Custom Light Info Records VS. the Spotlight Provided Ones

[W Wilkerson]

I have been making and modifying my own lighting intstrument symbols for years, and, somewhere along the way, I ended up with a custom Light Info Record.

I use Lightwright to track paperwork and transfer back and forth. Does the Light Info Record matter at all in this scenario? I have weight, frame size, wattage, etc. in Lightwright.

I assume it would matter if I sent a plot to a venue that used VW's paperwork, correct?

The reason I ask is that I am updating my symbols to include the new Parts Record to allowing VW to aim the fixtures, and I thought I would make my Light Info Record be what it "should" according to VW.

What are the requisit fields for VW Spotlight to generate the proper Paperwork?

Does the order in the record matter?

What is the difference between Model Name and Instrument Type? Is it neccessary to have both?

Is the 3D Symbol name a relic entry?

Thank You,

weston

Edited December 31, 2010 by W Wilkerson

[michaelk]

Very cool that you've been making your own!

There are two "stock" record formats. See attached.

You can easily attach the standard record formats to your custom symbols and you're good to go.

I don't often use Lightwright, but I think it probably matters.

Instead of letting Spotlight generate paperwork, you can easily make your own paperwork reports/worksheets. It makes working on the plot MUCH easier.

Good luck!

mk

[Teresa Hull]

Weston,

I probably have some of the jargon wrong here, but my understanding of what you are trying to do will have the following result:

If you have a symbol that you would like inserted into the drawing as a Spotlight symbol, any attached data records will be stripped from the symbol during the conversion insertion. The only way to have a Spotlight symbol that has an additional data record is to have the symbol be a "Plug-In" (RED) symbol.

In your resource browser, you would then end up with an instance of the symbol, in addition to the instance of the Plug-In symbol.

I find this to be very boring .... but if you don't mind having a cluttered (and redundant) and cluttered ((sorry, I couldn't resist)) Resource Browser, knock yourself out!

If anyone has any other ideas as to how to get additional information about a lighting instrument to transfer into a drawing, I'd love to hear it!

[JBenghiat]

Weston,

The Light Info Record sets the default instrument type, wattage, weight, beam and field angles when a symbol gets converted to a Spotlight Lighting Device. While this data isn't necessary, it eliminates some work by having the defaults be what you want. In my workflow, types, wattages, channel, positions, and unit numbers originate in VW before going to LW for color and purpose, so I like having the Light Info data set right.

In terms of updating the record, when you import an alternate record format into a drawing, VW will actually merge the formats together, keeping any data you have that also exists in the new record. The field order does not matter. So, to get your record up to date, use the resource browser to open one of VW's default Spotlight symbol libraries. Import the Light Info Record to your own symbol library. Your fields will now be up to date -- fill in any missing data.

Type vs Model Name - Type is what appears in your paperwork, and is usually short, like "S4 26? or ?6? Fres.? ?Model Name is what I display in the key, and is usually longer, like ?ETC Source Four 26?,? the sort of thing I would put in a shop order. ?I don't believe the Model Name gets used much, however I make use of it in my Savvy Symbol Key as the display text in the key http://www.benghiatlighting.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73.

HTH,

Josh

[W Wilkerson]

Josh,

I believe I have handle on how you use Model Name, but how do you use Instrument Type?

weston

[W Wilkerson]

Michael,

Do you know why there are two "stock" records? I assume that the "Parts" record is now a third stock one with VW 2011.

Is the intention of the "Light Info Record" to rapidly fill common data (ie. frame size, wattage, weight, etc), or is to help generate Paperwork in VW Spotlight? Or is it both?

weston

[michaelk]

Yes Parts is new in 2011. I haven't gone looking too hard yet, but it seems like all fixtures except striplights use the Parts record format.

There used to be only one record format - Light Info Record. In 2008 or 2009 Light Info Record M got added. It's only purpose is carry the metric weight and frame size information. Before that there used to be separate symbols for imperial and metric.

The intention is both. That is the data that the Spotlight "Generate Paperwork..." command uses.

hth

mk

[JBenghiat]

Is the intention of the "Light Info Record" to rapidly fill common data (ie. frame size, wattage, weight, etc), or is to help generate Paperwork in VW Spotlight? Or is it both?

There's really no difference. The data fields in the Lighting Device IS the data in the paperwork. If you don't ever use weights in your paperwork, for example, you don't need to have it in either the Lighting Device or Light Info.

The intention of Light Info is to store instrument specification related data with the symbol, so that data gets entered as the defaults in the paperwork for that kind of symbol.

I believe I have handle on how you use Model Name, but how do you use Instrument Type?

Instrument Type is what gets entered in the Type field in the Lighting Device, and subsequently in the Type column of your paperwork in LW or Spotlight. It's an answer to the question -- "What type of light do I hang here?"

Personally, I like the Instrument Type to be short and clear so it's easy to read in a paperwork column and doesn't take up too much space. For example, S4 26 or 6" Fres. The Model Name is what I use in my key and my shop orders that would specify exactly what I want and would appear where I have more space, so instead of S4 26 I would say "ETC Source 4 26?."

You can, of course use either the short or longer name for both fields if your personal preference is to show more or less in your paperwork.

-Josh