Custom Fixture and 3D Modell

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  • Hello people,

    I want to create a custom Fixture for the dot2 and the 3D application. Reason: This lamp is a bit special, because its a flame unit on a moving device (limited to +/- 45° - pan only).

    Channel List:

    • Safety (Control)
    • Fire (DIM)
    • Pan (PAN)


    My problems & questions:

    • For Safety reasons, I need the Fire and Safety react to the blackout. Right now, only my DIM channel react to BO. I could realize this with a virtual dimmer, but i dont know how to do this. 2nd option: In the grandMA2 theres an option to react to blackout. However, when I modify my fixture with grandMA2onPC, which I created with the fixture builder, the Safety still dont react to BO.
    • The moving device has a fixed speed. Is it possible to define a certain speed value for the pan channel?
    • Fixture & 3D Modell association: On the Helppage of MA is written, that a ModelKey makes a fixed relation between Fixture and 3D, but in the Fixture Builder I'm not able to set a model key. Does anybody know the xml command for the 3D file for this?
    • Materials: My Materials seems to not export probably. Everything is all white. I did the export with 3DS Max. I fulfill the naming convention, dont use above 1 material per object. Any ideas?
    • I would like to define a fixed beam color, without using a dmx channel. Is ist possible to define this in the xml for the 3D Model?


    I know this is tricky. So I am excited, if somebody is able to help me out here.

    Best Regards,
    FortyTwo

  • Hi FortyTwo,
    indeed, this is a Special fixture :)

    In General, the MA fixture builder can not handle all possible fixture Options.
    We are Aware of it and are working on a solution.

    To 1: I have ceated a fixture, which first two channels react on BlackOut, please have a look.
    To 2: You can, via gMA2 onPC fixture editor- at the Moment not via the MA fixture builder, sorry.
    To 3: Maybe it´s easier if you have a 3D model of your fixture, if you Import this into dot2 3D and
    do a right mouseclick onto your patched Special fixture in dot2 3D and change the visualisation-model to your imported one.
    To 4: we can´t help you, because this seems to be caused by your Export from 3ds Max.
    To 5: You can. Please move your view to the very left of the sheet in the "patch and fixture schedule" view.
    There you´ll find a "visualisation" Color for your fixture. This can be also used to have Color filters visualized for Conventionals...

    I have build a simple Version of your desired fixture, please have a look, if this works as a Basis for you.
    Cheers,
    Q

  • Hi Michael,

    Thanks a lot for your answer.

    To 3: Maybe it´s easier if you have a 3D model of your fixture, if you Import this into dot2 3D and


    That is the way I do it for now. But I was looking for a way, that you don't have to do this anymore.

    To 5: You can. Please move your view to the very left of the sheet in the "patch and fixture schedule" view.
    There you´ll find a "visualisation" Color for your fixture. This can be also used to have Color filters visualized for Conventionals...


    I'm already using the color option. But to make it easier, I wanted to kind of hard programm it into the fixture. So that if you load the fixture, you'll have the color every time the same. If its not possible, thats not too sad.

    To 4: we can´t help you, because this seems to be caused by your Export from 3ds Max.


    3DS Max is the owner of the 3ds file format. Why should the exporter create bad results? So its more about which parameters the dot3D software needs, to display them properly. But Unfortunately, this is not documented. It is just documented, that one object only may have one material at a time.


    To 1: I have ceated a fixture, which first two channels react on BlackOut, please have a look.


    This is a good start. But the control channel is no more independet from the dim channel. So if you kill the dim(fire), you're also killing the safety, which is not possible in my case. If I reverse the two channels dmx wise, it could worked. But then programming is way more complicated, that before.

    By the way, thank you for your effort building this. I was looking for "react to bo", not "react to dim". So I assume the dot2 is not able to do this?

  • Actually, making models for dot2 3D is pretty well documented.
    It is also exactly the same as for MA 3D.

    I think you used wrong material type altogether. I suspect you went for some special material shader, instead of setting plain diffuse color for geometry, which you left white, thinking it's just "wireframe drawing color".

    Advanced fixture editing should be done in grandMA2 (onPC) anyway. And since grandMA2 v2.7 (i think), you can export fixture file with embedded geometry, so no need for "modelkey" and dragging custom media file into 3D program files folder. That opens up properly in dot2 also. Libraries and geometries are interchangeable.

  • Actually, making models for dot2 3D is pretty well documented.


    I have to disagree. I red all subpages of https://help2.malighting.com/Page/MA_dot2/MA_dot2_3D/en/1.2. And I'm familiar with 3D modeling. For sure I have setup a diffuse color, no fancy material.
    But as far as i know, this is not documented anywhere: Which material parameter does dot2 3d interpret as the material color?

    I already looked into grandMA onPC and I achieved better or advanced results, than with the fixture builder, because its not that limited. I'll have a look into the MAonPC again. Will try to embed the 3D. Right now, I dont know how to do this, but assume that I need to load 3D Model into grandMA3D and combine it with the fixture.

    Thanks for your input,
    regards,
    FortyTwo

  • I loaded my 3D model in to grandMA2 3D and linked the 3D Model to the grandMA 2 onPC Fixture. Then I did the export to a flash drive. When I look into the fixture file, indeed there is embedded geometry. Also the the xml is way larger. Anyway, When I create a new show and add this fixture to the dot2 Showfile, the generic headmover model shows up, instead of the one in my fixture file.

    Are you sure geometry is interchangeable?

    Using latest grandMA PC version and dot2 console software.

    Regards,
    FortyTwo

  • @FortyTwo,

    If you're getting custom geometry in MA2[embedded within the profile, yes 3D does bloat the size!], you should get it in Dot2. I just generated a JB-Lighting A12 profile with custom geometry in MA2 and it opened fine in Dot2.

    You may not be embedding the model in the profile in MA2 or you may be using the XMLP file instead of the XML inside the Dot2 Patch window. I notice in Dot2 that the view of the tiled assets in the Patch window don't contain fileType information, just pretty tiles?? I knew the XML will be listed above the XMLP version so I got it right. There is probably another view/mode that may give more data but I'm quite new to Dot2 keystrokes and UI. A core desk was used on the last gig and it's time to jump into the pool it seems....

    Too bad there doesn't seem to be a way to edit profiles inside the desk...

    Good luck with your visualizations!

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