DMX Moving Heads Programming Help

[DiscoMagic]

I recently have had the pleasure of buying 2x Chauvet Moving Heads, and am truly stuck when it comes to programming then with my simple Transcension DMX Controller. I'm fairly OK with understanding the basics of programming and can get these guys to run in a chase, but what I am seriously stuck with is how to program the lights to sweep the room on simply go around in a circle on the floor in clean and simple motion.

If I program in a chase the head just from one point/scene to the next and its all rather jagged? :confused:

I hope that makes sense and someone can put onto the right path.

Thanks :-)

[DiscoMagic]

Any one able to me out of this one ??????

[mattydj50]

And when they do, can they tell me too please!

[DJ Jules]

Ok, I don't know which controller you've got, but it's impossible to program a circle with a simple DMX controller (you'd need software or an advanced DMX controller that knows what a circle is to do it). However, you can get close by programming in between 4 and 16 points in the circle and then setting the Fade or transition speed so that the controller doesn't "Snap" between scenes in the chase, but instead transitions the DMX values from one step to the next over a period of time (set by the fade/transition speed). This'll give a smoother movement in something between a square/diamond and a hexadecagon shape (depending how many points you program in).

Depending on which moving head you've got the other option is to use a movement macros. Some moving heads and scanners have macro and macro speed DMX channels, where if you set a specific DMX value on the macro channel, the head will follow a pre-programmed path at the speed set by the DMX value on the macro speed channel. Again, without knowing exactly which moving heads you've got I can't tell you if this is an option or not (or if they have a circle as a macro).

Hope this is of some help?

Julian

[DiscoMagic]

Thats great - thanks buddy. I'll have a look at the re-built macro movements tonight pre-show, but it looks like some research and software is on the shopping list for the new year!!!

Have a great night tonight and happy new year :) :beer1: