This section is where work in the program really begins: until you’ve “introduced” your lighting fixtures to the program, there’s nothing to control. Let’s go over three key concepts in plain words.
Fixture — this is your real lighting device: a spotlight (PAR), a moving head, a fog machine, a laser, a strobe. In a project, each fixture is a card/row that you then control.
Profile — this is the fixture’s “passport”: which channel does what. For example, on a spotlight channel 1 is brightness, 2 is red, 3 is green, 4 is blue. Different models have different channels, so every fixture has its own profile. Profiles come from the library, are imported, or are built in the constructor.
Patch — this is the “connection map”: a table where you assign each fixture a DMX address (the channel it listens from), a universe and a type. The word “patch” (to connect) comes from the world of big consoles.
Two concepts you can’t do without:
| Concept | In plain words |
|---|---|
| DMX address | The number of the fixture’s first channel. The fixture “listens” to commands starting from it. It must match the address set on the fixture itself. |
| Universe | A line of 512 channels. If you have many fixtures and 512 channels aren’t enough — spread them across universes 2, 3 and so on. Identical addresses in different universes don’t conflict. |
