Layout views provide instant feedback as to the status of your rig. On a fundamental level, “Is it on, is it off, is it red, is it white?” We apply that concept to the more complex shows we come across that benefit from that type of “status,” beyond lighting fixtures. For instance, on Katy Perry’s Prismatic tour, we were dealing with 32 major axes of motion and 40 minor axes of motion within the Tait system. For all of that, there were 22 custom icons on my layout that would represent different parts of the system — the treadmills, elevators, winches, etc. Through custom fixture profiles and imagery in the desk, we essentially created a feedback protocol affected by Art-Net, meticulously set up on the automation side. When the winches have faulted and stopped, the icon for the winch flashes red, alerting me of an issue. They’ll pulse green if that axes is in motion and be static white if the axis is static and ready. On shows like Bon Jovi and Pearl Jam, the automation integration required additional logic on the MA side, such as if/then and variables dependent on the state of the system. The MA, coupled with Tait’s Navigator system, and their programming team, led to some amazing collaboration.
—Eric Marchwinski, as quoted by Vickie Claiborne for PLSN Interview, Nov. 2015 page 58.
