11. Smart FX

The Vista has in-built "smart FX," pre-programmed effects templates you can use to add movement and dynamism to your lighting looks. These are great for party effects, but with modification are also useful for more subtle theatrical effects. You can use the effects in live mode or record them in a cue. The method below shows how to record them in a cue.

1. Select the lights to which you want to apply the effect. Any lights can use effects for parameters they have. Generics can use intensity effects, the LED strips can use intensity or colour effects, and the movers can use intensity, colour, or position effects. There are other types of effects but they are not applicable to the lights we have. In this example we will select the movers to create a party effect. Make sure to give the lights an intensity value so you can see your effects in action.

2. The smart FX can be found in the "FX Template" quick-picker, located at the bottom of the screen. 

With the movers selected, all available effects become highlighted, while unavailable effects remain greyed out. 

You can either view all available effects by displaying "all" in the dropdown menu in the quick-picker, or select the effect type you want to view.

When scrolling through the quick-picker, the icons represent the effect type. 

The red circle indicates a position effect - it will cause the lights to repeatedly move.

The two dots indicate a colour effect - it will cause the lights to repeatedly change colour.

The atomic symbol indicates an intensity effect - it will cause the lights to repeatedly change intensity.

3. Click on the effect you want to apply. Try to find the effect closest to what you're after. In this example, we will use a position effect, called Ballyhoo. You will see the lights start to move in their preset pattern. The exact path they take will be determined by their starting position. Try modifying the position information to get the lights centred on your desired position.

4. To modify the effect to fit your exact requirements, click on the SmartFX tab on the sidebar. The information in the sidebar will change to show all the elements of the effect. From this point, the best method is to experiment by changing different elements and seeing the result. For the Ballyhoo, you can make it faster or slower, change the overlap of each step, change the basic pattern shape and size, and many other options. You can always revert to the old template or Undo (Ctrl+Z) if required. To restore the normal sidebar, click the Features tab.

5. Making changes in the sidebar will only modify the effect in this individual instance, and will save in the cue. If you would like the option to use the modified effect again in another cue, click "Save Template" in the sidebar.

Type in a new name for the effect, and select to save it in the Show library. Saving it in the User library will cause the new effect to appear in all show files saved on the computer, which is not ideal as the effect list becomes cluttered. When saved, the new effect will appear in the quick-picker at the bottom of the list.

6. Like all other cue elements, the effect will track through unless instructed otherwise. To stop the effect in the next cue, go into/create the next cue, and navigate back into the Features tab in the sidebar. 

Each parameter has a dropdown menu in the upper left side of its area of the sidebar. As we were using a position effect, click the Position dropdown menu, and click Stop Effect. You need to do this for the appropriate effect type.

8. You can apply multiple effects of different types to the same lights - to create a real party atmosphere, we might apply a position effect, a colour effect, and an intensity effect, all happening at the same time. Just follow the above method for each type of effect. As you have multiple effects running, ensure you select the correct effect for modification in the Smart FX sidebar.

9. To create a more subtle theatrical effect, try a colour or intensity effect on the movers, LED strips or generics. Select the template that is closest to what you want, and try modifying it to make it much slower, changing the overlap or stagger values, or changing the colour mix. Take the time to experiment and see what you can find.

We have now covered the basics of using and programming the Vista. If you apply your knowledge methodically and patiently, you should find you can create most of the looks you require. If you have any other questions or would like to develop your skills further, please chat to the theatre staff.