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18. Working with Effects
Effect Basics
You can use effects to create a mathematical function that is used to alter attribute values in a
repeating fashion.
Effects are applied to attributes using an effect table that applies mathematical functions (such as a
sine- or cosine wave) to values against time. Each of these effects is displayed as one row within the
Effect Programmer.
Each row in the effect programmer has the following effect attributes: Fixtures, Parameter, Mode, Type,
Size Min, Size Max, Speed, Offset, Duty Cycle, Grouping, Buddying, Wings, Invert, Direction, Shots, Attack,
Decay and InFade and InDelay.
Note that any effect can be relative to its attributes base level or absolute.
If relative, it will vary the value of the attribute to either side of its base level determined by either the
current output, or the base value that is set in the programmer. You may combine any effect types
applied to any fixture attribute. Within a Cue, each Parameter may have different effect tables applied
to it. You can specify the negative and the positive size individually.
If an effect line is set to absolute, it alternates between the minimum and maximum size value. Both can
also be a preset.
Effects created on the Chimp control console are stored into Cues. If a Cuelist contains multiple cues
these effects will always be tracked through the cuelist in a similar fashion like regular values are.
If a new Cue starts the Chimp console will determine all effects that are running on the same parameter
and will crossfade from them to the newly started effects. This means that cues containing effects will turn
off all previously started effects from previous cues. To stop an effect running on an parameter for good,
you would need to add an “Off Effect” form, which is basically just a flat effect form without any size.
Effect Synchronization
Keeping effects in sync is an important functionality, especially when different effect tables are
combined over multiple parameters to create one “big” effect to create the desired result. Take the “Fly
In” Effect that basically fades the lights tilt with intensity set to 100%up or down slowly – and will set the
intensity to 0% as soon as the light reaches the tilt peak value and fade it back to the starting point as fast
as possible.
The Chimp Series of Controllers therefore makes sure effects within a playback unit (Each Cuelist has its
own playback unit, as has the programmer) always stay in sync. Let’s have a look again at our Fly In
Effect:
On most traditional consoles it is not possible to have Cue 1 contain just the Tilt part of the effect and Cue
2 contain the intensity part so you can pre-set the movement. Chimp takes care of this problem since it
will automatically sync these effects, so they always look the same, no matter when Cue 2 is started, if
both Cues are in the same Cuelist.
The synchronization algorithm doesn’t stop there. It will also make sure that Effects that are subsequently
added to the Effects Programmer will also be in sync in relation to each other.
Another example is to stop an effect for one or more fixtures out of a larger fixture count in the second
cue and adding them back to the effect in the later cue.
However, two separate Cuelists are not kept in sync. Its similar for the programmer. However, speaking of
the effects programmer there are two exemptions from this rule:
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