Natural Language Control
This essay explains the core technology used in Cognito's internal 'fade engine'
that makes DMX512 and runs the lights and the end devices at the bits and bytes
level. Reading this and understanding Natural Language Control is not necessary
to operate the console, but it will give you an appreciation of how lighting control
has advanced over the years. Using today's advanced lighting systems has never
been easier because of Natural Language Control. Much of this document was
originally published in 2005 by Horizon Control in a white paper called The
Abstract Control Model. Horizon was purchased by Acuity Brands Lighting in
2011 and the entire team joined Pathway Connectivity when it too was acquired
by Acuity.
Background
Communication and the expression of ideas is central to the art of lighting.
Creating great lighting is a team effort lead by the designer. The language a
designer uses to communicate with the team, and specifically the console
programmer, is crucial to the process of creating the art. The programmer, in turn,
must then train the console in order to orchestrate the lights to ultimately relay
the intent of the designer to the audience. There is ample opportunity in this
process for misinterpretations to muddy the waters of communication. More
recently, and at a furious pace, LEDs and multiple attribute "intelligent" lights
have entered the mainstream market and the multitude of options they provide
has complicated this process amplifying the opportunity for 'miscue' of intent.
The simple act of positioning a fader somewhere on a 0 to 10 scale will no longer
suffice.
Not surprisingly, there has been an increasing necessity to simplify the process of
lighting control. Unlike the hard and fast rules that have existed for decades, a
uniform language for designers and programmers to use when describing light
behaviors has been non-existent. Moreover, the method used by the console to
communicate to lights has never been standardized. The pioneering
manufacturers of automated lighting equipment each implemented different
philosophies of control. Historically it has been a challenge for some controllers to
turn such lights on, get them in a color and make them move about. In all
respects, these consoles were merely outputting numbers, sometimes
masqueraded by words to get the job done. But now that intelligent lighting is no
longer in its infancy a control system that meets the needs of 21
st
-century lighting
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