Wolfmix

What is the proper way to order fixtures as you add them in from a blank project so that the Color FX Patterns and Beam FX Patterns function properly?

There's two ways I have tried.:

Method One: Fixtures added by totals — You add in each fixture type all together.
1. Moving Head
2. Moving Head
3. Uplight
4. Uplight
5. Tube Light
6. Tube Light

Method Two: Fixtures added chronologically from left to right — Starting at stage left working across to stage right, like reading a book.
1. Moving Head
2. Uplight
3. Tube Light
4. Tube Light
5. Uplight
6. Moving Head

Which way is correct so that the FX will be ordered/phased correctly? Obviously both ways still produce a result, but sometimes the FX patterns are out of order. For example, if doing a split left/right pattern, sometimes there will be a few fixtures that are flip flopped.

Thanks in advance for any insight on this.

I'm not sure I exactly understand what you are saying. But I set mine up like this:

Group 1 = 6 uplights
Group 2 = 2 moving heads
Group 3 = 2 moving heads

The order is really irrelevant.

Let me try to explain. The question is simply about sequencing, and how to achieve it properly.

You know how one of the encoders controls Order? The options are left, right, outward, and inward. This is the clearest example of where proper sequencing of your fixtures really matters. But it ultimately plays a role in the phasing of every effect within the Wolfmix.

Realistically, the only way for the controller to know where your fixtures are positioned in the real world is based on the fixture list. And the order of the fixture list depends on how you’ve added everything in. So I’m asking, in what order should the fixtures be added into the project to achieve proper sequencing?

Usually I would add them in by total of each fixture type. So if I have 4 moving heads, 4 tube lights, and 4 uplights, that’s the order I would add them in. That’s also how I would split up the groups. Then I would address the fixtures from left to right, like reading a book.

Movers: 01, 20, 39, 58
Tubes: 77, 82, 87, 92
Uplights: 97, 101, 105, 109

Everything is symmetrical on both sides, with the DJ booth in the center. But with this method, I’ve noticed some weird quirks when it comes to sequencing. For example, doing a split pattern where the left side should be red and the right side should be blue, the uplight colors will be inverted. Despite no change in how I’ve added, addressed, or positioned them in the rig relative to the other fixtures.

Another school of thought is adding the fixtures in one by one, going in order of where they’ll be from stage left to stage right. These different methods will result in different DMX addresses for the fixtures, and seems to result in different variations of sequencing. I’ve tried both ways, and neither seem quite right 100% of the time.

TLDR: I just want my fixtures to fade/chase/phase/split in proper sequence from left to right, right to left, center out etc. So in what order should they be added?

I think the order they are added in the fixture list doesnt matter as that is just the address used to control them. It is the order that you control them that is key. Having said that some sort of logical order so you can find them would make sense but entirely a personal choice I'd say.

EDIT: Just read your comments properly!!! I don't know but will use this as an excuse to try my lights later and see what happens!

The addresses can be changed to whatever you want regardless of fixture order.

I am also interested in how the fixture order affects the fx results and am following for the correct answer.

Hello all,

Just to clarify some information definitively about this topic-

The DMX address does not affect the FX engine results. This is only used to ensure that the fixtures are receiving the correct data from the Wolfmix.

The order of the fixtures from within the patch window does directly affect the FX engine results. Every fixture from top to bottom is essentially given a number (this is known as an 'Index' number), so for example in a project with 8 fixtures you will have:

(top of the list)
Fixture 1 = Index 1
Fixture 2 = Index 2
Fixture 3 = Index 3
...
Fixture 8 = Index 8
(bottom of the list)

In the FX engine, you can choose an order for the effect to run in. There are 4 different orders to choose from. Imagine we are using a simple Dimmer Chaser on the Beam FX engine using the example above, the 4 different orders will create the following effect:

Left to Right = Chase in the following order: index 1, index 2, index 3, index 4 ... index 8.
Right to Left = Chase in the following order: index 8, index 7, index 6, index 5 ... index 1.
Inwards to Outwards = Chase in the following order: index 4 & 5, index 3 & 6, index 2 & 7, index 1 & 8.
Outwards to Inwards = Chase in the following order: index 1 & 8, index 2 & 7, index 3 & 6, index 4 & 5.

So to summarise, when ordering your fixture (setting the 'Index') in the fixture setup list- you should approach this from a specific reference point and try to make the index symmetrical for the best results. For example, you could set the fixture order from the furthest left point in the lighting rig, to the furthest right in the lighting rig. This means when you create an effect, for example a chaser- the effect will run in a logical order for your setup.

Hope this helps!
Will

willm wrote: ↑Mon Jun 17, 2024 9:42 am The order of the fixtures from within the patch window does directly affect the FX engine results. Every fixture from top to bottom is essentially given a number (this is known as an 'Index' number), so for example in a project with 8 fixtures you will have:

(top of the list)
Fixture 1 = Index 1
Fixture 2 = Index 2
Fixture 3 = Index 3
...
Fixture 8 = Index 8
(bottom of the list)

Thank you Will, great information....
Your explanation may lead to 2 additional questions then:

1. How do the "beams" are fitting into the "sequence"?
Is it Index 1 and then sequential beam 1 - 8 before it jumps to Index 2 doing another beam 1 - 8, OR does it do Index 1 - beam1, then Index 2 - beam 1, until Index 8 - beam 1 and then restarts with Index 1 - beam 2 and so on?

2. Is there any "impact" in the sequence order when different Groups are involved or is it strictly following the Index (Position) list?
Example: Having 2 LED Bars with 8 LEDs each. Want to mount 1 left and 1 right from DJ booth. Want to have a parallel "chase" from top to bottom.
When having both in ONE Group (A) - this chase will go from 1st Bar and when finished to the 2nd Bar - so its a "left first- then right" chase.
If I place each LED Bar into separate GROUPS ( Left Bar Group A - Right Bar to Group B). Now will the Bars start synchronized (left & right identical), or do I have the same "position" sequence here (first left - then right)? In that case I have to give both Bars the same DMX Address for "synchron operation"!

Hi Axel,

For question 1, I am presuming you are referring to having multi-beam fixtures (i.e. an LED bar or matrix fixture) in the fixture list. In this case, each beam will in essence take it's own 'Index' number. So for example if you have a setup with just 4x RGB LED bars (each bar has 10 LEDs), the order of an effect running left to right would be: Index 1 = RGB bar 1 (beam 1), Index 2 = RGB bar 1 (beam 2), Index 3 = RGB bar (beam 3) ... Index 10 RGB bar (beam 10, Index 11 RGB bar 2 (beam 1), Index 12 RGB bar 2 (beam 2) ... etc.

Question 2 raises an excellent point! Only the relevant fixtures are considered in the effect engine when generating the 'order'. So If you have 6 pars in Group A, then 6 Moving Heads in Group B ... You activate the Beam FX to make a dimmer chaser but only using Group A, the order will only take into account the fixtures in Group A (fixtures in Group B will be ignored in the order).

To set up the effect as you described using 2 LED bars, I would suggest actually keeping both fixtures in the same Group, but instead of using the Left to Right order, using the Inwards to Outward order for the chaser. You will now see that one LED bar chases upwards, but one chases downwards. To make them both chase in the same direction, you can go to the fixture setup window, select one LED bar and then press the 'flip' button at the top of the screen. This reverses the beam order for the selected fixture.

Kind regards,
Will

Bit late to seeing these new replies, but this is really great information and definitively answers my question. Thank you Will!