Program surface

After starting the program, the following dialog will appear on the screen:

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Automatic the last used document will be opened or if you cancel a new empty document is created. A new document with a blank stage appears. (In this example the Offline is connected with four fixtures) The surface should look like this:

If the application looks different, you can switch on the missing views in the menu bar under ’View’ plus the window name. Under the menu entry ‘Windows’ + ‘Tabbed’ you can arrange the views on the screen.

Menu bar

Like in several other Windows application you can store and recall files, and adjust the settings of the program:

File...

Edit...

View...

Settings...

3D View

View Selection Border: Draw a rectangular frame for the selected object. (on/off).

Windows...

Help...

Property Bar

Objects

Properties

On the ‘Properties’ tab of the ‚Property Bar’ following information is available:

Fog

Fog can be set static or controlled dynamic via a desk channel.

The fog settings:

Using fog generates a more realistic impression of the light:

Layer

Toolbar

The toolbar contains several buttons that are related to the general operations of the program.

Time controlled actions like triggering of ‘Explosion Objects’ or ‚Moving Pathes with external Access’ need to be assigned to specific points on the time axis.

A validity check about all used textures and fixtures used in the current show is done.

The result shows if textures are missing or if the fixture type contains inconsistent channel values.

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2D View

The 2D window is the platform to create the technical drawing of the stage:

The side toolbar offers the following functions:

Notice: If the grid is active, objects will be aligned automatically.

Similar to a normal CAD program, the 2 dimensional view on the construction area can be changed by clicking the right mouse button into the 2D view beneath the stage:

Context Dialog

Object Properties

If you choose ‚Object Properties‘ in the context menu of a fixture the following dialog will appear:

With the buttons ‚Edit Fixture Type’, ‚Channel Info’ and ‚Show Channel Test’ you can reach the respective dialog.

For the explanation of ‘Position Mode’ refer to: xxx

Grid View

The ‘Grid View’ lists all available objects in a grid:

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• Edit conflict - other version:

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• Edit conflict - your version:

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• End of edit conflict

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This button is very important for the visualization performance!

You can switch the intersections for all objects on or off. If the intersection is switched on, all beams that hit the object are calculated by the render engine. For every triangle of the object gobo projection, color, intensity etc. are calculated and shown in the 3D view.

For fast online rendering, the intersection is switched on only for the stage object and the surrounding room.

If you want a more realistic rendering, for example for an avi video, select additional intersections for the corresponding objects.

The ‚Follower Mode’ is activated on the object surface.

If the channel is a dimmer the color is shown here.

Fixture type.

• Colour mixing system CMY or RGB

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Working with the Grid

The grid is very useful when you wish to change the properties of several objects.

For example, if you want to change the offset of all vertical trusses, select all vertical trusses in the view and list them in the property grid.

Select the ‚Y‘ entries and do a right mouse click on the headline ‘Y’.

• Select ‚Fill selected columns‘ in the context menu.

The dialog that appears allows you to enter new values into all selected cells.

If ‚increment values‘ is selected, the first column is filled with the start value. The next value is incremented by the given number and so on. This is, for example, useful for entering new DMX offset addresses for a large number of fixtures or to build stairs with a number of boxes.

If you do not want to select the whole column, hold the ‚ctrl‘key down and select the fields you would like to change.

The filling mechanism also works in this mode.

To sort the entries you can use the ‚text sort‘ function in the context window

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Printouts

The property grid is also useful for printing equipment lists. Before printing you can format the columns. In order to print right click the mouse inside the grid and select ‚print‘ in the context menu. In the appearing dialog you can change the printer properties.

Printing of patch lists can be done with the menu function ‘File – Print’.

If you want to make printouts of the 3D View, you can use the Windows copy function.

• Hold the ‚Alt’ key down an press the ‚Print’ key on the keyboard.
• The content of the actual window is copied to the clipboard.
• Now you can insert the contents of the clipboard into any drawing program for example ‚Paint’ via ‚Edit – Paste’.
• The picture is ready for post editing

3D View

The 3D view enables you to obtain the most realistic impression of the real stage. In this view you can take a walk around with a video camera and get a realistic impression of how your creation will look in reality. You can create several cameras by dragging a new camera from the data base into the 2D- or 3D view and step from camera to camera with the ‚Tab‘ button of the keyboard.

You should try walking around using the keyboard to get a feeling for stage control.

A special algorithm allows the positioning of objects in the 3D view. If you click with the mouse into the view, the algorithm searches for the first object under the mouse arrow. If an object is found, it is selected and marked with a 3D cross.

For better orientation, the object is marked in the 2D-view, as well as in the object manager.

The axes of the cross are highlighted in color:

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• Red ||X-axis||

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• Blue ||Y-axis||

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• Green ||Z-axis|| The object itself is bordered with a wire frame to show the contours.

If you want to move the object, keep the left mouse button down and move the object around. Keeping the left mouse button pressed you can move the object in the X-Y plane or level. If you want to change the height (the Z-level) keep the left and the right mouse button down and move the mouse forward or backward.

Remember that the magnetic grid will be also active in the 3D-view if turned on. So if you want to position a fixture outside of the currently selected grid steps switch it off or increase the resolution of the grid.

If you catch an object at the colored axis you can do one of the following actions:

( These actions also can be done in the 2D view.)

Move along the object axis

Rotate around the object axis

Scale

Example: Rotation in the 3D view:

If an object is selected in the 3D view and the rotation tool is selected you can rotate the object directly with the mouse around the axis. Therefore move the mouse near the colored axis and rotate the object with the pressed left mouse button.

In the example beneath the rotation is done around the Y-axis (blue).

Rotations in the 3D view are done around the colored object axis.

Rotation of Objects

The rotation of objects can be done in two different systems:

• Rotating in the 3D view around the object axis as described above.
• Or rotating via the property dialog around the axis of the coordinate system:

In the Object Properties you can rotate an object around the axis of the coordinate system:

of the coordinate system.

This virtual axis sticks through the object origin and runs parallel to the Z-axis of the coordinate system.

Data are also shown in the grid

Scaling of Objects

To set the dimensions of an object to a specific size, all sides of the object can be scaled with an own scaling factor.

The desired dimension in X, Y and Z direction can also entered numerical in the edit fields.

Important: (in conjunction with Moving Pathes)

‚Assign Properties to Object’ – Rotation parameters, coordinates and scaling factors are assigned to the object permanently. I.e. the changed position in the 3D world and the changed scaling is assigned to the object as origin data.

This step should be done before an object is assigned to a moving path.

So the moving path can work correctly if for example objects are combined together with sub objects.

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Full-screen View

This view uses the full screen for the 3D view.

There are three ways to switch into the full-screen view:

• Select the menu entry ‚View full-screen‘
• Hit the ‚Enter‘ key on the keyboard.

The ‚Enter‘ button switches to the full-screen view. ‘ESC’ switches back.

• Via the menu entry ‘View – Options’ you can change the driver and set the resolution for the window.

Type ‚Enter‘ to go back to the windowed view or ‚Esc‘ to stop the visualization and go back to the windowed view.

Followspot Function

You can use the grandMA 3D software in collaboration with the grandMA desk to position the beams of the fixtures. The Followmode can be used to enter the Pan/Tilt values for the desk presets or to use the fixtures in real time as follow spots.

The ‘Positioning Mode’ of grandMA 3D calculates the Pan/Tilt values for a focus point on the stage or any object.

This point faces on the intersection area (the surface) of the object.

For this the ‘Followmode’ of the object has to be switched ‚on’ in the grid.

• So e.g. you drag a staircase stage element on the stage and switch the ‘Followmode’ of this object ‘on’, you can walk upstairs with the mouse cursor and the beams will follow.

The calculated Pan/Tilt data is send continuously to the connected grandMA desk.

This works with moving head fixtures as well as with moving mirror fixtures.

The ‘Play’ mode can be switched on or off.

- If ‘Play’ mode is on, all fixtures are updated in the 3D View. - If ‘Play’ mode is off, only the fixtures positioned via grandMA 3D are updated.

Switches the ‘Positioning Mode’ on in the 3D View Toolbar.

The cursor marks the focus position in the 3D View as a target cross.

Select the fixtures to position in one of the following ways:

- Select a group in the ‘Data Base’.

• These groups correspond to the groups in desk.

- Or select the desired fixtures directly in the 3D View with the left mouse button

• or make a multi selection of several fixtures with ‘Ctrl’ + left mouse button.

- Or select the required fixtures at the grandMA desk.

Selected fixtures are highlighted in the grandMA desk and the 3D. Therefore the desk has to be in the ‘full tracking backup mode’ and in grandMA 3D the following switch must be switched ‘off’:

’Ignore desk selections’

You can find the switch via right mouse button click on the ‘Positioning Mode’ button:

‘Height offset’ – The focus of the beams can be shifted in the Z-direction (height) with a constant offset to the intersection area. Enter the height in the upcoming dialog. You can also change the offset directly by using the mouse wheel. This feature enables you to follow the top of the person. The height is marked as a vertical line in the 3D View.

For head movers there is a special setting for the position mode:

Because of the rotation characteristics of a head mover there are always two, sometimes even more possible ways to reach a certain position.

In Auto-mode the application tries to find the optimal (shortest movement) to the requested position. The ‚uses smallest pan change’ or ‚use smallest tilt change’ option forces the algorithm to choose the solution with the smallest change of pan or tilt value. Use one of those two options, if you want to force a certain behavior of your fixture in tracking mode.

Note: Often the problem off the light position mode is, that the min and max values are the other way round e.g. min 180° max -180°. When you changed this in the 'fixtures type' dialog, positioning works well here. If the spot shines in the opposite direction after pressing the 'Play' button, you have to change the 'INVERT' pan or tilt parameter at the desk. On the desk switch to ‚Full Access’- in the Fixture Layer and change the 'Func.Pan' or 'Func.Tilt' 'INVERT’ flag.

Data Bases

The whole virtual 3D world consists of objects. You can find all these objects in the database which acts your component box to build your 3D world. The database is not a static pool of predefined objects, it is managed dynamically and growing continuously.

Objects can simply be dragged and dropped into the 2D or 3D view.

The data base resembles a catalogue divided into several property sheets. These sheets contain sub sheets like the fixture sheet that contains, for example, the fixtures sorted according to the manufacturers.

Dynamic Objects

In contrast to pre-defined objects, dynamic objects are built by the user at runtime. You do not select an object from a pre-defined library; you create, for example, a truss from the left to the right side of the stage dynamically with the mouse.

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Wall Objects

With this type of object you can you can insert dynamic walls.

For this you pull the object into the 2D or 3D view using the left mouse button.

It is easy to move the corners or to provide more walls in the 2D view (Top, Bottom):

• Move the wall corners with the left mouse key pressed.
• With the right mouse button you can add further corners or delete them.

You can follow the changes in real-time in the 3D view.

Plane Objects

With this type of object you can insert dynamic planes or canvas.

For this you pull the object into the 2D or 3D view using the left mouse button.

To set properties and assignments of textures etc. for these objects use the property dialog.

This Example shows a transparent canvas framed with trusses.

To make the Plane transparent set the vertex texture to transparent.

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Trusses

The simplest way to insert new trusses is to work in the 2D view and use the truss buttons from the toolbar, as described in section 2D View.

But you can also drag and drop trusses from the data base with 1, 2, 3 or 4 pipes into the 2D- or 3D view.

Dynamic Trusses:

If you insert dynamic trusses from the data base into the view, they are inserted with the default length of 1 meter.

You can change the truss data in the property dialog.

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Stage Objects

Only one stage object is possible.

You must have at least one stage object.

The X-Y Dimensions are communicated with the grandMA desk.

3D-Files

GrandMA 3D supports several data formats to define bodies in 3 dimensions objects. The following file formats (3D and 2D) can be imported:

3DS, dxf (3D only), jpg, bmp, gif, tif, pgm, ppm, tga, pcx, psd and eps.

Import is realized through an „open plug-in“ import structure and can be extended to further formats. After importing grandMA works on files with its own internal 3D format.

3D-files consist of a mesh of triangles that form a body.

A great amount of X-files are available in the Internet for free download.

Objects can be imported via the menu entry ‚File – Import Objects’.

Importing of X-files also can be done via the database X-File icon: Drag the X-file icon holding the left mouse button down into the 2D- or 3D view and drop it.

A file dialog appears. Select the file and after clicking the OK button the object appears in your scene.

Now change the properties of the X-file object to meet your requirements.

If you want to scale the whole object, set the ‘Same Scale Parameter’ switch and adjust the size with the scale slider.

You can watch the results online in the 2D- or 3D view.

Move the object sliders to the final position with the position and rotation.

The X-file object consists of sub objects with different vertexes.

In this example, the car consists of the body, the windows, the tires and the lights. You can ‘dress’ this car object by covering different bitmaps over the meshes for each sub object.

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Exporting Objects

If you have modified an object you can export it for further use in other projects.

Select the object in the object manager with the right mouse button and select ‘Export’ in the context menu.

Choose a path for the export file and type in a file name.

If you have exported the file to the ‘models’ directory it appears in the data base view.

For storing the 3D object grandMA 3D uses its internal .xob file format.

Note: Objects of type ‘Fixture’ cannot be exported.

Cylinder Objects

You can build cylindrical objects with this icon and place them onto the stage.

After dragging the icon with the left mouse button into the 2D or 3D view a dialog appears to specify the dimensions and the textures.

Ambient Lights

There are two types of lights to illuminate the scenery:

- Sun Light: The ‚Sun Light’ illuminates the whole scenery. - Lights: Point lights. You can set several lights to supply your scenery with an even illumination.

The lights can be switched on or off with the switch in the toolbar as described in Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden..

Cube Objects

With cube objects you can build rectangular objects to place onto the stage.

Because Cube Objects are covered inside with textures they can also be used to build rooms placed over the stage.

After dragging the icon with the left mouse button into the 2D or 3D view a dialog appears to specify the dimensions and the textures.

Cameras

You can put several cameras into your scene by dragging the camera object from the data base into the 2D- or 3D view.

Switch from camera to camera in the 3D view with the keyboard ‘TAB’ button or select the preferred camera in the object manager or 2D view.

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Fixtures

Desk Fixture Types:

The fixture sheet shows all fixtures included in the current show.

The types are loaded from the grandMA desk’s fixture library.

If the fixture type is modified as described in Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden. Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden. and the application is connected to the desk or is off-line editor, the desk will recognize these changes and put them into its data base.

Fixture Library:

The Fixture Library is identical to the grandMA desk fixture library.

If a fixture is dragged from the library into the 3D View, the show in the desk is extended with this fixture.

So a fixture setup can be made with grandMA 3D without a connected desk:

• Make a setup with grandMA 3D
• Create an empty new show with the desk (no session created).
• Start a master session at grandMA 3D.
• Invite the desk to the session (Join).
• Now all fixtures are transferred automatic to the empty show of the desk.

The desk gets automatic the master of the session.

Predefined Objects

The supplied library comes with various 3D objects, ordered by certain topics.

This library is constantly expanded.

If you have special requests please do not hesitate to contact us!

The 3D objects in the library have been specially designed for grandMA 3D.

They therefore possess a visible number of triangles so as not to limit the performance too much.

Complex superstructures such as crossbeams with wired lights, steps, people, instruments etc. can be provided by the user and saved as ‚Predefined Object‘.

Complex objects can therefore be made available for later projects.

Simply pull the desired object into the 3D view using the left mouse button. It will appear in the centre (0,0,0). Then you can freely move, turn or scale it.

If you wish to place other objects you can do this using the import function.

Select ‚File – Import Objects’ from the menu and in the next dialog you will see the supported file formats.

You can find the objects sorted in a subdirectory from :

…\grandMA 3D\Data\Predefined Objects\...

Some examples in the miniature view:

Environment (Stadium, stages, halls etc. ):

Equipment:

Instruments:

Movable Assets:

Musicians:

Static Trusses: (Additional to the trusses from the 2D-View that are generated dynamical)

||Eurotruss: ||Library of the manufacturer Eurotruss:

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Groups

Fixtures or Dimmer can be combined to ‚Groups’ at the desk or via the grandMA 3D. This makes programming of shows easier or allows a fast multiselection for the Followspot function.

To build a group in grandMA 3D select the members and press the right mouse button in the 3D View. In the context menu select the entry ‘Store Fixture Group’ and a new group is created. This new group membership is send to the desk immediately.

Worlds

Worlds allow a filtered view on a part of a show.

If a world is selected only the members of this world are visualized.

To build a world in grandMA 3D select the members and press the right mouse button in the 3D View. In the context menu select the entry ‘Store Fixture Worlds’ and the new world is created. This new world membership is send to the desk immediately.

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Textures

Textures are bitmaps (.bmp, jpg files) that “dress” the wireframes of your objects.

You can select a texture from the catalogue in the database and cover the selected object by dragging the texture in the 2D- or 3D view.

You can use your own textures like simple drawings, company logos or digital photos.

You only need a copy of the pattern in one of the supported formats.

Copy the file to \Program Files\MA Lighting Technologies\GrandMA 3D\Data\Textures\... and it will appear in the preview.

Colorkeying Textures

With this technique you can save a lot of polygons. So you get a much better performance.

Colorkeying makes it possible to draw images with transparent colors.

A Color Key is when you choose a certain color in the image to be transparent.

GrandMA 3D attaches two conditions to use the color keying technique for an image:

• The transparent color of the image is defined as 255, 0,255 (R, G, i.e. you have to paint the transparent areas exactly with this color.

• The name of the image must have the extension “@CK”. For example Mask@CK.BMP .

Note:

We recommend using the .BMP format for color keying images. The compression of other formats may cause fraying effects at the transparent boarders.

The following example shows a typical application for Colorkeying:

• (255, 0, 255) Mask@ck.bmp

Additional conditions for Colorkeying Images:

Otherwise Value RGB (255, 0, 255) is the key color for the mask

Playback of Videos (.avi)

GrandMA 3D is able to playback videos in the virtual 3D world.

The videos can be started by the grandMA desk.

Surfaces of objects can be covered with video (.avi) files. This works similar as covering with textures.

The videos have to be present in the AVI format.

In the current version the AVI files have to meet the following restrictions:

With and height of the AVI should be divisible by 128 for example 256 * 128.

The color depth must be 16 bit.

Several movies can run simultaneously. Their number is restricted by the performance of the PC.

To assign a movie to an object’s surface please proceed in this way:

Drag the movie file from the ‚Data Base’ to the selected object in the 3D View or to the object in the ‚Object Manager’ and drop it.

Because movies need the assignment to exact moments on the timeline it is necessary to define a starting point. So for every AVI file a ‚Video Player’ object is created in the ‚Object Manager’.

With the ‚Video Player’ the starting point can be defined on the timeline or if the movie can be started by a dimmer channel via the desk.

„Video Player“ objects in the ‚Object Manager’.

after pressing the ‚Start’ button

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Moving Pathes

Moving Pathes allow the movement of objects like trusses with their attached sub objects like fixtures.

You can attach a Moving Path to an object via dragging the Moving Path at the Data Base and drop it onto the desired object in the Object Manager. Then fill in the Moving Path parameter in the Object Manager.

Controlling of the position is always done relative to the origin coordinates. I.e. if an object with moving pathes is moved manually, the tracks of the Moving Pathes are always moved parallel to the new object coordinates.

Several Moving Paths can be attached to an object:

|| External Access: Controlling of movements in the 3D Space

Time controlled: Time controlled movement in the 3D space

External Access Moving Pathes (controlling via dimmer channel)

The movement in X,Y or Z-direction or the rotation around the X,Y or Z -axis is controlled by the dimmer channels of the connected grandMA desk.

Trigger : (without function)

Example for ‘Dimmer Z-Position’:

Movement of a truss with 4 fixtures in Z-direction (lifts and goes down).

A truss with 4 mounted head moving fixtures should be lifted with the dimmer channel 1 of the grand MA desk

• Create 4 fixtures and one dimmer with the grandMA desk
• The dimmer should be named „Dim 1“
• With grandMA 3D the 4 fixtures are assigned as sub objects of the truss.

This is done by dragging and dropping the fixtures to the truss in the object manger.

• From the Data Base assign the Moving Path „Dimmer Position Z“ via drag and drop to the truss in the Object Manager.
• Enter the properties of the Moving Pathes in the Object Manager:

• Type: Pos Z (can be changed if it’s a ‘Dimmer custom’ Moving Path)

• Dimmer: In this box all dimmers from the desk are listed with their names. Select „Dim 1“.

• From .. To: Input for the relative movement range.

The "relative to world" flag causes a movement relative to the 'World' coordinates. That means for example if you have rotated an object around the Y-axis with 90° the object will move upwards with an X-moving path if the flag is not set because the object X-axis shows upwards.

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• If all entries are done, the truss (5) with all mounted fixtures can be lifted 3 meters via the desk dimmer channel “Dim 1”.

Combining several different Moving Pathes you can realize nearly any movement you want to.

In the example beneath, a movement in z-direction is added with a rotation around the y-axis.

Attention: If you have rotated or scaled your objects press first ‚Assign Properties to Object’ (see: Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden. Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden.) for your sub objects.

Otherwise the Moving Pathes act on the origin data and you don’t get the requested movement.

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Time controlled Moving Pathes

By pressing the „Start“ button the time starts at the point 0.0 seconds.

Beginning from this time on the positions of the objects can be controlled by

• „Time controlled Moving Pathes“

Dynamic Move: Time controlled movement between different points.

This makes precise camera movements possible for example from A via B to C…

Pathes between the points are called Keyframes. The route between the points will be linearly interpolated.

Example: Camera movement from A to B and back in 10 seconds.

• Drag a Dynamic Moving Path on the Main Camera (1) object in the Object Manager
• To modify the Dynamic Moving Pathes switch into the

‚Edit Mode’

• Move the camera to the start position ‚A’
• Press ‚Add Keyframe’
• As start time for the first Keyframe enter 0.00 s in the following dialog
• Move the camera to the second position ‚B’
• Press ‚Add Keyframe’
• As start time for the second Keyframe enter 5.00 s in the following dialog
• Set the slider to the first Keyframe position. The camera jumps to the starting point ‚A’.
• Press again ‚Add Keyframe’
• As starting time for the third Keyframe enter 10.00 s in the following dialog.

The result should be a smooth camera movement between the entered points ‚A’ and ‚B’ in the defined period of 10 seconds.

Note:

Controlling of the position is done relative to the origin coordinates. i.e. if an object with moving pathes is moved manually, the tracks of the Moving Pathes are always moved parallel to the new object coordinates.

If you want to move an object manually without modifying the Moving Path tracks, select the switch ‚Use Data Absolute’:

at the end of the property dialog.

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Channel Test Dialog

The Channel Test dialog is used for different tasks:

• The received values can be observed while connected to grandMA console or off-line editor (Desk Monitor Function)
• All the channel values can be stimulated if the application is not in ‚Run’ mode.
• The received console values can be shown in ‚Run’ mode.

This dialog is not modal i.e. when open, the changed values are used and any results (movements etc.) are immediately viewable in the 3D view if the ‚Play‘ button is pressed.

You can change the current value Seite: 31 with the corresponding slider.

The slider fields can be edited in various ways:

• Hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse up or downwards. The value will change by small amounts.
• Position the mouse cursor over the shown value. The cursor will change to an arrow

(<->) Now the value can be changed in large amounts with depressed mouse button.

• With a left double click or a right mouse click you can enter the amount numerically.