Fixture Orientation

[BHunter]

A couple of items...(The first two I find really ironic)

1) Why is it that every fixture in the resource browser is oriented upright, but I can't set the light on the floor, set a focus point overhead, and light the fixture?

2) Why is it that when I drop a fixture into a drawing and re-orient it to an underhung attitude, set a focus point and light the fixture, that the light beam NOW GOES UP?

3) Why is so darned difficult to get ESP and VW12.5.3 to play together? I spent 2.5 hrs online to Kensy @ ESP and stumped him too. We agreed that I needed to delete everything ESP and VISION and re-download and start over.

#1 is no more than a PITA. I can always flip the fixture. As long as I dont need to figure the photometrics I'm ok.

#2 I'm completely at a loss to figure out.

#3 I fear was an error originating on my end during download and installation. Hopefully, I'll get it resolved tonight.

OK then..

Bob

[BHunter]

Considering how much money this program cost, you'd think it would be a little less buggy than this. I'm trying to land a design contract with a reality show AND I CANT SHOW THEM A DECENT CONCEPT RENDER.

Yes I'm getting extremely frustrated. Course I could always stick to pars, lekos, and fresnels.

Yea, now THAT'LL get me considered...

Bob

[BHunter]

Just got off the phone with tech suport. I knew I was missing something. NOW I know how to orient the fixture correctly.

Thanks Guys,

Bob

[brents]

So how exactly do you orient the fixture correctly?

[leonarp]

Yes, how do you? I have some ETC MultiPAR's hung on a batten and with focus points on the floor the beam goes up.

[BHunter]

Not having dealt with the multipar symbol yet, I'll ASSume that the unit is oriented lenses up when you drop it into a drawing.

You have to edit the orientation of the fixture in question in the resource browser. Get your drawing's name in the drop down menu, scroll down to the unit you want to re-orient, right click on it, edit 3D component,(this will get your light in a window by itself). You're going to want to change the view to the side (right or left- doesn't matter)Right click on the light, rotate.....flip vertical.....exit symbol. If you're doing an angle other than 180, you'll need to know that before you flip the light. If you have the same fixture with more than one orientation (angle), you'll need to duplicate the symbol for each. From then on, in this drawing, you'll be able to drop the fixture in at the angle you want.

Remember, everything happens from(your drawing)inside the R.B.

Oh yea, make sure you have the latest updates. I've found out that some things are possible in 12.5.3 that weren't in earlier versions.

Bob

[klinzey]

In 2008 just select the instrument, check the box "Set 3D Orientation" and then set the Y rotation to 180.

[leonarp]

I tried this and the symbol (an ETC MultiPAR) changes on the plan from having 12 cells to having 4 cells that are not connected anymore.

[CraigCTC]

I've found from VW fellows on the USITT Conference floor that when you render the light beams from the fixtures, you must make sure that the light is not sitting directly on the lighting position. This is because the light is emitted from the C-clamp. Now I have no idea why this is (you would think they would check something like that!), but this is what I have been told by the VW people themselves. So if you render and don't see light, change the z-axis orientation of the light - either raise it higher or lower it below the lighting position.

[klinzey]

This is not a problem with 2008. The light, and the wireframe beam, will have start from focal point of the light. The focal point of the light is determined by a 3D locus within the symbol. If the 3D locus does not exist the light will start from the insertion point of the instrument, usially the c-clamp.