Unified Stage Control System: Lights, Pyros, Lasers

LIGHTS

PYROS

LASERS

Deep Space Traveler
  

Deep Space Traveler
  

Muse Isle Light Show
Fireworks Display

 

 

OD is proud to present its unified Control System for Lighting, Pyros LX, and Lasers LX.  All 3 products are controlled from a single multi-channel HUD.   Previously known as "the Light HUD", this tool brings lighting, pyros, and lasers together in a homogenous single point of control.

Note:  The LX version of pyros and lasers are compatible with the light HUD.  The legacy pyros and lasers are still available but do not work with the Light HUD.  Contact Ortho Vargas for upgrade questions.

Lights, Pyros, and Lasers are all sold separately but all use the same HUD.  Certain HUD features apply only to lights, or pyros, etc.  See the complete chart.

The OD Stage System is an extremely powerful tool.  The possibilities for creating jaw-dropping visual effects are almost limitless.  At the same time, it is a tool which is intuitive, and very easy to use.  As any feature-packed item ... you need to read the instructions. You can see a demo in-world at OD's Main store on the OD Designs sim.     TELEPORT NOW.  Enjoy!

[Testimonials][Revision History][Assistant HUDs]

Features

  • Tools
    • Master control/setup HUD controls 32 channels of lights with 16 scene memories per channel.
    • 3 types of texture inventory boxes for adding your own textures to the HUD
    • Texture Buffer Box - Included.  Buffers your textures discreetly causing them to rez instantly for the audience.  No more grey-block light beams or pyros when textures are switched mid-show.
    • Attachable "follow-me" tools for tracking to avatars or pointing at areas of your stage.
    • 12+ different light fixtures with FREE additional light fixtures on the way.
    • Ability to build your own light fixtures.
     
  • Appearance Controls
    • Extremely detailed HUD-based control over the appearance and movement of your light beams.
    • Brightness, Glow, Ambient Lighting Strength and Radius combine to create amazingly realistic visual effects.
    • Easy One-Touch Infinitely Adjustable Size and Shape of Light Beams (Oval, flat and everything in between)
    • Multi-colors
    • Flowing beam textures, Twist and turn your lights to create jaw-dropping effects.
    • 3 movements modes: Spin, Orbit, and Positioning.. Each with infinitely adjustable Speed and Radius. Buit-in Randomizing for realistic effects
  • Pyros (LX)/ Laser (LX) Integration
    • Fully Integrated with OD Pyro effects and lasers (sold separately).
    • Control lights, pyros, and lasers from a single HUD
    • Combine the light HUD with OD stage Pyros  and smokers for unbelievable realistic concert visuals.
  • Textures
    • Use your own textures with the Texture Inventory boxes (included).
    • Ever-growing texture library with free texture updates for life.
    • Textures automatically organized into 3 different types.
      • Normal - Standard textures that fade toward the ends of the light beam
      • Flow - Optimized for flowing movement in the light beam
      • Blink - Optimized for blinking.  You control the speed of the flashing light
  • Permissions
    • Control HUD - Copy - Create multiple HUDs each programmed to a particular show or stage layout.
    • Light Fixtures - Mod/Copy  (scripts are no-mod)
    • The standard package includes numerous light fixtures, including multi-beam fixtures.
    • Password protected access - easily changeable passwords via chat commands.  NO NOTECARDS  :)
    • Easily change the password of a rezzed scene with a single chat command.  If you need to change the password of a rez-box packed lighting setup you don't have to re-pack the lights into the rez box.. just rez and then change the password en-mass for the entire set of lights at once.
  • Channels and Scenes
    • 32 Channels with 16 scene memories per channel
    • EASY Channel assignment.  NO NOTECARDS
    • Copy-Paste between scene memories.
    • Channels are grouped into 2 groups 0-15 and 16-31.  Each group has a "Master" control setting which allows you to affect changes of any kind to all channels in the group at once.
  • Sequences
    • Record and playback 12 looping sequences of color changes, appearance shifts, movement alterations, or any other controllable parameter.
    • Once recorded a sequence can be played back on any channel.
  • Follow-Me  Tracking
    • 15 channels of "Follow-Me" tracking.
    • Avatar wears an invisible prim which allows light(s) to track to him.
    • The "follow" prims can be incorporated into stage builds such that lights focus on different areas of the stage.
  • Off-World Data Storage
    • Backup/Restore your HUD's channel/scene memory and sequences to off-world storage databases.
    • If you lose your HUD.. no problem.  Grab an empty one and re-load it with your backed-up data.
  • Web-based Tools
    • Organize and name Scenes and Channels.
    • Create printable charts of your HUD memories for easy use during a show.
    • Coming Soon:
      • Combine scene memories across multiple different HUDs.
      • Download scene settings from the public library.
      • Optionally share your scene memories with the community
  • Builder library scripts available soon! Watch for future ability to...
    • Create your own light fixtures
    • Integrate light-like control into portions of your stage build itself.
    • Control textures, movement, and colors of items in your stage build.
  • Other Cool Stuff
    • Master Kill Switch - physically retracts all beams.  Very helpful when building your stage.
    • Minimizes when not in use to free your screen real-estate.

What's In The Package

Quick Start - Setting Up Your Lights  

1) Wear the HUD
  • The HUD will attach to your screen generally on the left hand side.  Feel free to attach it to whatever HUD attachment point you like.  You can also select the HUD for edit and move it around on your screen.  If you inventory tells you the HUD is attached but you can't see it you may be able to find it . . . I Can't See My HUD

2) Set Password

  • The first thing you will want to do is to set a password in the HUD.  The password ensures that no one else can control your lights.   Click at the top of the HUD.  Select UTIL then PASSWORD.   The HUD will prompt you to chat your password on channel 900.  In open chat type....

    /900 pword       

    Obviously you will use your own chosen password and not "pword".

3) Setup Light Fixtures, Pyros, Lasers
  • Decide which lights you want to setup first.  For example: Overhead beams at the front of the stage.
  • Rez some lights on the ground.  Find one you like and position it.
  • Set the Channel.  Select the light fixture for editing...  edit the description.  Change the description to the channel number you want these lights to respond to.  NOTE:  Some of the light fixtures will have additional text in the descriptor.  You may see NOMOVE  or other similar stuff.  Leave that text intact.  The channel number is the first few characters of the descriptor.
  • Once the channel is set in the description you can drag as many copies of that light fixture as you need.
  • Repeat the process choosing and arranging light fixtures to suit your needs.
    •

4) Reset the System
  • When you are finished arranging light fixtures (or just want to test what you have done so far).   Click at the top of the HUD.  Choose RESET from the blue popup menu.  This ensures that all of the lights re-initialize to the channel they are supposed to be on.

5) Test
  1. Choose a channel and a scene number.  Try changing colors by clicking color buttons on the HUD.  The lights in your selected channel will respond to color commands.   You are now in control of your lights.

Channels & Scenes.  The Basic Editing Process
Controlling the appearance of your lights is easy.  The process basically goes like this...
  1. Select a channel (0-31) and a scene (0-15). 

    Lights are generally controlled in groups.  A "channel" is a group of lights that respond "together" to commands issued from the HUD.  You can use a maximum of 32 groups, or channels, of lights.  The channels are numbered 0-31.

    Each channel has the capacity to remember 16 different scenes. (0-15)  A scene is simply.. the appearance and behavior of the light fixture. 
  2. Edit the appearance of the lights by manipulating the various controls on the HUD.  Bright, Glow, Colors, Texture, Movement, etc.
  3. When you achieve a setting you like click the green SAVE button.  This saves the appearance into the selected scene (0-15)
  4. Repeat the process.  Select the next channel where you have lights and tweak the appearance as you like.  SAVE your work with the green SAVE button before moving to a different channel/scene.
  5. At any time you can recall your saved scenes simply by selecting the channel and scene you want.

Copy and Paste.  If you have a scene you'd like to copy into another scene slot, its simple to do.  Select the channel/scene you want to copy.  Next,click to get the popup menu.  Select UTIL  then COPY.  Next, choose the destination channel/scene, click to get the popup menu.  Select UTIL  then PASTE.

Master and SubGroup Channel Control.  Channels are arranged into to 2 sub-groups  0-15  and 16-31 plus an overall Master [ALL] Control.  Notice on the HUD how they are arranged into 2 columns.  there is a group select button at the top of each column.  This button allows you to control the entire group of channels all at once.  Try it.. Select the button of group 0-15.   Choose some colors.  ALL of the lights in ALL channels (0-15) will respond to the HUD commands.  This can be very useful for blacking out a scene, coordinating some aspect of all of the lights in a group of channels.  Possible the BEST use of the Master buttons would be to recall a certain scene on all 16 channels in the group at once.  For example:  Select Group 0-15's button (it turns green).. next choose a scene.  All of the lights on channels 0-15 will recall their respective scene at in one fell swoop.  Very useful for drastically changing the stage with a single mouse click.  When selected, the [ALL] button will send commands to ALL channels.

Offline Backup.  The floppy disk button is an off-world backup button.  More about that later.  When you are selected on a channel and scene, hit the Floppy Disk button.  The scene is save, not to the HUD memory, but to OD's off-world database.  You can retrieve those settings using the DataStore features.   Describe below.

Appearance Controls

Many of the appearance properties are controlled by a 3-panel control button.  
  • There is a center panel which can be clicked anywhere along its length.  It gives less - or - more  of the effect depending on where you click it.
  • The left hand button sets the property to a minimum value
  • The right hand button sets the property to its maximum value

 
ON - Turns the device ON with a preset brightess, glow, and ambient light

OFF - Turns off the brightness, glow, and ambient light

POP - Turns ON, waits a few seconds, then turns OFF

BRIGHT - controls the transparency level of the beam.

GLOW - controls the amount of glow in the light beam

SIZE - this is a 2 dimensional control panel.  click around in the block to size the beam from long and skinny to short and wide and everything in between.

OVAL - controls the roundness of the beam.  Min values create a flat triangular beam.  max values create a perfectly round beam.

LenReps - controls the texture repeats down the length of the beam.

WidReps - controls the texture repeats around the circumference of the beam.

AMBIENT - controls the strength of local ambient light emitted by the light beam.

REACH - controls the radius of the ambient light

Texture - choose a texture.   Textures come in 3 types

Normal - these are normal fade-out textures that have a smooth faded edge.

Blink - these are designed to blink on and off.   The speed of the blinking is controlled with the BLINK button.

Flow - these textures do not have a faded bottom edge.  They are designed specifically to be used with the FLOW control (below).  

You can add your own textures.    Find out how HERE

BLINK - This is the speed of the "blink" when you have selected a blinking texture.  Remember: Not all textures are designed to blink.  Only blinking textures will actually blink.

FLOW - causes the light beam to "flow" from top to bottom.  This button controls the speed of the flow and direction ie:  top-to-bottom  or bottom-to-top

TURN - causes the beam to rotate.  This button controls the speed and direction of the rotation.  "Turn" can be used in combination with various textures and other controls to create some VERY cool visuals.

TWIST - causes the light beam to twist along its length.  This button control the amount and direction of the twist.

Movement Controls

SPIN - causes the light beam to spin around its endpoint.  Meaning.. if the light is pointing at, say, a keyboard.. SPIN will make it spin around that keyboard.  The SPEED and RADIUS controls are in effect.

POS - cause the light to periodically reposition itself.   SPEED controls how often the light will move to a new position.  Radius controls the distance away from original "home" the light will move.

ORBIT - causes the light to rotate in full circles.  Orbit is quite effective when combined with RANDOM.

STOP - stops the motion and returns the light to its original position.
SPEED - controls the speed (and in some cases direction) when the light is in motion.  See SPIN, POS, and ORBIT.  In ORBIT mode, speed controls the speed of rotation as well as the frequency of re-randomizing the motion.

RADIUS - controls the lights range of motion.  See SPIN, POS, and ORBIT

RANDOM - in SPIN mode the light will spin in a random radius and speed around its target.  In ORBIT mode... RANDOM puts the light into a ever  re-randomizing pattern.

Using The Texture Buffer Box

The Texture Buffer Box is a magic little box that eliminates the "gray box" textures in world that many spectators may see when a pyro is first activated or textures are changed on the light.

  1. Wear your HUD which contains all presets for the show you are about to do.
  2. Rez the buffer box in-world.  It can be hidden under your stage.
  3. Click .  Select UTIL from the blue popup menu then PreLoadTxture.
  4. Give the HUD a few moments to communicate with the texture box.

Follow - Tracking

Tracking is where you put the lights into a "follow-me" mode.  The follow-me target is a small invisible attachment.  When enabled, the lights can point at a person who wearing the attachment, or point at a particular place  on the stage where the prim may be linked into the build.  

To activate "following"  choose select the channel of lights that you want to point at the follow-me prim.  Remember.. lights are organized into channels 0-31.  Once you have selected the channel of lights you want to put into follow-mode.. simply click the follow index that you want them to point to.   Remember.. there are up to 15 different "follow" prims.   

STOP - stops the following action and returns the light to its original rotation.


Setting Up The Follow-Me Attachment - The Fine Print

Included in the package are follow-me objects for all of the follow channels, so you don't really need to program them... but this is how they are setup.. just in case you want to change the channel:

  • Rez the attachment on the ground.  Choose a number for this attachment.  The lights will follow attachments numbered from 1-15.   Enter the number you want to use in the prim's DESCRIPTION.  This is the exact same process as setting a channel for a light fixture.  
    The prim is invisible so you may need to Ctr-Alt-T  so you can see it.  Feel free to rename the prim as well.

    Obviously you will use your own chosen password and not "pword".
  • The follow-me prim is now ready.  You can pick it up and give it to whoever you like.. or link it into your stage build.

Sequences

Sequences are strings of commands recorded as you click the HUD controls.  These can be played back on a light channel.  This gives you the capability of recording and playing back color changes, beam sizing commands, movements, texture changes, etc, etc.
  • Select a channel and get control of the lights on that channel. 
  • Click for the blue menu. UTIL  then  RECSEQ
  • Touch a numbered SEQ button. This select the sequence "slot" that you are recording into. This number has nothing to do with channels or scenes.
  • The numbered sequence button will turn red. This means you are recording into that sequence slot
  • Play with settings on the HUD. colors, size, effects, movements ..etc etc. everything you do will be recorded as a sequence.
  • When you are done hit the STOP button next you your actively recording (red) numbered sequence button. Recording stops.
  • To play the sequence back touch the numbered sequence button again. It will turn GREEN. Your sequence will be played back in an infinite loop.
  • To stop playback hit hit the STOP button next you your actively playback (greed) numbered sequence button.
  • Sequences are VERY powerful.  Consider the following possibilities...
    • Sequences can be played back on ANY channel, not just the channel you had active when the sequence was recorded.  So... when playing back a sequence... FIRST select the light channel.. then start the sequence playback. 
      The sequence will playback on whatever channel you have selected (at the time when playback is initiated)
    • You can playback multiple sequences at once.  
    • You can playback multiple sequences on the same channel at once.
    • To illustrate the possibilities.. Record 3 sequences.   one that cycles through various colors.   Another that cycles through various beam size commands, and a third that sets the beam into random orbit mode and cycles through a few different textures.   After the 3 sequences are recorded.. play them all back on the same channel of lights.  sit back and watch it morph and evolve.  :)

Adding Your Own Textures

Using your own textures with the lights is easy.  There are 3 different "types" of textures

  • Normal - these are normal fade-out textures that have a smooth faded edge.
  • Blink - these are designed to blink on and off.   The speed of the blinking is controlled with the BLINK button.
  • Flow - these textures do not have a faded bottom edge.  They are designed specifically to be used with the FLOW control (below).  

When you add a texture, you are adding it into one of these three categories.   

 

In your lights folder there are 3 "Texture Inventory Boxes"   Normal, Blink, and Flow.   
  • Choose a box and rez it.   (you can also "wear" the box if you prefer)   Drop your texture into the box's contents.  Touch the box.   It will turn green for a few seconds.
  • When the box is no longer green you can pick it up and keep it.        
  • On your HUD, Click for the blue menu. UTIL  then  TextureBank.
  • The HUD will load your textures into its menus.
  • Now you can use your textures in the light system.

 

 

Data Store Functions

Make sure your HUD is version 1.2a or higher

One of the most powerful aspects of the OD Light HUD is the ability to backup and restore its memories.  The HUD memories are backed up 100% off-world databases.  This means that they are 100% immune to data loss in-game.   If you loose your HUD, or SL eats it, just get a free replacement, name it, and restore the data from your backup.  Simple as that.

Naming Your HUD.  When you backup your HUD the data is stored according to the name of the HUD.  For example, you have a HUD that contains all of your setting for your "Main Stage".   You will want to name the HUD something like.. "Light HUD Main Stage".  The HUD itself is no-mod so you cannot rename it directly.

  1. Rez the HUD on the ground.  This will not work if you are wearing the HUD.
  2. Zoom in on the HUD and click the yellow [?] button at the top.  Select UTIL from the blue popup menu then NameHUD
  3. You will be prompted to chat the name of your HUD on channel 900.  For example:

    /900 Light HUD Main Stage
  4. The HUD will rename itself.  Take it back into your inventory.  Done.
Backup Up Your HUD.  After programming your scenes and naming your HUD, you are ready to do a backup.  Click , select DATASTORE then BackupHUD from the blue popup menu.  The backup process will take several minutes.  SL is very slow when it comes to transmitting large amounts of data.  Be patient!  The floating text display toward the top of the HUD will show you the progress as scenes and sequences are backed up.   Don't operate the HUD during a backup.   Be patient and let it do its job.
Restore Your HUD.  Backing up is useless if you can't restore the data you backed up!  :)  Click , select DATASTORE then RestoreHUD from the blue popup menu.  The pop-up menus will offer you a web page.   That page will show you all of the HUDs that you have access to, including any HUDs which have been shared with you from other avatars.  Click to choose the one you want.  The restore process will take several minutes.  SL is very slow when it comes to transmitting large amounts of data.  Be patient!  The floating text display toward the top of the HUD will show you the progress as scenes and sequences are retrieved.   Don't operate the HUD during the restore process.   Be patient and let it do its job.

Additional DataStore functions:

Save Scene.  Backs up the current scene only.

Get Scene.  Restores the current scene only.

Miscellaneous Features 

Reset HUD To Defaults Click , select UTIL  then DEFAULTS.  All of your scene memories and sequences will be erased and replaced with factory defaults - plain white beams and no sequences at all.  Obviously.. BE CAREFUL.
Reload Texture Bank The set of textures available in the HUD is downloaded from OD's central database.  Periodically there will be free updates.  When you wear your HUD it will check for new textures.  If there is an update available it will let you know.  To download the latest textures Click , select UTIL  then TEXTUREBANK.
Hide the HUD Click The HUD will minimize.  Click the HUD again.  It re-appears
Retract Lights Click the lights on the selected channel will physically retract into the light fixture.   If you select the buttons you can retract all of the lights at once.  This becomes very useful when you are adjusting your builds and need the light beams to move up out of your way.  It can also be used as a black-out function.

Registering on the Light Management Website

Certain features and functions require you to register and login to the Lights Management Website.   Its easy:

By purchasing this light system you are acquiring a "license to use" the software and scripts contained therein.   This license is non-exclusive and non-transferrable.  At it's option OD Designs will provide you with various upgrades.  Such upgrades will carry their own "license-to-use", may be mandatory upgrades, and will terminate your "license to use" the older version.