Inserting Instruments

Use the Lighting Instrument tool to insert an existing instrument symbol.

To identify which symbol was used to create an existing lighting device in the drawing, right-click on the device and select Locate Symbol in Resource Manager from the context menu.

To insert a lighting instrument:

1. Click the tool, and then click Instrument symbol on the Tool bar. From the Resource Selector, double-click a resource to activate it.

Alternatively, from the Resource Manager, either double-click the instrument symbol to insert or right-click on the instrument symbol and select Make Active from the context menu. The Lighting Instrument tool is automatically selected.

2. If you plan to export to a lighting console or visualizer, click Fixture Mode on the Tool bar, select Other, and then select a mode (see Selecting a Fixture Mode). The Num Channels parameter is set automatically according to the selected fixture mode, and cannot be edited.

3. To automatically number instruments as they are placed, click Automatic Numbering on the Tool bar, and then click Preferences to set the Automatic Numbering Preferences.

Other numbering options include Numbering Instruments by Hanging Position or Numbering Light Plot Objects with the Spotlight Numbering command.

4. Click once to insert the selected instrument symbol, and then again to determine the instrument rotation. By default, the active Label Legend is applied to the instrument.

 

If an instrument symbol is accidentally inserted by the Symbol Insertion tool, the instrument functionality will not be present. When correctly inserted, the Object Info palette displays “Lighting Device” for the selected instrument.

Once you select the Lighting Instrument tool, it remains selected so that you can insert multiple instruments.

5. Place instruments on a hanging position to associate them with that hanging position (see Associating Load Objects with a Hanging Position). A different type of instrument can be placed by selecting another instrument symbol and continuing to use the Lighting Instrument tool.

Once instruments have been inserted, they continue to automatically associate with the nearest hanging position within a specified Pick Radius set in the Spotlight preferences (see Spotlight Setup). To avoid instruments changing their hanging position association as they are moved, disable automatic positioning.

Instruments can be moved off of a hanging position but retain their association with it, for calculation purposes (Braceworks required). If the hanging position contains truss or lighting pipe objects, a witness line is automatically created to define where the associated load is calculated.

You can also place lighting instruments on an existing surface in the drawing, or on a working plane.

Automatic Numbering Preferences

◙      Click to show/hide the parameters.

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Editing Lighting Instruments

Setting Up Instrument Label Legends

Inserting Hanging Positions

Associating Load Objects with a Hanging Position

Spotlight Setup

Creating a Lighting Instrument Symbol