Lighting Info Record Add On

[MattG]

I am wanting to add things to my lighting info record. I tried this out and added them. I would like these to then be incorporated into the fixture when I convert it to a lighting device. Is this possible?

Matt

[michaelk]

Matt

If you want to add data to fields in the existing Light Info Record format, you can edit that through the resource browser.

It was just brought up in a recent thread.

I've never been able to successfully add links to theses posts. But if you look at the thread called "Instrument Data" started by ericjames about 4 threads down, it covers adding/changing data in the Light Info Record.

HTH

Michael

[MattG]

That thread was not actually what I wanted to do. I am not trying to add in data to a already existing symbol or anything. I am trying to create new fields in the lighting info record that are still displayed when I convert that symbol to a lighting device.

For example it has number of channels. Well most lights have multiple options. So I want to be able to enter a second number of channels.

I want to add an operating voltage.

I went to my lighting info record and tried to edit that. But when I converted it to a lighting device no go. So what I am thinking is it is something that would have to be edited deep in the spotlight script that is beyond me. Anyone have any ideas?

Matt

[michaelk]

Matt

That's more difficult. Your best bet is the 6 user fields. They can be manipulated in the Label Legend Manager.

Other than that, I think it's possible to add another record format. Symbols can have more than one record format, but the fields in that format won't be subject to the Label Legend Manager.

Michael

[michaelk]

No luck.

Just tried it. Made a new record format with a voltage and Chan 2 field. That worked great, but as soon as I converted the symbol to a lighting instrument, they disappeared.

Could you create your own accessories?

Michael

[MattG]

Yes that is where I got to.

My issue with using the user fields is that I have to enter that information for every instance.

The company I work for most of our lights run 208v. However a few are at 120v. So if I could have a voltage record that would be pretty cool because then it is already associated with that symbol. Not something I have to enter on a project by project basis. That applies to all the other idea I could come up with for fields.

I don't want an accessory because like I say I want it built in the symbol.

The only thing I have been thinking about doing is creating my own record format and using that instead because for what I do spotlight sometimes isn't worth the trouble.

[klinzey]

There is a simple trick to adding user fields to the light info record.

If you edit the "Light Info Record" and add a field that matches a field in the lighting device, the lighting device will automatically pull the information from the record as the default.

So if you add "User Field 1" to the light info record the information will automatically appear in the "User Field 1" of the lighting device.

One caution with this you need to update all your light info records with the new fields or you will get the warning "This record exists, do you want to ...." evry time you import a symbol with different record fields.

Also you can customize the user fields of the lighting device, so if you open the plug-in editor and change the alternative name of "User Field 1" to "Voltage" and the "Light info Record" contains a field "Voltage" the information will be transfered.

In earlier versions of Spotlight it looked at mutiple records, but this created major problems when both records contained the same field names, so operating with mutiple records had to be eliminated.

[MrTemplate]

Hi kevin;

so you can add the user fields but you still can't reorganize the light info record, right? cuze boy-howdy there is still a lot of info in the OIP for lighting devices that is stuff that 9 times out of 10 i don't give a hoot about. and i'm **always** having to scroll up and down and up and down in the OIP to get to class vs label legend vs layer vs... well you get the idea.

shelley