# lighting plot software



## visigoth (Jul 31, 2008)

Does anyone know where i can obtain inexpensive or better yet free lighting plot software. I need just basic stuff, as I only rehang about 2 or three times a year.


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## Footer (Jul 31, 2008)

Yep, pencil and paper works, and its about 95c's. If you are a student, vectorworks is available for students for free. Do a search, this question comes up about every 6 months. Remember, you get what you pay for.


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## waynehoskins (Jul 31, 2008)

I use Field Template, Desk, Scale Rule, Triangle, Pencil, and Eraser. Works well enough for me.

In my college years I used Autocad. Much easier to move a light than with the other stack, but it also takes having access to Acad. It also takes having a plotter to export useful data off of the system.


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## VeeDubTDI (Jul 31, 2008)

The IT guys here just installed AutoCad on my computer so I can do plots.


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## Footer (Jul 31, 2008)

VeeDubTDI said:


> The IT guys here just installed AutoCad on my computer so I can do plots.



Look into LD assistant if you actually want to use AutoCAD for lighting.


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## Sayen (Jul 31, 2008)

Any lighting supply store will have them, I order mine from Babizon.

Field Templates&#8482: THE Source for Theatrical Lighting Symbols! - Also has a list of vendors by location, although I'm guessing online stores would sell them cheap as well.


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## waynehoskins (Jul 31, 2008)

Sayen said:


> Any lighting supply store will have them, I order mine from Babizon.
> 
> Field Templates™: THE Source for Theatrical Lighting Symbols! - Also has a list of vendors by location, although I'm guessing online stores would sell them cheap as well.



Steve gave me one of his business-card templates at USITT '05; it's always with me and has come in quite useful a few times. The local theatrical supplier (Norcostco) stocks his regular ones as well as somebody else's blue ones. They're all slightly different, but they all work. The blue kind also has a section version with Leko field angles on it, which is very handy.


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## VeeDubTDI (Aug 1, 2008)

Footer4321 said:


> Look into LD assistant if you actually want to use AutoCAD for lighting.



I'll check into that. Thanks!


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## Guitarhero2441 (Jan 5, 2009)

I dont know whetere this may be a wee bit late but i recently discovered a technique i use a program called Turbo CAD andf i downloaded the symbols free at modelboxplans.com

Its not as good as programs such as vectorworks or wysiwyg or softplot, but for a freebie, it does its job.

Hope this helps
ciao


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## StewTech (Jul 3, 2012)

View attachment Light Plot Template.pdf


I use excel. My instructor used it in HS, and it has just stuck.


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## EBB (Jul 3, 2012)

Field templates are great. scale rules, paper, rulers, right angles and a few other items are all you need. Less than 50 bucks spent. 
I personally use AutoCAD and I loved LD Assistant 08. I got to use the newer versions of it and dread the layouts. But if you know how to render in 3D you can get a decent idea of how your plot will look before you hang it. I know that program best as far as my computer tools. Also it connects to several programs like lightwrite. I believe you can get a student version of LD Assistant for $99. But I could be mistaken. And it lasts a year.
Vectorworks is also a great tool. I don't use it all that much but most of my friends that use it brag about it- and often how better it is than AutoCAD. I don't see any major differences so I can't really speak on that behalf. But there are student versions and trial versions I believe on the website.


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## SteveB (Jul 4, 2012)

EBB said:


> Vectorworks is also a great tool. I don't use it all that much but most of my friends that use it brag about it- and often how better it is than AutoCAD. I don't see any major differences so I can't really speak on that behalf. But there are student versions and trial versions I believe on the website.



Vectorworks has a student/educational edition (Spotlight). Free if you're a student/educator. About $2000 if not.


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## EBB (Jul 5, 2012)

I really haven't played with it enough to give it a download. I work well enough with AutoCAD to not have much reason to learn another piece of software at the moment. Not to say I won't do it eventually. Just have no reason to at the moment. Pluuus... I'm no longer a student. And that means no way for me to get it legally. But I am curious what are the major differences between the two softwares? Because the way it has sounded to me from friends makes it sound like the Apple vs PC people. Mostly being the Vectorworks people are douchey. Haha.


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## Lightguy5 (Jul 5, 2012)

StewTech said:


> I use excel. My instructor used it in HS, and it has just stuck.



The staff TD at the HighSchool across town also does something similar. He even color codes the cell-units by gel color for easy grouping. It takes some getting used to, but it's quick, clear, and easy. It helps if you are strict about 18" centers (each column is an 18" 'slot').


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## LXPlot (Jul 7, 2012)

I do not believe anyone has mentioned Lxfree. It is free (obviously), simple to use, and fairly decent for what it is supposed to do. If you are using Windows or Linux, you need to use the java version. The original is for OSX


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## zmb (Jul 7, 2012)

LXPlot said:


> I do not believe anyone has mentioned Lxfree. It is free (obviously), simple to use, and fairly decent for what it is supposed to do. If you are using Windows or Linux, you need to use the java version. The original is for OSX




I can not manage to use that program to create scaled drawings. Just doens't work for me. I will use it (LX Java) to create rough plots devoid of measurements.


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## Jay Ashworth (Mar 5, 2014)

So it looks like I am going to take a flyer in LDing our next show as well. The director isn't after anything especially complicated, so that will give me some room to run.

Being a computery kinda guy, I'm inclined to try to plan the hang in software; is there anything that does that that doesn't cost a million and a half bucks?  I have a relatively decent idea how to do it interactively, and I'm a good book-learner, it will be even better by Hell Week... but I don't know how to figure the floor ovals/cones based on beam width and pipe position, by hand.

My inventory is about a dozen Source Fours, and half a dozen Par Fours, plus some traditional parcans; I might look at renting some, say, Hotboxes or Puck 12s for the month, if I can find them cheap enough, just to get some experience playing with them, but that's out of scope for this request.


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## sk8rsdad (Mar 5, 2014)

I think you will find the most expensive software costs significantly less than $1,000,000.50. You can do paperwork with any spreadsheet program. There are examples here if you look. For instance, this collaborative article on Visualization software.


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## kicknargel (Mar 5, 2014)

I'd say the industry standard is Vectorworks with Spotlight. If you have a legit claim as a student or educator, you might get it for free. Otherwise going to be a couple grand. I don't have experience with cheaper options, but they probably exist.

Or you could do it by hand. For the ovals: on your plot (top view) figure out the distance from the light to the focus point. The do a scale drawing of a side view, with the light that distance out and at the correct height. Remember that your focus point should be at head height, not stage level. Faces are more important than feet. Draw a cone from that to the focus point that is the width of the beam spread (36 degrees, for example). Draw a horizontal line across the cone at the focus point. The length of this will be the long (US-DS) axis of the oval. The distance between the two line of the cone, perpendicular to the cone will be the short (cross-stage) axis. 

Now you know the size of the oval. Remember to overlap the ovals by at least 50% for even coverage. (Not that I don't push that with small inventories). 

I'll try to do a sketch of this, as words probably are confusing.

Also, get a drafting template from your theatrical supply for all the symbols for your plot.


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## TheaterEd (Mar 5, 2014)

If your using Source 4's this is a fun website. ETC | Explore the Source Four | Photometrics


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## Jay Ashworth (Mar 5, 2014)

TheaterEd said:


> If your using Source 4's this is a fun website. ETC | Explore the Source Four | Photometrics



Certainly looks like it, yes; thanks.


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## derekleffew (Mar 5, 2014)

Jay Ashworth said:


> ...Being a computery kinda guy, I'm inclined to try to plan the hang in software; is there anything that does that that doesn't cost a million and a half bucks? ...


$0.00. LX Free


Jay Ashworth said:


> ... but I don't know how to figure the floor ovals/cones based on beam width and pipe position, by hand. ...


You're (probably) not lighting the floor, you're lighting the face plane, which is ~ +5'-0", depending on how tall the cast members are. As @kicknargel said so eloquently above,

kicknargel said:


> ... Faces are more important than feet. ...


. Whether on computer or by hand, divide the playing area into multiple 8'-12' lighting areas. If a realistic box set, the areas may be determined by furniture placement, a sofa area, a table area, and so on. One of the biggest mistakes of the novice lighting designer is rushing to draft a light plot before they've seen a run-thru and know how the director and actors are using the space. Never trust a director when he tells you, "You don't need to light that area, no one ever goes there." Best to have an odd number of areas left to right, as DSC is probably an important area that may need to be isolated. Likewise DSL and DSR. Put a capital letter or (old) Roman numeral in the center of each area--these become your focus points. Then use the Pythagorean Theorem to determine the throw distance from each mounting position. This will tell you whether you need a 19°, 26°, 36°, WFL, NSP etc. The McCandless Method would have, minimally, frontlights at 45° angle of elevation and 45° L&R, sidelights L&R, a backlight, and possibly a downlight FOR EACH AREA. You obviously don't have enough equipment for all that, so part of your job as Lighting Designer is to determine where/how compromises can be made. If you're lighting a very large stage, you may only have enough fixtures for frontlight, and only one color at that. Cheap LEDs with narrow 10-15° beams are not particularly useful here.

Ask more questions.


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## Lafalot (Mar 5, 2014)

HAs anyone played with the Lighting Designer for iPad app: http://www.lightingdesignerapp.com/?? Just curious. $25. Designed by a film guy. Not sure how "theater" friendly it is.


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## JChenault (Mar 6, 2014)

The cheapest computer based program that I know of is 'Softplot'. It runs about $300.

IT is not the standard of the industry by any means, and as fairly awkward in a number of aspects, but you get what you pay for, and it is not a bad value.


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## Jay Ashworth (Mar 6, 2014)

Well, Derek; the show's Stepping Out, which is a tap-danceish show (it's not a *real* dance show, but the feet actually do matter).

Stage is 26 from the plaster line to the back wall, 18x26 proscenium, 4 foot thrust. Three stage electrics plus a front on a catwalk; one follow.

So, not really big, but limited in lighting positions.


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