Technical director Matthew Geasey has been at Clear All Visuals for four years, and a part of the entertainment industry for over 12 years, but it was only just a few months ago that he began his journey with the General Device Type Format (GDTF) and My Virtual Rig (MVR).
Vectorworks, Inc., Robe lighting, and MA Lighting launched the GDTF and MVR in March 2018. By early 2019, they announced the availability of GDTF 1.0. Since then, it has gained momentum across the industry’s manufacturers, software programs, and professionals, including Geasey, who has quickly established himself as an expert user.
GDTF Founders MA Lighting, Vectorworks, Inc., and Robe lighting.
“Workflow is huge,” notes Geasey, “whether it's a drafting project, previz project, or just a simple presentation. For many years, you’ve just had to pick and choose your best way to figure it out. Once I got the full scoop on GDTF, I threw all my other stuff out the window. This is what we've all been waiting for, something more uniform across numerous platforms.”
Once he made this discovery, Geasey started talking to his colleagues, who all believed GDTF was just for lighting. “Not necessarily,” he would tell them. “It is for manufacturers to have a proper way to deliver information about their device. This is inclusive of 3D models, information for controlling the device such as DMX and its physical capabilities. There is still room for growth in the spec from user input.” Others believed that GDTF is only for the three companies that created it. “That's not the case either,” he would correct. “It is a global initiative for the entire entertainment industry, from architectural to corporate. Anything that these devices are used on everybody can now get the information.” Another big misconception, he says, is that lighting programmers often think the GDTF is a profile. “It is not a profile for that device. It is a container that has all of the information to create a profile for that device.”