Booms as positions

[freadZdead]

Hi Claude, in my last design, I tried to use booms that appear in both front and plot in the same way.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get it to work in the way that would make sense to me, to explain:

I had two booms l and r of stage for side lighting. I thought, if I draw positions in the front view, I could drop onto them lanterns and give them a height/dead, and all would be peachy. However, I couldn't draw and use the position tool in front, and so my work around was making an ultra short position with almost nil lenght in plot view, give it the height of 0, drag instruments onto it, and give them desired Z Offset...

Any idea how this could be improved?

Thanks for reading .

[lanternz]

Claude might have a better way but I usually draw a position on the plot at a length that equals the boom height. You can also use the ruler tool to set the length accurately. I draw it somewhere on the plot that makes it nice and legible. Select the position you have drawn and go to the positions tool on the inspector. Set the position to number from Left, Top if you have a boom on stage right. In the same inspector click on the drop down menu next to "Map Points". I use "map to vertical at next click". Then on the plot I click precisely where I want the boom placed - try doing this zoomed right in or at 200% to get it really precise. You are now using a feature of LxPro that does something that very expensive drafting apps can not do - map a lighting position optically on a drawing so that the focus information is tied precisely to the true rig position. Your lights will now appear on your front and side elevations. If they look wrong you may have drawn the pipe upside down. You can correct this in the info tab.

[freadZdead]

Hey, that seems to work! ... However, the boom still also appears as a bar on the plot... I assume this is desired behaviour? i.e. that way it can be drawn as a detail straight onto the plot, while being correctly positioned? (in my head, I imagined one simply printing out a front view for this, and the boom appearing only as a dot in plot view)...

[freadZdead]

Also, with this technique, is there any way to drag/move lanterns on the plot and thus determine their height/offset? And/or is that done in the front view?

[blacklite]

The length of the position in plan view should equal the height shown in the front view if you follow lanternz approach. You can also use the Y and Z offset to account for rigging on boom arms etc.

If I have a dance rig I sometimes put a small scale bar to line up with the drawn boom in plan view. It is also useful to properly mark the boom positions on the plan and show a top view of where the lantern will sit in relation to the pipe.

Even though I don't always follow it a really useful reference on some of the ways to draw lighting plans is the USITT Recommended Practices for Theatrical Lighting Design Graphics paper. Should be able to google for it reasonably easily.

Ben

[freadZdead]

Thanks Ben ... You realise it's all your fault that I am trolling this forum ;P? Ah, the good old Vikram days...