The Tracking influences the point in time until which a value set in a cue is maintained. Whether to keep the tracking, which is enabled by default, active or disable it, depends on the use case for which the respective Cuelist is prepared.
Overview
The Tracking influences how long a value set in a cue for a device function is maintained. There are two possible behaviors:
- Tracking active (default value): A parameter, such as the brightness of a device, is maintained across several cues until it is explicitly changed by a subsequent cue. Numerous other cues can be executed between them. Effects also remain active until another value is set for the corresponding parameter.
- Tracking disabled (Non-Tracking): If the parameter is not included in the cue, the device will return to its default state. Therefore, with tracking disabled, a parameter such as the desired brightness of a device must be set in every subsequent cue to maintain it across multiple cues.
Key Features
Tracking can be individually set for each Cuelist. Depending on the tracking setting, different points must be considered when programming, including when DMXControl 3 resets the value for a device function to its default state.
This means that with tracking disabled, you need to explicitly set the values for a device in multiple cues if you want them to remain in the same state across several cues. Conversely, this means you may need to change multiple cues if the stored values are not correct.
Usage
Difference in Output of Values
The following table shows the difference between tracking and non-tracking for a cue list that controls four spotlights. All gray-highlighted percentage values represent values stored in the cues. "On" or "Off" describes the operational state that the devices will adopt or maintain without any further intervention.
| Scene (Cue) | Tracking active | Tracking disabled | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAR 1 | PAR 2 | PAR 3 | PAR 4 | PAR 1 | PAR 2 | PAR 3 | PAR 4 | |||
| 1 | 100 % | 100 % | off | off | 100 % | 100 % | off | off | ||
| 2 | on | on | 100 % | off | off | off | 100 % | off | ||
| 3 | on | on | 0 % | off | off | off | 0 % | off | ||
| 4 | 0 % | 50 % | off | off | 0 % | 50 % | off | off | ||
| 5 | off | on | off | 75 % | off | off | off | 75% | ||
| 6 | off | on | off | on | off | off | off | off | ||
So, if you want to keep PAR 1 and PAR 2 at 100% in scenes 2 and 3 while tracking is disabled, the values must also be explicitly set in these two scenes.
If you skip several cues in a cue list using the « Go to » command, DMXControl 3 will, in this case, check when each device last received a value for the respective function from a cue. In the example, scenes 4 and 5 would be (re)activated if you use the « Go to » command to jump directly from scene 1 to scene 6.
Application Examples
The examples listed below do not necessarily apply to every personal working method:
- Tracking active: Plays, musicals, light shows
- Tracking disabled (Non-Tracking): Beat-controlled cue lists for applications in clubs / discos or band performances
It is always possible to prepare all examples in the reverse way, meaning that the cue lists for beat-controlled effects can also run with tracking enabled.
Links
Video Tutorials
On our YouTube-Kanal, you can find the following videos on this topic.