Fixture profiles and DMX modes: check the patch before programming

Separate the profile, mode, address and universe

The profile, also called a personality, tells the console what each channel controls: intensity, color, position, shutter or other functions. The mode defines the set of channels the fixture uses. If the fixture and console use different modes, some functions may respond while others are mixed up or unavailable. ETC illustrates this in its guide to checking the mode against the profile.

The starting address is the first channel the fixture occupies within a universe of 512 channels. Reserve its entire block before assigning the next fixture you want to control independently. The number used to select the fixture on the console is a separate setting and can differ from its output address. See ENTTEC’s explanations of starting addresses and universes, and ChamSys’s guide to selecting heads.

Test one fixture before programming the rest

Open the manual for that model and find its DMX table. Compare it with the profile channel by channel; a fixture that looks similar can use a different map. In MagicQ, open PATCH and CHOOSE HEAD. Selecting a head displays its modes, and VIEW MODES provides a more detailed channel list. See the MagicQ 1.9.8.x patching guide.

1. Record the menu settings

   Write down the fixture’s mode and address. If you change its mode, record the new setting before continuing with the patch.

2. Compare the profile and mode

   Select the manufacturer, model and personality. Check the name, channel count and map against the manual; matching one item still leaves the others to verify.

3. Calculate the address block

   For example, an 8-channel fixture starting at 1 occupies channels 1 through 8. For independent control, the next fixture can start at 9. This example assumes consecutive channels and no other fixture occupying that block.

4. Change one function at a time

   During rehearsal, check the dimmer, colors and other parameters in the manual separately. Leave strobe, macros and control functions out of the first test so you can see what responds to each change.

5. Check the cues again

   After correcting the patch, run through the cues that use the fixture before returning to the show. A working static look provides an initial check; the existing programming still needs testing.

If the model is missing, search with its DMX table at hand

Collect a photo of the label, the manual, the selected mode and its channel table. Use those details to search the library first and contact the console manufacturer’s support team. Without a reliable DMX map, you cannot verify that an alternative profile matches the fixture.

ChamSys provides Fixture Finder, also linked from its MagicQ documentation. Use it to find candidates, then compare each result with your DMX table before adding it to the patch.

Two 8-channel fixtures can put intensity and strobe on different channels or use different ranges within a channel. Compare order, function and ranges: channel count is only the start. ETC describes mode-dependent maps and multiple parameters sharing one channel.

When a personality needs to be created or corrected

MagicQ includes a head editor for defining a fixture’s identity and channels. Creating or correcting a profile requires the fixture’s DMX map; the editor cannot supply information missing from the manual. If you have not used the tool, send the table to support and ask for help preparing the personality. See the ChamSys Head Editor.

Save a copy of the show and test the personality with one fixture before repeating the patch. Record the model, mode, channels, universe and addresses. When a replacement arrives, compare those details with the fixture it replaces, then test its functions and the cues that use it.

A displayed value of 100 may use a different scale

If the strobe seems slow after you enter 100, check the unit shown for that parameter. Intensity may be expressed as a percentage while another attribute uses a different scale. Before editing the profile, record the displayed value, attribute name and behavior you expected.

The Eos fixture editor separates DMX Min, Home and Max from User Min, Home and Max. The latter define what the operator sees. A displayed number alone, without its configured range, does not tell you the transmitted DMX value or the fixture’s speed.

In Eos Family v3.3.10, sACN Output Viewer, Tab 37, displays output values from 0 to 255 for each address. Compare them with the DMX map for the fixture’s exact mode. The viewer reports system output; it does not independently measure what reaches the fixture’s connector.

Record the displayed range and the manual’s range before making changes. If they do not match, consult the profile for the actual model and mode. Check the behavior in an agreed test: a maximum value can have a different function depending on the fixture and that part of its DMX table.

Coarse and fine: check the pair before inverting movement

If a moving head steps forward and backward during a slow move, save copies of the profile and show before editing. Record the fixture mode and the function that jumps. Pan and tilt responding does not prove that fine control is correctly defined.

In MA Fixture Builder 1.9, Attributes has separate Coarse and Fine columns. DMX values can be displayed as percentages, 8-bit decimal or 16-bit decimal. Compare both component addresses with the table for the fixture’s exact mode.

Prepare a sheet listing each function, coarse address and fine address as specified by the manufacturer. Include any special behavior documented for that mode. If the unit has no identifiable model or table, request that information before deciding what to invert.

Save changes as a separate profile and compare a slow movement with the operator. Check that the other functions retain their positions in the map. If the stepping continues, send the supplier the table, profile and test record; random changes make the cause harder to trace.

A virtual row is not another DMX address

If importing a personality seems to add a channel, check where you are counting it. In dot2 1.9, Select Fixture Type shows a DMX Footprint column with the number of DMX channels required by the type. Fixture Type Info lists real channels with virtual channels below them. Counting every row in that view can mix two different things.

Compare DMX Footprint with the fixture mode’s table and save screenshots of both views. If the actual block has an additional address, review the map with support. If only a virtual parameter is listed, you still need to investigate why other functions are not responding. Working pan and tilt do not verify the rest of the profile.

When asking for help, include the personality file, model, menu mode and software version. A screenshot showing exactly where the number appears keeps everyone focused on the same view.

For multiple cells, separate modules and instances

If a batten allows individual cell control, obtain the DMX table for the intended mode before editing. Mark the functions that affect the whole fixture and those assigned to each cell. Copying the same block several times can duplicate a control that exists only once on the fixture.

In grandMA2 3.9, a module groups attributes assigned to DMX; instances use those modules within the fixture. Instance Manager sets the module for each row and its Patch offset relative to the starting address. X, Y and Z describe its position for visualization.

Keep the original profile and a copy of the show. Compare each cell with its physical position and check the shared functions before repeating the personality. If map information is missing, send the table and file to support; a module’s name does not supply that information.

If a GDTF type turns red, open the conflict summary

If an imported personality is marked red, keep the file and a copy of the show before editing. Copy the displayed message. Without it, another technician may investigate a different table from the one you are using.

In grandMA3 2.3, red indicates an error and the fixture is not accessible outside Patch; orange warns that it may malfunction. Select the type, choose Edit and open Show Conflicts. The number on the button counts the conflicts.

After correcting the issue identified by the editor, compare the response with the fixture’s DMX table. Appearing in the list is not enough to approve it for the show. Record which functions respond and which still fail before making further profile edits.