LightJockey Help

Basic Programming Terms and Elements
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(C)  1999-2004 Martin Proffesional A/S
positions (pictures in the analogy) in between the two endpoints.This is exactly what fading the effects
does.
With the previous color example, setting a fade time of 3 second for each scene, would mean that
each color change takes 3 seconds. The way this works is that LightJockey calculates all the possible
positions between the two colors, and outputs these values at a calculated rate so that the fixture
moves the color wheel from one position to the next in one smooth movement taking exactly 3
seconds.
Note that in order for an effect to fade from one position to the next the fade status of that effect must
be set to fade. See 
off/snap/fade
The sequence does not have to contain more than one scene - in this case, the term is a static
sequence. While the scene time no longer is relevant since there will be no progression in the
sequence, the fade time still controls the transition time from the previous effect position (whatever that
was) to the one programmed into the scene.
See also 
Scene and Fade Times
See also 
Sequence Control
Cues
The cue construction allows up to 12 sequences to run in parallel. This will normally be the unit that is
programmed and played back by the user. Although LightJockey allows playback of sequences the cue
offers much more flexibility in terms of dynamics.
It is important to understand that the cue only contains references to the sequence, not the sequences
themselves. This means that if a sequence is edited to a new contents, this change will take effect in
ALL cues that use this sequence. This also means that it is not necessary to re-save cues just
because the sequence has been changed, the changes will carry over automatically.
As mentioned it is normally not desirable to program every fixture and effect into the same scene even
to obtain the 'complete look'. The reason for this, is that by combining a number of sequences, each
with elements that together forms the complete look, it is much easier to re-use some of these
elements to obtain other looks. It is also the only way of obtaining simultaneous different fade times on
different effects, as the sequence only allows one fadetime pr scene. I.e. a slow color change with a
medium speed intensity chase.
An example is a very simple cue consisting of 3 sequences:
- Sequence 1 contains instructions to all fixtures output light with full intensity (static sequence)
- Sequence 2 contains information to all fixtures to fade between red, green and blue colors (non-static
sequence)
- Sequence 3 contains information that moves the fixtures around in a nice complicated pattern (non-
static sequence)
The combined result has the fixtures moving around in the complex pattern, all changing between the
colors and with full intensity.
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LightJockey Help
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(C)  1999-2004 Martin Proffesional A/S
By replacing sequence 1 with another static sequence that orders the fixtures to strobe on full intensity,
you have a different cue. Still the same colors changes, still the same movements, but now the fixtures
are strobing. To obtain the same result in a single sequence, all scenes would have to be edited so
that they contain a strobe command and not full intensity for all fixtures.
Another example would be to have the original cue running, but two of the fixtures should point to a
specific location in open white at 50% intensity, while all the other fixtures still moves around in the
complex pattern, changing colors.
Again, without the cue construction, the only way to do this would be to edit the two fixtures in every
scene of the sequence, creating a new sequence with this look particular look.
However, by using the cue and its rules of priority, it is possible to write just a single static sequence
instructing just these two fixtures to go to the position in open white with the right amount of intensity.
This static sequence is then added at a priority position with in the cue and takes control over only the
programmed fixtures - the rest still runs the original cue since they are not affected by the new
sequence.
The way the priority works within the cue is not related to fixtures, rater to individual fixtures/effects. It is
very much up to individual tastes, and possible also fixture types and fixture count, how to program the
sequences and use the cue.
Some programmers programs complete fixtures, or groups of fixtures into sequences including all
desired effects for these fixtures. They then use the cue to combine different groups of fixtures, each
group doing it's own sequence.
Other programmers swear to modularity and only programs single effects into sequences. I.e. only
color information in one sequence, gobo information in another, movement information in a third
sequence and so on. By combining these sequences in the cue they get complete looks.
Most people however, tends to use some from both methods. There are no rules governing how to use
the cue - in the end it is up to personal preferences.
See also 
Cue Control
CueList
The final element is the CueList. The cuelist offers a way to playback cues in a pre-determined order.
The cuelist may be synchronized to internal PC clock for elapsed time between cues or to timecode
from a CD-ROM drive. It may also be executed manually with a 'go-button', if for example used in a
theatrical type of show where everything is planned and pre-programmed.
The cuelist construction uses the normal cue construction to playback the cues. It is not have a
separate mechanism to playback cues.
See also 
CueList Control
The current sequence
It is important to understand that the LightJockey always has a 'current sequence'. Think of the current
sequence as a 'holder' for sequences when editing a sequence. When saving a sequence, it is always
the current sequence that is being saved, and when loading an already saved sequence, the sequence
is being loaded 'into' the current sequence for editing.
In principle the current sequence always contributes to the final DMX output of the LightJockey -
however if the current sequence does not contain any 'instructions' there will be no visible effect of the
current sequences contribution to the overall output.
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