Session Number L18 – Intro level Jands Vista Training
Wednesday, November 15, 2017, 9:30am – 5:30pm
Imagine if you could design your lightshow the way you see it visually. Spend the day learning how to program on one of the most innovative lighting consoles on the market. Begin thinking and working visually. This class will cover basic programming and expose you to the incredible power of the Vista’s visual interface and timeline.
Target Audience: Console operators and programmers
Seminar Highlights:
- Patching and setting up the Vista’s visual interface for your work flow
- Creating and updating Group, Position, Color and Beam palettes
- Programming conventional and moving lights with the Vista’s unique timeline.
- Creating and editing dynamic chase effects
Session Number: L19 – Advanced Level Jands Vista Training
Thursday, November 16, 9:30am – 5:30pm
Spend the day learning advanced programming techniques and console features on one of the most innovative lighting consoles on the market. Begin thinking and working visually. This class will cover advanced programming and expose you to the incredible power of the Vista’s visual interface and timeline.
Target Audience: Experienced console operators and programmers
Seminar Highlights:
- Refresher and introduction to the latest software build
- Creating and manipulating pixel mapped images
- Working with media servers and the timeline
- Networking multiple consoles and back-up configuration
Both sessions taught by:Eddie Welsh, console expert, Jands.
Session Number L15 – Intro level Jands Vista Training
Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 9:30am – 5:30pm
Imagine if you could design your lightshow the way you see it – visually. Spend the day learning how to program on one of the most innovative lighting consoles on the market. Begin thinking and working visually. This class will cover basic programming and expose you to the incredible power of the Vista’s visual interface and timeline.
Target Audience: Console operators and programmers
Seminar Highlights:
- Patching and setting up the Vista’s visual interface for your work flow
- Creating and updating Group, Position, Color and Beam palettes
- Programming conventional and moving lights with the Vista’s unique timeline
- Creating and editing dynamic chase effects
Taught by: console expert Eddie Welsh of Jands
Class limit 10: two per console
More info & Registration >
Session Number: L16 – Advanced Level Jands Vista Training
Thursday, October 22, 2015, 9:30am – 5:30pm
Spend the day learning advanced programming techniques and console features on one of the most innovative lighting consoles on the market. Begin thinking and working visually. This class will cover advanced programming and expose you to the incredible power of the Vista’s visual interface and timeline.
Target Audience: Experienced console operators and programmers
Seminar Highlights:
- Refresher and introduction to the latest software build
- Creating and manipulating pixel mapped images
- Working with media servers and the timeline
- Networking multiple consoles and back-up configuration
Taught by: console expert Eddie Welsh of Jands
Class limit 10: two per console
More info & Registration >
- Introductory Level Vista Training
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- Advanced Level Vista Training
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Have fun! Send us your photos
Missed the previous topics? You can catch up on all of them on this page.
It’s been a lot of work getting to show day, so don’t forget to have fun! Send in your photos, or tag us on Facebook and Twitter.
The Jands Lighting team would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year!
Please note that the support team will be operating with reduced staff from Friday 19th December 2014 until Monday, 5th January 2015.
If you experience an emergency during that period please contact the following people in your region:
- UK, Europe & Middle East – Jack Moorhouse – +44 7833 498036
- North America – James Feenstra – +1 518 832 3465
- Australia & Rest of World – Jands Service Department – +61 2 9582 0909
If your request is not urgent then please contact us via our support form and we will contact you in the New Year.
Video Tip 12 – Your questions answered.
In Week 3 we asked everyone to submit questions they had about the Jands Vista and Stage CL consoles. This week we have answered them for you, citing many specific examples to address your problems! We hope you enjoy!
Watch on Youtube >
Don’t panic – common problems
Missed the previous topics? You can catch up on all of them on this page.
When you have two thousand pairs of eyes staring at you because the stage has gone dark, it’s quite easy to forget how to approach a problem. Here are a few common issues and solutions which you might come up against when preparing for your show:
My console is not outputing DMX
- Check that the Grandmaster is up
- Check that the universes are connected and assigned in Vista
- Check the intensity fader in the super playback section is up
My console goes to sleep
- Make sure the host computer has all power saving functions switched off
How do I update my console firmware?
My console won’t read my USB drive
The rig blacks out periodically
My system was working, but now it isn’t
- Ask yourself what has changed?
- Did someone add a new device, change some cables over, or do something else?
- If you can revert the change, do so and then test your system. If it works, great!
Video Tip 11 – Your questions answered.
In Week 3 we asked everyone to submit questions they had about the Jands Vista and Stage CL consoles. This week we have answered them for you, citing many specific examples to address your problems! We hope you enjoy!
Watch on Youtube >
Backups
Missed the previous topics? You can catch up on all of them on this page.
One thing we cannot emphasise enough is to back up your show files! While this point might seem obvious, we often receive support calls regarding show files which have been inadvertently modified or lost. By backing up your show files after every session, you ensure the ability to always have a way of recovering lost or damaged work. Just think how devastated you would be if you lost all the programming done for a show.
Thankfully, Jands consoles have a built in an auto-save function on both the Vista and Stage CL, which is a great tool to use while you are programming. Simply set the auto-save interval you require and the console will do the rest. These files are all stored on your console or host computer.
But what happens to your show files if your console or host computer fails? If you haven’t done back-ups, you can’t access them quickly—if at all. This is why Jands recommends backing up your files to an alternative storage device such as a USB stick. Some users also back up show data to cloud storage services such as iCloud, Skydrive and Google Docs for added security.
Backing up your files to an external device in Vista requires you to export your show files and user data. Instructions for doing this can be found in section 2-5 of the Vista user manual.
With the Stage CL, simply select the USB option and save the show as normal. Instructions for saving shows to USB can be found on page 12-1 of the Stage CL user manual.
Always remember to back up regularly and to put the USB back up in a safe place.
Video Tip 10 – Insert a Cue at the Playhead position
By merging cues you can add multiple events of the same type to a cue.
Watch on Youtube >
Rehearsals aren’t just for the talent
Missed the previous topics? You can catch up on all of them on this page.
Rehearsals, as we know them, are all about getting to know the show and making sure that everything you’ve worked for is indeed the spectacular event you envision it to be.
But sometimes things don’t go as planned. Before your big event, think about what could go wrong and make plans to deal with that scenario and rehearse your recovery plan! Just like a fire drill, a well-rehearsed plan will help alleviate any problems that may arise.
For example, did you know that Jands Vista can be operated with tracking back up? This is great insurance, but you should still rehearse what you would do on the off chance your master console fail and you need to move quickly to a slave console. Plan it out in advance, so that you are not scrambling to recover from an error during show time.
Video Tip 9 – Insert a Cue at the Playhead position
Vista’s timeline allows you to be more accurate with your cue points. By using insert cue at playhead you can insert a new cue at exactly the right place.
Watch on Youtube >
Report problems early
Missed the previous topics? You can catch up on all of them on this page.
How have the previous seven weeks been working out for you? Have you found anything of use in preparation for big shows in the next months?
If after trying the seven aforementioned suggestions you find yourself continuing to have issues, report the problems to us as early as possible. Reporting problems in advance allows Jands adequate time to work through the problem with you as we try to find you a resolution. As always, we will try to find a work around, or if it is a severe problem and time allows, we will provide a software update.
Our support team is here to help you, but we do need some specific information from you in order to solve your issues quickly and efficiently. You can help us enormously by providing the following information:
- Tell us the software version you are using. Please be specific and give us all the numbers.
- Tell us which console you are using and, for Vista users, which software platform.
- Tell us what you were doing.
- Tell us what you expected to happen.
- Tell us what actually happened.
- If you are using a Vista Linux console export any of your crash logs that have been generated. PC and OSX users should export the Byron.log files.[ST] There can be up to 6 files and we need them all.
While it may not seem like it, all of these items are important to us when assisting you with your problem as we need to be able to recreate the problem you are experiencing ourselves before we can fix it. Upon finding a solution for your problem, we test our fix using the same method you provided to ensure the problem has been fixed. Videos and photos of the problem you are experiencing are also a great help to us. This helps us see exactly what you are doing so we can mimic your actions in order to recreate the problem on your end.
Jands reminds everyone to please be patient though. When you are busy with many shows we are usually quite busy helping people sort out problems as they come up. Additionally, as we may not immediately know the answer to your problem, we may ask you some further questions to better understand the problem, so please answer the specific questions we have asked as quickly as possible.
Video Tip 8 – Changing the default fade time for cues
You can change the default fade time for new cues. Vista lets you do this in two ways, learn how in this video.
Watch on Youtube >
Do regular maintenance on your rig
Missed the previous topics? You can catch up on all of them on this page.
At Jands we sometimes receive support requests from customers who believe their console isn’t working correctly. However, after some investigation, we often discover that the problem lies elsewhere in the rig. Most of the time, these problems can be prevented by performing regular maintenance on your lighting equipment.
Each rig is unique and for that reason all items within the rig should have routine maintenance schedules. We recommend consulting the product user manuals for the major items in your rig. However, we also have a few helpful tips, found below:
- Tidy up cable runs to ensure that cables are easy to trace and access should you need to in a hurry.
- Make sure cables are correctly labelled. Correct labelling ensures that they can be easily identified in an emergency.
- Inspect and test cables. Make sure that there are no small nicks in the outer casings and connectors are not loose. Make sure that the sockets they connect with are clear of debris and are not loose.
- Check lamp life hours where applicable and make any changes as necessary.
- Check all nuts and bolts on any trusses and lighting bars are secure and not showing signs of wear.
- Clean your consoles and external screens as per instructions in the user manual and check all connections.
Video Tip 7 – Editing the Home Preset
By editing the Home preset you can set new default position, colour, beam or other feature values for individual or groups of fixtures. Learn how in this video.
Watch on Youtube >
Familiarise yourself with new equipment
Missed the previous topics? You can catch up on all of them on this page.
If you have bought or intend to buy new equipment (or are going to rent it in) familiarise yourself with how it operates and interacts with your console well in advance. Taking this important step ensures that you won’t have any unexpected surprises closer to show time.
Sometimes what looks and feels like a problem with a console not controlling a piece of equipment is actually a misunderstanding of how the two items interact.
What if you don’t have access to the equipment prior to programming and show time?
- Check out the Jands Lighting forum .
The Jands Lighting forum is comprised of people who have vast experience of all aspects of the lighting industry. They are very willing to provide advice or offer up suggestions to help make your show great!
- See if anyone on the industry forums can help you. The most popular ones are:
The Lightnetwork
Blue Room
Control Booth
Properly familiarising yourself with new equipment, prior to programming for a show and the actual show time, will reduce the chance of unexpected problems arising.
Video Tip 6 – Learn Timing
Understand the uses of Vista’s unique feature, the Learn Timing function, which allows the console to adjust your cue start times by recording the intervals between your button presses.
Watch on Youtube >
New Fixture Files
Missed the previous topics? You can catch up on all of them on this page.
In the lead up to any event, make sure you have all the fixture files you will need, pre-loaded into your console. If you find you do not have a specific file, we suggest you try the following:
- Check that your software is up to date. Software updates generally include an expanded fixture library.
- Check our online catalogue of fixture files made for other customers. You can find these on our v2 Fixture Files page.
- Generic fixtures. If your light is a LED fixture, look in the Generic folder. Most LED fixtures have a RGB (Red, Green, Blue) or RGBAW (Red, Green, Blue, Amber, White) or other common mode. The Vista library includes a large selection of generic files.
- Check to see if your fixture has the same DMX properties as a fixture profile that is already in the library. Moving lights and LEDs are often rebadged by different suppliers.
- Try creating the fixture file yourself. Vista v2 has a built-in fixture editor that is easy to use. Instructions for creating and editing fixtures can be found in the user manual which is available from our Download page (http://jands.com/support-vista-v2/download/). Additionally, Video 11 in our training series talks about creating a fixture yourself.
- Request a fixture file be made by using our online form.
As we all know, this is an exceptionally busy time of the year and like everyone Jands receives a lot of urgent support requests. If you need a fixture file made it helps us enormously if you supply us with full user manuals for the fixture, tell us which mode you require and indicate the date you need the file so you can commence programming.
We will always try to get files to you by the date you have specified, but unforeseen problems, that prevent us from fulfilling your request, can always occur. If this does happen, we will notify you as soon as possible to give you the time needed to adjust accordingly.
Video Tip 5 – Navigate the Cuelist
Learn how to navigate a cuelist using the text fields, below the cue tiles, in the Chooser or Timeline window..
Watch on Youtube >
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