Expression Off-Line v3.1 Quick Guide
Expression Off-Line v3.1 Quick Guide
Expression Off-Line v3.1 Quick Guide
Expression Off-Line
QuickGuide
Version 3.1
Expression
Expression Off-Line
QuickGuide
Version 3.1
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 3
System requirements ........................................................................................... 3
Installing Expression Off-Line ............................................................................... 4
Installation procedure ...................................................................................... 4
Starting Off-Line.................................................................................................... 4
Running Off-Line ................................................................................................... 5
Off-Line windows ............................................................................................ 5
Changing console type .................................................................................... 5
Configuring Off-Line ........................................................................................ 6
Help system .................................................................................................... 6
Leaving Off-Line .............................................................................................. 6
Document files ..................................................................................................... 6
User manuals .................................................................................................. 6
QuickGuides .................................................................................................... 6
Loading a show ..................................................................................................... 7
Loading fixture personalities ................................................................................. 8
Saving a show ....................................................................................................... 9
Tricks with Off-Line ............................................................................................. 10
Labeling for Express ...................................................................................... 10
Merging files ................................................................................................. 10
Appendix A ~ Time and location ......................................................................... 12
United States cities ....................................................................................... 12
Cities outside the United States .................................................................... 13
Appendix B ~ Expression Off-Line keyboard shortcuts ...................................... 14
Introduction
Expression Off-Line is a console emulating program that runs on an IBM PC or PC-compatible
personal computer. It can create and edit shows for version 3.0 (or later) system software, which
is available for all of the following consoles:
Models 2 and 2x: Expression 2x, Insight 2 and 2x, Concept 2x and Impression 2
Arri: Imagine 3 / 600, Imagine 3 / 1200, Finesse 300 and Focus 108
The same show may not run the same way in each of these consoles because of console
limitations, such as channel and dimmer counts. Off-Line, however, can be configured so that the
show it produces is matched to the capabilities of the console in which the show will be run.
All Off-Line menus, operator prompts and help screens are identical to those of the console.
Even the displays look the same. Virtually nothing is different when you use Off-Line to patch, set
channel attributes, record program elements such as cues and groupsin short, everything you
might do in the console itself. You can even print lists of show features with your computer's
printer, thereby making it less important to attach a printer to your playback system.
When the show is ready to go, simply transfer it via diskette to the console. Use Off-Line's
Export show command to ensure that it's console-ready. You can also maintain a showfile library
on your computer's hard drive and edit them in Off-Line as you wish, then export the edited show
to a diskette when you're ready to use it. In this way, you can use Off-Line to upgrade a show
from an old file that has most of what you want. If you have a show in USITT ASCII format, the
Read ASCII command allows you to read a show into Off-Line, either on its own or merged with a
showfile already in memory. Any showfile in Off-Line can be written to USITT ASCII format with
delimiter, level and case settings that suit your needs.
Off-Line may be ordered in a kit or downloaded from ETC's website (www.etcconnect.com).
When delivered in a kit, Off-Line is supplied with the following:
Installation software, containing both the Expression Off-Line and Expression Personality
Editor programs (they are installed together but operated independently).
Computer-readable User Manuals written for Expression, Insight and Express consoles.
The Expression manual is intended for Concept and Impression users too.
If you have problems installing or using Expression Off-Line, please call your dealer or ETC
Technical Service at one of the offices listed on the back page of this document.
System requirements
Following are the hardware and software requirements for Expression Off-Line:
Installation procedure
Before beginning the installation, close all Windows programs to avoid conflicts. Follow one of the
procedures below depending upon whether you're installing from a diskette or your hard drive.
On diskette
1.
Using Windows Explorer, navigate to setupeol.exe on your hard drive and double-click it.
Starting Off-Line
If this is your first installation of Expression Off-Line, you may wish to install a shortcut on your
desktop as a convenient way to start the program. Refer to your Windows User Manual or Help
system for information about creating a desktop shortcut.
If, however, you had Expression Off-Line installed on your computer already and used a desktop
shortcut to run it, that shortcut will continue to run the earlier version, not version 3.1 that you
just installed. You can either start version 3.1 (or any version) from the Windows Start menu, or
you can install a desktop shortcut for the new program. To use the Start menu, click the Start
button on the taskbar, then point to Programs, then folder ETC (or wherever you installed OffLine) and click Expression Off-Line 3.1.
Running Off-Line
Off-Line starts in the console type that was previously selected for the program, which is
Expression 3/1200 if started for the first time. If you want Off-Line to emulate a different console
type, follow the procedure below under Changing console type.
Off-Line windows
Off-Line starts with several windows in your computer display. One window is the Off-Line
window and contains several menus. The other windows contain controls and displays, which
may vary depending upon which console type is active in the session.
When you click Window in the Off-Line window, you can control all the other windows in the
display, including turning them off or on as needed. If you click Cascade, the windows are
reorganized in a particular order, and each is visible. Move the windows around your desktop as
you wish. Click the Windows icon at the top of each Off-Line window to control its size (select a
font size). After moving or re-sizing the Off-Line windows, click Save Window Position to save
that arrangement for future sessions.
Click Options in the Off-Line window, then click Console Type. If only determining the active
console type, click OK to quit this dialog.
2. To change the active console type, click your choice. The Console Type column in the table
below identifies the Off-Line console type associated with each console.
3. Click OK.
Console
Channels
Dimmers
Console Type
Manual
Concept 2x
1200
1536
Expression 3 / 1200
Expn31.pdf
Express 125
125
1024
Express 125
Exps31.pdf
Express 250
250
1024
Express 250
Exps31.pdf
Express 24/48
96
1024
Express 24/48
Exps2S31.pdf
Express 48/96
192
1024
Express 48/96
Exps2S31.pdf
Express 72/144
240
1024
Express 72/144
Exps2S31.pdf
Expression 2x
800
1536
Expression 3 / 800
Expn31.pdf
Expression 3 / 400
400
1536
Expression 3 / 400
Expn31.pdf
Expression 3 / 800
800
1536
Expression 3 / 800
Expn31.pdf
Expression 3 / 1200
1200
1536
Expression 3 / 1200
Expn31.pdf
Finesse
300
1024
Impression 2
Expn31.pdf
Focus
512
1536
Insight 2x
Inst31.pdf
Imagine 3 / 600
800
1536
Expression 3 / 800
Expn31.pdf
Imagine 3 / 1200
1200
1536
Expression 3 / 1200
Expn31.pdf
Impression 2
300
1024
Impression 2
Expn31.pdf
Insight 2
108
1024
Insight 2
Inst31.pdf
Insight 2x
512
1536
Insight 3
Inst31.pdf
Insight 3
512
1536
Insight 3
Inst31.pdf
Configuring Off-Line
If your venue or space does not contain as many channels or dimmers as your console will allow,
you may wish to reduce the channel or dimmer counts in Expression Off-Line. See the System
Settings section of your user manual for information about making these changes. Any changes
you make to channel or dimmer count are saved with the show and will remain the same the next
time you read that showfile back into Expression Off-Line.
Help system
Off-Line comes with a built-in on-line Help system. Use on-line Help for handy reminders about
how to use Expression Off-Line's windows and the controls. Use your console's user manual,
however, for information about programming a show. Note that you can link to ETC's website
directly from on-line Help to obtain additional information and to download manuals. Also, if you
download manuals and need the Adobe Acrobat Reader, a hotlink to the Adobe website is in
the Help system.
Leaving Off-Line
Off-Line does not save when you attempt to quit the programyou must do that for yourself. But
Off-Line warms you when you attempt to quit that any changes you made while in the program
are lost if you don't save before quitting. You have the chance to save at that point. To quit OffLoading a show
Document files
User manuals
When you obtain Expression Off-Line in a kit, you also receive additional diskettes containing
console user manual files. All these document files are in portable document format (*.pdf)
format and can be read with the readily-available application program called Adobe Acrobat
Reader. If you don't already have a copy on your computer, you can link to Adobe from the ETC
website at www.etcconnect.com and download the Reader without charge.
The documents with Off-Line are stored in a compressed, self-extracting format. If you need a
User Manual for your console type, first identify which one you need from the Resource Table on
the previous page and extract it with the following procedure.
1.
Find the diskette that contains the manual you need and insert it in the computer's disk drive.
QuickGuides
Off-Line installs with the Expression Off-Line QuickGuide and the Expression Personality Editor
QuickGuide, both in *.pdf format. Run them in Acrobat Reader by using the Windows Start menu
and clicking the name in the etc\eol3.1 folder.
Loading a show
There are five possibilities for reading from a showfile into Expression Off-Line. If the showfile is
formatted for version 3.03 or later system software, you can read the show components using
any of first four procedures detailed below. If you want the system configuration components too,
you must read those from the showfile using the procedure given under Reading the showfile
system configuration. For listings of the show and system configuration components of a
showfile, see the Showfile appendix in your console user manual.
If, however, the showfile is formatted in system software older than version 3.03, you will read
both show and system configuration components together. Therefore, the procedure under
Reading the showfile system configuration is inapplicable for those showfiles.
2. Navigate in the Look In: list to the drive and folder where the file is stored.
3. Click to highlight the filename.
4. Click Open.
Opening a file
Use this option when reading a showfile from hard drive or diskette. As a convenience, use the
Import Show command if the show is named exp2.shw and stored on diskette.
1.
2. Navigate in the Look In: list to the drive and folder where the file is stored.
3. Click to highlight the filename.
4. Click OK.
Start Off-Line.
NOTES:
Personalities load slowly from the Shows folder into Off-Line. To speed that operation, delete
any personalities (*.prs files) from the Shows folder that you don't need.
If possible, always load personalities before patching. If any of the personalities you are
loading has the same name as one of the personalities already in the show, a warning
window will appear. The warning occurs because if you are replacing a personality with one
that assigns more channels, the automatic repatching will cause erroneous overlapping. Such
overlapping can cause unexpected or inconsistent behavior in groups and cues or other
recorded elements of the show. You may need to repatch fixtures. Follow the instructions in
the warning window to continue.
Expression Off-Line QuickGuide, v.3.1
Saving a show
There are four ways to save a show with Expression Off-Line. All but the ASCII procedure copies
both the system configuration components and the show components to the showfile. For
listings of the show and system configuration components of a showfile, see the Showfile
appendix in your console user manual.
Click the options in the Delimiters, Level Presentation and Case sections to make your selections.
These settings are effective when you click OK to leave the USITT ASCII dialog.
Write the show using the following procedure.
1.
2. Navigate in the Save In: list to the drive and folder where you want to save the file.
3. Type a name in File name: or click an existing filename if you want to overwrite it. The Save
as Type: field should read USITT ASCII Files (*.asc).
4. Click Save.
Storing a file
Use this option to write a showfile to storage, either on your hard drive or to diskette. When
storing as opposed to saving for use in the console, you may name it anything you wish. Use the
Export Show command as a convenient way to save the showfile for use in the console.
1.
2. Navigate in the Save In: list to the drive and folder where you want to save the file.
3. Type a name in File name: or click an existing filename if you want to overwrite it.
4. Click Save.
Merging files
Off-Line provides a unique opportunity to merge showfiles. Normally when a show is read from
disk into either Off-Line or the console, the current show in memory is erased. This prevents you
from merging two shows together or reading portions of one show into another one.
This barrier can be overcome by reading USITT ASCII showfiles into Off-Line. ASCII showfiles
consist of a series of commands and arguments stored as ordinary text and editable with a
standard text editor, such as Windows Notepad. An ASCII showfile looks like the lines listed
below, where two cues, a group and submaster are defined.
Ident 3:0
Manufacturer ETC
Console EXP3
Clear All
Set Channels 1200
Set Dimmers 1536
Patch 1 1<1@Hff 2<2@Hff 3<3@Hff 4<4@Hff 5<5@Hff 6<6@Hff 7<7@Hff 8<8@Hff
!This is a comment.
!Most of the patch has been removed for clarity.
Patch 1 333<1534@Hff 1535<1535@Hff 1536<1536@Hff
Cue1.0
Up 5
Down 5
10
11
12
..........................
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Latitude
35
61
33
39
44
45
43
42
42
44
32
41
41
40
32
39
41
42
46
41
21
39
36
40
34
34
39
43
36
25
44
32
30
40
35
40
33
45
35
40
37
47
43
38
03
10
39
11
19
47
36
20
53
29
47
08
50
00
47
46
34
22
52
45
79
07
12
48
43
05
44
04
07
49
57
21
03
46
28
00
32
32
52
46
47
37
32
54
Longitude
N .......................... 106
N .......................... 149
N ........................... 84
N ............................ 76
N ........................... 69
N .......................... 108
N .......................... 116
N ........................... 71
N ........................... 78
N ........................... 73
N ........................... 79
N .......................... 104
N ........................... 87
N ........................... 82
N ........................... 96
N .......................... 104
N ........................... 93
N ........................... 83
N ........................... 96
N ........................... 72
N .......................... 157
N ........................... 94
N .......................... 115
N ........................... 96
N ........................... 92
N .......................... 118
N ........................... 86
N ........................... 89
N ........................... 86
N ........................... 80
N ........................... 93
N ........................... 86
N ........................... 89
N ........................... 73
N ........................... 97
N ........................... 75
N .......................... 112
N .......................... 122
N ........................... 78
N .......................... 111
N .......................... 122
N .......................... 122
N ........................... 96
N ........................... 77
37
11
26
40
48
32
13
01
51
13
59
47
41
53
45
52
37
06
49
41
48
33
13
41
21
24
17
23
41
13
16
17
55
58
30
08
04
39
47
55
33
21
43
00
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
Latitude
............................ 9
.......................... 36
.......................... 52
.......................... 39
.......................... 37
........................... 13
.......................... 52
.......................... 46
.......................... 18
.......................... 50
.......................... 34
.......................... 30
.......................... 33
.......................... 33
.......................... 55
.......................... 53
.......................... 55
.......................... 53
.......................... 33
.......................... 60
.......................... 22
............................ 6
........................... 12
.......................... 38
.......................... 51
.......................... 40
.......................... 43
........................... 19
.......................... 45
.......................... 55
.......................... 48
.......................... 59
.......................... 48
.......................... 50
.......................... 64
.......................... 56
.......................... 22
.......................... 41
.......................... 18
.......................... 33
.......................... 43
.......................... 37
............................ 1
.......................... 59
.......................... 33
.......................... 25
.......................... 35
.......................... 43
.......................... 49
.......................... 48
.......................... 52
.......................... 41
12
47
17
56
58
44
27
57
54
50
36
03
55
39
40
20
57
33
35
10
18
10
03
43
30
24
18
24
30
46
09
56
49
05
08
40
55
48
29
27
04
34
14
21
52
02
41
39
15
15
13
71
Longitude
N ............................. 7
N ............................. 3
N ............................. 4
N ........................... 32
N ........................... 23
N .......................... 100
N ............................ 13
N ............................. 7
N ........................... 72
N ............................. 4
S ........................... 58
N ........................... 31
S ........................... 18
N ............................. 7
N ............................ 12
N ............................. 6
N ............................. 3
N .......................... 113
N .......................... 130
N ........................... 24
N .......................... 114
S .......................... 106
S ........................... 77
N ............................. 9
N ............................. 0
N ............................. 3
N ............................. 5
N ........................... 99
N ........................... 73
N ........................... 37
N ............................ 11
N ............................ 10
N ............................. 2
N ............................ 14
N ........................... 21
N .......................... 106
S ........................... 43
N ............................ 12
N ........................... 66
S ........................... 70
N .......................... 141
N .......................... 126
N .......................... 103
N ........................... 18
S .......................... 151
N .......................... 121
N .......................... 139
N ........................... 79
N .......................... 123
N ............................ 16
N ........................... 21
S .......................... 174
11
3
57
52
43
31
22
26
49
20
27
15
22
35
35
15
13
28
24
58
09
48
03
8
0
41
23
09
36
20
34
44
29
25
56
10
12
36
07
42
21
58
55
04
12
31
46
23
07
22
02
46
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
W
E
E
W
E
W
W
W
E
E
E
E
W
W
W
W
E
W
W
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
W
E
W
W
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
W
W
E
E
E
13
14
+ ............................................................ +
Help ....................................................... H
.............................................................
Label ...................................................... B
. .............................................................. .
Learn .................................................... F4
Level ....................................................... V
Link ......................................................... K
AB Go .............................................. Ctrl-G
Macro * ................................................. M
About .................................................... F3
And ........................................................ N
At ........................................................... A
Master up ................................................ \
Only ....................................................... O
Page ....................................................... J
Part ......................................................... P
CD Go .............................................. Ctrl-B
Record ................................................... R
Release ................................................... L
Channel ................................................. C
Cue ........................................................ Q
Dimmer ................................................. D
Submaster .............................................. S
Except .................................................... X
Swap .................................................... F2
Thru ........................................................ T
Time ........................................................ I
Track ...................................................... ^
Follow ..................................................... Y
Full .......................................................... F
Type ........................................................ *
Group .................................................... G
Up arrow .................................................
Help ........................................................ ?
Wait ...................................................... W
15
Americas Middleton, Wisconsin USA Tel: (+1) 608 831 4116 Fax: (+1) 608 836 1736 (+1) 800 775 4382 service@etcconnect.com
Europe London England Tel: +44 (0)20 8896 1000 Fax: +44 (0)20 8896 2000 service@etceurope.com
Asia Hong Kong Tel: (+852) 2799 1220 Fax: (+852) 2799 9325 mail@etcasia.com
International 3030 Laura Lane Middleton, Wisconsin 53562 Tel: (+1) 608 831 4116 Fax: (+1) 608 836 1736 www.etcconnect.com
4131M1010 Rev A Released 10/00
Copyright 2000 Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Product information and specifications subject to change.