable window. In R23, one of the new tools is the footprint tool, which allows you to turn the footprint focus on and off as well as adjust the focal distance. It allows you to select a fixture, project a pattern, and adjust the footprint so that it has just right amount of sharpness for the scene. It also works with video projections and aerial beam projections. Once it’s set you can uncheck the footprint focus box and the yellow line disappears but the footprint stays in correct focus.
The new graphics engine that was launched in R22 and completely updated in R23 renders footprints with more accuracy and realism. It not only projects a pattern and the associated shadows, but it also wraps around objects in a realistic fashion. The 3D model I built has angled walls at the proscenium, and when you project a gobo on it, it follows the contour of the walls, creating a wonderful rendering of light, shadow and form.
The new version also renders beams in real time with hot spots based on the beam profiles of the library fixtures, which adds to the realism. Another nice touch is that you can stream video through a digital luminaire, like the High End Systems DL3, and project it on a surface with a realistic-looking beam in the air.
R22 + R23 = Fabulous
R23 is the second half of a major upgrade that started with R22, in which three-dimensional beams in the shaded view were introduced. R22 also brought with it light flares, improved smoke and haze, aerial beam projections, and mid-air color mixing. R23 took it a step farther with the completion of the upgrade.
Projection plays an ever increasing importance in today’s productions, and having good tools to help program and visualize graphic-intensive shows is a huge advantage. With R23 you can save time on site and come to the gig better prepared by taking advantage of the improved visualization tools and features. It can also help you win the job by allowing you to create compelling visuals of your design.
What It Is: Lighting design and visualization software suite that includes CAD, paperwork, design, presentation, and visualization tools
Who It’s For: Every level of lighting designer and programmer from novice to serious professional
Pros: Excellent real-time rendering, quick, easy to use and well-rounded package
Cons: Simple CAD tools lack advanced features
Retail price: $199 to $4,999
