Fixtures

Fixtures represent sources of light. Their defining characteristics are:

• Targeting-based rotation

• Scale between 10% and 500% size

• DMX channel and address

• Visualize beam spread and exposure estimates

• Add Gels

• (Coming soon) Gobos

Types of Fixtures

Fixtures can be added from:

• Built-in library

• Cloud Library

• Custom Items

DMX channel and address

• Toggle DMX on for a Fixture to show its channel and address label

  • Use the DMX button in the bottom actions

• Editing DMX Channel or Address values for a Fixture presents the DMX keypad

  • Double-click or press-hold the Channel/Address, or use keystrokes (O for Channel, CMD O for Address, and those are the letter OH, not zero)

• An orange color indicates a DMX warning: two different Channels assigned to the same Address

Patch list

Use the Patch list to manage all your Fixtures’ DMX info in one place.

• Change the Channel and Address

• Update Notes

• Export as a PDF

Light estimates

Knowing which Fixtures to choose is a critical part of the pre-production process, and a big part of that is knowing whether they’re bright enough. Scenario does all these calculations for you, directly on the Diagram.

Exposure settings

To know how to display exposure estimates, Scenario just needs a little info from you. Open the Details sidebar with no item selected, to see Diagram details. Then choose:

• Units of measure: Lux, Foot-candles, or F-stops

• If you choose F-stops: customize your camera settings, like ISO and exposure time

• Set a target midtone level, ambient light level for the space, and an adjust amount (to compensate for filters, etc)

Visibility setting

In some cases, you don’t want or need to see light estimates.

• To hide them, go to Layers > Types and hide the Light Estimates item (you can always show it again later)

Direct light

To estimate light levels, all you need is a Fixture and a target.

• The output of the Fixture is determined using its defined brightness at spot or flood, minus any Gels transmission or dimming

  • The technical type of “output” is luminous intensity, which is light emitted in a specific direction. It’s measured in candela (cd).

  • To set Fixture dimming, select the Fixture and use the button in the bottom actions

• The inverse-square law is applied over the distance between the Fixture and its target. This distance is calculated in 3-dimensional space, using the heights of the items.

  • To set height, click on the distance label, or open the Details sidebar for that item

• The output and distance are used to calculate the illuminance, which is a measure of the light that’s hitting an object, and this value is displayed relative to the selected midtone

• The Fixture’s beam edges are drawn as long as the distance required to reach midtone exposure

Frames & diffusion

Frames are a great tool for shaping light, and Scenario incorporates them into its estimates.

• To apply a Frame to light calculations, just drag it into the Fixture’s beam, and it will automatically detect it.

  • If you don’t want it to affect the beam, hit the (-) button. You can always add it back later.

• A Frame with Gels will reduce the light going through it based on the Gels’ transmission values

• A Frame that has a diffusion material will actually calculate the output of the Frame as a new source with its own falloff, and blend it with the original Fixture source (depending on how thick the diff is). This is a more accurate way to model lighting through diffusion.

  • Line up as many Frames as you want! Each one will blend with the previous ones.

  • A Frame closer to its eventual target will “wrap” around it more. This will be visible in the exposure ring around that target.

• If any Frames have light control grids (aka “egg crates”), they will also reduce how much light gets through

Bounce frames

When light is bounced off a Frame, it behaves differently depending on several factors:

• To bounce light, use a Fixture to target a Frame that has a bounce material selected

  • You can target a Frame with multiple Fixtures to add more light

• Then, select the Frame, and you’ll see the combined bounce angle with crosshairs. Use those crosshairs to target multiple other items

  • A bounce can target anything that’s in “front” of it

  • Unlike Fixtures, targeting items with a Frame does not affect its rotation

  • Items closer to the “ideal bounce angle” will get more light from the bounce than if they’re farther off-axis

Omni-directional Fixtures

Most entertainment Fixtures emit light in a specific direction, but some are meant to fill a space by emitting in every direction. A Space Light is a good example.

• “Omni” Fixtures display a ring instead of a light beam. This ring represents the distance at which the Fixture’s light is at midtone

  • This will change based on the Fixture’s height, because it’s calculated to the floor

• Omni Fixtures do not target other items. Instead, they influence any item that they detect is within range, which we define as 3 stops under midtone or brighter.

  • These calculations are done in 3-d space, to the item’s height

Cumulative light

Light adds up, and it’s important to consider all the light that’s hitting an item, to get a true sense of the levels.

• When a Fixture is selected, Scenario displays only that Fixture’s impact on its target

• However, when the target is selected, we display the total light levels of every Fixture targeting that item

  • The exposure ring blends all together to display an approximation of the total

  • The Diagram’s ambient level is added to everything

• Similarly, multiple Fixtures targeting a bounce Frame will add to a total amount of bounced light, with an average angle-of-reflection

Built-in and Cloud Library Fixtures

Fixture values include beam angles at spot and flood, and the corresponding light output for each.

• Scenario’s built-in library Fixtures have generic values for each type (and some of the most generic have none)

  • For example, a 2k Fresnel would have the average values for output from models made by ARRI, Mole, etc

• The Cloud Library contains thousands of specific Fixtures, and each of them has the manufacturer’s specs for these values

  • If one is missing information, use the Report an issue feature at the bottom of the Fixture Details sidebar. You’ll be notified via email when the Fixture is updated.

“Sun” item

The sun is so bright and so far away, it effectively has no falloff.

• The Sun item behaves like a Fixture in most ways: moving, targeting, etc

• However, its brightness is not calculated in output, it’s set directly as illuminance

  • Choose a brightness preset in the Details sidebar, to approximate (Mid-day Sunny, Golden Hour, etc)

  • Or, set a custom exposure in your Diagram’s chosen units