Many fixtures contain different "settings" that are stored inside the fixture, even when the control channel that sets the setting changes.
Some examples:
- Various dimmer curves can be selected via control channel (linear, square, ...)
- Different PanTilt speed modes can be selected via control channel (fast, smooth, ...)
- Different colour modes can be selected via control channel (raw, calibrated, high CRI, high output, ...)
The only way to describe these in GDTF today is by creating a separate DMX Mode for each setting combination, which leads to an endless quantity of modes.
Would be easier if GDTF would contain some "variables" that can be "set" by a DMX channel, and then keep the value they were set to.
Descriptions in GDTF could then use something like an SWITCH statement to describe behavior following variable setting.
For example:
- Have a "variable" that sets the PanTilt Speed Mode: "PTSpeed"
- Using the Control channel, some slots can be defined to set the "PTSpeed" variable to different values (1=Fast, 2=Smooth, 3=Standard).
- And then on something like a Tilt channel you would have:
SWITCH(PTSpeed):
1: RealAcceleration="0.100000" RealFade="0.200000"
2: RealAcceleration="0.400000" RealFade="0.600000"
3: RealAcceleration="0.200000" RealFade="0.350000"
Software using GDTF files would then need to track the value of each variable for each fixture (and we probably should define a default startup value for each variable as well).
Many fixtures contain different "settings" that are stored inside the fixture, even when the control channel that sets the setting changes.
Some examples:
The only way to describe these in GDTF today is by creating a separate DMX Mode for each setting combination, which leads to an endless quantity of modes.
Would be easier if GDTF would contain some "variables" that can be "set" by a DMX channel, and then keep the value they were set to.
Descriptions in GDTF could then use something like an SWITCH statement to describe behavior following variable setting.
For example:
SWITCH(PTSpeed):
1: RealAcceleration="0.100000" RealFade="0.200000"
2: RealAcceleration="0.400000" RealFade="0.600000"
3: RealAcceleration="0.200000" RealFade="0.350000"
Software using GDTF files would then need to track the value of each variable for each fixture (and we probably should define a default startup value for each variable as well).