ESP STUDIOS ESP VISION
Distributed by ZZYZX, Inc., ESP Vision provides real-time lighting simulation software to the lighting and production industry for use in concert touring, broadcast events, corporate functions, and theatrical applications. It simulates and displays real-time shadows, color mixing, color and gobo wheel rolls, animation wheels, prism effects, frost, framing shutters, and virtually any other feature provided by moving or conventional fixtures. Additionally, photometric data — including beam and field angle and beam distance — is accurately reproduced in the visualizer. Modeling plug-ins are available for use in 3D Studio Max and Autodesk VIZ. The software includes direct connectivity to the Wholehog® 3 console, HogPC, or Sandnet, but it can also be controlled by any other DMX512 console via Sandnet or by ESP Vision's VBox. With an annual subscription, ZZYZX provides unlimited software and library upgrades and support.
ZZYZX, Inc.
Las Vegas, NV
www.esp-vision.com
Circle 120 on Reader Service Card
ORION SOFTWARE SIRIUS
Sirius is Windows-based rental and inventory management software offering serial number management, picture integration of clients and inventory, integrated email and faxing, bar-coding, driver's license and credit card swiping, color-coded availability calendar, and many other features, all within a standard Windows environment using basic off-the-shelf hardware. It is powerful enough to meet multi-branch and high-transaction needs but also appropriate for smaller operations.
Orion Software
Montreal, Canada
www.orion-soft.com
Circle 121 on Reader Service Card
LEVITON LUMAGRAPHIC
LumaGraphic graphical user interface software is a custom-designed application that not only provides a graphic view of a facility and the lighting control system, but also enables point-and-click centralized control of the entire system. It simplifies tasks such as room combining and lighting changes, all from a remote PC. It is appropriate for use in convention centers, banquet and meeting facilities, and other large-scale lighting control applications.
Leviton Mfg. Co., Inc.
Little Neck, NY
www.leviton.com
Circle 122 on Reader Service Card
MARTIN PROFESSIONAL SHOWDESIGNER GOLD AND SILVER
Martin ShowDesigner (MSD) lighting and set design software package now comes in two versions. An all-inclusive MSD Gold version contains new features such as Live Video inputs and Fast Net-Render, while a streamlined Silver version is customized for those who do not need the full package. The Gold version offers Live Video feed input for the 3D Visualizer, which allows live video signals to be incorporated into a visualization screen and used during programming. It also includes Fast Net-Render, which allows multiple computers to be linked to share the rendering process for large files, reducing the time required to produce rendered images. MSD Silver contains a selection of the design components of MSD Gold, and it is included with the Maxxyz lighting controller. For current MSD version 4.x users, the upgrade to MSD Gold is straightforward and free from www.lighthouse.nl.
Martin Professional
Aarhus, Denmark
www.martin.com
Circle 123 on Reader Service Card
STAGE RESEARCH, INC. SOFTPLOT, LIGHT GRID, AND LIGHT SHOP
SoftPlot, Light Shop, and Light Grid are lighting software applications by Stage Research, the company that develops the sound playback software, SFX. SoftPlot is a lighting design application that allows you to create light plots and manage paperwork. Designed for all levels of entertainment from theatre to film to TV, SoftPlot is suitable for students and professionals. With Light Shop, you have the total photometric data on over 1,500 lighting fixtures all in one place. Light Grid is an application that allows you to simulate and experiment with virtual lighting fixtures, which is particularly useful for students of lighting design. Trial versions of the software can be found at the Stage Research website.
Stage Research, Inc.
Northfield, OH
www.StageResearch.com
Circle 124 on Reader Service Card
AVOLITES PC CONSOLE
Avolites PC Console is a PC-based interface that offers a complete virtual console for either the Avolites Diamond 4 or the Avo Pearl. The operator has the option of choosing the operating system. Once running, the software offers options including offline editing and updating of shows. With the addition of the Avolites EZ DMX, the unit becomes a complete console with four DMX lines for the Pearl and eight for the D4. The product has been designed to address two clear needs: the first is for a fully functional and stand alone back-up system for Pearl and Diamond 4 shows; the second is for smaller or hands-free productions, where access to a comprehensive control surface is not required. It runs on a standard machine running MS Windows XP with available USB ports.
Avolites America
Powell, TN
www.avoam.com
Circle 125 on Reader Service Card
VXCO LIGHTING SYSTEMS DMXCREATOR
DMXCreator software runs on Windows and combines software with a choice of three DMX512 interfaces to create a PC lighting controller. Features include: 3D Visual Emulator, Effects Generator, Track-effects Editor, 16 multi-sequences, MIDI control, Position-Memory, scene crossfade control, DMX512 input recording, and physical master. Each DMX-controllable device has its own customized control panel including active elements like pan/tilt field, faders, CMY color mixing, and gobo pictures. Due to the graphic user interface and drag-and-drop functions, the user is able to create complex shows in less time. The newly embedded 3D Visual Emulator simulates the movements of the light beams on a virtual stage without any fixtures physically connected. Three hardware DMX512 interfaces are available: DMXCreator 512Basic, DMXCreator 512MK2, and DMXCreator 1024.
VXCO Lighting Systems
Kriegstetten, Switzerland
www.dmxcreator.com
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MA LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY GRANDMA DVD-ROM SOFTWARE SUITE
grandMA — the DVD offers comprehensive software tools for standard PC hardware. It includes software for the offline program, grandMA onPC, and the real-time visualizer, grandMA 3D, a demo version of the media server application grandMA video, and other helpful documentation. The DVD is also a reference library for the entire grandMA range of consoles. It contains programming tutorials (more than 50 chapters), taking the viewer on a virtual trip through the console and presenting all functions and features. The DVD is free and can be ordered online at: www.malighting.de or www.actlighting.com.
MA Lighting Technology
Paderborn, Germany
www.malighting.de
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PROJECTMAKER SOFTWARE PROJECTMAKER VERSION 2
ProjectMaker Software has released Version 2 of its business and inventory management software. A free, fully functional 30-day demo for Mac OS9 and OSX or Windows XP is available to download. The original version of ProjectMaker has been in use for over 10 years. With a host of new features, Version 2 is the culmination of two years of development and testing. The software is a multi-user business management system designed for the special event and entertainment industries. Based on FileMaker Pro™, it offers built-in remote access, multi-level security, and password admission in a cross-platform, server-based environment.
ProjectMaker
Berkeley, CA
www.projectmaker.com
Circle 128 on Reader Service Card
ELATION PROFESSIONAL COMPU WARE 04 DMX SOFTWARE
Elation Professional has upgraded Compu Ware lighting software to Compu Ware 04 for use on PC for lighting programming, control, and integration of sound and video. The software works with DMX-compatible fixtures from most manufacturers, with an extensive library pre-programmed. Two versions are available: deluxe Compu Pro 04, for those requiring MIDI, SMPTE Time Code, Timer Date, and Easy Show; and Compu Club 04, for those who want to use the software by itself. Other upgrades include an improved 3D rendering screen with the option of full-color 3D show previewing; viewing of multiple windows at once; and Easy Step, which facilitates the creation of chases. Up to 512 DMX channels can be run per USB interface; to run more than 512 channels, an additional USB box must be used.
Elation Professional
Los Angeles, CA
www.elationlighting.com
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DESIGN & DRAFTING LD ASSISTANT 04
LD Assistant 04 includes bi-directional communication, built-in console, and a real-time show visualizer. This 2D/3D Autodesk OEM CAD program is optimized for theatrical and entertainment lighting design, which helps designers create lighting plots, animations, and presentations as well as control their lighting systems. Designers can control dimmers, automated fixtures, motorized curtain tracks, counter weights, chain hoists, self-climbers, and consoles from within the program. Any object in the drawing can also be controlled using an external source DMX channel. It combines advanced DMX and Ethernet control with high-end lighting and rendering tools in a full 2D/3D CAD program. Lighting, animation, and control wizards are included.
Design & Drafting
Oak Lawn, IL
www.design-drafting.com
Circle 130 on Reader Service Card
NICOLAUDIE-SUNLITE COLOR MANAGER SOFTWARE
Color Manager is a new tool that makes working with RGB or CMY fixtures as easy as any drawing software program (pen, color picker, paint bucket, copy/paste), and it also uses wizards such as images and video loading, text scrolling, etc. It has been designed to work with a matrix of LED devices and conventional fixtures and has already been integrated in Easy Stand Alone.
Nicolaudie America Inc.
Miami, FL
www.nicolaudieamerica.com
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VECTORWORKS SPOTLIGHT 11
VectorWorks Spotlight 11 offers enhanced tools and technology that make production drafting more efficient and modeling easier. New page layout capabilities, along with new and faster rendering modes, enable users to better communicate their design intent. Advanced page layout features make it easy to compose drawing sheets that combine different views of a design at varying scales with text, annotations, and other graphical elements. Also new are artistic rendering modes that produce softer hand-sketched effects. New image compression technology allows for faster file opening and saving while taking up less hard drive space. Users will also find support for QuickTime® VR, AutoCAD®2005, and ACIS® solids. Other improvements include new context-sensitive help, multi-circuit instrument tool, new ARRI and Mole-Richardson libraries, export dimmer and channel information, batch print, and more robust modeling.
Nemetschek North America
Columbia, MD
www.nemetschek.net
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WEST SIDE SYSTEMS VIRTUAL LIGHT LAB 3
VLL 3 simulates a large stage lighting laboratory. It provides a way to demonstrate principles of lighting angles and additive color mixing, explore the effects of color and composition in the context of stage lighting, explain lighting ideas to a director or choreographer, or just experiment in a well-equipped small theatre. Models can be illuminated from 70 angles, using a library of over 700 filter colors, plus over 1,300 RGB and CMY color mixes. Colors can be changed instantly, light intensities set and balanced, and a breakup template can be dropped into any light. Multiple copies of models can be placed anywhere on the stage, and each copy can be painted with any color and lit individually. A backdrop image can be lit behind them. Stage setups can be recorded as scenes and played back for review. The software is compatible with Macintosh OSX and Windows 98, ME, 2000, and XP.
Future Light, Inc.
Cleveland, OH
www.future-light.com
Circle 133 on Reader Service Card
PLOT TOOLS BEAM DRAW
Beam Draw, a Vector-Works Spotlight plug-in package, helps a designer visualize lighting coverage on a drawing. It is completely stand alone, so it can be used to determine ideal instrument placement in combination with any other lighting plug-in package or a blank document. The software automatically shows an oval in plan view and cone in 3D views. In plan view, one can see the beam at both the face plane and on the floor, simultaneously. It interactively draws beams, with the size and shape adjusting as you drag or nudge it. The software includes Beam Draw PAR, the first ever tool for visualizing elliptical beams with any bottle rotation in both 2D and 3D.
Plot Tools
Hoboken, NJ
home.earthlink.net/~plot-tools
Circle 134 on Reader Service Card
MEDIALON MANAGER V4
Manager V4 is a software system that controls and synchronizes digital audio and video, lighting dimmers and desks, matrix switchers, image processors, video walls, lasers, fireworks, and special effects, all over one network. V4 includes a new redundancy mechanism for hot swapping from one PC to another in the event that a PC fails. To simplify programming, the number of windows required has been reduced. There is one main window, called The Explorer, that provides a list of all objects (devices, tasks, shows, etc.). The Object Inspector window provides access to all object parameters (UserScreen, Device, Variable, Cue, etc.). V4 also features new, simplified ergonomics for the Timeline (the main show programming tool).
Medialon
Miami, FL
www.medialon.com
Circle 135 on Reader Service Card
ROSCO LABORATORIES LPS PRO
Lighting Paperwork System (LPS) is a set of software products focused on streamlining the paperwork and information used when designing and implementing entertainment lighting. LPS uses a display system that speeds up the creation of lighting paperwork and using the paperwork information during hang, focus, and tech rehearsals. The software uses a base set of ten industry standard paperwork layouts, and the user can define any number of more specialized layouts. Users can view the paperwork in multiple layouts simultaneously. Included is a library of fixtures, colors, templates, and lighting supply companies in one application. It is available for Macintosh, Windows, and Linux. LPS Mobile for Pocket PC is also available.
Rosco
Stamford, CT
www.rosco.com
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SOLUTIONS BY COMPUTER RENTAL MANAGEMENT COMPUTER SYSTEMS
Solutions by Computer rental software systems are installed in over 2,300 rental operations, including more than 500 lighting, audio-visual, and event businesses. The software handles quotations, reservations, transaction processing, rental inventory tracking, retail sales processing, rate setting, emailing, accounting, and more. Exclusive low-fee electronic payment processing is available to SBC customers, and e-rental Internet capabilities are optional. The system includes hardware, software, training, and toll-free support.
Solutions by Computer
Springfield, MA
www.solutionsbycomputer.com
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CHAUVET SHOWXPRESS PLUS™
ShowXpress Plus™ is a DMX programming software and interface package with a complete fixture library, 512 channels of DMX, 3D visualization mode, sound-activated stepping (MP3, audio, or CD), tap sync, MIDI time code, and auto start/stop. A one-touch mask function allows setting of a pre-programmed point for fixture aiming, making it possible to see the color, gobo, iris opening, and shutter speed in a preset location. It also allows one-click resizing of shows and dragging/dropping of the show to size. Functions and channels are identified on screen with icons. All information is displayed on screen without the need for scrolling menus or multiple windows. It can also run in stand-alone mode, drawing from an internal memory that can store up to 14 different scenes. The software is regularly updated, and new releases can be downloaded directly from the website.
Chauvet Lighting
Hollywood, FL
www.chauvetlighting.com
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LIGHTFACTORY LIGHTING CONTROL SOFTWARE
LightFactory is a PC-based lighting control system for traditional dimmer control and fully featured moving light support. It was designed with the idea that every lighting professional could own a control desk. The latest version (1.0.3) of PC-based LightFactory includes up to 10 DMX universes (5,120 channels); up to 2,000 lighting fixtures; output to industry standard USB or Ethernet devices; unlimited cue lists, each able to hold millions of cues; multiple effects engines; built-in scheduler, macros, palettes, and fixture library; audio, MIDI, and Timecode triggering; up to 1,000 external submasters using any existing DMX desk; and Capture and WYSIWYG support.
LightFactory Software
Auckland, New Zealand
www.lifact.com
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DATABASE WORKS RENTALWORKS
RentalWorks is a comprehensive solution for rental businesses to create quotes, orders, sub-rental purchase orders, contracts, repair orders, and invoices. It can perform inventory transfers between warehouses, create physical inventory counts, and run revenue analysis reports. It also monitors tasks and messages with an integrated task scheduler and on-line messaging system. The system fully supports multiple office locations, warehouses, and departments and has a built-in security module to allow or deny access to any menu option or field in the database. On-line demonstrations are available.
Database Works
Brea, CA
www.dbworks.com
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HIGH END SYSTEMS SOFTWARE-ONLY CATALYST™ PACKAGES
Three versions of software-only Catalyst packages include up-grade ability from one version to the next. Previously, Catalyst™ was packaged with a complete media server system. Having software-only packages allows customers to locally purchase Apple computer equipment. Versions available include Catalyst Pro, Catalyst DV, and Catalyst Xpress. They vary in number of output layers required, input/output devices to be supported, and performance requirements. All packages ship with more than 1,000 media files optimized for lighting applications.
High End Systems
Ausin, TX
www.highend.com
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BRASH!™ LUCID 3D
Brash, distributed by Sound Distribution, Inc., is the ETS-LDI 2004 award-winning integrated 3D composer that creates and renders objects and video in real-time. It is an interactive visual synthesizer that allows you to mix up to 24 layers/effects simultaneously into your visual composition. Use 3D objects, particle systems, video, live video, and gobos from a complete library, or insert customized content to create your visual production.
Sounds Distribution Inc.
Toronto, Canada
www.brashlive.com
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VISUAL PRODUCTIONS VISUALDMX
VisualDMX runs on Windows and controls DMX512 equipment such as moving heads, scans, dimmers, smoke-generators, and various effects. It has been developed using a newly designed user-interface, tailored to suit the requirements of designers, operators, technicians, and other users. The new module, Matrix Mania!, allows versatile control of matrix set-ups (e.g., illuminated dance-floors and LED walls). The product range is complemented by the Visual3D visualizer and a set of USB and Ethernet devices.
Visual Productions
Haarlem, Netherlands
www.visualdmx.com
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JOHN MCKERNON SOFTWARE LIGHTWRIGHT 4
Lightwright 4™, written by professional designer John McKernon, is a software tool for tracking all aspects of selecting and arranging, numbering and comparing, assigning and footnoting lighting paperwork. Features include 30,000 worksheet rows, 6,000 purposes, 6,000 positions, 6,000 colors, 62 DMX universes, 100 moving light libraries per show, and integrated work note and focus chart databases. It is available in Individual, Institutional, and Student versions and as an upgrade from Lightwright 3. The software has been used on over 90% of all Broadway shows over the last 10 years. Both Lightwright 3 and Lightwright 4 were named ETS-LDI Lighting Product of the Year, and Lightwright was named as one of the “Products that Changed our World” by LD in 2002.
City Theatrical
www.citytheatrical.com
Bronx, NY
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CAST SOFTWARE WYSIWYG
Designed by lighting professionals to simulate real-life scenarios, WYSIWYG is an integrated design software solution with a comprehensive library of fixtures, trusses, and equipment. It features a photo-realistic rendering engine that has the ability to simulate natural light, both daytime and night. Its advanced CAD tools, pre-visualization, and pre-cueing make it an all-in-one lighting package. As a new feature for 2005, unlimited channels give users added flexibility to design large and highly complex productions.
Cast Software
Toronto, Canada
www.cast-soft.com
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SFI SYSTEMS IRIS 2005
SFI Iris 2005 offers tools to create, manage, and maintain data for a lighting design project: robust reporting and digital paperwork management, team workflow and collaboration, and inventory management, to name a few. Time-saving features include Tablet PC support and a fully customizable user interface.
SFI Systems
West Lafayette, IN
www.sfisystems.com
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GODDARD DESIGN VIRTUAL MAGIC SHEET
A simple drag-and-drop program, the Virtual Magic Sheet is a software package enabling a designer to animate his magic sheet. Operating in real time, it uses Art-Net data into a PC or Mac to display the lighting system data the way you want it. Icons include dimmable channels, color scrollers, CMY color changers, and RBG fixtures. Specialized icons for special purpose channels are included.
Goddard Design Co.
Brooklyn, NY
www.goddarddesign.com
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