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Electronic Theatre Controls Inc

Preset Creation on Foundation

Presets are created to store a certain look or scene on stage. They can contain positions for multiple motors and can be used to recall general or recurring stage set up requirements (for example: "band rehearsal" or "guest speaker") or for recurring scenes that appear on stage multiple times during a show.

Presets can be recalled directly or can be referenced in cues.

Presets only contain position information for channels that are in the preset. Channels not selected when recording the preset will have no position data stored. Also, no timing or speed information is included in a preset.

Presets can record individual specified positions or trim positions on a channel-by-channel basis.

To begin working with presets you must create a new preset and then add preset content.

Once presets are created, you can:

  • play them back,
  • copy them,
  • delete them,
  • set them as simple
  • or edit their content

NOTE: It is recommended that you use trims when building presets, rather than specific positions. Doing so will offer a much faster way to update presets. Trims represent a universal way to update a motor position throughout all references. If a desired position changes (for example, due to soft goods stretching), trim-based presets can be updated by altering a single referenced trim position. Whereas with specified positions, all presets must be updated manually.

Create new preset

To create a preset, go to the Preset screen using the navigation buttons.

  1. Press "New". The New Preset dialog box opens. The first available preset number will be automatically filled for you (starting with 1)
  2. If a different preset number is desired, select the number field to change the number. The "Edit Preset Number" dialog box will open and a numeric keypad allows you to enter a new number.
  3. If you wish to edit the name of the preset, select the preset name field. The touchscreen keyboard will open and you may edit the name of the preset and press enter.
  4. Press "Create". The new preset will be created and will appear in the preset display in the properties area.

Now that the preset is created, you may add content to it.

Copy a Preset

You can copy any existing preset into a new or existing preset.

Copy to a new preset

To copy a preset to a new preset:

  1. Select the desired preset from the preset display in the properties area of the preset screen.
  2. Press "Copy". The "Copy Preset" dialog will open and the next unused preset number will automatically be proposed.
  3. If you want to copy to a different preset number, select the preset number field and enter the desired preset number when the numeric keypad appears and press "Ok."
  4. If you want to change the name of the preset, select the preset name field and enter the desired name when the touchscreen keyboard appears and then press "Ok."
  5. Press "Create" to copy the existing preset to the newly created one.

Copy to an existing preset

CAUTION: Copying a preset into an existing preset will overwrite any content in the existing preset entirely. A confirmation dialog will open if you
attempt to overwrite an existing preset.

Overwriting an existing preset that is referenced in the cue stack may severely modify the look of your show. If you do so, it is vitally important to double check and most likely re-program the cue stack.

To overwrite an existing preset with a copied preset:

CAUTION: You are about to delete preset content that cannot be recovered.

  1. Select the desired preset from the preset display in the properties area of the preset screen.
  2. Press "Copy". The "Copy Preset" dialog will open and the next unused preset number will automatically be proposed.
  3. Select the preset number field. When the numeric keypad appears, enter the number of the preset you wish to overwrite with the copy and press "Ok."
  4. If you want to change the name of the preset, select the preset name field and enter the desired name when the touchscreen keyboard appears and then press "Ok."
  5. Press "Create." A confirmation dialog will open asking you to verify that you want to overwrite the preset with the copy.
    1. Press "No" to abort the copy. You will be returned to the "Copy Preset" dialog to enter a different number.
    2. Press "Yes" to overwrite the preset with the copied content.

Add Preset Content

Once a preset has been created, you can begin to add content to it in the preset screen.

NOTE: It is recommended that you use trims when building presets, rather than specific positions. Doing so will offer a much faster way to update presets. Trims
represent a universal way to update a motor position throughout all references. If a desired position changes (for example, due to soft goods stretching), trim-based presets can be updated by altering a single referenced trim position. Whereas with specified positions, all presets must be updated manually.

As motor positions are added to a preset, they are automatically stored. You do not have to "save" a preset once it has been created, nor after content has been added.
To add preset content:

  1. Make sure the desired preset is selected in the preset display. A selected preset is outlined in gold.
  2. Select a channel that you want to be in the preset. A position dialog box will open.
  3. Enter the desired preset position for the motor for this preset.
    1. You can reference a trim position by selecting from the four available trims or by pressing "Trims" to see other trims recorded for the selected channel.
    2. You can press "Current" to store the current position of the channel.
    3. You can enter a specified position by selecting the position field. The "Edit Preset Position" keypad opens. Enter a position on the numeric keypad and press "Ok."
  4. Once the desired position appears in the position field, press "Ok" to close the motor position dialog. The selected position will appear in the channel icon and the channel will remain selected, indicating that it is currently stored as part of the preset.
  5. Repeat steps 1-3 for any other channels you want to be included in the preset.

NOTE: Preset content is stored automatically. You do not need to save a preset once it has been created, nor after content has been added.

Preset Content Tip
You can add preset content quickly by starting in the Manual screen:

  1. In Manual, move all motors you want to be in a preset to their desired locations.
  2. Press "Preset". The preset screen will be displayed.
  3. Create the new preset. It will appear in the preset display.
  4. Press the "+" channel view button.
  5. Select the channels for the motors you moved in step 1. Each will be highlighted in gold and will automatically be included in the new preset.

Edit a Preset

To edit the content of an existing preset, first select the desired preset from the preset display in the properties area of the preset screen. That preset's content will then be
displayed in the channel area.

Adding Channels

To add channels to the preset, select a new channel and specify the desired position for that channel in the position dialog.

Removing Channels

To remove a channel from the preset:

  1. Press the channel icon. The position dialog will open.
  2. Press "Remove." A confirmation dialog will open.
  3. Press "Yes" to remove the channel from the preset. "Press "Cancel" to retain the channel in the preset.
Editing motor position

To edit the preset position data stored for a channel, select the desired channel and specify the desired position for that channel in the position dialog.

To delete a preset:

  1. Select the preset you wish to delete from the preset display in the properties area of the preset screen.
  2. Press "Delete." A confirmation dialog will open.

    CAUTION: You are about to delete preset content that cannot be recovered.

  3. Press "Cancel" to abort the deletion. Press "Yes" to delete the preset.

Delete a Preset

To delete a preset:

  1. Select the preset you wish to delete from the preset display in the properties area of the preset screen.
  2. Press "Delete." A confirmation dialog will open.

    CAUTION: You are about to delete preset content that cannot be recovered.

  3. Press "Cancel" to abort the deletion. Press "Yes" to delete the preset.

Preset loading and playback is initiated from the preset screen. You must first create a preset before it can be loaded. Only one preset can be loaded at a time.

To playback a preset:

  1. Select the desired preset from the preset display. Included channel and position data for the preset will be displayed in the channel area of the preset screen.
  2. Press "Load." Foundation will switch to the Manual screen and the channels in the preset will be selected (up to the maximum number allowed by the system settings). The "Target" field in the properties area will display the target position for the selected channel. The "Go" buttons will illuminate as well, indicating that a target is loaded and ready to be executed.
  3. To move to the preset, press and hold the "Go" button until the target is reached by all of the selected channels.

In systems so-equipped, presets can also be played back using the Foundation Handheld Remote.

Using Auto Select

Auto Select is a channel view button that is used to progress through a selection set of channels above the maximum number of simultaneously allowed channels.

If a preset has more channels recorded than are allowed to move at a time (due to system limits), when that cue or preset is loaded, not all of those channels can be selected at once. Therefore, a first set of channels will be selected after loading (up to the system limit), and the moves for these motors can be executed using the Go buttons.

Once the moves are complete, you can press "Auto Select" and the next group of channels which are in the recorded preset will be selected automatically (again, up to the system limits).

For example:
Preset 1 has 15 channels recorded in it. The system settings allow a maximum of 6 motors for simultaneous preset movement.

  • Once Preset 1 is loaded, the manual screen is active and the first six channels in the preset will be selected.
  • Pressing and holding "Go" will move those six motors to their destination. Then release "Go". "Auto Select" will highlight.
  • Pressing "Auto Select" will then automatically select the next six channels in the preset.
  • Again, a "Go" command will move those motors to their destination. Release "Go".
  • Pressing "Auto Select" again will select the remaining three channels in the preset.
  • Press and hold "Go" to complete the preset playback.

Playback a Preset

Preset loading and playback is initiated from the preset screen. You must first create a preset before it can be loaded. Only one preset can be loaded at a time.

To playback a preset:

  1. Select the desired preset from the preset display. Included channel and position data for the preset will be displayed in the channel area of the preset screen.
  2. Press "Load." Foundation will switch to the Manual screen and the channels in the preset will be selected (up to the maximum number allowed by the system settings). The "Target" field in the properties area will display the target position for the selected channel. The "Go" buttons will illuminate as well, indicating that a target is loaded and ready to be executed.
  3. To move to the preset, press and hold the "Go" button until the target is reached by all of the selected channels.

In systems so-equipped, presets can also be played back using the Foundation Handheld Remote.

Using Auto Select

Auto Select is a channel view button that is used to progress through a selection set of channels above the maximum number of simultaneously allowed channels.

If a preset has more channels recorded than are allowed to move at a time (due to system limits), when that cue or preset is loaded, not all of those channels can be selected at once. Therefore, a first set of channels will be selected after loading (up to the system limit), and the moves for these motors can be executed using the Go buttons.

Once the moves are complete, you can press "Auto Select" and the next group of channels which are in the recorded preset will be selected automatically (again, up to the system limits).

For example:
Preset 1 has 15 channels recorded in it. The system settings allow a maximum of 6 motors for simultaneous preset movement.

  • Once Preset 1 is loaded, the manual screen is active and the first six channels in the preset will be selected.
  • Pressing and holding "Go" will move those six motors to their destination. Then release "Go". "Auto Select" will highlight.
  • Pressing "Auto Select" will then automatically select the next six channels in the preset.
  • Again, a "Go" command will move those motors to their destination. Release "Go".
  • Pressing "Auto Select" again will select the remaining three channels in the preset.
  • Press and hold "Go" to complete the preset playback.
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