iii
MENU AND SETUP FUNCTIONS
The menu switch, which is located just above the display, is used to access the menus that
allow you to configure the Show Designer 3 for your particular lighting setup. Pressing the
menu switch displays the message “Select a menu item then press enter” on the top line of the
display. You will be given a choice of menu items on the bottom line of the display. You can
cycle through the choices using the + and - switches or data wheel 1. Press “enter” to select the
desired menu item. The data wheels also have a built in switch that duplicates the enter switch
by pressing down on the wheel.
After selecting a menu item, use the cursor switches to select a field on the display then use the
+ and - switches to change the value in that field. An underline cursor shows the selected field.
You can also use one of the four data wheels located under each field to make changes. (The
wheels don’t require you to select a field using the cursor switches). The enter switch must be
pressed following any change made to a menu item to make it permanent. This allows you to
look at all of the possible choices first. If a menu requires more than one page to display all of
the programming options, use the right cursor button to continue past the last field on the right
and a new page will be displayed.
NOTE: Several of the menu choices are hidden to prevent unauthorized or accidental changes
to the memory. The “memory lock/unlock” function is hidden as well as the “erase all memory”
function. These choices can only be selected by pressing and holding down the “add” switch
while cycling through the last items from the menu list. This is a safety feature for the benefit of
installers who wish to protect the memory from unauthorized tampering.
The menu items are explained in the following paragraphs in the order that they appear.
CHOOSE FIXTURES
This allows you to select from a list of lighting fixtures in the fixture library. First use the + or -
switch or data wheel 1 to select the fixture number (from 1 to 48), then select from the fixture
library using data wheel 2 or by moving the cursor to the fixture type and using the + or –
switch to make the selection. You must press “enter” to record the choice. Press “erase” to
select “No Fixture” or as a shortcut to get to the start of the list. After selecting a fixture type, a
warning will appear telling you that some DMX start addresses may be changed if auto patch is
enabled. Press “yes” or “enter” to confirm or “no” to exit. After confirming, the message “Done”
will appear for 1 second. If auto patch is enabled, the start addresses of any fixtures above the
selected fixture will be adjusted to accommodate the new fixture.
The Show Designer 3 has a built in library of fixtures to choose from. You can also load in
fixture profiles that contain more detailed information about a particular lighting fixture than
what is offered by the built in library. Fixture profiles are small files that can be downloaded
from elationlighting.com that can then be loaded into the Show Designer 3 using the compact
flash or RS-232 port. Read the sections on loading fixture profiles for more information.
When selecting fixtures from the library, any fixture using a profile will be followed by the
word “profile” in the display. It is possible to have the same fixture available as a profile as well
as from the internal library. For greatest flexibility and programming power, use profiles
whenever possible.
PATCH FIXTURES
This menu allows you to turn auto patch on and off or select the DMX output and DMX starting
address for each light fixture. Auto patch must be turned off to manually change the start