PCStage - a beginners guide

PCStage is a  computer lighting control system aimed at theatre and multimedia applications. It emphasizes ease of use, but offers many advanced lighting and audio features. This page describes its basic features and gets you up and running. More advanced features can be seen by down loading the help file (tricky with lots of detail)

Faders
Presets
Cues
Adding Sound to Cues
Groups
Chaser

When PCStage is started the main window will appear. It is divided into four major areas:

• The Fader Area in the upper left. This contains the level of faders for your production.
• The Control Area is in the upper right. This contains various user controls. The most important being the controls that drive the cues during the production.

• The Preset Sheet in the lower right. This contains a list of the current desk's presets.
• The Cue Sheet in the lower left. This contains a list of the current desk's cues.

FADERS

When the PCStage box is connected to the lighting system these black strips determine what light is on the stage. These faders control the different channels of the lighting system. To fade up a channel left click and hold the button down then drag the fader up. By dragging different faders to position you create the look you want on the stage. You can control all of the faders levels together  with the master slider to the right of the fader window.

The second row of sliders  are called submasters. They control chasers and groups which we will discus later.
 

Both submasters and faders can be named and coloured. This is a really good idea as you can quickly identify which fader controls which lights in the stage. To do this click on the number below the fader. a little fader editor window will pop up that allows you to name each fader by clicking and typing.

To change the colour of a fader simply right the column under colour for the fader you wish to change and select a colour. The enter key will apply your settings.

The next step is to store this lighting state so we can recall it again later. This is called a PRESET

PRESETS

A preset stores the levels for each fader in the Preset Sheet window. Each preset must have a unique name, since cues refer to them by this means. Loading a preset by selecting it in the preset sheet transfers its levels to the desk and its faders.

When a new production is created a single preset called Blackout, with all faders off, is created.

Create a new preset

To create a new preset, use the sliders to establish the lighting look that you want to create on the stage. Then right click  in the preset sheet and choose New. PCstage will ask you to name the preset. Now you can recall that look on the stage any time.

Other Actions

Left Clicking on a preset will load it immediately; a double-click will Rename it they can be edited copied pasted and deleted.

By right clicking a preset popup commands/menu appear

• Save  Saves the current fader levels to the preset.
• Load (popup only): Loads the preset; equivalent to left-clicking on it.
• Merge Load (popup only): Merges the preset's fader levels with those of the desk on a highest-takes-precedence basis.
• Rename…: Enables you to rename the preset.
• New: Creates a new preset (all fader levels at zero) with a unique name, and asks you to rename it.
• Clone: Makes a copy of the preset and asks you to rename it.
• Delete: Deletes the preset(s)
• Cut, Copy & Paste: Standard editing commands
• Copy: Deletes the preset(s)
• Paste: Deletes the preset(s)
• Locked: Toggles the locked state of the preset(s). Locking means they cant be edited
• Panic: Makes the preset the desk's panic preset.
• Sort: Sorts the presets into ascending alphabetical name order.

One of a desk's presets is always defined as the Panic preset; this preset is loaded immediately if the PANIC! button in the control area is clicked . The panic preset is intended to make a known safe lighting state for the desk instantly accessible in case of emergency.

Once we have recorded some presets for our production we can fade them up in any order over the time we specify. we do this by creating a CUE

CUES

A cue is a specific moment in a production where PC stage activates a change in lights, sound, or some other event.
 

When you start a new production there is always a cue called "Blackout" that can't be removed
To add a Cue simply right click on the cue before  the one you want to add and on the pop up screen select "new after"  a new cue is created on the cue list. To edit the cue simply double click on it (or right click-edit) a whole lot of options come up which tell the cue what to do. The most common task you will have will be assigning a preset to a cue. 

This is really simple

• ID: A number which identifies the cue,
• Name: A name for the cue. Unlike presets, cues do not need names, nor need they be unique.
• Comment: An optional multi-line comment for your convenience, this is great for reminding you when the cue comes (a line or an action on stage)
• Preset: You select  name of the preset which is loaded when the cue is loaded. you select from the presets you have already created in the preset sheet from the pop down menu.
• Flags: Various flags which can be applied to the cue the specify special actions eg lock so you cant change it.
• Fade Up/Down: Changes the speed at which the light come up or go down.
• Pre/Post Events: Actions which are performed when a cue begins or ends. Commonly you will use this to create sound cues.

Playing a Cue
Click on the cue before the one you want to play (note that it immediately activates that cue) Then take your cursor to the control bar and click on the forward arrow.  The next cue will start to play.  

Adding a Sound to a Cue.

This is  a really great feature of the program. Not only will PCstage make light changes on cue, but it can also play sound exactly where  and when you need it. There are quite a few steps to this but it is really easy and works every time.

1. Create and edit your sound cue in mp3 or wav format. (if you don't have a wave editor, download Audacity. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ It is simple and free) Try not to leave silence at the beginning of the wave as you want the cue to start exactly when you want it to.
2. Save it to  a place that you remember on the computer that you are running pc stage on (not in a folder on your network)
3. Open PCstage.
4. Before you add sound to any cues you must activate the wave audio control. You only have to do this once. The wave audio feature is a good one because it enables you to control the sound through the program, but careful editing will mean that you have the sound you want before you add it to your production. To activate you click on the wave audio icon in the control panel. In the window that pops up click the button that says track, and then click New. A new unnamed track controller will appear. Click the play arrow next to that unnamed track and then  then surf to the sound file you want to add and open it. After you have done this once you should not need to do this again and sounds can be added to cues by simply following the next steps.
5.  Create  a new cue or double click on the cue that you want to add the sound to.
6. Click on Pre events
7. Click on New
8. Click on wave audio
9. Click the radio button Start
10. Click on the button with the dots This is the browse button (why don't they write browse?)
11. Navigate to the file with your sound (remember to choose the type of file that you saved, Mp3 or wav)
12. Open the file
13. Click Apply or OK
14. Test the sound cue by going to the cue before and playing it. 

Adding a Group

A group is simply a set of channel levels that you can assign to a submaster (the second row of sliders) its a way of storing complex lighting looks and using them by bring up only one slider when you create new presets For example, you have three or four channels that make a sunset look on the stage. By making these channels a group you can use your sunset at any time you like. There are quite a few steps to this but it is really easy.

1. Use the faders to create the look you want to use on stage.
2. Click on the group editor in the Control Area.
3. Click on Group
4. Select New
5. Name the Group an click OK
6. Go back to the group button click and select the last item, Capture You have now created a group. The next thing to do is assign it to a submaster.

Assigning a group to a submaster is a little tricky but once you do it a few times it is a snap.

1. Double click on the number underneath one of the submaster faders in the second row of the fader area. An editing window will pop up.
2. Click on the submaster fader you want to assign your group to (It will highlight in blue).
3. Under the column Type double click on the word none and  from the pull down menu select Group.
4. In the very next column Item, double click in the empty space. (That empty space is just to the right of the word group you selected a second ago) The pull down menu gives you a choice of all of the groups that you have created already. Select the one that you want to use for this submaster.
5. Click close and you notice that the submaster fader you chose is now named with the name of your group. To fade the group you simply drag the mouse up on that fader. You can now use submasters to help you create new presets and add those presets to cues.

Adding a Chaser

A chaser is a set of channels  that play in order at a rate you specify. You can assign this sequence of lights to a submaster (the second row of sliders) its a way of storing complex light changes and effects eg a flashing blue and red police car light.  Once a chase  is  assigned to a submaster slider you can use it when you create new presets.  There are quite a few steps to this but it is really easy.

1. Use the faders to create the look you want to use on stage for the first step of your chase.

2. Click on the chase editor in the Control Area.

3. Click on Chaser
4. Select New
5. Name the Group an click OK
6. Go to the step button click and select new or multiple to set the number of steps you want in your chase.
7. When you have done this. Each step and its level is represented in the sheet. Chose the srp you want to edit by clicking on it. Then capture the look you created on stage by selecting Capture from the pull down step menu. One by one click on the step you want to edit, set up the look you want for each step in the chase with the faders,
8. There are a series of controls for the speed of the fader in the fader in the same window. You have now created a chaser.
9. The next thing to do is assign it to a submaster.

Assigning a chase to a submaster is a little tricky but once you do it a few times it is a snap.

1. Double click on the number underneath one of the submaster faders in the second row of the fader area. An editing window will pop up.
2. Click on the submaster fader you want to assign your chase to (It will highlight in blue).
3. Under the column Type double click on the word none and  from the pull down menu select Chaser.
4. In the very next column Item, double click in the empty space. (That empty space is just to the right of the word chaser you selected a second ago) The pull down menu gives you a choice of all of the chaser that you have created already. Select the one that you want to use for this submaster.
5. Click close and you notice that the submaster fader you chose is now named with the name of your chaser. To fade the chaser you simply drag the mouse up on that fader. You can now use the submasters to help you create new presets and add those presets to cues.