How I use the software

[Pink LD]

I work with the same bands regularly so I get to write custom programming for each song on the set list.
I have only once "busked" with the software.
I write my programming in as high an address as I can and then patch the programming to the lighting I get in each theatre. I do this because the patch program likes to be 1 for 1 as well as whatever it is patched to. Therefore I avoid 1 for 1 conflicts with the house lighting plot in all but the larger theatres. changing the hard patching is an avoidable option whenever possible.

As such I have built a number of pallets of common frequently used lighting behaviours for the basic lighting groups:
Footlights, Cyc, US and DS conventional with snap, 2 sec and 4 sec rise and decay times.
I also have focus positions for movers I use as "spots" to the block marks of the performers for vocals and instrument solos. In sound check I block the performers and then go through each of my "spot" scenes in editor and update their positions. Sometimes the performers will pose for me during sound check. If not I get a "focus dummy" or LX2 to pose for me after sound check.

I then build custom scenes for transitions between standard pallet behaviours. If I have a multiple step scene that I don't want to loop but I want to freeze at the end of the steps I program the last step as a copy of the previous step but give it a 10 minute step time.

My last button on any page for a song is almost always not a macro but a scene button. I take over control of every fixture in the previous macro, program their decay and make it a "no-loop" button. I then let it run the course of whatever steps I programmed into to it to while I am changing pages for the next song. When the steps are complete the button releases and then I have no "hanging" buttons in Live causing me trouble down the road.

I used to use "Ctrl Z" religiously in V5 to clear all buttons before I change pages but for the life of me I can't seem to make that short-cut work any more.
I use a number of keyboard short-cuts but mostly for "Flash" scenes of features like a strobe, instant colour change or even a flash global blackout.

[support]

Thank you for this report.
It might be very useful for some users.

[bcranmer]

Couldn't agree more! ShowXpress v5 let you create a blackout scene, assign it to a button and then place a keyboard trigger (e.g, 'Z') on it and then when you pressed 'Ctrl+Z' it cleared out every other button and engaged the blackout scene, which is very nice to have a "clear" board for the next song. 'Ctrl+Shift+Z' clears out the board, but doesn't engage the blackout scene, which forces you to press 'Z' again. I wouldn't think you would want 'Ctrl+Shift+<Key>' to blank out every live button...that's no different that turning off the entire DMX loop. Is there any way to get the "old Macro" mode to work the way it did in v5?

TIA

[Niffo]

You have to use lowercase letters in order to be able to do that (because shift key is allready used in "CTRL-SHIFT" sequence)

[Pink LD]

Well I'll be a monkeys uncle! That worked! Thanks Niffo.

[support]

These posts about "clear all buttons" have been copied here: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=1184 .
If any other comments, please post in new topic.