Martin LIGHTING DIRECTOR, User Manual, Page: 39 / 105

2. MANUAL SET-UP
If for some reason automatic calibration of followspot fixtures is not possible, you may
directly enter the data for each fixture by physically measuring its position and
orientation in relation to the centre of your stage. This information can be entered in
the "Manual" area of the "Followspot Data" zone that appears when you press any of
the "Lights Available" boxes.
Side note: manual entry is not necessarily more accurate than automatic calibration. Therefore,
the only times that you might use the manual method is a) if you already know the position
and orientation of the fixture (e.g. reading it from a previous mld.cfg file), b) if you can’t power
up your fixtures but still need to set-up, and c) if you must calibrate in bright sunlight and you
cannot see the light beam.
The easiest way to enter a fixture’s position manually is to drop a lead weight (“plumb
bob”) from the centre of each fixture’s mirror and make a marking on the floor with
some gaffer tape.
The light position is measured so that X is the distance, in centimetres (or inches if that
is what is selected), that the fixture’s marking on the floor is left or right from the
centre stage marking made during the speaker calibration process. If the marking is
towards stage left then the distance is entered as a positive value, if it is towards stage
right then it is entered as a negative value.
Similarly, Y is the distance, in centimetres (or inches), that the fixture’s marking on the
floor is in front of or behind the centre stage. If the fixture is towards upstage then the
distance is entered as a positive value, if it is towards downstage then it is entered as a
negative value.
The height, in centimetres (or inches), of the centre of the fixture’s mirror from the
floor corresponds to the Z value, which is always positive.
The conventions for the measurement of light orientation are shown in Figures 22 and
23, on the next pages. Using these figures as a guide you can enter values (in degrees),
for rotation, tilt and pan of your fixture. Once you have entered all this information
press OK to accept and return to the “Lighting Set-up” screen. The fixture will be
calibrated and ready to be used as an automated followspot. At this point, you may
calibrate additional lights to be used as automated followspots, or return to the main
screen.
MLD manual 1.1 Page 39