Even in its infancy, the Lighting Handbook software is an extremely useful tool. It comprises a vast database of information about lighting products. Compatible with Apple Computer’s iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices, this app allows users to access, download, and save both basic information about lighting fixtures as well as their respective user manuals.
Upon launching the application, the user is presented with a list of manufacturer names. Selecting a manufacturer then brings the user to a sub-menu showing categories such as “Moving Lights,” “Effects,” “Moving Mirrors,” “LEDs,” etc. Within those sub-menus are each of the relevant models of equipment from the given manufacturer.
The basic information included for lighting fixtures include weight, power requirements, DMX channel counts in various modes, the number of color and gobo wheels, light output, lamp type, beam angles, and physical DMX pin connection options among others.
At the bottom of each unit profile display is a link for that particular unit’s user manual. Selecting the link automatically downloads a PDF document of the manual for immediate and temporary viewing. The user is also given the option to save the manual on the device within the Lighting Handbook software application itself for later viewing without the need to download it again.
Specific fixture information isn’t the only thing that Lighting Handbook brings its users. There’s an entire category labeled “General Information” that hosts a wealth of knowledge related to the wiring of various connector pin-outs, 3-phase color charts for various countries’ standard configurations, and even Zarges ladder information.
One of the more useful areas within the application pertains specifically to conventional lighting fixtures. Broken down in the same configuration as the moving light section, the conventional section allows selection of a specific manufacturer and its various units and lensing options. The user is then presented with manufacturer data such as beam angle, wattage, lamp types, gobo sizing, gobo holder reference numbering, weight, and color size. Taking it one step further is the display of how many color cuts per gel sheet the unit requires, with listings for Lee and Rosco suppliers.
In its latest inception, Lighting Handbook has added consoles to its database of information as well as a host of new manufacturers and units with the promise of adding more on a regular basis.