The Benefits of Visualization
Automated lighting programming is very time-consuming. Clients always want lots of dynamic looks and complex cueing. However, the costs associated with renting a space, building a rig, hiring techs, etc. to allow a programmer and designer to sit for several days can be astronomical. One of the biggest benefits of a lighting visualizer is that programming can occur without an actual rig. Only the console and visualizer are required, and these can be rented for reasonably low rates. This also allows the programmer and designer to sit with a console virtually anyplace they desire.
I have programmed many shows on visualizers and have done so in offices, lighting shops, studios, my dining room, hotel rooms, and even on an airplane. I know of one programmer in Europe who set up a projector in his apartment and shined the virtual rig out the window onto the building next door to the surprise of passersby below. Visualizers provide the freedom to program in comfort, away from noisy distractions and in any environment.
Another benefit is that during the programming and design phase, snapshots or movies of the programming can be made easily. These can then be sent to clients for approval or to demonstrate conceptual ideas. Just as visualizers can be used to assist in actual programming, they are also often used to create proposals for gigs.
Getting Down to Business
Although the syntax and keystrokes of programming with a visualizer are no different than working with a real rig, there are many things that the programmer must take into consideration when visualizing. First, palettes (or presets) are extremely important. These tools are important on any production, but even more so when working with a visualizer. A palette allows you to quickly update your programming by using references instead of actual values within your data. Because the visualizer is a reproduction of the real fixtures, there will always be differences between the on-screen rig and the physical rig. I find that when programming with a visualizer I will make more palettes than when working directly with the lights. For instance, I might make a palette for specific iris settings or strobe speeds that I might not have built if working only with the real fixtures.
If at all possible, I like to have one of each fixture with me during my visualizing sessions. This way I can connect the real fixture and get an idea of what the true strobe speeds look like, or how fast the gobo really rotates. Most visualizers do their best to replicate these settings, but you can never guarantee that they will be exact. In addition, you need to remember that the colors you are looking at on the monitor are just computer representations. They are not true to the output of a fixture, and can vary depending on how your monitor is adjusted. Again, a real fixture in the room will help remove some of this mystery.
Another important consideration for programming in the virtual world is your point of view. In a real venue, it is easy to walk around the venue and understand how the lighting looks from different angles. With a visualizer, you will need to set up various camera views so that you can see how the programming will appear to the audience as well as those on stage.
Which Way Do We Go?
One of the biggest problems when visualizing is making the transition from the virtual stage to the real rig. Many things may or may not appear as they did on the screen. One of the most common mistakes is related to the fixture orientation. It is essential that you understand which way you have your fixtures placed within your visualizer. If the visualizer thinks that you have all the displays of the units facing downstage and your real rig has them upstage, then all your positions will be way off.
Usually when you arrive on site after visualizing, your time is cut extremely short (after all, you did all that visualization beforehand). If you fire up the rig and see all your positions and cues pointing at the upstage wall, you have to quickly update all the positions. In many cases, this can lead to confusion as you may not remember exactly how the various positions looked and you never expected them to be this far off. This is why I always take a screen shot of every position palette before I finish my visualization programming. Then, when I turn on the real rig, I have actual images on my computer to refer back to when updating my position palettes.
Virtual vs. Real
Visualizers are wonderful tools for the automated lighting programmer, but they are only a representation and therefore will never exactly match the real world. It is nearly impossible to have a drawing that is accurate to the inch of how a real lighting rig goes together. Furthermore, the visualizer only reproduces the output of a fixture based on the visualizer’s library information. If any of this information is not 100% accurate, then your programming will appear different when you plug in your lights. For example, automated lights are mechanical devices with their own internal software. In order for a visualizer to exactly replicate a fixture, it would need access to this software.
Typically, a visualizer company will write a library based on the fixture’s DMX protocol and then try to obtain a real fixture so they can more accurately mimic the fixture’s abilities. A good visualizer company will measure as many attributes as possible to match their virtual fixture with the real fixture. However, there is absolutely no way they can exactly match all aspects of the fixtures. There will always be tweaking required after programming with a visualizer.
Peace of Mind
Visualizer-based programming truly is the video game of the lighting industry. It can be lots of fun to program in a comfortable environment, staring only at a computer screen or projected image. In fact, visualizers are also wonderful for learning to program or practicing on a console. Furthermore, visualizers help reduce production costs and allow designers more preprogramming time. With an understanding of the considerations that must be made when visualizing, any programmer can make use of this wonderful tool. For true peace of mind, remember that any visualizer-based programming will need to be looked at before going live at a production. Visualizers will continue to improve and amaze us with the abilities, and some day may even lead to whirled peas.
