Timeline Panel
The timeline panel is your main work space for working with cue timings, audio synchronization and midi show control.
Contents |
Time Scales
Time
The default time scale in Lightforge is "Time". This measures your progression through time in hours, minutes, and seconds.
Beats
The Beats time scale allows you to specify a tempo (beats per minute), and number of beats per measure. You can then record your cues and set your timings to this time scale. Adjusting your tempo will automatically scale the playback of your cues and effects to the new tempo. You can enable beats mode by clicking on the "Beats" toggle button in the time section of the Timeline panel. Once selected you can adjust your tempo by clicking the "bpm" button below the "Beats" button
Cues
Important Concepts
By default, cues in Lightforge function in a tracking system. What this means is that for each cue you create the only thing that is being saved is the changes since your last cue. In short, if you turn a light on, it stays on until you tell it to turn off in a later cue. It's important to understand this because there are various positive and potentially negative ramifications to this approach.
The Positive: If you forgot to add something into your show and it's supposed to be in every cue, all you have to do is add it to the first cue, and it will track through the rest of your cues until it's told to do otherwise.
The Negative: If you want to add something to a single cue you will need to remove it in the following cue otherwise it will continue tracking throughout the rest of your show.
In general the tracking approach creates simpler shows, with less to manage. Instead of having to look through every channel on a cue to make an adjustment you only need to deal with what has been changed in that particular cue.
Cue Length
The length of a cue is adjusted by clicking and dragging on either the left or right edge of a cue.
Fade In
You can adjust your fade in time by clicking and dragging on the upper left corner of a cue.
Fade Out
You can adjust your fade out time by clicking and dragging on the upper right corner of a cue.
Moving Cues
To rearrange a cue, click on the middle of the cue and drag it to where you would like it to go. When you release the cue all other cues will snap into position around it.
Nesting
You can nest cues inside one another by dragging a cue below another cue.
Subdivide
Subdivide takes an existing cue, and creates two nested cues inside of itself. You can subdivide a cue by right clicking on it and selecting subdivide.
Collapse
Collapse flattens the nested structure of the selected cue. You can collapse a cue by right clicking on it and selecting collapse.
Load Held Values
Double clicking a cue will copy the cue values back onto the rig in the state they were saved in.
Cue Types
Hold
When playback reaches a cue set as a hold cue playback will stop and wait for the user to start the next cue
Follow
When playback reaches a follow cue it continues playback.
Tracking
This is the default cue type, it uses the tracking system to combine the changes made in this cue with changes made in previous cues.
Non-Tracking
Non-Tracking cues take a snapshot of the overall look created by all cues at this point in time. A non-tracking cue will maintain it's values regardless of changes made to cues before it.
Audio
The audio track allows you to load in audio files for synchronizing cues to music. Audio files are manipulated in the same manner as cues with the exception of there being no fade ins or outs on audio tracks. Audio tracks do not rescale on changing of tempo in beats mode.
Command Markers
Command markers allow you to execute commands as playback passes a certain point in time.
Positioning Modes
Command markers have two different positioning modes. These are chosen individually on markers by right clicking the marker and checking or unchecking “Relative”.
Relative Positioning
When set to relative (default), changes in cue timings will automatically shift marker positions with the cues.
Absolute Positioning
When set to absolute, cue timing will not affect markers.
Command Marker Types
Go To Time
Goes to the specified time and continues playback.
Pause
Pauses at the marker time.
Midi Show Control
Executes a Midi Show Control command.
Keyboard And Mouse Shortcuts
Move Timeline - Middle Mouse Drag or M + Left Mouse Drag
Zoom - Mouse Wheel or + and -
Return to Start - Home
Go To End - End
Play/Pause - Space Bar
Play Backwards - Backspace
Skip to Next Cue - Right Arrow
Go to Previous Cue - Left Arrow
Toggle Follow/Hold - F
Toggle Tracking/Non-Tracking - T
Subdivide - S
Delete Cues/Audio - Delete
Select All - CTRL + A
Select None - CTRL + D
