These items include everything in PRES Mode, although New Plots are a slight exception, since they are generated only once a model ex- ists in CAD Mode. As with everything else related to templates, saving custom color and gobo lists in a template will save you the time required to recreate the same lists over and over again.
Since these lists can only be stored within the file in which they are created, a template file is the ideal place to store the lists that you use most often. (This procedure was covered in the December 2006 wysiwyg tip, which is accessible here. Don’t forget, however, that if you need to assign different symbols to fixtures such as ETC Source 4s, which support multiple lenses, or to fixtures like Par Cans, for which the bulb itself defines the photometrics, you must assign the alternate symbol to the lens or the bulb, and not the fixture. However, if you’ve stored such Shortcuts in your template, all you need to do is click on the appropriate Shortcut category for the item that you need to insert, and then click on the correct Shortcut to insert it.įixture Shortcuts can be even more powerful because they can be stored, if needed, with alternate symbols and alternate attribute layouts. While the recently introduced Library Search feature is great, you still have to navigate through the Library Browser in order to pick the item that you wish to insert in your drawing. Simply start a new file from this template, and drag fixtures out of the Flight Case onto the existing lighting positions, knowing with certainty that you are not using more fixtures than the venue actually owns (or finding out what you need to rent).įixtures, Accessories, Truss, Color and Gobo, and Object Shortcuts Add the venue’s fixture inventory to the Flight Case (consult the wysiwyg Reference Guide for information on using this feature) and you will be able to create a new lighting plot within minutes. If you constantly do work for a particular venue, having its model, complete with lighting positions and other details, stored in a template can be beneficial. Note: Application Options are not stored in templates, as they apply globally to all files. If you are working at several venues, you may wish to consider storing Venue information (in Show Options) at the very least. Since these options are all equally useful, it is up to you to decide what to store in your template. Most View Options are based on User Options, so they are likely not very useful, but it may be beneficial to store Shaded View settings from here. These include Show Options and User Options-both accessible from wysiwyg’s Options menu. The great thing about templates is that you can customize them any way you choose! Items Commonly Stored within Template Filesīelow are several suggestions for common items and settings that may be stored within a template file. This can come in handy because it makes it impossible to accidentally replace the old file (which may still be needed) when you save the file for the first time-something that’s happened to all of us at least once, I’m sure. However, by using a template, you always start with a “fresh” file. It’s true that you can accomplish much the same thing with regular. Naturally, you don’t need to limit yourself to one template file: for example, if you work for several venues and they all have particular preferences, you could create a separate template for each. wyg file, you can safely delete item(s) and/or change settings without affecting the template file itself.Īnything that can be saved in a regular wysiwyg file (.wyg) can be saved in a wysiwyg template file (.wyt). And if some (or all) of the items stored within the template are not needed, or if a certain setting has to be changed for a particular. Doing so can be a real time-saver because whenever you start a new file from that template, you will no longer have to create anything stored within it, which means that you can start the actual design and drawing right away. If you find yourself making the same settings changes, drawing certain things, creating shortcuts, etc., repeatedly, in (almost) all of your wysiwyg files and before you even start to draw the plot, you can easily save all this in a template file. Wysiwyg templates work in the same manner as those used in other programs: once created, they can be used as a base or starting point for new files. In this month’s tip, you will learn how useful templates can be and how easy they are to create and use. The ability to use templates is one of wysiwyg’s most powerful features, and yet they are often overlooked by many users.