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From: krs@amdahl.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.misc
Subject: Re: Theatre lighting programs
Message-ID: <5580@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Feb-87 13:49:53 EST
Article-I.D.: amdahl.5580
Posted: Fri Feb  6 13:49:53 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Feb-87 20:06:33 EST
References: <679@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: krs@amdahl.UUCP (Kris Stephens)
Distribution: na
Organization: Amdahl Corp, Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 34
Keywords: lighting, theatre
Xref: watmath comp.sys.mac:1181 comp.sys.ibm.pc:1449 comp.sys.misc:316

In article <679@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> jason@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Jason A. Kinchen) writes:
>I am looking for programs, and sources if they are available, PD or
>not, for the Mac or the IBM PC family that controlls lighting in
>performance settings such as dance and theatre.

If you check the trade rags for lighting design, you'll find many
advertisements along these lines.  (Now, what are the names??
Uhh, "Lighting Dimensions" is one, I think.)  The USITT should be
able to put you onto the many products and producers.  There are
also programs out to help the lighting designer work up hanging
plots/schedules, cabling, and dimmer assignment and loading.  Some
of the ads I've seen in *that* area are amazing in their power and
flexibility ("Okay, Mac, show me what Inst. 3 on House Pipe 1 is
doing in a vertical cutaway.  Hmmm.  Okay, show me the same looking
down from above. ...").  You load in your theatre plan and instrument
list and it uses the inventory as you go.  I wish I'd had that the
last time I did a design!

In general, control systems for the PC and Apple ][ are prevalent.
They call for a plug-in board that gets wired out to your dimmer
systems.  I haven't seen anything for the Mac, yet, but if it's there,
it probably runs off of the modem and printer ports.  As for source,
I wouldn't count on access, but wotthehell, you might get lucky.

I you need more specific information, send mail - I have a friend
who's much more knowledgeable and I can pick her brains for details.

Break a leg,
...Kris Stephens
-- 
Kris Stephens,       | (408-746-6047) |          {whatever}!amdahl!krs
Amdahl Corporation   |                |    -or-  krs@amdahl.amdahl.com
     [The opinions expressed above are mine, solely, and do not    ]
     [necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Amdahl Corp. ]