Calibrate fixtures without affecting 3D?

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  • Hi all,

    I am quite new to MA3 .. using a onPC with a CommandWing.

    is there a way to calibrate you fixtures like a dmx-offset or something?

    The problem is that the fixtures in real-life are not adjusted to 100% in the rig. Some are facing a little downwards, some a little to the left, etc.. I would like to adjust these fixtures without affecting the 3D or to modify all my Presets...

    I already looked up the online-help and read "Position Fixtures in the 3D space" ... but these methods are all affecting the positions in 3D ...

    help appreciated... :)

  • Yes, ok, but where should I use this? In all of the presets? I am looking for something to adjust my fixtures to a new location where the stage is e.g. smaller, higher etc... so that there is no need to modify all of my presets.....

    I GM there was this offset value available, In GM3 there is a "calibrate position" (in 3d setup-mode), but if i do the calibration procedure with 4 points on my stage and press "solve", then it modifies the positions of my fixtures in the rigg... thats not really what I want...

    Is there a kind of functionality planned in one of the next versions?

    • Put the relative values into their own sequence with a single cue
    • Change the Sequence Settings for that Sequence:
      • Change {Priority} to "Lowest"
      • Change {Off when Overwritten} to be disabled (gray rather than yellow)
    • Run the sequence

    Now it will just be always running in the background.

  • Hi, I tried to do as suggested, but unfortunately not successful....

    I created 2 presets for some moving lights (1 up, 1 down)

    Then I used the „up preset“ and modified it with the relative position values. I stored this as a third preset (Here is my first problem, it looks like as if it sores both absolute and relative values - don‘t know how to store the relative values only)


    from preset 1 and 2 I created a sequence with trigger type „follow“


    from preset 3 I created another sequence with the settings you suggested above... but this one seems to be completely ignored...

  • I'd put it in a lowest-priority sequence with {Off When Overwritten} disabled.


    Personally I don't think Pan/Tilt Offsets in Patch is needed because we already have Relative values, but that's just one person's opinion.

    Hi, I not agree with that cause if using a relative value to offset the pan/tilt, the pan/tilt phaser base on relative value are all affected. It mean we need to reprogram all the relative phaser base on the offset value. It don't make sense without the patch offset for pre programming or touring event.

    Maybe I'm wrong, but personally I feel offset are very important in a lighting console.

    Correct me if i'm wrong.

  • Hi, I not agree with that cause if using a relative value to offset the pan/tilt, the pan/tilt phaser base on relative value are all affected. It mean we need to reprogram all the relative phaser base on the offset value. It don't make sense without the patch offset for pre programming or touring event.

    Maybe I'm wrong, but personally I feel offset are very important in a lighting console.

    Correct me if i'm wrong.

    That just means we need to improve the way Relative works across multiple executors (which needs to happen anyway). Then it would solve both problems.

  • Hi all,

    just a short update ... I tried the idea with the extra-sequence again and it works with "relative-only" parameters and Priority "high" instead of "lowest".

    I am too new to the ma-system to say whether this should become best practise for adjusting you fixtures or if an "offset" (maybe in an upcoming version) will be the first choice...

    thanks a lot for your ideas / instructions.

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