New In Designer 2.0

Headlines:

• New user interface with multiple monitor support
• Multiple project layouts and fixture instances
• Fixture transform tools for manipulating groups of fixtures on a layout
• New unified, scrollable patch with channel offset preferences
• New Scene feature allowing for static looks to be created for any fixture type
• New trigger editing environment with organisation & filter tools, building on a reputation for industry-leading show control
• Pharos Designer projects can now be downloaded from a controller and opened for editing
• Multi-level undo/redo and new copy/paste tools throughout the app
• New & enhanced controller web interface for project control, configuration and troubleshooting

For full details of what’s new in Pharos Designer 2, please see below.

General:

• Multi-screen support – pop out any tab into its own window
• Multiple instances of the application can be run at the same time with different projects
• Open multiple projects – copy and paste between projects
• Multi-level Undo/Redo
• Auto-save – your work is stored to disk as you go
• New Tab names and re-ordered to follow typical project workflow
• Advanced features are hidden until needed to simplify workflow
• Issues with your project configuration are automatically detected and reported

Project:

• New Project wizard allowing quick setup of controllers and features.
• New view for managing projects and their properties
• Projects created in version 1 can be migrated to version 2 using a standalone tool
• Project files can be downloaded from Controllers and opened in Designer
• New ‘Import Object’ feature making importing fixture and pixel matrix layouts, KiNet power supplies and your patch from any delimited file type
• New ‘Export Object’ feature allows you to export fixture positions and pixel matrix layouts,
• KiNet power supplies and your patch to CSV files for manipulation in spreadsheet tools such as MS Excel
• User can define custom properties for fixtures, layouts and timelines that will be shown in reports to help manage other project data

Plan:

• Multiple fixture layouts within a single project – simpler to model different areas of an installation or different views of a 3D structure
• Fixture instances – allow a single fixture to appear multiple times on your layouts
• A fixture does not need to be on a layout to still be in your project
• New automatically generated ‘All Fixtures’ group in the fixture browser
• Searchable fixture library – easier to find the fixture you need
• Folders for Recent and Used fixture types in the fixture library
• Online fixture library – wider range of fixtures can be downloaded from our servers
• Fast single-click placement of new fixtures – no more drag-and-drop to add fixtures
• Change Fixture Type function supported
• Create Custom Type From allows custom fixtures to be created from fixtures in library
• New Transform Tools allow selected fixtures to be aligned, rotated and redistributed
• New ‘Snap to Fixtures’ toggle
• Fixture groups can now be numbered and used in scripts
• New Stretch and Fill setting for background images
• Holding shift while doing a lasso selection allows fixture position to determine group order
• Press Escape to clear fixture selection – press it again to recall last selection

Patch: 

• Add the universes you are going to use in the project rather than having them all present
• Offset patching so a group of fixtures can be patched with custom spacing
• Two universes of Ethernet DMX pass-through to local DMX Output Ports

Mapping: 

• Importing media no longer requires Quicktime to be installed
• Media files can be organised with folders and searched
• Media files can be previewed in a built in media player

Scene: 

• New “Scene” tab – replaces the Movers tab and as well as controlling moving lights this also offers a new way to create static colour looks for regular fixtures
• Folder structure for scenes

Timeline: 

• Improved management of timelines
• Tabs for fast switching between the timelines you are working on
• Fast single-click placement of presets – hold Ctrl or Cmd if you want to add multiple
• Modify preset settings before or after you place on the timeline
• Favourite colours can now more easily be saved and managed
• Multi-element copy and paste
• After changes programming rebuilds in the background to make the user interface more responsive
• A timeline can be given one of 4 group designations and timelines can be acted upon by group in triggers

Interface Editor: 

• The touch panel Interface Editor is now an integrated part of the Designer software
• Have multiple layouts for each TPC open at once
• Can copy and paste entire pages of an interface

Triggers: 

• Complete rework of the triggers user interface and how you add or edit triggers
• Copy/paste conditions or actions into other triggers
• Edit multiple actions/conditions at the same time
• Filter triggers by type or tag them with group designation
• Script editor moved to its own area and ability to manage scripts independently
• Set RGB actions can now also set intensity
• Set RGB actions can now be given a playback priority
• Groups can now be selected by number in Set/Clear RGB actions
• Improved handling for variables when passed into and out of scripts

Simulate: 

• Tabbed environment to see simulation on any layout
• Audio track selection and sync’d playback for listening to an audio track while simulating.
• Output Live now allows the user to selectively take control of fixtures being programmed so that other parts of the project continue to run uninterrupted

Network: 

• Network tab can be used to configure Controllers without an open project
• Projects can be downloaded from a Controller from within Designer
• Discover controllers by IP address allows user to enter IP address of controllers that are not on the local network
• Connect to controllers over USB behaves the same way as Ethernet

Web Interface: 

• New improved layout
• Projects can be uploaded to or downloaded from controllers using their web interface
• Project status shows scenes and timelines
• Log filtering options with more than 5 times the log information stored
• User access control by view
• New file manager for uploading additional project files
• New network view for an easy overview of project Controllers and Remote Device status
• Formatting (CSS) and images of the standard web interface can be customised
• Simpler management of custom web interfaces