AutomatedLighting
Now Available!
"Automated Lighting:
The Art and Science of Moving and Color-Changing Light, 3rd Edition"
by Richard Cadena, ETCP RT/CEE
From the author of "Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician & Technician."
Automated Lighting: The Art and Science of Moving and Color-Changing Light, 3rd Edition
"Automated Lighting: The Art and Science of Moving Light in Theatre, Live Performance and Entertainment" has been the "go-to" text for everything related to automated lighting, programming, and design. It is currently in its second edition, and the third edition with newly updated material is now "under construction." It wil include the latest advances, especially LEDs, wireless, consoles, software, visualization, and more. For more information, click here.
Table of Contents
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Section 1: Introduction
Chapter 1 Stage Lighting in the Third Millennium
Stage lighting Technology
Wait, What Just Happened?
Chapter 2 Foundations
The Genesis of the Automated Lighting Industry
Additional Resources: Genesis ABACAB tour poster
Synchronicity
“If We Can Make It Change Color . . .”
The Black Hole
For Sale: Automated Lighting
Additional Online-Only Resources: How one manufacturer changed the automated lighting industry
Sue Me, Sue You Blues
The Future of Stage Lighting
Chapter 3 Stage Lighting Systems Overview
Systems Overview
Rigging Systems
Aluminum Structures
Theatrical Rigging
Rigging Hardware
Additional Resources: International Code of Practice for Entertainment Rigging
Power Distribution Systems
The Supply
Disconnect Switch
Feeder Cable
Distribution Panels and Portable Power Distribution Units (PPDUs)
Overcurrent Protection
Dimmers
Branch Circuits or Final Circuits
Connectors
Worldwide Electrical Safety and Wiring Codes
Compliance
Additional Resources:
Secrets of Product Listing, Part 1 by Steve Terry
Secrets of Product Listing, Part 2 by Steve Terry
Wire Gauges
Data Distribution Systems
Data Cables
Data Splitters
Data Amplifiers
Gateways
Data Terminators
Ring Protection
DMX Connectors
Control Systems
Lighting Controllers
PC-Based Controllers
Dedicated Controllers
Playback Units
Remote Focus Units
Preset Stations
Media Servers
Redundant Backup and Automatic Failover Systems
Luminaires
Electrical Systems
Electronic Systems
Electromechanical Systems
Mechanical Systems
Optical Systems
Communications Systems
SECTION 2 Electricity and Electronics
Chapter 4 Circuits
Electrical Current, Voltage, Resistance, Power, and Energy
Circuits
Current Convention
Water and Electricity—Bad Mix, Good Analogy
Ohm’s Law
Practice Problems
Reactance
Impedance
DC Power
Practice Problems
Power Factor
AC Power
Apparent Power
Practice Problems
Answers to Practice Problems
Chapter 5 Electrical Planning and Preparation
Laying Out the Lighting System
Circuiting
Connectors
Chapter 6 Power Supplies
Arc Lamp Power Supplies
Switch-Mode Power Supplies
Rectification and Filtering
Pulse-Width Modulation
Voltage Transformation
Transformer Taps
High Frequency Filtering
Feedback
Power Factor
Pros and Cons of SMPSs
Magnetic Ballast Power Supplies
LED Drivers
LED Connections
Lamp Control
EMI Filtering
Lamp Cutoff Switch
Chapter 7 Overcurrent, Overvoltage, and Overtemperature Protection
Electric Fuses
Fuse Ratings
Voltage Rating
Speed of Operation
Temperature Sensing and Thermal Protection
Surge Suppression
Voltage Clamping Devices
Chapter 8 Digital Electronics
Binary Numbering
Practice Problems
Offsets
DIP-Switch Conventions
Practice Problems
Hexadecimal Numbers
Practice Problems
Digital Electronics
The First Computer Bug
Electronic Switching
Data Transmission
Chapter 9 Digital Hardware and Software
The Central Processing Unit
Memory
Firmware
Firmware Updates
Section 3 Electro-Mechanical and Mechanical Systems
Chapter 10 Electro-Mechanical Systems
Stepper Motors
Hybrid Stepper Motors
Single Phase Excitation Mode
Dual-Phase Excitation Mode
Half Step Excitation
Microstepping
Resonance
Additional Resources: Stepping in the Right Direction
Stepper Motor Control Systems
Position Sensing and Encoding
Mechanical Stops
Optical Sensing
Hall Effect Sensors
Position Encoding
Quadrature Encoding
Absolute Encoding
Chapter 11 Mechanical Systems
Materials
Aluminum
Stainless Steel
Plastics
Glass
Fused Quartz
Optical glass
Metal Finishes
Fasteners
Thread Standards
Preventing Vibrational Loosening
Gears
Belts
Section 4 Optical Systems
Chapter 12 Light Sources
The Visible Spectrum
Color Temperature
Green/Magenta Balance
Color Rendering
Color Quality Scale
Luminous Efficacy
Lumen Depreciation
Lamp Life Ratings
LEDs
LED Operation
Color LEDs
White Light LEDs
Multi-Color LEDs
LED Light Engines
LED Binning
Gas Arc Lamps
Arc Lamp Anatomy
Starting an arc Lamp
Hot Restrike Lamps
The Effects of Lamp Strikes
Testing Arc Lamps
Arc Lamp Spectral Distribution
Arc Lamp Hazards
Proper Disposal of Arc Lamps
Mercury Spills
Incandescent Lamps
Incandescence
Gas Fill
Halogen Lamps
Dimming Incandescent Lamps
Lamp Handling Precautions
Lamp Cooling
Heat Sinks
Fans
Active Cooling
Chapter 13 The Optical Path
Specular Reflection
LED Primary Optics
Conventional Reflector Geometry
Parabolic Reflectors
Elliptical Reflectors
Spherical Reflectors
Reflector Materials
Ultraviolet and Infrared Filters
Optical Thin-Film Filters
The Deposition Process
Thin-Film Interference
Filter Types
Color Wheels
Subtractive Color Mixing
Additive Color Mixing
Color Temperature Correction
Gobos
Metal Gobos
Glass Gobos
Diffusion
Iris
Animation Effects
Beam Shapers
Framing Shutters
Effects
Secondary Lenses
Spherical Aberrations
Chromatic Aberration
Anti-Reflective Coatings
First Surface Mirrors
Section 5 Communications
Chapter 14 DMX
The DMX Physical Layer
The Transceiver
Additional Resources: Fractional-Load Transceivers
Data Cable
DMX Over CAT 5
DMX Connectors
Building a DMX Data Network
Data Termination
Self-Terminating Fixtures
Wireless DMX
DMX512-A Data Protocol
Bidirectional Communication
Chapter 15 Remote Device Management (RDM)
RDM Overview
The RDM Physical Layer
RDM Discovery
RDM Get and Set Commands
Practical RDM
Chapter 16 Ethernet-Based Lighting Control
Ethernet
Types of Ethernet
Ethernet Cabling
Transmission Distances
Network Switches
IP Addresses
Routable Versus Non-Routable IP Addresses
Subnet Masks
DHCP
Additional Resources: Finding a Missing Gateway on a Network
Additional Resources: Missing Gateway Part 2
Art-Net
Streaming ACN (sACN)
DMX Universe Capability
Troubleshooting Ethernet-Based Protocols
Section 6 Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and Repair
Chapter 17 Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and Repair
Precautions and Hazards
Shock Protection
Eye and Skin Protection
Common Sources of Failure: Heat, Shock, Age
Fixture Test
Error Logs
Lamp Replacement and Alignment
Calibration
Updating Software
Preventive Maintenance
Visual Inspection
Internal Cleaning
Cleaning Fans and Filters
Cleaning the Optics
Housekeeping
Lubrication
Spare Parts
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting Procedures
Fixture Won’t Power Up
Fixture Won’t Respond to DMX Control Signal
Fixture Won’t Respond to Ethernet-based Control Signal (Art-Net or sACN)
Lamp Won’t Strike
General Troubleshooting Procedures
Common Failures
Printed Circuits Boards
Motor Drive Chips
Power Supplies
Power Factor Correction Capacitors
Fasteners
Sensors
Section 7 Lighting Console Setup and Programming
Chapter 18 Lighting Console and FOH Setup
Power Requirements
Uninterruptable Power Supplies
Physical Configuration
Console Configuration Settings
Setting Up a DMX System
Setting Up the Network
Configuring the Console
Setting Up an Ethernet Network
Testing the Network
Setting Up a Console for Art-Net Output
Port-Address
Casting
Setting Up a Console to Output sACN
Port Monitoring
Backup and Tracking
MIDI and MSC
BONUS (Not in the book!): Open Sound Control
Timecode
Chapter 19 Lighting Console Programming
Important Concepts
DMX Universes
Tracking Versus Preset
Move Fade Versus State
Precedence
Priority and Assert
User Input
Syntax
The Programmer
Looks, Scenes, and Cues
Basic Programming
Patch the fixtures
Create fixture groups
Create presets and palettes
Record cues
Play back cues
Highlight
Timing
Fade Time or Crossfade Time
Fade In Time
Fade Out Time
Wait Time
Delay Time
Follow-on Time
Part Cues
Point Cues
Blocking Cues
Mark Cues
Storing Specific Parameters or Fixtures
Backing Up
Pre-visualization and Off-Line Editing
Program Blocking
Pre-show Preparation
Rig Check
Busking
Perfecting the Craft
Chapter 20 Lighting Design Software
CAD
CAD Workflow
File Formats
CAD Libraries
Data and Attributes
Instrument type
Power consumption in watts
Purpose
Position
Unit number
Color
Dimmer
Channel
DMX universe
DMX address
Circuit number
Circuit name
Number of channels
Frame size
Field angles
Beam angles
Luminous Flux
Center beam luminous intensity
Weight
Accessories
Protocol
DMX Mode or Personality
IP address
Subnet mask
Art-Net net
Art-Net subnet
Lighting Paperwork
Fixture or instrument schedules
Panel schedules
Dimmer schedules
Shop order
Software Applications
Rendering
Off-line Editors
Visualization
Fly-Throughs
Workflow
Section 8 Convergence of Lighting and Video
Chapter 21 Media Servers and Pixel Mapping
Media Server Hardware
Layers
Content Library
Resolution of Media
File Formats and Codecs
Codecs
Scaling
Frame Rate
Interlacing
Aspect Ratio
Bitrate
Parameters
File Folder
File Selection
Play
In Point, Out Point
Playback Speed
Rotate (X, Y, Z)
Position (X, Y, Z)
Intensity
Opacity
Crossfade
Blend
Color (hue, saturation, contrast)
Crop
Mask
Tiling
Audio
Strobe
Edge Blending
Keystone
Pixel Mapping
CITP
Off-Line Editors