GrandMA2: Patching Multiple Fixtures to One Channel?

[GoboMan]

I'm trying to add some conventionals into my patch on the GrandMA2. How do I make multiple fixture IDs map to one channel ID?

For example, I have the following so far (that was created when I made the initial patch)...

FixID ChaID
301 321
302 322
303 323
304 324
305 325
306 326
307 327
308 328
309 329


Now, I want to make fixture IDs 301, 304, and 307 all connect to channel 321; fixture IDs 302, 305, and 308 to channel ID 322; and fixture IDs 303, 306, and 309 to channel ID 323.

However, when I try to edit the channel IDs in the list--that is, by highlighting "324" and typing in "321", I get the following message: "Your input collides with the following channel ids: 321". If I hit "OK", then fixture 304 now gets the channel ID of 321, and fixture 301 now has a "-" in the channel ID column.

How can I make it so I can assign multiple fixtures to a single channel?

Thanks!

 

[soundlight]

There's not a way to combine like this - you'll need to use Multipatch which means that you lose control over the individual addresses. I assume you're trying to patch multiple dimmers to the same channel? In MA, "Fixture" and "Channel" are (confusingly) two ways to identify the same set of data, that being patched units.

 

[GoboMan]

There's not a way to combine like this - you'll need to use Multipatch which means that you lose control over the individual addresses. I assume you're trying to patch multiple dimmers to the same channel? In MA, "Fixture" and "Channel" are (confusingly) two ways to identify the same set of data, that being patched units.

Yeah, basically, this is for a cyc row with old-fashioned halogen strip lights. The 301 thru 309 numbers are the actual dimmer addresses on the raceway. I want all the addresses that have the green gels to be on one channel (321), the addresses with the red gels on 322, and blue on 323. Would it be easier for me to patch them all 1-to-1 and then just make groups, do you think?

 

[soundlight]

You can very easily Multipatch, but once you do you can't control individually. Personally I'd make groups, but then again I've had to do way too many spit cycs. These days all the backdrop lighting I do is with LED strips controllable down to 6 inches so it's even more fun. If you want to make them inseparable though, you can very easily just pick the channel or fixture ID you want to associate with green cyc and create a "Multipatch" on that channel with all of the addresses that correspond to green cyc.

 

[GoboMan]

You can very easily Multipatch, but once you do you can't control individually. Personally I'd make groups, but then again I've had to do way too many spit cycs. These days all the backdrop lighting I do is with LED strips controllable down to 6 inches so it's even more fun. If you want to make them inseparable though, you can very easily just pick the channel or fixture ID you want to associate with green cyc and create a "Multipatch" on that channel with all of the addresses that correspond to green cyc.

Yeah, this cyc will strictly be one solid color, so I won't need to have individual address control. I will go the Multipatch route. Thanks for your help!

 

[MikeJ]

Also, it seems like you are using the actual DMX address as your fixture number, then assigning it the channel number that you want to use when you are programming. Like Steve said in MA "channel" and "fixture" are exactly the same thing, they are just naming conventions for programming. There is no need to use both, of course, you may do so if you find it useful.

Personally, I just use Fixture IDs for everything, even dimmers. Dimmers try to give you a channel ID by default, but you can delete it and enter a fixture id instead. I find it simpler not to have to switch between fixture and channel when typing in the programmer.