Trying to navigate a route through the choice of CAD and visualization packages is almost impossible and it goes without saying that there is no one answer. No, “Everyone should do this,” No, “I highly recommend this.” And certainly no, “This is the correct one!” When making your choices, you need to balance various often competing arguments. CAD And Visualization For Lighting Designers is a session that explores a software that allows you to provide clear, precise information and for others to interact and understand your ideas. Presented by CAST at the Amplify/TechTalks Stage on the LDI show floor, free to all attendees at 11:30am-12:30pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 18-19-20.
This session is presented by Dany Tancou, who attended Ryerson University for a BA in Theatre Technical Production, and worked as a production assistant and shop tech for various lighting (rental) companies around Toronto. This led to his becoming an AutoCAD technician at Skydome. He has now been at CAST for almost two decades, twenty years, and has evolved from trainer to tech support manager and now in his new role as product manager for the past three years.
Live Design: What makes for a good CAD and visualization package generally speaking?
Dany Tancou: Generally speaking, a good CAD and visualization package will have everything needed to complete a project, starting from drawing everything for the production, continuing through conceptualizing lighting looks, revising the design (as/if needed based on the conceptualization), ending with producing all the necessary paperwork, and, pre-cueing the show while connected to the console used to run the show. This removes the dependence on multiple applications which can inadvertently lead to the need for data duplication and valuable production time wasted.
LD: Live How does CAST/wysiwyg meet those needs?
DT: wysiwyg is an all-in-one package: everything is drawn and each change is tracked in a spreadsheet, which can be used to automatically generate lighting paperwork. Conceptualizing lighting does not require console connectivity—but when connectivity is required for pre-cueing, wysiwyg connects to virtually any console.
LD: How does the designer use software to convey his ideas?
DT: wysiwyg is a specialized CAD software used to design stages, Studios, Theater, Lighting, and Video. We have the biggest 3D library of Trusses, Lighting Fixtures, and Accessories, which allows users to plan, design, preview, and program. Lighting concepts and cues from the console can be saved as images and/or videos. Paperwork and lighting plots can be saved as PDFs (or printed). Designers can create concepts out of ideas they have or work within the specifications and needs of a production. Concepts can be presented to clients with confidence that, as the name suggests, what you see is what you get.
Register for LDI here: www.ldishow.com