Color Kinetics Colorplay1.5 User Guide

color kinetics® ™

THE COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN TOOL FOR FULL SPECTRUM DIGITAL LIGHTS

RELEASE 1.5 English user guide

© 2000 Color Kinetics Incorporated Color Kinetics is a registered trademark and Chromacore, ColorBlast, ColorPlay, Coup de Color, iColor, iPlayer and Smartjuice are trademarks of Color Kinetics Incorporated. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Speciﬁcations are subject to change without notice. Printed in the U.S.A. MAN-0016 Rev 01

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LICENSE AGREEMENT

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction ...... 9 Welcome to ColorPlay ...... 9 What is a ColorPlay Light Show? ...... 10 About this Guide ...... 10 What’s New in this Release ...... 11 General ...... 11 Mapping ...... 11 Timeline Editor ...... 11 Simulate/Live Play ...... 12 iPlayer Control ...... 12

Chapter 2 Installation ...... 13 Installing ColorPlay for Windows ...... 14 Installing ColorPlay for Macintosh ...... 14

Chapter 3 Tutorials...... 15 Creating a Light Show ...... 15 Tutorial 1: Adding Lights ...... 16 Tutorial 2: Adding Effects ...... 19 Tutorial 3: Running a Simulation ...... 24 Congratulations! ...... 25

CONTENTS

Chapter 4 ColorPlay Basics ...... 27 Starting ColorPlay ...... 27 Working With ColorPlay Files ...... 27 Creating a New Show ...... 27 Opening Existing Show Files ...... 27 Saving Light Shows ...... 28 Using Tooltips ...... 29 Using Hot Keys ...... 29 Using Undo/Redo ...... 29 Editing ColorPlay Preferences ...... 30

Chapter 5 Mapping ...... 33 Adding Lights ...... 34 Working with Lights in the Grid ...... 34 Selecting Lights ...... 34 Naming Lights ...... 34 Setting Light Numbers and DMX Addresses ...... 35 Duplicating Lights ...... 36 Deleting Lights ...... 37 Grouping Lights ...... 37 Creating New Groups ...... 37 Editing Groups ...... 38 Renaming Groups ...... 38 Printing the Mapping Grid ...... 39 Using the Hand Tool ...... 39

CONTENTS

Chapter 6 Editing the Timeline ...... 41 Adding Effects ...... 42 Positioning Effects ...... 42 Working with Effects ...... 43 Editing Effect Properties ...... 45 Priority ...... 45 Color ...... 46 A List of Effects and their Properties ...... 47 Fixed Color ...... 47 Cross Fade ...... 47 Random Color ...... 48 Color Wash ...... 49 Chasing Rainbow ...... 50 Strobe ...... 51 Sparkle ...... 52 Custom Rainbow Effect ...... 53 Working With Lights and Groups ...... 54 Arranging Lights and Groups ...... 54 Duplicating Lights and Groups ...... 55 Adding Multiple Effects to the Same Light ...... 55 Navigating the Timeline ...... 56 Using the Hand Tool ...... 56 Using the Effect Locator ...... 56 Using the Snap Grid ...... 56 Printing the Timeline ...... 56

Chapter 7 Running Simulations ...... 57 On-Screen Simulations ...... 57 Live Simulations ...... 58 Test Mode ...... 58

vii

CONTENTS

Chapter 8 iPlayer Control ...... 59 Selecting an iPlayer Interface ...... 59 Setting the Frame Rate ...... 60 Downloading Light Shows to iPlayer ...... 60 Automatic Compression ...... 60 Downloading the Current Show to iPlayer ...... 61 Downloading DMX data to iPlayer ...... 61 Playing Light Shows with iPlayer ...... 62 iPlayer Control options ...... 63

Appendix A Troubleshooting...... 65 Contacting Technical Support ...... 65

Appendix B Glossary ...... 67

Appendix C DMX Address Table ...... 71

Index ...... 75

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to ColorPlay Color Kinetics® ColorPlay™ is the light show authoring program for Color Kinetics lights. With ColorPlay you can move beyond the pre-programmed light effects that come on board every Color Kinetics light, and start designing your own custom shows. ColorPlay gives you complete control of your Color Kinetics lights, allowing you to tap into the limitless possibilities of color and lighting effects. With ColorPlay, you can: • Create original light shows for your Color Kinetics lights. • Run test simulations of your light shows, either on-screen or “live” on your Color Kinetics lights. • Save your shows as .dmx ﬁles, which you can store on disk or download to a Color Kinetics controller.

CHAPTER 1

What is a ColorPlay Light Show? A light show is a set of commands that tells your lights what to do and when to do it. A ColorPlay light show can be as simple as one light that displays a single color, or it can involve dozens of different lights, each with its own unique effects. There are two main ingredients in every ColorPlay light show: Lights and Effects. You add lights to the show in the Mapping screen, then you use the Timeline editor to add effects to each light. Take a look at Chapter 3, Tutorials, for a hands-on lesson in designing a ColorPlay light show.

DMX512 The light shows you design with ColorPlay are fully DMX512-compatible, which means you can use them on all Color Kinetics lights. Traditionally, to design a DMX light show you needed to have a lighting control console and highly specialized knowledge of the DMX512 protocol. Now, you can use ColorPlay’s intuitive, drag-and-drop interface to design professional quality, DMX-compatible shows right on your PC.

About this Guide This user guide contains detailed information about all ColorPlay features and commands. It includes step-by-step procedures for using ColorPlay on Macintosh and Windows platforms. This guide assumes you have a basic working knowledge of your operating system, including using a mouse, selecting items in menus and dialog boxes, and opening and closing ﬁles. For information about these and other basic techniques, refer to the documentation for your operating system.

INTRODUCTION

What’s New in this Release This section lists the new features and functionality in ColorPlay1.5, and tells you where to look for more information.

General New tooltips ...... 29 Hot Keys ...... 29 Automatic backup on save ...... 28 File > Print allows printing of the Mapping and Timeline screens . . . . . 39 File > Open Recent lists recently opened shows...... 27 Edit > Undo/Redo has multiple levels of undo/redo ...... 29 Edit > Preferences has new program preferences ...... 30

Mapping Drag-and-Drop light placement ...... 34 Hand tool helps you move around the Mapping screen ...... 39

Timeline Editor New effect: Custom Rainbow ...... 53 Color picker remembers the last 4 colors used ...... 46 New icons to distinguish lights and groups ...... 54 Display the contents of a group in the Timeline ...... 54 Move around the Timeline by dragging with the hand tool ...... 56 Resize an effect in the timeline to apply it to multiple lights ...... 43 Double-click an effect in timeline edit it...... 43

CHAPTER 1

Simulate/Live Play New playback controls ...... 57 Test mode for identifying lights ...... 58 Live Play support for iPlayer, Smart Jack 1, 2, and 3 ...... 58

iPlayer Control New iPlayer interface ...... 59 Support for automatic compression ...... 60

CHAPTER 2

INSTALLATION

This chapter describes how to install ColorPlay on Windows and Macintosh computers. Before you install the ColorPlay software you should quit any running applications, disable virus protection, and make sure your computer has enough memory and free disk space.

System Requirements

Windows • Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0, 2000 • 64 MB RAM • 30 MB free disk space

Macintosh • MacOS 8.x or greater • PowerPC • 64 MB RAM • 30 MB free disk space

CHAPTER 2

Installing ColorPlay for Windows

To install ColorPlay for Windows 1. Insert the ColorPlay Software CD into the CD ROM drive. The ColorPlay Setup dialog box appears. 2. Click OK to install the software. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software. This creates a folder named Color Kinetics in your Program Files folder. Do not move or rename any of the ﬁles in this folder, since this might cause the program to run incorrectly.

Installing ColorPlay for Macintosh

To install ColorPlay for Macintosh 1. Insert the ColorPlay Software CD into the CD-ROM drive, and double-click the CD icon. 2. Double-click Install ColorPlay 1.5. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.

This creates a folder named ColorPlay in the location you specify. Do not move or rename any of the ﬁles in the ColorPlay folder, since this might cause the program to run incorrectly.

CHAPTER 3

TUTORIALS

These tutorials give you a quick look at ColorPlay’s main features, and walk you through the basic steps of creating a ColorPlay light show.

Before you begin the tutorials Make sure the ColorPlay workstation is powered on, and the ColorPlay software is installed and running. To start ColorPlay, do one of the following: Macintosh: Double-click the ColorPlay icon in the ColorPlay folder. Windows: Choose Start > Programs > Color Kinetics > ColorPlay.

Creating a Light Show There are two main ingredients in every ColorPlay light show: Lights and Effects. You add lights to the show in the Mapping screen, then you use the Timeline Editor to add effects to each light. These three tutorials show you how to design a show by adding lights and effects, and how to use ColorPlay to simulate the light show. The show will consist of eight lights, and will use the Cross Fade and Chasing Rainbow effects. Note: You don’t need to complete all three tutorials in one sitting, but it is necessary to do them in order. Each tutorial assumes you have completed the previous ones.

15 CHAPTER 3

Tutorial 1: Adding Lights The ﬁrst step in creating a ColorPlay light show is to add lights. When ColorPlay launches, it displays the Mapping screen. This is where you indicate how many lights you have, what types they are, and how they are arranged. 1. If the Mapping screen is not displayed, choose Mapping from the Task menu.

Light palette

Mapping grid

In the Mapping screen, there is a palette of lights on the left, and a mapping grid on the right. You add lights to your show by placing them in the grid.

16 TUTORIALS

2. In the light palette, click the handle next to the C-Series folder to open it.

Handle

3. Click the C200 icon in the light palette and drag it into the mapping grid. (The mapping grid is only there to help you visualize the layout of your lights, so don’t worry too much about the exact placement of the lights on the grid.) 4. Drag two more C200 icons from the light palette into the grid for a total of three lights. At this point, your screen should resemble the one pictured above. 5. Click on the third light (C200 - 3) to select it. Notice that the Properties button, which was grayed out before, is now enabled.

17 CHAPTER 3

6. With the C200 - 3 selected in the grid, click the Properties button.

The Light Properties dialog box is where you can rename a light and set its light number or DMX channel number. These options will be very important later on, but for now let’s just leave them at their default settings. 7. Click OK to close the Light Properties dialog box. Now, since this show is intended for eight lights, you still need to add ﬁve more lights to the Map. You could add all the lights the same way you added the ﬁrst three, but ColorPlay has a shortcut for adding multiple lights of the same type: duplicating lights. 8. Leave the C200 - 3 selected, and click the Duplicate button. This opens the Duplicate Light dialog box.

9. In the Number to Place box, type 5. (You need ﬁve more lights.)

18 TUTORIALS

ColorPlay automatically assigns the next available DMX address to each new light, so leave the Start With DMX Address option at its default setting for now. 10. For the alignment option, select Right, then click OK. This places the new lights in a row to the right of the original. You now have eight C200s in the Mapping grid, so the next step is to add effects to the lights.

Save Your Work! Before you go on to the next tutorial, you should save what you’ve done so far.

To save the show file 1. Choose File > Save. If you have not saved this show yet, ColorPlay will display the Save As dialog box. 2. In the Save As dialog box, name the show Tutorial, choose a location for the file, and click Save. ColorPlay adds a .show extension to the file name, and saves it in the location you specified. The next time you save the show file, ColorPlay will create a backup copy, which has a .bak extension (for example, “Tutorial.show.bak”).

Tutorial 2: Adding Effects After you add lights in the Mapping screen, use the Timeline Editor to add lighting effects to your show. For this show, we’ll have the ﬁrst four lights perform a Cross Fade from one color to another, while the other lights perform a Chasing Rainbow effect. If it is not already open, locate the show ﬁle you created in Tutorial 1 and open it now by choosing File > Open.

19 CHAPTER 3

1. Choose Task > Timeline Editor.

Effects Timeline Palette

Lights

The Timeline Editor has a palette of effects on the left, a column in the middle that lists all the lights you added to the mapping grid, and a timeline on the right. 2. From the effects palette on the left, drag a Cross Fade effect into the timeline and place it in the top row next to the first light. Position the effect so that its left edge is at zero on the timeline. By default, new effects have a one-second duration. Let’s resize the Cross Fade effect so that it lasts for five seconds. 3. Click in the right edge of the effect box and drag it to the right until it reaches the five second mark.

Resize the effect horizontally to change its duration.

Next, we’ll set the color for the effect. Since a cross fade is a transition from one color to another, we need to pick two colors: a start color and and end color.

20 TUTORIALS

Take a look at the Effect Properties area below the Effects Palette. If there are no properties displayed, click on the Cross Fade effect in the timeline to select it. (When an effect is selected, it has a red outline instead of a blue one.) 4. Click the Pick button next to the Start Color property, and choose the color you want to start the cross fade with. (Don’t be shy–there are 16.7 million colors to choose from.)

Use the color picker to choose the start and end colors for the effect.

5. Set the End color the same way. Notice that the effect in the timeline updates to show the new colors. Now that we’ve got the effect set up with the right colors and duration, we can copy it into any other lights we want. ColorPlay lets you apply an effect to multiple lights by resizing it in the timeline. 6. Drag the right edge of the effect downward until it covers the ﬁrst four lights in the timeline.

Resize the effect vertically to apply it to multiple lights.

21 CHAPTER 3

At this point, your screen should resemble the one pictured here:

Next, we’ll apply a Chasing Rainbow effect to the remaining lights. One way to add the same effect to multiple lights is to resize it, just as we did for the Cross Fade effect. ColorPlay also lets you organize lights into groups, so you can apply one effect to the entire group instead of applying it to each individual light. (Also, some effects, like Chasing Rainbow, only show their full beauty when they’re applied to a group– you’ll see what we mean later.) 7. Choose Task > Mapping to return to the Mapping screen. This is where you can organize your lights into groups. 8. Select the last four lights, C200 - 5, - 6, - 7, and - 8. (You can Shift-click to select multiple lights, or you can drag a rectangle around them.) 9. Click the Create Group button below the Light Palette. Name the group Group 1, and click OK. 10. Choose Task > Timeline Editor. Notice that Group 1 now has its own row in the timeline. 11. Drag a Chasing Rainbow effect from the palette and place it in the timeline next to Group 1. Resize it so that it lasts for ﬁve seconds.

22 TUTORIALS

12. With the Chasing Rainbow effect selected in the timeline, set the Cycle Time property to 5 seconds. (The Cycle Time determines how long it takes to cycle through all the colors in the effect.) Leave all the other Chasing Rainbow properties at their default settings.

At this point your screen should resemble the one pictured above.

Save Your Work! Before you go on to the next tutorial, you should save what you’ve done so far by choosing File > Save.

23 CHAPTER 3

Tutorial 3: Running a Simulation

Now that you have added lights and effects, the only thing left is to sit back and enjoy your handiwork. ColorPlay includes a simulation screen, where you can see what your show will look like when it is performed “live” on Color Kinetics lights. 1. Choose Task > Simulate/Live Show.

Light icons

The Simulate/Live Show screen displays a row of light icons, which represent the lights in your show. 2. Click the Play button to start the simulation. The light icons on the simulation screen light up and display the effects you chose earlier.

24 TUTORIALS

Congratulations! You’ve just designed a ColorPlay light show, complete with lights and effects. To play this show on Color Kinetics lights, you need to download the show to an iPlayer. (See Chapter 8, iPlayer Control for details.)

What’s Next? These tutorials introduced the ColorPlay basics: adding lights, adding effects, and running a simulation. The rest of this user guide contains detailed information about all of the ColorPlay commands and features. The following table shows where to look for more information.

Look in… for information about…

Chapter 5, Mapping • Adding Lights • Working with Lights in the Grid • Grouping Lights

Chapter 6, Editing the Timeline • Adding Effects • Editing Effect Properties • A List of Effects and their Properties • Working With Lights and Groups

Chapter 7, Running Simulations • On-Screen Simulations • Live Simulations

Chapter 8, iPlayer Control • Selecting an iPlayer Interface • Setting the Frame Rate • Downloading Light Shows to iPlayer • Playing Light Shows with iPlayer

25 CHAPTER 3

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CHAPTER 4

COLORPLAY BASICS

Starting ColorPlay To start ColorPlay, do one of the following: Macintosh: Double-click the ColorPlay icon in the ColorPlay folder. Windows: Choose Start > Programs > Color Kinetics > ColorPlay.

Working With ColorPlay Files

Creating a New Show To create a new ColorPlay show, choose File > New. Note: You can have only one show open at a time in ColorPlay.

Opening Existing Show Files Files must be named with a .show extension for ColorPlay to recognize them. (ColorPlay automatically adds this extension when you save show files.) • Choose File > Open to select a ColorPlay show file. • Choose File > Open Recent to choose from a list of recently opened show files.

27 CHAPTER 4

Saving Light Shows You can save your ColorPlay light shows either as show files, or as DMX files. • Show files (.show) can be opened and edited in ColorPlay. • DMX files (.dmx) can be downloaded to iPlayer for playback on Color Kinetics lights. Note: You should save your work periodically to avoid losing it due to a power failure or system crash.

Saving Show Files When you save your light show as a show ﬁle, you can open it again later in ColorPlay to work on it and make changes.

To save a new show ﬁle 1. Choose File > Save As. 2. Enter a name and location for the show ﬁle, and click Save.

ColorPlay automatically gives the ﬁle name a .show extension and saves it in the location you speciﬁed.

To save an existing show file Choose File > Save. ColorPlay automatically creates a backup of the old file before saving the new version. This backup file has the same file name as the original, with a .bak extension. It is stored in the same directory as the original file.

28 COLORPLAY BASICS

Saving DMX Data ColorPlay lets you save your show as a DMX ﬁle, which you can store on your computer or download to iPlayer.

To save DMX data 1. Choose File > Save DMX Data As. 2. Specify a ﬁle name and location, and click Save. ColorPlay saves the show as dmx data, and adds a .dmx extension to the ﬁle name. Note: When you save a show as DMX data, you can specify a frame rate. See Setting the Frame Rate on page 60 for details.

Using Tooltips Tooltips appear when you hold the pointer over certain buttons or commands.

You can turn tooltips on or off in the Edit Preferences dialog box. (See Editing ColorPlay Preferences on page 30 for details.)

Using Hot Keys Hot Keys give you quick access to commonly used ColorPlay commands. Press F1 for a complete list of ColorPlay Hot Keys.

Using Undo/Redo ColorPlay has multiple levels of Undo/Redo. To undo or redo an action in the Mapping or Timeline screens, choose Edit > Undo or Edit > Redo. You can set the number of Undo/Redo levels in the Edit Preferences dialog box. (See Editing ColorPlay Preferences on page 30 for details.)

29 CHAPTER 4

Editing ColorPlay Preferences • Choose Edit > Preferences to display the Edit Preferences dialog box. • Choose Edit > Reset Preferences to reset all preferences to their factory defaults. • In the Edit Preferences dialog box, click Apply to see the effects of your changes. • Click OK to apply the new preferences and save your changes. The next time you start ColorPlay, it will automatically load your preferences. ColorPlay preferences are organized into four groups: General, Mapping, Timeline, and Simulate.

General • Enable Tooltips: Use this checkbox to turn tooltips on or off.

Mapping • Undo Levels: Enter the number of levels of undo/redo. • Grid Size: Set the size of the grid squares in the mapping screen. • Enable Snap to Grid: Use this checkbox to turn the snap grid on or off. When the snap grid is on, it “attracts” objects to help you place lights more accurately. • Show Map Grid: Use this checkbox to show or hide the grid. • Show Light DMX Address: Use this checkbox to show or hide the DMX address for each light in the grid. • New DMX Addresses: This determines how ColorPlay assigns new DMX addresses to lights as you add them to the Mapping grid. Next Available: If you delete a light from the Mapping grid, ColorPlay holds on to that light’s DMX address. The next light you add to the grid will automatically get the next available address after the deleted light’s address. (This is the same as ColorPlay 1.0.) First Available: If you delete a light from the Mapping grid, ColorPlay frees up that light’s DMX address. The next light you add to the grid will automatically get the ﬁrst available unoccupied address.

30 COLORPLAY BASICS

Timeline • Undo Levels: Enter the number of levels of undo/redo. • Snap Grid Value: Enter a value (in seconds) for the snap grid. • Snap to Grid: Use this checkbox to turn the snap grid on or off. When the snap grid is on, it “attracts” objects to help you place lights more accurately. • Timeline Units: Choose how you want the timeline units to be displayed. • Custom Palette: Lets you customize the default color palette. Click on any color in the default palette to replace it with a new color.

Simulate • Display all DMX Frames: Use this checkbox to show or hide lights that have no effects assigned to them. iPlayer • Enable Show Compression: Use this checkbox to enable or disable automatic compression.

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CHAPTER 5

MAPPING

The ﬁrst step in creating a light show with ColorPlay is to add your lights. You use the Mapping screen to indicate how many lights you have, what types they are, and how they are arranged.

To display the Mapping screen Choose Mapping from the Task menu. (When ColorPlay launches, it automatically displays the Mapping screen.)

Light palette

Mapping grid

33 CHAPTER 5

Adding Lights You add lights to your show by placing them in the Mapping grid. The lights in the palette are organized by product type: C-Series, iColor Series, and Blast Light Series.

To add lights 1. Click the light’s icon in the light palette, and drag it into the Mapping grid. The mapping grid is only there to help you visualize the layout of your lights, so don’t worry too much about the exact placement of the lights on the grid. Note: A quick way to add multiple lights of the same type is to use the Duplicate command. (See page 36 for details.)

Working with Lights in the Grid You can use the buttons in the lower-left area of the Mapping screen to edit a light’s properties, create duplicate lights, and organize lights into groups.

Selecting Lights • Click on a light in the grid to select it. • To select multiple lights, you can Shift-click or drag a rectangle around the lights.

Naming Lights

To name a light 1. Select a light in the grid, and click Properties. 2. In the Light Properties dialog box, enter a new name for the light, and click OK.

34 MAPPING

Setting Light Numbers and DMX Addresses

Each Color Kinetics light has a DMX Address, (also called a DMX Channel Number,) which is typically set when the light is installed. The DMX Channel Number you assign to the light in ColorPlay must match the DMX Address on the light itself. (See Appendix C, DMX Address Table, or refer to the documentation that came with your lights for more information.) Note: Make sure the DMX Channel Number matches the DMX Address setting on the light.

Since Color Kinetics lights each use three DMX channels, (for red, green, and blue,) the DMX Channel Number indicates the ﬁrst of three consecutive DMX channels that the light receives. For example, a light set to DMX Channel Number 1 listens to channels 1, 2, and 3. As you add lights to the grid, ColorPlay automatically assigns each light the next available Light Number and DMX Channel Number. The default DMX Channel Numbers for lights in the Mapping screen always increase in increments of three. For example, light number 1 will be assigned DMX Channel Number 1; light number 2 gets DMX Channel Number 4; light number 3 gets DMX Channel Number 7; and so on.

To set the Light Number 1. Select a light in the grid, and click Properties. 2. In the Light Properties dialog box, select the Light Number option and enter a number.

To set the DMX Address 1. Select a light in the grid, and click Properties. 2. In the Light Properties dialog box, select the DMX Channel Number option and enter a number.

35 CHAPTER 5

Duplicating Lights

The Duplicate command lets you quickly add multiple lights of the same type.

To duplicate a light 1. Select a light in the grid and choose Edit > Duplicate, or click the Duplicate button. This opens the Duplicate Light dialog box.

2. In the Number to Place box, enter the number of duplicates to place in the grid. 3. In the Start with DMX Address box, enter the DMX address for the ﬁrst duplicate. (By default, ColorPlay assigns the next available address to each new light.) 4. Select an alignment for the new lights. For example, if you want the new lights to be placed in a row to the right of the original, set the Alignment option to Right. 5. Click OK to place the duplicates in the grid.

36 MAPPING

Deleting Lights

Select a light in the grid, and choose Edit > Clear. Note: When you delete a light from the Mapping grid, you permanently delete any group information for that light. For example, if you delete a light that is a member of a group, and then undo the deletion, the light will no longer be a member of that group.

Grouping Lights After you place your lights in the grid and set their names and addresses, you can organize them into groups. This is particularly useful if you have multiple lights that perform the same function. For example, if you have ten iCove lights along a hallway, you can assign them to a group called “Hall iCoves.” Later, when you’re adding effects in the Timeline Editor, you can add one effect to the entire Hall iCoves group instead of adding the same effect to each individual light. Lights can belong to multiple groups. For example, a C-200 over a doorway could belong to the “Main Room” group, and also belong to the “Emergency Exit” group. Groups can also contain other groups. For example, if your hallway has iCove lights running down both sides, you might have two groups called “Hallway Left” and “Hallway Right.” A third group called “Hallway Lights” could contain the Left and Right groups. If you later make changes to the lights in the Left group, you won't need to do anything to the “Hallway Lights” group; the changes will propagate automatically.

Creating New Groups

To create a new group 1. In the Mapping screen, select the lights that you want to include in the group, and click Create Group. 2. Type a name for the new group, and click OK. The new group is listed in the Timeline.

37 CHAPTER 5

Editing Groups

Use the Group Editor to add or remove lights in existing groups.

To edit a group 1. Click Edit Groups to open the Groups dialog box. 2. In the Groups dialog box, select a group and click Edit Group. The Group Editor appears, displaying the selected group on the left, and all groups and lights on the right.

3. Edit the group as follows: – To add lights to the group, select a light or group from the list on the right and click Add to Group. – To remove lights from the group, select a light or group from the list on the left and click Remove from Group. 4. Click Done to save your changes and close the Group Editor.

Renaming Groups

To rename a group 1. In the Mapping screen, click Edit Groups. 2. Select a group in the Groups dialog box, and click Rename Group. 3. Type a new name for the group, and click OK.

38 MAPPING

Printing the Mapping Grid

To print the Mapping grid 1. Choose Task > Mapping to display the Mapping screen. 2. In the Mapping screen, choose File > Print.

Note: This feature works best with PostScript printer drivers.

Using the Hand Tool

The Hand tool helps you move around the Mapping grid. To use the Hand tool, hold down the Control key while clicking and dragging in the grid.

39 CHAPTER 5

40 ®

CHAPTER 6

EDITING THE TIMELINE

Now that you have laid out your lights in the mapping grid, the next step is to add effects. You use the Timeline Editor to add lighting effects to your show.

To display the Timeline Editor Choose Timeline Editor from the Task menu. Timeline

Effects Palette

Effect Properties

Navigation Controls

41 CHAPTER 6

Adding Effects Each light has its own row in the timeline. To add an effect to a speciﬁc light, place the effect in that light’s row in the timeline.

To add an effect 1. Choose an effect from the palette on the left. 2. Click and drag the effect into to the timeline.

Keep the following points in mind when you add effects to the timeline: • Effects can not overlap in the timeline. • Gaps or blank spaces between effects in the timeline will not cause the light to turn off. Instead, the light will continue displaying the last color that was sent to it, until it receives a new color or effect. • A quick way to add one effect to multiple lights is to organize your lights into groups. (See Grouping Lights on page 37 for details.) • You can add multiple effects to the same light by creating duplicate lights or groups. (See page 55 for details.)

Positioning Effects Every effect has a start time and a duration, which determine when the effect begins and how long it lasts. There are two ways you can change these settings: you can position it manually by moving the effect in the timeline, or you can edit the effect placement by typing a speciﬁc start time and duration in the Edit Effect Placement dialog box.

To position an effect manually 1. Set the start time by dragging the effect in the timeline until its left edge is positioned at the desired start time. 2. Set the effect duration by dragging the right edge of the effect box until it reaches the desired duration.

To edit the effect placement 1. Double-click on an effect in the timeline. This opens the Edit Effect Parameters dialog box. 2. Type a start time and duration for the effect, and click OK.

42 EDITING THE TIMELINE

Working with Effects You can use the Edit menu commands to cut, copy, paste, and duplicate one or more effects in the timeline.

Selecting Individual Effects • Click on an effect in the Timeline to select it. Selected effects in the timeline are shown with a red outline; otherwise, effects are shown with a blue outline.

Selecting Multiple Effects To select multiple effects in the Timeline, do one of the following: • Shift-click to select multiple effects. • Choose Edit > Select > All to select all effects in the Timeline. • Select an individual effect, then choose Edit > Select > Right of Selection to select all effects to the right of the selected effect, in that row of the Timeline. • Choose Edit > Select > All After Time to select all effects that start after a certain time.

Editing Effects Double-click an effect in the Timeline to change its type, start time, or duration.

Applying Effects to Multiple Lights You can resize an effect in the Timeline to apply it to multiple lights. Drag the right edge of the effect box to resize it.

43 CHAPTER 6

Cutting, Copying, and Clearing Effects • Choose Edit > Cut to remove the selected effect and place a copy on the clipboard. • Choose Edit > Copy to place a copy of the selected effect on the clipboard. • Choose Edit > Clear to remove the selected effect.

Pasting Effects To paste an effect that has been copied to the clipboard, drag from the Clipboard effect at the bottom of the Effects palette.

Duplicating Effects When you duplicate an effect, you can specify how many copies you want to make, and how you want to space them out in the timeline.

To duplicate an effect 1. Select an effect in the timeline, and choose Duplicate from the Edit menu. This opens the Duplicate Effects dialog box. 2. Set the Number of Times and Spacing options. For example, to make four duplicates that begin every second, set the Number of Times option to 4, and the Spacing option to 1. 3. Click OK. ColorPlay places the duplicates in the timeline, spaced at the interval you speciﬁed.

Note: Effects can not overlap in the timeline. If the duplicates conﬂict with existing effects, ColorPlay will place only those duplicate effects that do not overlap.

44 EDITING THE TIMELINE

Editing Effect Properties Each lighting effect has its own set of properties, which you can customize for your show. When you select an effect in the timeline, its properties are displayed at the lower-left corner of the Timeline Editor, in the Effect Properties area. The following sections describe the Priority and Color properties, which every effect uses. All other properties are described in A List of Effects and their Properties on page 47.

Priority Every effect has Priority as its ﬁrst property. If one light has multiple effects assigned to it at the same time, you can use the Priority setting to specify which effect will override the others. The Priority setting is only effective when more than one effect is assigned to the same light at the same time. There are two ways to do this: • Create a group of lights in the Mapping grid, and apply effects to both an individual light and to the group that contains that light. (See Grouping Lights on page 37 for details.) • Create a duplicate of a light in the Timeline, and apply effects to both the original and the duplicate. (See Duplicating Lights and Groups on page 55 for details.)

To set an effect’s Priority 1. Select the effect in the timeline. 2. In the Effect Properties area, type a number in the Priority box. The higher the number, the higher the priority. For example, if two effects with priority settings of 1 and 2 are assigned to the same light, the priority 2 effect will override the priority 1 effect. If two effects with the same priority are assigned to the same light at the same time, they will combine, producing a blend or average of the two effects.

45 CHAPTER 6

Color

Every effect lets you specify at least one color. ColorPlay includes a color picker to help you choose any one of 16.7 million possible colors.

To set an effect’s color 1. Select the effect in the timeline. 2. In the effect properties area, click the Pick button to open the color picker.

Current color

Default color palette Last four colors

3. In the color picker, do one of the following to specify a color: – Click on one of the color swatches. – Enter Red, Green, and Blue values, from 0 to 255. – Click Advanced to open the advanced color picker, where you can choose from a larger selection of swatches, or use a Hue, Saturation, and Brightness (HSB) or Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) color model to specify an exact color. – Some effects let you choose the Transparent option. Select Transparent if you want the effect to produce no color. If there is another effect assigned to the same light, it will “shine through” the Transparent effect, even if it has a lower priority setting. The Transparent option is most effective when more than one effect is assigned to the same light at the same time. 4. Click OK to apply the color to the effect.

Note: You can use the Edit Preferences dialog box to customize the default color palette. (See Editing ColorPlay Preferences on page 30 for details.)

46 EDITING THE TIMELINE

A List of Effects and their Properties This section describes the different lighting effects and the properties associated with each one.

Fixed Color The Fixed Color effect is a static display of one solid color.

Fixed Color properties

Priority Set the priority for the effect.

Color Use the color picker to set the color.

Cross Fade A Cross Fade is a smooth transition from one color to another. For example, a cross fade from red to blue starts with solid red, then begins boosting the level of blue light and reducing the level of red light, until it ends with solid blue.

Cross Fade properties

Priority Set the priority for the effect.

Start Color Use the color picker to set the start color.

End Color Use the color picker to set the end color.

47 CHAPTER 6

Random Color

The Random Color effect displays randomly generated colors at speciﬁed intervals.

Random Color properties

Priority Set the priority for the effect.

Hold Time Set the length of time for each color to last. For example, if you set the hold time to one second, each random color will be displayed for one second.

Fade Time Set the length for the transitions between colors. For example, a fade time of zero results in abrupt color changes. Higher fade times result in longer, smoother transitions, or fades, between colors.

Start Color Use the color picker to set the start color. The start color also determines the saturation and brightness of the entire effect. For example, if you pick a start color with 50% saturation, all of the subsequent random colors will be displayed at 50% saturation.

Synchronize Select this option if you want multiple lights to display the same pattern of random colors. To synchronize Random Color effects 1. Assign the Random Color effect to two or more lights in the timeline. 2. Set the start color to the same color for each Random Color effect you want to synchronize. 3. Select the Synchronize option in each Random Color effect you want to synchronize.

48 EDITING THE TIMELINE

Color Wash

The Color Wash effect produces a smooth transition in hue, progressing around the color circle: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, (ROYGBIV).

Color Wash properties

Priority Set the priority for the effect.

Cycle Time Set the length of time for one complete cycle around the color circle.

Reverse Cycle Select this option for a color wash that moves counter-clockwise around the color circle: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, (VIBGYOR)

Start Color Use the color picker to set the start color. The start color also determines the saturation and brightness of the entire effect. For example, if you pick a start color with 50% saturation, the entire Color Wash will use 50% saturated colors.

49 CHAPTER 6

Chasing Rainbow

Like the Color Wash effect, a Chasing Rainbow makes a smooth transition from color to color around the color circle. However, when you apply the Chasing Rainbow effect to a group of lights you can use the Group Offset option to achieve a “chasing rainbow” effect, where colors appear to follow each other from light to light. Note: The Chasing Rainbow effect is most effective when applied to a group of two or more lights.

Chasing Rainbow properties

Priority Set the priority for the effect.

Cycle Time Set the length of time for one complete cycle around the color circle.

Reverse Cycle Select this option for a color wash that moves counter-clockwise around the color circle: red, violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange.

Group Offset The Group Offset property determines how long it takes for a color to “move” from light to light. For example, a Group Offset of 0.1 seconds causes each light to display a color one tenth of a second after the previous light. This results in a chasing rainbow effect, where colors appear to follow each other from light to light. A Group Offset time of zero results in a standard Color Wash effect: all the lights in the group move through the color circle together, displaying the same color at the same time. Larger Offset times cause colors to move more slowly from light to light.

Reverse Offset Select this option to reverse the direction of the chasing rainbow effect.

Start Color Use the color picker to set the start color for the ﬁrst light in the group. The start color also determines the saturation and brightness of the entire effect. For example, if you pick a start color with 50% saturation, the entire Chasing Rainbow effect will use 50% saturated colors.

50 EDITING THE TIMELINE

Strobe

The Strobe effect produces a series of light ﬂashes. Very short, bright ﬂashes can produce a "stop action" effect, where actions seem intermittent.

Strobe properties

Priority Set the priority for the effect.

Cycle Time Set the speed for the strobe ﬂashes. For example, a cycle time of one second results in one ﬂash every second.

On Time Set the duration of the strobe ﬂashes. For example, a Strobe setting of 0.1 results in ﬂashes that last one tenth of a second.

Offset Set the length of the delay before the first strobe flash. For example, an Offset time of zero causes the first flash to appear at the very beginning of the Strobe effect. An offset time of 0.5 seconds causes the first flash to appear half a second after the effect begins.

On Color Use the color picker to set the color of the strobe ﬂashes.

Off Color Use the color picker to set the color that appears between ﬂashes.

51 CHAPTER 6

Sparkle

The Sparkle effect is similar to a Strobe effect: it produces a series of light ﬂashes at regular intervals. However, when you apply the sparkle effect to a group of lights, each ﬂash appears in a different light, in random order, creating a sparkling effect. Note: The Sparkle effect is most effective when applied to a group of two or more lights.

Sparkle properties

Priority Set the priority for the effect.

On Time Set the duration of each ﬂash. For example, an On Time setting of 0.1 results in ﬂashes that last one tenth of a second.

Off Time Set the duration of the Off Time, or the time between ﬂashes. For example, with the On Time set to 0.1, an Off Time of 0.9 will result in one ﬂash every second.

On Color Use the color picker to set the color of the ﬂashes.

Off Color Use the color picker to set the color that appears between ﬂashes.

52 EDITING THE TIMELINE

Custom Rainbow Effect

The Custom Rainbow effect is similar to the Chasing Rainbow effect, but it lets you choose your own custom colors.

Custom Rainbow Properties

Priority Set the priority for the effect. (See the ColorPlay User Guide for a full explanation of Priority.)

Hold Time Set the length of time for each color to last. For example, if you set the hold time to one second, each custom color will be displayed for one second.

Group Offset The Group Offset property determines how long it takes for a color to “move” from light to light. For example, a Group Offset of 0.1 seconds causes each light to display a color one tenth of a second after the previous light. This results in a chasing effect, where colors appear to follow each other from light to light. A Group Offset time of zero results in a custom Color Wash: all the lights in the group move through the custom colors together, displaying the same color at the same time. Larger Offset times cause colors to move more slowly from light to light. (This property is only effective when the Custom Rainbow effect is applied to a group of two or more lights.)

Reverse Offset Select this option to reverse the direction that the colors travel from light to light.

Add Color Click Add Color to add a new color to the Custom Rainbow effect.

Delete Color To delete a color from the Custom Rainbow effect, select the color (click in the checkbox next to the color) and click Delete Color.

53 CHAPTER 6

Working With Lights and Groups Lights and groups are listed to the left of the timeline.

Group icon

Light icon

Position the mouse over a group icon to display a list of the lights in that group. In the list, group names are indicated by brackets: . Lights names are listed under their respective groups.

Arranging Lights and Groups Use the Timeline Groups dialog box to arrange the list of lights and groups.

To display the Timeline Groups dialog box Click the Group button in the Timeline Editor, or double-click on a light or group in the list.

Use these controls to duplicate, move, or delete lights or groups in the timeline. Note: You can not remove a group if there is only one instance of that group in the timeline.

54 EDITING THE TIMELINE

Duplicating Lights and Groups

You can use the Duplicate command to create copies of lights or groups in the timeline.

To duplicate a light or group 1. In the Timeline screen, click Groups. 2. In the Timeline Groups dialog box, select the light or group you want to duplicate, and click Duplicate. ColorPlay adds a new row in the timeline, next to the original.

Adding Multiple Effects to the Same Light When you duplicate a light in the timeline, ColorPlay does not add a new light to the show; instead, it adds another row for that same light in the timeline. By adding effects to both rows, (the original and the duplicate,) you can have multiple effects assigned to the same light. By combining multiple effects and adjusting their priorities and colors correctly, you can achieve some very interesting layered effects. The possibilities are limitless, but here are two examples to get you started:

Strobe effect layered over a Color Wash 1. Apply a Color Wash effect to a light in the timeline. 2. Duplicate that light, and apply a Strobe effect to the duplicate. 3. Set the Strobe effect’s priority to 1, and set its Off Color to No Color. The light will display a Color Wash, with a superimposed Strobe effect.

Sparkle effect layered over a Chasing Rainbow 1. Apply a Chasing Rainbow effect to a group of one or more lights. 2. Duplicate that group, and apply a Sparkle effect to the duplicate. 3. Set the Sparkle effect’s Priority to 1, and its Off Color to No Color. The lights will display a Chasing Rainbow effect, with a superimposed Sparkle effect.

55 CHAPTER 6

Navigating the Timeline The navigation controls at the bottom of the timeline let you scroll to any point in the timeline, zoom in or out, and turn the snap grid on or off.

Zoom Zoom Snap Effect Scroll Scroll in out grid Locator left right

Using the Hand Tool

The Hand tool helps you move around the Timeline. To use the Hand tool, hold down the Control key while clicking and dragging in the Timeline.

Using the Effect Locator The Effect Locator displays the start time and duration (both in seconds) of the selected effect in the timeline.

Using the Snap Grid The snap grid “attracts” objects to help you place effects more accurately. You can turn the grid on or off, and control the value of the grid.

To control the snap grid 1. Click the snap grid button at the bottom of the timeline. 2. Set the snap grid options, and click OK.

Printing the Timeline

To print the Timeline 1. Choose Task > Timeline Editor to display the Timeline. 2. In the Timeline Editor, choose File > Print.

Note: This feature works best with PostScript printer drivers.

56 ®

CHAPTER 7

RUNNING SIMULATIONS

You can use the Simulate/Live Show screen to run an on-screen simulation of your show. You can also run a live simulation right on the lights themselves.

On-Screen Simulations During an on-screen simulation, ColorPlay uses the light icons in the Simulate/Live Show screen to represent the lights in your show.

Light icons

Playback controls

57 CHAPTER 7

To run an on-screen simulation 1. Choose Task > Simulate/Live Show. 2. Click Play to start the simulation.

The light icons on the simulation screen light up and display your light show.

Live Simulations During a live simulation, ColorPlay sends the light show through a Color Kinetics controller, (either an iPlayer or a SmartJack) to the lights. To run a live simulation, you must connect the controller to the computer and to the lights. (For details, refer to the documentation that came with the controller.)

To run a live simulation 1. Choose Task > Simulate/Live Show. 2. Select the Live Play option, and click Setup. 3. In the Setup dialog box, choose the appropriate setup from the drop- down list, and click OK. (For example, if you have an iPlayer connected to the Modem port on a Macintosh computer, choose iPlayer on Modem Port.) 4. In the Simulate/Live Play screen, click Play. ColorPlay performs your show on the lights and on the simulation screen. Note: During the live simulation, fades or transitions between colors might seem slightly choppy. This is caused by the computer’s data transfer rate, and does not affect the appearance of the ﬁnal show.

Test Mode Test Mode helps you identify lights and determine which simulated light represents which physical light. To use it, select the Test Mode checkbox in the Simulate/Live Play screen. Then click on a light icon to light up the corresponding physical light.

58 ®

CHAPTER 8

IPLAYER CONTROL

iPlayer is the storage and playback device for your ColorPlay light shows. ColorPlay includes commands for controlling iPlayer: you can download shows to iPlayer, tell iPlayer to start playing a show, and check iPlayer status.

Selecting an iPlayer Interface Before you download a show to iPlayer, you need to tell ColorPlay which port iPlayer is connected to.

To select an iPlayer interface 1. In ColorPlay, choose Task > iPlayer Control. 2. Click the Select iPlayer Interface button. 3. From the drop-down menu, choose the port your iPlayer is connected to, and click OK.

59 CHAPTER 8

Setting the Frame Rate When you download the current show to iPlayer, or save a show as a DMX ﬁle, you can specify the frame rate for the show.

To set the frame rate 1. Choose Task > iPlayer Control. 2. Enter the desired frame rate in the Rate box.

Keep the following points in mind when you set the frame rate: • A rate of 50 frames per second is sufficient for most light shows. Higher frame rates will increase the size of the DMX file without a noticeable difference in output; lower frame rates might result in a choppy or uneven appearance. • Make sure the frame rate you enter does not exceed the Maximum Rate, (displayed above the Rate box.) • When you set the frame rate, the iPlayer Memory Usage, (displayed below the Show Comments,) updates automatically. If the iPlayer Memory Usage exceeds 100%, the show will not fit on iPlayer.

Downloading Light Shows to iPlayer ColorPlay lets you download shows to iPlayer for playback on Color Kinetics lights. You can download a previously saved show, or download the current show directly to iPlayer.

Automatic Compression By default, ColorPlay compresses light shows as much as possible when it downloads them to iPlayer. This means you can download longer, more complex shows. The amount of compression depends on the effects used, and so varies from show to show. ColorPlay uses “lossless” compression, which means that there is no effect on the quality of the data. You can disable automatic compression in the Edit Preferences dialog box. (Choose Edit > Preferences > iPlayer.)

60 IPLAYER CONTROL

Downloading the Current Show to iPlayer

You can download the current show directly to iPlayer, without saving it as a DMX ﬁle ﬁrst. When you use this method, ColorPlay converts the show to .dmx format and downloads it to iPlayer, all in one step.

To download the current show 1. Make sure iPlayer is powered on and connected to the computer. (Refer to the iPlayer User Guide for details.) 2. In ColorPlay, choose Task > iPlayer Control. 3. Click the Download button. Note: If the Download button is grayed out, make sure the iPlayer is properly connected to the computer and the correct iPlayer interface is selected.

ColorPlay converts the show to .dmx format and downloads it to iPlayer. While the show is downloading, iPlayer’s feedback LED ﬂashes red and green. When it’s ﬁnished downloading, the LED turns solid blue to indicate that it’s standing by, ready to play the show.

Downloading DMX data to iPlayer You can download any ColorPlay light show that has been saved as a DMX ﬁle. (See Saving DMX Data on page 29 for more information.)

To download a previously saved DMX ﬁle 1. In ColorPlay, choose Task > iPlayer Control. 2. Click the DMX button. Note: If the DMX button is grayed out, make sure iPlayer is properly connected to the computer and the correct iPlayer interface is selected.

3. Choose the DMX file you want to download, and click OK. While the show is downloading, iPlayer’s feedback LED flashes red and green. When it’s finished downloading, the LED turns solid blue to indicate that it’s standing by, ready to play the show.

61 CHAPTER 8

Playing Light Shows with iPlayer After you download a show to iPlayer, you’re ready for “live” playback on your Color Kinetics lights. During live playback, iPlayer sends the light show to the lights as a DMX stream. Make sure iPlayer is powered on, connected to the computer and the lights, and has a show loaded. (Refer to the iPlayer user Guide for details.)

To play a light show In the iPlayer Control screen, click the Play button. iPlayer’s feedback LED turns green to indicate that iPlayer is in playback mode, and the light show begins playing.

During Playback • During playback, you can quit ColorPlay, shut down the computer, and disconnect the serial cable from iPlayer without interrupting the light show. • If iPlayer is unplugged or turned off, it will automatically resume playing the show from the beginning when it is powered on again.

62 IPLAYER CONTROL iPlayer Control options

This section describes the options and information contained in ColorPlay’s iPlayer Control screen.

To display the iPlayer Control screen Choose Task > iPlayer Control.

iPlayer Control items

Total show time This displays the length of the current show, in seconds.

DMX channels used This displays the total number of DMX channels used in the current show. Note: To function properly, DMX signals must use at least 24 channels. If your show is designed for fewer than 24 channels, (8 lights,) ColorPlay will automatically add enough “blank” channels to make 24.

Maximum rate This is the highest frame rate available for the current show. The maximum rate depends on the number of lights in the show: the more lights, the lower the maximum frame rate. (See Setting the Frame Rate on page 60 for more information.)

Rate Enter the desired frame rate for the show. (Make sure the frame rate does not exceed the Maximum Rate.) When you download the current show to iPlayer, ColorPlay will use the frame rate you specify. (See Setting the Frame Rate on page 60 for more information.)

Show Comments Enter comments about the show before you download it to iPlayer. These comments will be displayed whenever anyone checks iPlayer status or starts to overwrite the show.

63 CHAPTER 8

iPlayer Control items

iPlayer memory This shows the percentage of iPlayer’s memory that will usage be used by the current show, at the speciﬁed frame rate. If the iPlayer memory usage is more than 100%, the show will not ﬁt on iPlayer. If this is the case, you should choose a lower frame rate. (See Setting the Frame Rate on page 60 for more information.)

Download Use this option to download the current show directly to iPlayer. (See Downloading the Current Show to iPlayer on page 61 for details.)

Play Click this button to start playing the show on iPlayer.

Status Click this button to display iPlayer ﬁrmware version and show comments.

DMX Click this button to download a previously saved .dmx ﬁle to iPlayer. (See Downloading DMX data to iPlayer on page 61 for details.)

Select iPlayer Use this option to select the port your iPlayer is interface connected to.

Current interface This shows the currently selected iPlayer interface.

64 ®

APPENDIX A

TROUBLESHOOTING

Contacting Technical Support Contact Color Kinetics technical support if you have problems with ColorPlay software, or if you need to order additional parts or supplies. phone: 617-423-9999 fax: 617-423-9998 email: [email protected] web address: www.colorkinetics.com

65 APPENDIX A

66 ®

APPENDIX B

GLOSSARY

address See channel.

brightness Also known as intensity or luminance. A measure of the rate of ﬂow of light energy (luminous ﬂux) per unit area leaving a surface in a particular direction.

channel Also known as “DMX channel”, which, for the purposes of this guide, is synonymous with “DMX address”. Any DMX light show, including shows designed with ColorPlay, sends data to the lights using up to 512 separate channels. The DMX Channel Number assigned to a light in ColorPlay must match the DMX address on the light itself. Since each Color Kinetics light uses three channels, (one each for red, green, and blue,) the DMX Channel Number indicates the ﬁrst of three consecutive DMX channels that the light receives.

color Color speciﬁcation can be described in many ways, but in general, three qualities describe color: hue, (the wavelength which determines how similar it is to one or a combination of the perceived colors red, yellow, green or blue,) saturation, (the amount of white light mixed in,) and brightness, (the intensity of the color.) We can see approximately 200 hues with the naked eye. The other colors we can identify are due to variations in brightness and saturation. ColorPlay includes a color picker to help you choose from over 16.7 million possible colors.

color wash A color wash effect moves sequentially around the spectrum of colors in either clockwise (ROYGBIV) or counterclockwise (VIBGYOR) Cycle Direction.

67 APPENDIX B

compression By default, ColorPlay compresses light shows when it downloads them to iPlayer. This means you can download longer, more complex shows. ColorPlay uses “lossless” compression, which means that there is no effect on the quality of the data. The amount of compression depends on the effects used, and so varies from show to show.

cross fade Cross fade effects slowly increase the intensity of one color of light while simultaneously reducing the intensity of another color.

DMX, DMX512 DMX is a shortened form of digital multiplex. It describes a standard method of data transmission that makes possible the interconnection of lighting control equipment by different manufacturers. The DMX512 protocol was developed in 1986 by a committee of the USITT (United States Institute for Theater Technology) to provide a standard interface with which to control dimmers from lighting consoles. See also channel.

end color This effect property lets you deﬁne the ending color of the cross fade effect. For instance, if a cross fade goes from red to blue, the start color property would be set to red and the end color would be set to blue.

ﬁxed color The ﬁxed color effect allows the static display of any one of 16.7 million possible colors. Fixed color is generated by blending (or independently displaying) any of the primary colors (Red–256 shades of red, Green–256 shades of green, and Blue–256 shades of blue). White light will be produced when all colors (Red, Green and Blue) are added together.

HSB Acronym for hue, saturation, and brightness. In the HSB color model, all colors are deﬁned by their hue, (the wavelength which determines how similar it is to one or a combination of the perceived colors red, yellow, green or blue,) saturation, (the amount of white light mixed in,) and brightness, (the intensity of the color.) ColorPlay includes an HSB color picker. See also: color

68 GLOSSARY

LED (Light Emitting Diode) The source of light used by Color Kinetics™ lights. LEDs have a predicted source life rated at 100,000 hours under normal operating conditions—that’s 11.4 years of continuous use! An LED is a p-n junction, solid-state diode that emits light through the combination of specially prepared high purity semiconductor material and two additives. One additive produces negatively charged output (excess electrons) and the other produces positively charged material (a shortage of electrons, or holes, which act as positive charges). random color Each Random Color effect produces a randomly generated set of colors at user deﬁnable speeds. Colors step (in discrete increments) from one hue to the next in increments of at least 25% of the color spectrum so no two colors in a row will have similar values. reverse wash (See also color wash.) A color wash effect that moves around the spectrum of colors in a counterclockwise direction (VIBGYOR).

RGB Acronym for red, green, blue. In the RGB color model, all colors are produced by combining various levels of red, green, and blue. ColorPlay includes an RGB color picker. See also: color roy g. biv An acronym used to remember the order of the longest to the shortest wavelengths of the visible spectrum (R=red, O=orange, Y=yellow, G=green, B=blue, I=indigo, V=violet). saturation This refers to the purity of color, or the amount of white light which has been mixed into a color. More technically, it describes how much of a color is near the dominant wavelength. Primary colors are fully saturated, while pastels are less saturated. starting color Allows the user to define the beginning color of an Effect. For instance, if a Cross Fade goes from red to blue, the Starting Color Variation would be set to red and the Ending Color would be set to blue. Each time the unit is repowered with this Effect, it will begin with red. strobe The Strobe effect produces a series of light flashes. Very short, bright flashes can produce a “stop action” effect, where actions seem intermittent. strobe rate Refers to the number of flashes per second, or how many times in one second the light is illuminated.

69 APPENDIX B

70 ®

APPENDIX C

DMX ADDRESS TABLE

The following table shows the light number, DMX channel number, and binary dip switch settings for Color Kinetics lights. Make sure the DMX channel numbers you assign to lights in ColorPlay’s Mapping screen match the DMX settings on the lights.

Light DMX Binary # Ch.# # 123456789 11 0 24 3 •• 37 6 •• 410 9 •• 51312 •• 61615 •••• 71918 •• 82221 ••• 92524 •• 10 28 27 •• •• 11 31 30 •••• 12 34 33 •• 13 37 36 •• 14 40 39 ••• • 15 43 42 ••• 16 46 45 •••• 17 49 48 •• 18 52 51 •• •• 19 55 54 •• •• 20 58 57 • ••• 21 61 60 •••• 22 64 63 •••••• 23 67 66 •• 24 70 69 •• • 25 73 72 •• 26 76 75 •• • • 27 79 78 ••• • 28 82 81 ••• 29 85 84 ••• 30 88 87 ••••• 31 91 90 •••• 32 94 93 • ••• •

71 APPENDIX C

DMX Address Table continued

Light DMX Binary # Ch.# # 123456789

33 97 96 •• 34 100 99 •• •• 35 103 102 •• •• 36 106 105 •••• 37 109 108 •• •• 38 112 111 •••• •• 39 115 114 • ••• 40 118 117 • • ••• 41 121 120 •••• 42 124 123 •• •••• 43 127 126 •••••• 44 130 129 •• 45 133 132 •• 46 136 135 ••• • 47 139 138 •• • 48 142 141 ••• • 49 145 144 •• 50 148 147 •••• 51 151 150 •• • • 52 154 153 •••• 53 157 156 ••• • 54 160 159 ••••• • 55 163 162 ••• 56 166 165 •• •• 57 169 168 ••• 58 172 171 ••••• 59 175 174 ••••• 60 178 177 •••• 61 181 180 •••• 62 184 183 ••• •• • 63 187 186 • ••• • 64 190 189 • •••• • 65 193 192 •• 66 196 195 •• •• 67 199 198 •• •• 68 202 201 •••• 69 205 204 •• •• 70 208 207 •••• •• 71 211 210 •••• 72 214 213 ••••• 73 217 216 •• •• 74 220 219 •• •• •• 75 223 222 •••• •• 76 226 225 • ••• 77 229 228 • ••• 78 232 231 ••• ••• 79 235 234 • • ••• 80 238 237 •••••• 81 241 240 •••• 82 244 243 •• •••• 83 247 246 •• •••• 84 250 249 • ••••• 85 253 252 •••••• 86 256 255 ••••••••

72 DMX ADDRESS TABLE

DMX Address Table continued

Light DMX Binary # Ch.# # 123456789

87 259 258 •• 88 262 261 •• • 89 265 264 •• 90 268 267 •• • • 91 271 270 ••• • 92 274 273 ••• 93 277 276 •• • 94 280 279 ••• • • 95 283 282 ••• • 96 286 285 • ••• • 97 289 288 •• 98 292 291 •• • • 99 295 294 •••• 100 298 297 •••• 101 301 300 •• • • 102 304 303 •••• • • 103 307 306 •••• 104 310 309 ••••• 105 313 312 ••• • 106 316 315 •• ••• • 107 319 318 ••••• • 108 322 321 ••• 109 325 324 ••• 110 328 327 ••• • • 111 331 330 •• •• 112 334 333 ••••• 113 337 336 ••• 114 340 339 ••••• 115 343 342 ••••• 116 346 345 • •••• 117 349 348 ••••• 118 352 351 ••••• • • 119 355 354 •••• 120 358 357 •• ••• 121 361 360 •••• 122 364 363 •••••• 123 367 366 ••• •• • 124 370 369 • ••• • 125 373 372 • ••• • 126 376 375 ••• ••• • 127 379 378 ••••• • 128 382 381 •••••• • 129 385 384 •• 130 388 387 •• •• 131 391 390 •• •• 132 394 393 •• •• 133 397 396 •• •• 134 400 399 •••• •• 135 403 402 •••• 136 406 405 ••• •• 137 409 408 •• •• 138 412 411 •• •• •• 139 415 414 •••• •• 140 418 417 •••• 141 421 420 ••••

73 APPENDIX C

DMX Address Table continued

Light DMX Binary # Ch.# # 123456789

142 424 423 ••• • •• 143 427 426 ••••• 144 430 429 •••••• 145 433 432 •• •• 146 436 435 •• •• •• 147 439 438 •• •• •• 148 442 441 • ••• •• 149 445 444 •••• •• 150 448 447 •••••• •• 151 451 450 • ••• 152 454 453 • • ••• 153 457 456 • ••• 154 460 459 •• • ••• 155 463 462 ••• ••• 156 466 465 • • ••• 157 469 468 • • ••• 158 472 471 ••• • ••• 159 475 474 •••••• 160 478 477 • ••• ••• 161 481 480 •••• 162 484 483 •• •••• 163 487 486 •• •••• 164 490 489 • • •••• 165 493 492 •• •••• 166 496 495 •••• •••• 167 499 498 • ••••• 168 502 501 • • ••••• 169 505 504 •••••• 170 508 507 •• ••••••

74 Index

A channels used 63 adding effects 42 data, saving 29 adding lights 34 .dmx file name extension 29 address downloading to iPlayer 60, 61 See also DMX duplicating first available 30 effects 44 next available 30 groups 55 B lights 36, 55 E basics 27 brightness 49, 50 editing the timeline 41 C effect properties 45 color 46 channel end color 47 See DMX fade time 48, 53 color 46 group offset 53 brightness 49, 50 hold time 53 palette 31 off color 51, 52 saturation 49, 50 off time 52 transparent 46 offset 51 color wash 49 on color 52 ColorPlay on time 52 basics 27 priority 45 installation 13 reverse cycle 49, 50 introduction 9 reverse offset 50, 53 starting 27 start color 47—50 tutorials 15 synchronize 48 compression 31, 60, 68 transparent 46 cross fade 47 effects custom rainbow 53 adding to lights 42 D chasing rainbow 50 deleting lights 37 clipboard 44 DMX color wash 49 address 35 cross fade 47 channel 35 custom rainbow 53

75 INDEX

duplicating 44 iPlayer control options 63 duration 42 selecting an interface 59 effect locator 56 L fixed color 47 license agreement iii pasting 44 light numbers 35 positioning 42 light shows properties, see effect properties downloading to iPlayer 60, 61 random color 48 playing 62 sparkle 52 saving DMX data 29 start time 42 saving show files 28 strobe 51 lights end color 47 adding to mapping screen 34 F deleting 37 fade time 48, 53 DMX addresses 35 first available 30 duplicating 36, 55 fixed color 47 grouping 37 frame rate 60 light numbers 35 G naming 34 selecting 34 group offset 53 live simulation 58 grouping lights 37 groups 54 M creating new 37 mapping 33 duplicating 55 adding lights 34 editing 38 deleting lights 37 renaming 38 DMX addresses 35 H duplicating lights 36 grouping lights 37 hand tool 39 light numbers 35 hold time 53 naming lights 34 hot keys 29 printing the grid 39 HSB 46 selecting lights 34 I snap grid 30 installing maximum rate 63 ColorPlay for Macintosh 14 N ColorPlay for Windows 14 naming lights 34 introduction 9 new show, creating 27 iPlayer next available 30 downloading shows 60, 61 feedback LED 62 iPlayer control 59

76 INDEX

O show files (.show) 28 off color 51, 52 .show file name extension 27 off time 52 show files, saving 28 offset 51 simulation on color 52 live 58 on time 52 on-screen 57, 58 on-screen simulation 57, 58 snap grid 30, 31, 56 opening show files 27 software P installation 13 license agreement iii playing light shows 62 system requirements 13 positioning effects 42 sparkle 52 preferences start color 47—50 editing 30 starting ColorPlay 27 general 30 strobe 51 iPlayer 31 support 65 mapping 30 synchronize 48 simulate 31 system requirements 13 timeline 31 T printing the mapping grid 39 technical support 65 the timeline 56 test mode 58 priority 45 timeline properties, see effect properties adding effects 42 R displaying 41 editing 41 rainbow effect locator 56 chasing 50 groups 54 custom 53 navigating 54 random color 48 printing 56 rate 60, 63 snap grid 56 redo 29 timeline units 31 setting redo levels 30, 31 tooltips 29 reverse cycle 49, 50 enabling/disabling 30 reverse offset 50, 53 total show time 63 RGB 46 transparent 46 S tutorials 15 saturation 49, 50 adding effects 19 saving adding lights 16 DMX data (.dmx) 29 running a simulation 24 light shows 28

77 INDEX

U undo 29 setting undo levels 30, 31 units timeline 31