[major bug] [2022 SP2] [Spotlight] Label Legends are broken by SP2

[mdrohn]

edit: fixed in SP 2.1 🙂

The recent update for VW2022 SP2 appears to have broken Label Legends to the extent that the feature is significantly crippled.
 

Label legends where "use layout symbol" is unchecked do not display in top/plan view and cause errors with the lighting symbol it is attached to such that the 2D symbol cannot be interacted with using the mouse.  This can be reverted with undo, but effectively label legends that do not use layout symbols are unusable.

This is infinitely repeatable.  I observed this issue on two separate Windows 10 installations with SP2.  Reverting to SP1.1 restored proper functionality.

I hope this issue can be resolved quickly as Label Legends is a fairly important function in Spotlight.  I would suggest pulling the update for SP2 until it is resolved, as any files created previously which use label legends without layout symbols will be severely impacted.

The attached file demonstrates the bug:

1) Select the instrument symbol, and in the OIP, change the label legend to "channel no symbol".  The label legend is not displayed.
2) Click in a blank area of the screen to deselect the instrument.  The 2D symbol now can not be selected using the mouse (it can be selected in 3D view or via "select all").
3) Open the Label Legend Manager window, select the "channel no symbol" legend, and click Edit fields.  Select the "Use layout symbol" checkbox to enable that function, and click OK and Done to confirm.  The label legend now displays correctly, and the 2D symbol can be interacted with as normal.

edit: I will try whipping up a file to demonstrate this bug when I get home this evening.
edit: updated to reflect more specific conditions to trigger the bug; added demonstration file

Thanks,

Matthew Rohn

SP2 Label Legend Bug.vwx

Edited January 12, 2022 by mdrohn

[mdrohn]

I've revised the post to show more specific conditions that trigger the bug, and attached a demonstration file

[klinzey]

@mdrohn I'm not sure how this ever worked. The label legend was always designed to always contain a reference symbol. Unchecking the "Use layout symbol" should generate a default layout symbol not remove the symbol entirely. We will have someone investigate the issue.

[mdrohn]

On 12/6/2021 at 12:17 PM, klinzey said:

@mdrohn I'm not sure how this ever worked. The label legend was always designed to always contain a reference symbol. Unchecking the "Use layout symbol" should generate a default layout symbol not remove the symbol entirely. We will have someone investigate the issue.

Thanks Kevin, I appreciate the response and attention to the issue.

For what it's worth, I very much like the ability to have generic labels which are not associated with any particular symbol, and use that capability quite a lot. 

If the fix requires including a default symbol, can it just be a locus?
 

Edited December 8, 2021 by mdrohn

[klinzey]

Sort of, the locus would need to be in a symbol but you really should have some geometry. Remember the Label Legend works by using the bounding box of the symbol. Labels placed within the bounding box of the symbol use the insertion point of the symbol as the reference point, labels placed outside of the bounding box use the bounding box as a reference. This is what allows the label legend to automatically scale to any symbol, if there is no geometry then we don't know which labels you in front of the light, behind the light etc. So in all likelihood a label placed at the insertion point would be the only label that could be inside of the light all other labels would be placed somewhere outside of the light. 

[mdrohn]

That is very illuminating, thank you.  My typical workflow is to use the same label legends on multiple different fixture types, and having no symbol in the 2D label layout is an intuitive visual indicator to me that it's a multi-purpose label.

[mdrohn]

This is fixed in SP 2.1 🙂

[mjm]

On 12/8/2021 at 3:17 PM, mdrohn said:

That is very illuminating, thank you.  My typical workflow is to use the same label legends on multiple different fixture types, and having no symbol in the 2D label layout is an intuitive visual indicator to me that it's a multi-purpose label.

@mdrohnIn my Label Legend usage I find that nearly all fixtures work with one or two simple custom label legend layouts: N/S & E/W. Anything else is tied to specific unit types which in general require a closer fit of table elements to specified fixture (cyc / strip systems in particular). So thrilled about the 'flip top/bottom / left/right' toggles which were added a couple years ago. So many fewer Label Legends to manage.

[mdrohn]

2 hours ago, mjm said:

@mdrohnIn my Label Legend usage I find that nearly all fixtures work with one or two simple custom label legend layouts: N/S & E/W. Anything else is tied to specific unit types which in general require a closer fit of table elements to specified fixture (cyc / strip systems in particular). So thrilled about the 'flip top/bottom / left/right' toggles which were added a couple years ago. So many fewer Label Legends to manage.

@mjm I'm in motion pictures so the range of info needed and use the plot is being put to is probably off kilter from how a lot of the Spotlight tools were intended.  We use the top plan both to guide the rig and to generate a pdf map for the gaffer to reference on an ipad while lighting.  The only info we really need on the plot by each fixture is channel and universe/address, and the exact placements and styles of the labels are chosen to avoid crowding and maximize clarity and readability.  I almost never use fixture-specific label legends, and typically tweak the label positions anyway.  It's always mostly about the desired text style and whether DMX info is included or not.

[mjm]

2 hours ago, mdrohn said:

@mjm…We use the top plan both to guide the rig and to generate a pdf map for the gaffer to reference on an ipad while lighting.  The only info we really need on the plot by each fixture is channel and universe/address, and the exact placements and styles of the labels are chosen to avoid crowding and maximize clarity and readability.  I almost never use fixture-specific label legends, and typically tweak the label positions anyway.  It's always mostly about the desired text style and whether DMX info is included or not.

@mdrohn clarity and readability are paramount in my area as well, but as almost all fixtures are hung in some repetitive modality or another, the spacing almost always works out, easy enough to go in and tweak the few as necessary.