ETC ColorSource 40 Users Manual

ColorSource Console
User Manual
Version 2.6.0
Part Number: 7225M1200-2.6.0 Rev: A
Released: 2019-04
To view a list of trademarks and patents, go to etcconnect.com/ip.
All other trademarks, both marked and not marked, are the property of their respective owners.
ETC intends this document, whether printed or electronic, to be provided in its entirety.
Introduction 1
ColorSource 20 1 ColorSource 40 1 Shutdown 1 Using This Manual 1 Help from ETC Technical Services 2 Register Your Device 3 Online User Forums 3
ColorSource Overview 5
Touchscreen Performance 5 Stage Map 5 Layout Mode 6 Fader Mode 7 Bumps 7 Crossfader 7 Master Faders 7
Getting Started With Patching 9
Patch 9 Add Dimmer 10 Duplicate Cell 10 Add Device 11 Loading a Fixture Profile 12 Remove 12 Show Universes / Show Stage Map 12 Invert Pan 13 Invert Tilt 13 Swap Pan and Tilt 13 RDM 14 Identify 14 About RDM 14
Controlling Your Lighting System 17
Channels 17 Controls 18 Quick Select 18 Wheel 19 Keypad 19 Controlling Parameters 20 Parameter 20
How to Program a Color Chip. 25
Recording Your Looks For Playback 29
Record / Edit 29 Playbacks 30 Record Cue 32 Record Sequence 37
Operation 39
GO 41 Pause 41 Back 42 Undo 42
Using Effects 43
Effects 43
Effect, Color 44 Effect, Shape 44 Effect, Intensity 45 Effect, Parameter 46 Add Effect 47 Remove Effect 48
Turning Lights Off 49
Clear 49 Blackout 50
Special Functions 51
Independent 51 Playback Toy 51
System Settings and Setup 57
Setup 57 Settings 57 Settings: General 57 Settings: Times 58 Settings: Independents 58 Settings: Console 59 Settings: Erase 59
Showfile Management 61
Files 61 Files, Advanced 64
EULA 66

Introduction

Welcome to the ColorSource Console User Manual.

ColorSource 20

ColorSource 40

The topics found in this user manual can also be found on your console by pressing the button. Tutorial videos are also available on your console.

Shutdown

Hold the Stage Map button (left-most button below the screen) for three seconds to select the Shutdown screen.
Shutdown sends the console into hibernation mode and turns off the screen and indicators.
To awaken the console, press the now blue Stage Map button again.
Note: When in hibernation mode, the console and its external power supply unit still consume
some power. To ensure zero power consumption, the external power supply should be disconnected from the AC mains supply.
Caution: All data is stored internally in non-volatile memory. Do not switch off the power until any
pending save operation is completed, or you may lose data. It is strongly advised that you make peri­odic backups of important data to an external memory stick using the export function.
It is recommended to power the unit on and off on the AC side of the external power supply.

Using This Manual

This manual is for use with ColorSource Console.
Introduction 1
In order to be specific about where features and commands are found, the following naming and text con­ventions will be used:
Buttons, Browser menus, and commands are indicated in bold text. For example: In the File menu, click Open.
Alphanumeric keyboard buttons are indicated in all CAPS. For example, ALT or CTRL.
References to other parts of the manual are indicated in underlined blue (for example, Patch). When viewing this manual electronically, click on the reference to jump to that section of the manual.
Note: Notes are helpful hints and information that is supplemental to the main text.
Caution: A Caution statement indicates situations where there may be undefined or unwanted
consequences of an action, potential for data loss or an equipment problem.
Warning: A Warning statement indicates situations where damage may occur, people may be
harmed, or there are serious or dangerous consequences of an action.
Please email comments about this manual to:TechComm@etcconnect.com

Help from ETC Technical Services

If you are having difficulties, your most convenient resources are the references given in this user manual. To search more widely, try the ETC website at etcconnect.com. If none of these resources is sufficient, contact ETC Technical Services directly at one of the offices identified below. Emergency service is available from all ETC offices outside of normal business hours.
When calling for assistance, please have the following information handy:
Model and serial number (located on back panel)
Facility name
Other components in your system ( other control devices, LED fixture types, etc.)
Americas United Kingdom
ETC,Inc. Electronic Theatre Controls Ltd. TechnicalServices Department TechnicalServices Department 3031 Pleasant View Road 26-28 Victoria IndustrialEstate Middleton, WI 53562 Victoria Road, 800-775-4382 (USA,toll-free) London W3 6UU England +1-608 831-4116 +44 (0)20 8896 1000
service@etcconnect.com techservltd@etcconnect.com
Asia Germany
Electronic Theatre Controls Asia, Ltd. Electronic Theatre Controls GmbH TechnicalServices Department TechnicalServices Department Room 1801, 18/F Ohmstrasse 3 Tower 1, Phase 1 Enterprise Square 83607 Holzkirchen, Germany 9 Sheung Yuet Road +49 (80 24) 47 00-0 Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong techserv-hoki@etcconnect.com +852 2799 1220
service@etcasia.com
2 Introduction

Register Your Device

Registering your device with ETC ensures that you will be notified of software and library updates, as well as any product advisories.
To register your device, you will need to enroll in “My ETC,” a personalized ETC website that provides a more direct path of communication between you and ETC.
Register now at http://www.etcconnect.com/product.registration.aspx.

Online User Forums

You are encouraged to visit and participate in the ETC User Forum, accessible from the ETC web site (etccon­nect.com). This gives you access to an online community of users where you can read about other users’ exper­iences, suggestions, and questions regarding the product as well as submit your own.
To register for the ETC User Forum:
1. Go to ETC’s community web site (community.etcconnect.com).
2. You may register for the forum by clicking the “join” link in the upper right corner of the page.
3. Follow the registration instructions provided by the community page.
Introduction 3
4 Introduction

ColorSource Overview

The ColorSource console is made up of four different physical areas; the touchscreen (stage map), the faders and bumps, the crossfader, and the master faders. It is important to familiarize yourself with these different areas as you learn to use your console.

Touchscreen Performance

The ColorSource console touchscreen requires that the power supply is grounded (with a three-pin connector) for optimal performance. Lack of a grounded connection can cause the touchscreen to operate erratically or not at all. This might be seen as unwanted operations or inability to precisely select an item.
If no earthed / grounded outlet is available, or if the console is being run from an independent power source, including from a vehicle or battery, it is possible that the touchscreen will not operate correctly. In these situ­ations it is advised to directly connect your body to the console chassis. This may be achieved with a conductive wrist strap, of the kind used in electronics manufacturing or hospitals to eliminate static charge build-up. The cable of the strap should be attached to a metallic part of the console, for example a screw or connector on the rear panel. If this is not practical, then you should at least ensure that you touch the console enclosure, the metallic part of it, with your wrist or your other hand.

Stage Map

The Stage Map button (left-most button below the screen) displays a topographical map of channels fullscreen at maximum size. You may select channels on the topographical stage map for control.
Note: The Stage Map button will toggle between displaying the Stage Map or the previously selec-
ted display.
ColorSource Overview 5
Available Controls
Pinch two fingers to zoom the display in or out, or use the Zoom button located by Clear. Zoom in to see intensity levels within the channel cells.
Drag with two fingers to pan the display.
Single click on a deselected light to select it.
Single click on a selected light to deselect it.
Double click on a light to select that light alone and de-select all others.
Use Layout Mode for stage map customization.
Selected lights are indicated surrounded by a green box.
The vertical strip to the right of the main area displays special content that is playing:
Effects: press an icon to Stop or Edit the effect from playback. Press the icon to place the effect on the
wheel controller to increase or reduce the effect.
Note: The Effects icon will only display if that type of content is playing.

Layout Mode

Press and hold a cell on the stage map, or go to Setup >Layout Mode to open the layout screen.
When in layout mode, the screen displays as a grid. Press and drag lights to move them to another position on the grid.
Press the Stage Map button (left-most button below the screen) to exit the layout mode.
6 ColorSource Overview

Fader Mode

The faders to the left of the display may be set to operate individual channels or playbacks.
Two pages of channels are provided and ten pages of playbacks.
Note: See channels for information on faders and captured channels.

Bumps

The buttons below the faders are bump buttons.
Their operation changes based on the fader mode.
When the faders are in channel mode, the bumps can be used to select or deselect channels.
When the faders are in playback mode, their behavior is set based on the selected button mode.

Crossfader

The Crossfader can be assigned to one of the four faders above the touchscreen. It is assigned in the Console
tab in Settings.
The Crossfader provides manual control over the fades between cues. You can see the progress of the cross­fade and which cues are affected in the cue viewer.

Master Faders

Master faders can be used to control the output of certain functions. Master faders are assigned to the top four faders. They are assigned in the Console tab in Settings.
Note: When the Playbacks or Cues faders are fully down no output will be produced by those sec-
tions.
Master faders default to these functions:
Bumps: controls the output when a bump button is pressed.
Playbacks: controls the output of the playbacks and sequences.
Cues: controls the output of the cue list.
Crossfader: Crossfades the cue list from the Live to the Next step.
In Simple Mode
Memory1- 4: The playback memories are the four faders above the touchscreen. You may record the
output and store it on one of the four masters to be re-used later.
ColorSource Overview 7
8 ColorSource Overview

Getting Started With Patching

To be able to control the lighting fixtures in your system you need to assign each fixture (or a group of dimmers) to a channel fader. The channel fader can then be used to set intensity of a fixture. The channel also becomes a way to select that fixture for other types of control like color changes, or adjustment of other parameters (in the case of a moving light, for example). The fixtures in your lighting system are controlled using the DMX, streaming ACN, or ArtNet protocols, and each dimmer or fixture uses a DMX address (or set of addresses) to communicate with the console.
The Patch is used to associate a channel with DMX addresses and device types. Once a channel is patched to an address or addresses, and the output is connected to a device (for example a dimmer, moving light, or accessory), the channel will then control that device.
To access the Patch functions, press Setup >Patch.
Note: If your patch stays the same between shows, you can save time by saving a default show,
which will load your patch automatically for you.

Patch

Displays the patching screen and controls.
Patching associates a console channel number with an address or block of addresses on the DMX output. You must ensure that the address on the light, dimmer, or device matches the address that you setup in Patch. To patch a basic device, press Add Dimmer.
Complex devices with several parameters, such as motion, color, or beam controls, are described by a per- sonality. Select the make and type of device to match the actual connected device. Some devices have modes that must also match on the device and in the patch list. Lighting devices with RDM available and enabled are found automatically and added to the list of devices. You must still assign them to console channel numbers though. To patch a complex device that is not automatically found by RDM, press Add Device.
Note: Custom fixture profiles can be loaded. Please see Loading a Fixture Profile for instructions.
During patching you may add tags to each light, dimmer, or device to aid in convenient grouping on the quick
select screen.
The lower section of the screen may be set to display the channel stage map or a view of the DMX universes output.
The settings and patch for the independents are on the Ind. Tab in Settings.
Getting Started With Patching 9

Add Dimmer

Dimmers are single-address devices that control intensity only. For patching multiple-address devices, see Add
Device.
Note: Dimmer patching can also be used to connect other simple devices that only require one
DMX address.
Patching a Dimmer or Single-address Device
1. Press Add dimmer.This will open the Patch Wizard display.
2. Select channel to enter the number.
3. Select Count to enter in the number of similar devices you are patching. If the quantity is more than one, each dimmer will occupy one DMX address, starting from the address you specify.
4. Select DMX to enter the DMX address (1 through 512).
5. Select Accept to patch, or Cancel to exit.
For Example:
If you set the count to 12 and the DMX address to 20, the devices will occupy DMX addresses 20 through 31.
Patching places the items in a list in the upper part of the patch screen and on the topographical stage map in the lower part of the screen in rising order starting in the top left corner. You may select one channel at a time in the list or on the stage map.
Each channel may be edited in the boxes at the top of the screen for channel number, DMX Universe and DMX address. You may also add tags to each item so that they may be conveniently grouped on the quick
select screen.

Duplicate Cell

Duplicate cell lets you place two dimmers on the Stage Map in different places patched to the same channel.
Note: Duplicate cell adds dimmers only and not devices. Devices must be patched and placed indi-
vidually. See Add Device.
Pick a channel in the patch list and select the + button and then the Duplicate cell button to make a copy.
A new cell is added and is patched to the next-highest free DMX address. You may change the address and uni­verse and set tags in Patch.
10 Getting Started With Patching
When a duplicate cell is selected or operated, each of the duplicate cells on the Stage Map will respond together. Each cell of a duplicate channel may be moved separately on the Stage Map.
Note: You can also add dimmers to a channel without showing them as separate cells on the Stage
Map. Use Add Dimmer and then set the channel number to be the same as the channel you want to add the dimmer to. Dimmers added in this way do not consume space on the Stage Map, for instance you may need one channel to control a range of dimmers for house lights without wishing them to be each placed and indicated separately.

Add Device

Devices are multiple-address lights with a number of controllable parameters, such as position, color, beam, and intensity. Devices have their own personality, which defines what each parameter does and which controls are needed.
Note: Lighting devices with RDM available and enabled will be found automatically and added to
the list of devices in the patch. However, you must assign them to console channel numbers.
Patching a Device
1. Press Add Device. This will open the Patch Wizard display.
2. Select the correct personality from the list provided. Select the make and type of device to match the actual connected device. Some devices have modes that must also match on the device and in the patch list.
3. Select channel to enter the number.
4. Select Count to enter in the number of similar devices you are patching. If the quantity is more than one, each device will occupy the number of DMX addresses used by its footprint, starting from the address you specify.
5. Select DMX to enter the starting DMX address.
6. Enter the desired Spacing.
7. Select Accept to patch, or Cancel to exit.
For Example:
If you patch 12 devices with a footprint of 6 DMX addresses each to address 20, they will occupy DMX addresses 20 through 91.
To patch devices with a gap between them, adjust the Spacing value to a larger number.
Note: Do not adjust this to a smaller number as that will cause overlaps and unexpected behavior
from your devices.
Getting Started With Patching 11
For Example:
Your devices use 17 channels, but you would prefer to manually address them at logical starting numbers like 1, 21, 41 and so on. Use the Spacing cell to change the footprint to 20 so that those devices will automatically patch at 1, 21, 41...
Patching places the items in a list in the upper part of the patch screen and on the topographical stage map in the lower part of the screen in rising order starting in the top left corner. You may select one channel at a time in the list or on the stage map.
Each channel may be edited in the boxes at the top of the screen for channel number, DMX Universe and DMX address. You may also add tags to each item so that they may be conveniently grouped on the quick
select screen.
Note: Custom fixture profiles can be loaded. Please see Loading a Fixture Profile for instructions.

Loading a Fixture Profile

If you have devices in your lighting system that cannot be discovered by RDM and are not included in the onboard device library, you can create your own personality for that device and import it into your show file. There is a device editor application for Windows PCs called ColorSource Personality Edit, which is available for download at www.etcconnect.com.
To request a fixture personality from ETC, please send your request along with the user manual, the required mode(s) and your need by date to ColorSourceConsole@etcconnect.com.
Note: For the device to recognize the profile, the file name has to be userlib.jlib.
1. You will need to save the file onto the root directory of a USB drive to be able to read it from the device.
2. With the USB drive plugged into the device, go to Setup>Patch>Add Device.
3. From the Source dropdown, select User Library. A new library will display with your fixture listed by its manufacturer’s name.
Note: Custom device libraries are not stored on the device itself. Please store these custom files on
your USB drive or on another computer for safe keeping.

Remove

Select a device or dimmer, and press Remove to remove from the patch. If you accidentally remove a device or dimmer, you can use the Undo function to restore it.
The removed item will no longer display on the stage map.
Note: If you have recorded a device into playbacks or cues, and then remove it from the patch, all
the recorded values will remain in the playback or cue, but they will no longer be connected to a device.

Show Universes / Show Stage Map

The lower section of the Patch screen may be set to display the topographical Stage Map or a chart of the DMX addresses.
The DMX address chart is view-only and may not be edited. Scroll up and down to view all the addresses in the selected Universe.
12 Getting Started With Patching
Each cell shows the DMX address, the value in the range 0-255 and the name of the parameter for a device patched with a personality.
Cells colored in light blue indicate the base address of the item, which is the address entered in the Patch screen DMX box. The following cells in dark blue show the following DMX addresses used by the device according to the size of its footprint.
Cells colored in green indicate single dimmers.
Cells colored in red indicate patching overlap, where more than one dimmer or device is patched to the same DMX address. In some cases it may be desirable to patch with overlaps but usually it is a bad idea to be avoided if possible.
A yellow bar graph indicates the approximate value being output.
Cells in black are unoccupied and not patched.

Invert Pan

Switches the pan control to run in the opposite direction. Click on the + button in patch for the device you want to invert pan.
Note: Use this if you have rigged a light upside-down or back-to-front compared to other similar
lights so that if they are all selected together their movements will be in similar directions.

Invert Tilt

Switches the tilt control to run in the opposite direction. Click on the + button in patch for the device you want to invert tilt.
Note: Use this if you have rigged a light upside-down or back-to-front compared to other similar
lights so that if they are all selected together their movements will be in similar directions.

Swap Pan and Tilt

Exchanges pan and tilt so that pan on the controls tilt on the device and vice-versa. Click on the + button in patch for the device you want to swap pan and tilt.
Getting Started With Patching 13
Note: An example of when to use this function would be if a fixture is hung sideways or a moving
mirror fixture is rotated 90 or 270 degrees from other fixtures.
RDM
RDM is a two-way communications method built-in to ordinary DMX512 for lighting control. See About RDM for more information.
The RDM button enables or disables RDM on the local DMX port. When enabled, the RDM button will be green. If you have problems with lights or dimmers connected to the local port on the console that flicker or suf­fer interference when you open the patch screen try turning off the RDM button.
Note: When you exit the patch screen, all RDM messages are suppressed and only ordinary
DMX512 is sent to your lighting rig on the local ports. The RDM button allows you to turn off RDM when on the patch screen. Doing so will prevent the patch screen from finding and patching RDM lights. You should only suppress if necessary to prevent flicker or errors on the local port(s) while you are in the patch screen.
Note: You may also choose to turn off RDM when you have patched all the lights in a rig that you
wish to use. If the rig contains lights that you do not wish to patch, they will keep appearing in the patch list, awaiting a number, and you can prevent this from being an annoyance by turning off the RDM button.

Identify

Identifyfinds the RDM-capable lights during patching so it is easy to know which device is which when assign-
ing them to channels.
When RDM discovers a light, the light is placed at the top of the patch list with the channel shown as zero. When Identifyis set to On, each light selected in the patch list will identify itself exclusively, usually a light will blink on and off. Devices that do not produce light, for example a scroller or pan/tilt yoke, may shuffle or move. The action that a device does when told to Identify is determined by its manufacturer.
You will need to choose a channel to patch the device.
Note: Identify does not work with non-RDM devices or dimmers.
Turn off Identify to stop all RDM Identification. Turn on Identifyto see the currently selected RDM device.
See Also: RDM

About RDM

RDM is a two-way communications method built-in to ordinary DMX512 for lighting control. By using RDM, you can find lights, find out about them and their status, patch them, and set their operating mode without needing to go to the light itself. For lights rigged in difficult locations, RDM is very useful for remote setup.
Discovery
RDM automatically discovers RDM-capable lights. Discovery runs continuously any time the Patch screen is open and the RDM buttonis enabled, and will repeatedly search for devices. As devices are added or removed from a system, they will be updated in the patch list.
14 Getting Started With Patching
Note: Discovery takes place during short periods of rest of normal DMX transmission and is a
lengthy process to complete. You should expect at least several seconds of delay to discover a light on a small system and much longer delays on a very large system.
Addressing and Mode
RDM allows you to set the DMX address and the operating mode of a light remotely.
Setting the operating mode may change the footprint, which is the number of DMX addresses occupied by the device. If you change the mode of a device adjacent to some other device or dimmers in patch, the new mode could be larger than the available space and overlap already used DMX addresses. When this happens, the affected ones are indicated in the patch list in red, and you will need to take corrective action and re-patch.
The Patch system knows how to match the chosen mode with the correct personality.
Universe
You cannot change the Universe part of the DMX patch for a Device found by RDM. RDM can only operate on the one universe it is connected to. To change the universe a light is patched to, you must physically re-plug the light to another DMX cable.
Getting Started With Patching 15
16 Getting Started With Patching

Controlling Your Lighting System

After you have completed your patch, you are now ready to start controlling your lighting system. Your ColorSource console gives you many options for control of your lights.
This section discusses how to control your channels, and how to set the parameters.
Note: Depending on the types of lights you have patched, you may have additional parameters
that you can control. Those parameters may include color, position (focus), beam, and lamp com-
mands.

Channels

A channel is the control used by the console to operate a dimmer, a group of dimmers, a dimmer and a device, or a complete moving light fixture.
Channels need to be associated with an address in patch for there to be output.
Channel Counts
The ColorSource 20 can control up to 20 channels in simple mode, and 40 in complete.
The ColorSource 40 can control up to 40 channels in simple mode, and 80 in complete.
Setting the Operating Mode
Choose Simple or Complete mode on the Setup>Settings>General screen.
Fader Pages
Simple Mode offers one page of faders to control the first 20 or 40 channels, depending on the model.
Complete Mode offers two pages of faders to control all the available channels, 40 or 80 depending on the model.
Working with Dimmers / Intensity
Channels can be controlled in several different ways:
The faders, when in channel mode, can be used to control a channel's intensity. Depending on the chosen operating mode: Complete or Simple, there are one or two pages of channels that the faders can control. In Complete Mode toggle the Channel button to access each of the pages.
Note: The second page of channels is only available when channels have been patched on
that page (above 21 or 41, depending on the console model).
You can use the touchscreen and select channels directly on the stage map. The wheel can then be used to assign an intensity level.
In complete mode, you can use the keypad to select a channel and assign an intensity level.
In complete mode, channels can also be controlled by the playbacks, sequences, and cues. In simple mode, channels can be controlled by four playbacks.
Selected Channels
To make changes to channel values, a channel must be selected. Selection is indicated by a thick green border around the channel cell on the Stage Map and a lit LED beneath the channel fader. Selection can happen in a number of ways:
Controlling Your Lighting System 17
Move a fader to select a channel. If the channel is already on due to playback, move the fader until it matches the channel's current output. Move the fader back to the bottom "zero" position to deselect it (and take its intensity to zero.)
Touch the channel cell on the Stage Map. Touch the cell again to deselect it.
Use the Keypad to type in the channel numbers and set levels.
To deselect all selected channels, use Clear>Selection.
Captured Channels
Selected channels that have a manually set intensity level are considered "captured." This means that the selected channels' levels will be held until the channels are deselected or the manual intensity values are cleared.
If C lear>Channels is used, cleared manual intensity values will return to the levels coming from active play- back sources immediately.
If manually set channels are simply deselected, manually set levels will remain on stage until those channels get a new move instruction from a playback source.
Note: A channel fader moved back to the bottom (or "zero") position will deselect that channel.
You cannot hold a channel at zero intensity using a channel fader. Another selection method must be used.

Controls

Controls contain all the functions for controlling lights and cues, and setting color and other parameters:
Stage Map: The 'home' view of the full topographical stage map.
Param: Parameter control for moving or automated lights.
Cue List: The cue display.
Playback Toy: A screen to launch lighting looks and play, or busk, live.
Keypad: Classic level control by typing numbers.
Quick Select: Selection of channels in useful blocks or sets.
Effects: Lighting effects for color, intensity, and movement.
Note: Paramis only available if you have patched lights with those capabilities.

Quick Select

In the quick select display, you can pick groups of channels according to their position on the topographical
stage map or by choosing the tags setup during patching.
18 Controlling Your Lighting System
Groups display in the upper section, and the lower section of the screen displays the channel stage map. Avail­able groups are displayed in green boxes. Double click on a group to select only the lights in that group, click on other groups to add or subtract channels from the selection.
While in the quick select display, the wheel operates the level of the selected channels proportionally. The group buttons are also variable cells that may be wiped up and down to alter the value.
When you exit the quick select display, the channels will remain selected and colors or other parameters may be applied to them.

Wheel

To the right of the stage map is the wheel. The wheel can be used to control channel levels by moving the wheel up to increase the level or down to decrease.
The wheel can also be used to control depth of effects and sequence rate.
In Simple mode
To the right of the stage map is the wheel. The wheel can be used to control channel levels by moving the wheel up to increase the level or down to decrease.

Keypad

The keypad is opened by going to Controls>Keypad. This provides classic lighting control of channels and levels via a numeric keypad entry.
Note: Effects and Parameter settings must be controlled on their respective screens.
Available Buttons
+ (Plus)
- (Minus)
Thru
Full
@ (At)
..<<..(Backspace)
Enter
Controlling Your Lighting System 19
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