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How do I create a new fixture for use with Show Buddy Active?

How do I create a new fixture for use with Show Buddy Active?

Use the online fixture editor

The easiest solution is to use the online fixture editor. This public fixture database is an easy way to create new fixture definitions, and to download fixtures already created by other users.

Simply go to fixtures.dmxis.com and create an account. More help and a tutorial video is available on the fixture editor page.

To import downloaded fixtures into Show Buddy Active, select File > Manage fixtures… from the main menu, and click the Import… button.

Manually create a fixture file

If you do not want to use the online editor, you can manually create the fixture file in a text editor. Fixture files must be saved as plain text format. 

Fixture file internal format

Each Show Buddy Active fixture file contains a simple list of channels. Each channel in turn contains a number of ranges covering 0-255 (the range of possible DMX values).

For example, a 3 channel fixture with Pan/Tilt/Speed channels might look like this:

Pan
V,0,255,
Tilt 
V,0,255, 
Speed 
V,0,255,
  • Each range contains the fields type, min, max, label
  • Type can be V (variable), S (static), D (dimmer) or B (blackout)
  • Variable ranges are displayed as a percentage under the DMXIS slider
  • Static ranges only display a label under the DMXIS slider.
  • Only Dimmer ranges will react to the DMXIS Master Level control.
  • Blackout values are automatically loaded for that fixture when the Show Buddy Active Master slider is set to minimum.
  • If the label is blank (as above) we only see a percentage displayed under the fader.
  • Static ranges always need a label (or you will see an empty label uder the slider!)

You can mix static & variable ranges in one channel. This is necessary, as manufacturers often squeeze lots of features into a single channel:

Gobo
S,0,30,Closed 
S,31,60,Circle 
S,61,90,Tunnel,
S,91,120,Open, 
V,121,255,Spin
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How to display 0-255 values under a Show Buddy Active channel fader

Question: I am creating a Show Buddy Active fixture definition. How do I make a channel slider display 0-255, rather than the 0-100% default range?

Say you add this “Zoom” channel to your fixture file:

Zoom
V,0,255,

As you move the slider, it will display a 0-100% value. If you want to have more precise control, simply replace the V,0,255 line above with this block of text:

S,0,0,0
S,1,1,1
S,2,2,2
S,3,3,3
S,4,4,4
S,5,5,5
S,6,6,6
S,7,7,7
S,8,8,8
S,9,9,9
S,10,10,10
S,11,11,11
S,12,12,12
S,13,13,13
S,14,14,14
S,15,15,15
S,16,16,16
S,17,17,17
S,18,18,18
S,19,19,19
S,20,20,20
S,21,21,21
S,22,22,22
S,23,23,23
S,24,24,24
S,25,25,25
S,26,26,26
S,27,27,27
S,28,28,28
S,29,29,29
S,30,30,30
S,31,31,31
S,32,32,32
S,33,33,33
S,34,34,34
S,35,35,35
S,36,36,36
S,37,37,37
S,38,38,38
S,39,39,39
S,40,40,40
S,41,41,41
S,42,42,42
S,43,43,43
S,44,44,44
S,45,45,45
S,46,46,46
S,47,47,47
S,48,48,48
S,49,49,49
S,50,50,50
S,51,51,51
S,52,52,52
S,53,53,53
S,54,54,54
S,55,55,55
S,56,56,56
S,57,57,57
S,58,58,58
S,59,59,59
S,60,60,60
S,61,61,61
S,62,62,62
S,63,63,63
S,64,64,64
S,65,65,65
S,66,66,66
S,67,67,67
S,68,68,68
S,69,69,69
S,70,70,70
S,71,71,71
S,72,72,72
S,73,73,73
S,74,74,74
S,75,75,75
S,76,76,76
S,77,77,77
S,78,78,78
S,79,79,79
S,80,80,80
S,81,81,81
S,82,82,82
S,83,83,83
S,84,84,84
S,85,85,85
S,86,86,86
S,87,87,87
S,88,88,88
S,89,89,89
S,90,90,90
S,91,91,91
S,92,92,92
S,93,93,93
S,94,94,94
S,95,95,95
S,96,96,96
S,97,97,97
S,98,98,98
S,99,99,99
S,100,100,100
S,101,101,101
S,102,102,102
S,103,103,103
S,104,104,104
S,105,105,105
S,106,106,106
S,107,107,107
S,108,108,108
S,109,109,109
S,110,110,110
S,111,111,111
S,112,112,112
S,113,113,113
S,114,114,114
S,115,115,115
S,116,116,116
S,117,117,117
S,118,118,118
S,119,119,119
S,120,120,120
S,121,121,121
S,122,122,122
S,123,123,123
S,124,124,124
S,125,125,125
S,126,126,126
S,127,127,127
S,128,128,128
S,129,129,129
S,130,130,130
S,131,131,131
S,132,132,132
S,133,133,133
S,134,134,134
S,135,135,135
S,136,136,136
S,137,137,137
S,138,138,138
S,139,139,139
S,140,140,140
S,141,141,141
S,142,142,142
S,143,143,143
S,144,144,144
S,145,145,145
S,146,146,146
S,147,147,147
S,148,148,148
S,149,149,149
S,150,150,150
S,151,151,151
S,152,152,152
S,153,153,153
S,154,154,154
S,155,155,155
S,156,156,156
S,157,157,157
S,158,158,158
S,159,159,159
S,160,160,160
S,161,161,161
S,162,162,162
S,163,163,163
S,164,164,164
S,165,165,165
S,166,166,166
S,167,167,167
S,168,168,168
S,169,169,169
S,170,170,170
S,171,171,171
S,172,172,172
S,173,173,173
S,174,174,174
S,175,175,175
S,176,176,176
S,177,177,177
S,178,178,178
S,179,179,179
S,180,180,180
S,181,181,181
S,182,182,182
S,183,183,183
S,184,184,184
S,185,185,185
S,186,186,186
S,187,187,187
S,188,188,188
S,189,189,189
S,190,190,190
S,191,191,191
S,192,192,192
S,193,193,193
S,194,194,194
S,195,195,195
S,196,196,196
S,197,197,197
S,198,198,198
S,199,199,199
S,200,200,200
S,201,201,201
S,202,202,202
S,203,203,203
S,204,204,204
S,205,205,205
S,206,206,206
S,207,207,207
S,208,208,208
S,209,209,209
S,210,210,210
S,211,211,211
S,212,212,212
S,213,213,213
S,214,214,214
S,215,215,215
S,216,216,216
S,217,217,217
S,218,218,218
S,219,219,219
S,220,220,220
S,221,221,221
S,222,222,222
S,223,223,223
S,224,224,224
S,225,225,225
S,226,226,226
S,227,227,227
S,228,228,228
S,229,229,229
S,230,230,230
S,231,231,231
S,232,232,232
S,233,233,233
S,234,234,234
S,235,235,235
S,236,236,236
S,237,237,237
S,238,238,238
S,239,239,239
S,240,240,240
S,241,241,241
S,242,242,242
S,243,243,243
S,244,244,244
S,245,245,245
S,246,246,246
S,247,247,247
S,248,248,248
S,249,249,249
S,250,250,250
S,251,251,251
S,252,252,252
S,253,253,253
S,254,254,254
S,255,255,255

The slider will now display 0-255 values (allowing you to accurately position the slider), and you can directly type in 0-255 numbers by clicking on the value under the slider.

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Lights not fading smoothly when using Show Buddy Active

Lights not fading smoothly when using Show Buddy Active

If your lights do not fade smoothly under Show Buddy Active control (and you are using a Windows computer) this may be caused by incorrect audio driver settings.

In the Show Buddy Active standalone, go to File > Settings > Audio/MIDI Settings and select an audio driver with a low latency, ideally less than 30ms.

If you get the problem with the Show Buddy Active plugin in an audio host, try reducing the audio buffer size in the host program to 40ms or lower.

Background: Show Buddy Active uses the incoming audio stream for synchronisation. If the audio is being passed to Show Buddy Active in very large buffers (i.e. if the audio latency is more than 40ms) this will slow down the DMX refresh rate, which in turn can cause flickering lights. It can also cause your audio to run out of sync with the lighting.

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Controlling Show Buddy Active using MIDI

Controlling Show Buddy Active using MIDI

This page explains how to use MIDI to control Show Buddy Active – either the Show Buddy Active standalone, or the Show Buddy Active plug-in running inside a host program (e.g. Logic, Cubase, Ableton Live….)

Note – you can freely mix MIDI control with manual control (via mouse/touchscreen), and host automation (if using the Show Buddy Active plug-in). For example, you could use a standard footswitch to advance through your presets, while using a MIDI controller to manually fire your smoke machine and audience blinders.

Show Buddy Active Remote Control

Click the Remote control button on the main screen to access the remote control window. This is where you assign MIDI and keyboard commands to remotely trigger various Show Buddy Active features.

Most buttons and sliders in Show Buddy Active can be remotely adjusted from a MIDI controller or keyboard. Buttons can also be controlled from the computer keyboard (or a standard USB foot switch)

When this window is open, it listens to all MIDI devices for Notes or CC controller messages, and all connected keyboards for key presses. (See the Preferences window for how to enable connected MIDI controllers)

First, select one or more items in the list. (Use shift-click or ctrl-click / cmd-click).

Then activate a knob/slider/button on your MIDI controller or press any key on a connected keyboard. Those items are now associated with that MIDI controller or key press.

MIDI Learn associations in the current show will be remembered when you quit Show Buddy Active. The same associations are also shared between the standalone program and the Show Buddy Active plug-ins.

To clear associations, first select the controls in the list, then click the “Clear…” button.

Note on “Fade Time” : CC values from 0-100 adjusts the crossfade time between 0.0s and 1.0s in 10ms increments (e.g. CC value 55 = 550ms crossfade). Higher values increase the crossfade in full seconds. (e.g. CC value 114 = 14s crossfade).

In addition to allowing hands-on modification of crossfade time from a MIDI control surface, this is also extremely useful when programming show from a DAW such as Logic Pro or Cubase. You can control the crossfade time directly from the DAW timeline by dropping in Fade Time CC commands just before a preset change.

A note on MIDI resolution

MIDI CC and Note messages have a resolution of 7 bits, (0-127). The resolution of a single DMX channel is 8 bits (0-255). Therefore, if you control Show Buddy Active using MIDI CCs or Notes, you will not get the full resolution available. This could manifest itself as jerky movements of scanners & moving heads, for example. The solution (if available on your MIDI controller) is to use high resolution 14-bit MIDI NRPN messages to control Show Buddy Active.

Bank/Preset control

By default, Show Buddy Active listens for “Note ON” messages on MIDI channels 15/16, and uses these to switch banks & presets. For example, sending MIDI Note 1 (i.e. the lowest MIDI note possible) on Channel 15 would load the 1st bank, and sending MIDI Note 6 on Channel 16 would load the 6th preset in the current bank.

Note : you can change the MIDI 15/16 channel assignments from the Preferences window.

Alternatively, you can switch banks/presets with CC #32 (Bank Change LSB) and Program Change MIDI messages (on any MIDI channel). Note that CC #0 (Bank Change MSB) messages are ignored.