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SHIFT: When held, the shift button allows you to
select more than one object with the arrow pointer.
TAB: When held, the Pointer tool is in action. Simply
release it to return to the previous tool
The Pointer Tool is used for selecting objects on your plan.
CTRL: Press the Ctrl key to activate the pan option then
press and hold the left mouse button while moving the mouse to pan
in your view.
HOME: Press the home button to reset view to full
screen.
PAGE UP & DOWN: Allows you to Zoom-in and Zoom-out from
the cursor position.
SPACE BAR: When switching views (model, top, front,
left) hold down the space bar to lock the cursor position.
INSERT: Allows you to go to a specific position by entering
the coordinates.
F: Switches view to Front View
T: Switches view to Top View
L: Switches view to Left View
M: Switches view to Model View
POINTER TOOL: You must have the Pointer Tool button on the
Toolbar pressed to select (highlight) an object such as a Truss or Spot.
ZOOM: Use the Page Up or Page Down keys on your keyboard to zoom
from far by placing the cursor in the middle of where you would like to zoom.
You may also Drag a square with the zoom button to enlarge your selection.
Please
note that Microlux will Zoom much faster when the Trusses and Spots are in
Outline form. Go to the Edit/Options/Display pull down menu, deselect Show
Truss Members, select Truss/Use Outline and Spots/Use Outline. Also make sure
to deselect Adjust speed options automatically.
PAN: Select the Pan (hand) button on the Toolbar, then press and
hold the left mouse button while moving the mouse to pan in your view. You may
also press the Ctrl key to activate the pan button
We suggest using our Sample Theatre which you are first presented with when
opening the program. This will enable you to gain a quick understanding of
some of the features of Microlux 2004 (To select another Sample Theatre press
the New button on the Toolbar). To draw your own workspace see : Microlux
Theatre Library.
You can also see a completed Demo if you press the Open button on the Toolbar
and select the demo1.mlx file located in the LuxArt/Microlux 2000/Samples
folder. This demo is fully operational and can be adjusted by you for your
learning pleasure.
1. Select your Grid Line spacing and Mouse Pointer preferences.
You may want to change these settings according to your specifications. Go to
the Edit in the Pull Down menu, select Options and then select the Grid Lines
Tab.
2. Select and Add a Truss or Pipe
To add a new truss or pipe, you must be in one of the 2D views (i.e. Top View,
Front View, or Left View). First you must select a type of truss or pipe to
add to your plan: click on the Select Truss button on the Toolbar. This will
open up the Truss library. Select the truss you want and click OK. This will
bring you back to the Microlux Main module. To place the truss on the plan,
click on the Add Truss button of the Toolbar and place the truss in the
appropriate location. Place as many (of the same trusses) as you want by
clicking once with the mouse for each truss needed. When you have finished,
click on the Pointer Tool button and you will notice that the Add Truss button
will be deactivated. To combine two or more trusses, simply drag a square
around them using the Pointer or select them individually by holding down the
shift key. Then go to the Items menu and select Truss and choose one of the
three options available. (Please note: If you are unable to select your
trusses, please reset your view by going to the edit/options/display menu.
Choose show truss members and deselect Use Outline).
There are different ways to position a truss:
Select the truss with the Pointer tool by clicking on it once. Once
highlighted, press the Move Items button. You can then drag the truss to your
desired location by holding down the Left Mouse button. Change to another view
for further positioning. Try the Hotkeys : F (Front), T (Top) or L (Left).
You can set the precise X,Y,Z coordinates of your truss by pressing the insert
key or by double clicking on the truss using the Pointer Tool: After you
double click, a Truss properties window will appear. Press the Position
button. Then press the right mouse button and select Specify Position to set
the precise location of your truss.
3. Select and Add a Spot to your Truss
To Add a spot, you must be in one of the 2D views (i.e. Top View, Front View
or Left View). First you must select a type of spot to add to your plan: click
once on the Select Spot button on the Toolbar. This will open up the Spot
Library. Select the spot you want and click on OK. This will bring you back to
the Microlux main module. Then to place the spot on a truss, click on the Add
Spot button of the toolbar and place the spot in the appropriate location.
Place as many (of the same spots) as you want by clicking once with the mouse
for each spot needed. When you have finished, click on the Pointer Tool and
you will notice that the Add Spot button will be deactivated. (The spots can
either be shown as graphic 3D representations or symbols: go to View in the
Pull Down menu and select Use Symbols).
By double clicking on a spot you can view its various properties including
lamp, channel, dimmer, and total Lux at the focus point. You can also access
the Gel and Gobo libraries.
4. Select a Gel for your Spot(s)
Too add a gel to a single spot, first double click on the spot using the
Pointer Tool, this will bring up the Spot Properties window. Select the
Parameters tab and uncheck the Color Changer option box if it is checked. Then
select the Gel and Gobo tab and press either Gel 1 or Gel 2. This will bring
up the Gel Library. Pick your type of Gel and press OK. To add or change Gels
to a group a spots: First highlight the spots by using the Pointer Tool and
holding down the Shift Key. (You can also drag a square over the spots to
highlight them). Once the spots are selected, press the Spot Properties button
the Toolbar, a Spot Properties window will appear. Scroll down and double
right click on ColChanger Option and select No. Then scroll further down and
double click on Gel 1 or Gel 2. The Gel library will appear allowing you to
pick your new color.
5. Light and Focus your Spots
Start in one of the 2D views (i.e. Top View, Front View or Left view). Select
(highlight) the spots you want to light using the pointer tool. Next, turn on
your beams by pressing the Conic Lines or Single Lines toolbar buttons. Press
the Focus Point Wizard button on the toolbar. Click in an area of the view you
are in to aim your spot(s). Change to another view for further focusing using
the Hotkeys : F (Front), T (Top) or L (Left). You can also focus and program
new focus points by pressing the Focus Points List button located on the
toolbar. (Always remember to keep an eye on your X, Y, Z coordinates when
focusing). Try choosing another background color by going to Edit in the Pull
Down menu, select Options and then select the Color tab. Double click on
Background Color, pick your new color then press OK.
6. Set up your Dimmers and Circuits
Select Manage from the Pull Down menu and choose Circuits and Dimmers. For
Dimmers select the Dimmer tab. Enter your requirements and press Add. Next
press OK.
7. Assign Channels, Dimmers, Circuits and Spot numbers
Highlight the spot you want and then press the Assignment Wizard button on the
ToolBar. This can also be done via the Spot Properties button, the Instrument
Schedule or by double clicking on the spot.
8. Check your Paperwork
Go to the Instrument Schedule Button on the ToolBar. Here you can add or
change many different parameters about your design. For instance, if you want
to change gels via the Instrument Schedule, left click in the cell of the gel
you would like to change, then right click to bring up the Gel Library. If you
want, assign the same gel to multiple spots, left click in the cell and while
holding down the left mouse button, drag down to select spots. After multiple
spots are selected, right click to bring up the Gel Library.
Go to the Shop Order by selecting View form the Pull Down menu to see the
different orders which are available. You can see the Power total in the Spots
Shop Order or by selecting View and choosing Dimmer Usage.
Select your Print options by pressing on the Print button. If your plot does
not print, try setting the resolution of your printer to 600 dpi or less.
You can print out your plot showing the 3D representation of the spots or the
USITT symbols (Go to View/Use symbols to make this choice). Add the gel,
channel, etc. numbers to the symbols from the View/display Assignments and the
View/Assignments Layout options.
Change the name of the spot or the symbol that you want to appear on the plot
by going to Manage/Spot Symbol and Legend (Once open, right click in the
Symbol or Legend field to make your change).
Add the Project Title, Designer name, Date etc. to the Plot Title Box by going
to the File/Edit Plot Title Box menu.
ARROW KEYS: Use the mouse along with the arrow keys to draw. The arrow keys
provide a more precise method. (You can go to Edit/Options/Grid Lines in
Composer to set the Grid Line spacing. Change the precise amount that the
cursor moves via the Grid Lines density option. i.e. 1'0.0'' for larger
objects, 0'1.0'' for smaller objects).
Ctrl: The Ctrl button allows you to select more than one object or point by
clicking on those with the cursor while holding the ctrl button. The last
object or point selected will be the reference point for any alignment. If you
want to align two objects according to a specified point, holding the ctrl
button will preserve the shape of the objects while moving them to fit the
alignment selected. Otherwise, if more than tow points are selected, aligning
those points on any axis will deform the objects.
SPACE BAR: When held down, the space bar blocks the movement of the cross in
every view of the workspace, allowing the user to move the cursor to another
view without moving the cross. When released, you can move the cross according
to the axis the selected view uses. This will allow the user to set the bottom
height (on ''Y'' axis) of an object in the front view then to move in the top
view to start drawing the object needed in width and depth (X and Z axis).
TAB: Pressing the tab key will move the cross to the closest point in the
entire workspace. Keep in mind that even if the cursor seems close to a point
in one view, the nearest point in the workspace might not be the one you
think.
HOME: The home key will reset the workspace to align the center of every view.
SCROLL LOCK: Activating the scroll lock key will prevent the 3D object you
want to expand in another view to enlarge from its original format.
F: Will isolate and enlarge the front view
T: Will isolate and enlarge the top view
L: Will isolate and enlarge the left view
M: Will isolate and enlarge the model vieW