Number Lights in a CIRCLE ???

[chstech]

Any one know how to number lights in a circle?? Not L->R or T->B

Thanks!

[islandmon]

Normally, CW & CCW ... or degrees 0>360 CW, or simply CW>1-12 ( in the northern hemisphere ; )

[Jim_Allen]

Drew,

Are you looking for automated numbering?

I don't know of any way to do it except set the position for manual and do it yourself.

Jim

[jdthatcher]

This is not the end all be all, but it may save some time. Try selecting the half you want to number. Then select numbering for that selection. If it is the right half select Top to Bottom. Then on the follow through select the remaining instruments and select numbering from Bottom to Top.

In this instance you would be numbering clockwise.

Saves a little time but the CW or CCW seems like an excellent idea.

Edited August 30, 2006 by jdthatcher

[Jim_Allen]

Drew,

Just remember that if you do it jd's way, and do not turn off auto number for that position afterwards, when you do a "refresh instruments" it will renumber them all incorrectly.

Jim

[chstech]

Thanks for the reminder. I have been doing the select half and number trick. I was just hoping that there was a way to select them all, then choose the number command, then set a point or click where I want the center and go CW or CCW

[Jim_Allen]

submit it to the wish list. I think there might be one or two others, besides yourself, who hang lights on pipes that are not straight :-)

Jim

[chstech]

It is also those damm Circle Trusses!!!

Thanks!

[Sam Jones]

I've already responded to chstech, but for those who also care. Here's my take. It is very difficult to come up with an algorithm that will number CW or CCW. It is possible to make an algorithm for any activity that can be broken down into steps, but the agorithm for this would be long, complex and may require as much or more user interaction than just numbering the top half lft to rt and the bottom half rt to lft. A numbering macro is essentially a macro that sorts the lights by certain criteria and then assigns numbers starting at the top of the list by a given increment. Think about it; do you allow the user to start anywhere on the circle? If you do, can you describe in English the rules for sorting the the lights? If you restrict the user to picking lights at the cardinal directions of the drawing, top, right, bottom, left, applied to the circle, you will have a different set of rules for each direction. Constructing the 4 rules for the 4 CW macros and the the 4 rules for the 4 CCW macros would be possible (I've thought about it some), but I'm not sure it's worth the trouble.

[jdthatcher]

Really. That's good to know. In the designs that I am doing I don't work with regular lighting positions. Thanks for that heads up.

[J. Miller]

it would probably be easier to write a bit of code to number fixtures based on a user click of the fixtures. I have written this in a crude manner, it seems to work for me. But this does require the user to click each fixture in the order he/she wants

[Joe Golden ENT]

Drew, get a life! We have already made some of your work easier, whats four or so clicks?