An Amazing Tool
Lighting visualizers are remarkable pieces of software that enable a programmer and designer to prepare lighting without having to turn on a single luminaire. The cost and time savings alone make it attractive to most productions. By simply importing the lighting and set plots and connecting to a lighting console, the programming can begin. The software will emulate the functions of the various lights, show the output on the “stage” and the console will never know the difference. This allows cues to be created without the need to rent a venue and equipment, hire crews, configure everything, etc.
In the early days of visualization, only wireframe beams were possible. Now, modern visualizers produce nearly photo-realistic renderings live while working with the fixtures. In addition to aiding in preprogramming of a production, visualizers are often used to create presentations for clients to demonstrate what will be possible on the stage. For many LDs, the role of the visualizer has increased from just a production tool to a presentation aspect for acquiring the gig.
Preparing for Preprogramming
As easy as the concept of the visualizer is to understand, the actual setup and use of the visualizer can be somewhat complicated and overwhelming. The dream of preprogramming on a computer monitor and then just plugging into the rig and hitting GO on the console is just that, a dream. There are always going to be differences between the virtual world and the real world. For instance, if your virtual plot has the FOH truss at a trim of 20 feet and the real world is at 20 feet and six inches, then your lighting focuses will not be the same in real life compared to the visualizer. This is easy enough to solve through the use of palettes/presets on the console, but it must always be considered.
When preparing the visualizer file, you need to have your light plot and set drawings imported and located in 3D space exactly as they will be located in the real world. You also need to have a patch for the fixtures that matches the patch in the console. Luckily, this patch does not have to match what will be used on the actual stage. You can change the patch at any time without affecting the programming of the associated fixtures in your console. This is one area that you can “cheat” in the virtual world if you need to.
Those Pesky Fixtures
I have found that the biggest “gotcha” when working with a visualizer comes not from the differences with the plot versus reality, but rather with the fixtures. Every visualizer has its own library of lighting fixtures similar to the libraries that exist in lighting consoles. However, the visualizer fixture libraries must contain much more data than just the DMX mapping, because they have to emulate the actual output. In some cases, this can result in incorrect information that can lead to programming errors. For instance, if the zoom operates differently in the real fixture than it does in the visualizer library, you will find that all your programming relating to zoom will be wrong. Every narrow zoom you saw in the visualizer would be full-wide zoom with the real fixtures.
Another anomaly commonly found with visualizers versus the real world has to do with the orientation and movement of the fixture. If you have a moving head fixture rigged on the truss, you need to ensure that the orientation of the head matches that used in the visualizer. Otherwise your focuses will all be off and your lights will be pointing in the wrong directions. Typically, the power connection is used as the marker for fixture orientation. So many LDs will designate that all fixtures need to have their “tails” pointing in a particular direction (stage right, for instance) and then match this in the visualizer as well. However, the visualizer fixture also needs to be properly built to know which way the fixture pans and tilts from a given point within this orientation. Again, this is up to the visualizer manufacturer to ensure their library is properly created.
Many programmers find it helpful to have one actual fixture of each type with them when they begin programming with a visualizer. This way they can easily confirm the library in the visualizer matches what the light actually does. Additionally, they can also see what the actual colors produced from the fixture look like, instead of depending on the virtual model and the settings of the computer monitor.
All the major visualizer companies do their best to ensure that their virtual fixtures match the real deal, but sometimes mistakes are made. If you encounter differences between their pretend fixtures and the actual lights, be sure to send them an email so that they can correct their libraries. This will help you and the rest of the users.
Visualizer Capabilities
As previously stated, visualizer capabilities have grown tremendously over the past 20 years. In addition to emulating lighting, their features now commonly include video capabilities, set and truss movements, entire venues and more. They have also improved when trying to emulate the actual light levels produced by fixtures, and the software can now handle a vast array of different LED fixture types. You can even adjust haze and ambient light levels. Many have also added abilities to visualize beyond a typical stage and illuminate architectural projects, such as skyscrapers, or even entire cities.
One of the stumbling blocks that continues to plague visualizers is the on-board effects built into many fixtures. Strobe settings, iris tricks, premade macros, color effects and more require emulating the specific algorithms and engines built into the fixture’s firmware. Often, fixture manufacturers are reluctant to share this proprietary information, so the visualizer manufacturers must do their best to emulate what the light does naturally. In these cases, it is imperative to check a real fixture against the visualizer; otherwise you will see a very different show on your monitor than the reality on stage.
Virtual Visual Worlds
As technology increases in abilities, so, too, will the visualizers. Many of the visualizer products currently on the market go beyond just emulating lighting and instead offer a full suite of features. Most have followed lighting designers and programmers by moving into the realm of video. From simple importation of video sources to complex rendering of digital lighting and media servers, almost anything visual is now possible to emulate.
Remember, when programming with a visualizer, the lighting desk behaves the same. You are just simply looking at a representation instead of the actual lighting rig. So your programming methods do not change, but there are many specific details you need to be aware of to make a smooth transition from the virtual to real world. If you are fully prepared, then the process will be simple. Be aware of the differences between the plots as well as the fixture libraries. Also remember that the virtual world is never exactly the same as real life, so make use of palettes/presets as much as possible to ease the transition. Most of all, take advantage of the benefits of being able to program anyplace you like with the aid of a visualizer.
