3D Lab DMX Manual

Evergreen 3D Lab Programmable Lighting Guide

Important Items: USB to DMX box (Sits between computer and AC Dimmer) Wall-mounted AC Dimmer (Four channels, dims tungsten lamps) Ceiling DMX ports (Connections for DMX controlled lights) Power Outlets (Located on the walls and ceiling, for either DMX lights or non-dimmed-or-programmed lights) Lighting Grid & Clamps C-Stands Ceiling-mounted LED Panel (When set as a Bash Light, it will stay on in order to be used as a work light when exposures aren’t being captured, and will be on for the low-res preview image but not the high-res exposures themselves.) LED Spotlights Signal cables Power cords Tungsten Lights Power switches Manual “Scenemaster” AC Dimmer

Suggested/Default Channel Settings:

DMX #	Device	Description
1	LED Panel	Panel on ceiling. Works well as work/bash light.
2	LED Spotlight #1 Power	Brightness of the first LED spotlight.
3	LED Spotlight #1 Focus	Beam focus of the first LED spotlight.
4	LED Spotlight #2 Power	Brightness of the second LED spotlight.
5	LED Spotlight #2 Focus	Beam focus of the second LED spotlight.
6	LED Spotlight #3 Power	Brightness of the third LED spotlight.
7	LED Spotlight #3 Focus	Beam focus of the third LED spotlight.
8	LED Spotlight #4 Power	Brightness of the fourth LED spotlight.
9	LED Spotlight #4 Focus	Beam Focus of the fourth LED spotlight.
10	AC Dimmer Channel#1	The first channel (A) on the wall-mounted AC dimmer.
11	AC Dimmer Channel#2	The second channel (B) on the wall-mounted AC dimmer.
12	AC Dimmer Channel#3	The third channel (C) on the wall-mounted AC dimmer.
13	AC Dimmer Channel#4	The fourth channel (D) on the wall-mounted AC dimmer.

To Start: The AC dimmer on the wall should read “A’010” (see manual in binder if an adjustment is required) and the selection dials on the rear of the LED spotlights should be set to channels 2, 4, 6, and 8 respectively. The LED spotlights’ signal cables should be connected in series from one of the ceiling DMX sockets (via the provided DMX-to-network-cable adapter) into the first light, then from the first light into the second, the second into the third, and finally from the third into the fourth spotlight so that all the lights form a one-way chain. The LED spotlights also require a power connection, but do not plug them into the AC Dimmer; plug them directly into a wall or a ceiling socket using individual power cords. Any tungsten lights that you wish to dim should be plugged into the AC Dimmer on the wall; note that each of the four channels has two power sockets that you can use. No more than 1200 Watts per channel or 2400 combined Watts should be used through the AC Dimmer at one time. In Dragonframe, use the menu option “Scene>Connections” to open the Connections panel. Find the DMX/IO option, click connect, then select “DDMX-S2 Dragon Stop Motion DMX” from the dialog box’s drop down menu and click okay.

The DMX/IO option should now say “Status: Connected”. [FIG 2] Click the triangle near the Animation/Cinematography window selection toolbar and click DMX to open the DMX window and add it to the toolbar. [FIG 3, FIG 4]

For Bash Light: Turn channel 1 (the overhead LED panel) on under the DMX window’s Bash Light tab. [FIG 5]

Static Use: In the DMX window’s Global tab, use the on/off toggles or the dimmer slider controls to set your desired light output levels. [FIG 6] Note that the channels immediately after those that the LED lights are set to will control the LED lights’ focus motors, while the non-LED lights have to be focused manually.

Dynamic Use: Select the menu option “Scene>General” and change the Frame Range option’s End Frame to extend the scene to your desired length. [FIG 7] In the DMX window’s Global tab, add keyframes and set corresponding the levels at your desired times. [FIG 8]

Multi Exposure Use: To program different lighting profiles for different exposures, first add the desired number of additional exposures in the Cinematography window’s Camera Settings by clicking the “+” sign below the default exposure. [FIG 9, FIG10] An additional tab is now available for the new exposure(s) in the DMX window. Any lights which you would like to be the same for all exposures can be configured under the Global tab as normal. Each light you want to differ between exposures must be unlinked from the global settings by going into the exposure tab and deselecting the parent-link button located to the right of the slider control for those lights. [FIG 11, FIG 12] You may then program the differing light profiles as desired in the corresponding exposure tabs.

Before Leaving: If you used a bash light, please remember to go back into the DMX window’s Bash Light tab before closing Dragonframe and turn the bash light off, otherwise it may stay on even after the computer has been turned off. If any lights remain on, you may need to reopen Dragonframe, reconnect to the DMX controller, and manually make sure they are turned off before leaving the lab.