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The Designer software is the tool provided to configure and program the Pharos Controllers and Remote Devices. The Controllers have been designed specifically for the architectural and installation markets and, as opposed to DMXUSITT DMX512; an industry standard digital lighting control protocol. frame store solutions, offer genuine lighting, audiovisual and show control functionality.
Lighting & video is programmed on timelines, with a particular timeline having control data for one, some or all the lighting fixtures being controlled. Multiple timelines are supported and so a single unit can control multiple distinct zones, or more complex presentations can be programmed with external triggers coming from multiple systems.
The software offers powerful functionality with a simple and intuitive graphical user interface. Most operations can be performed with mouse clicks (typically left-click for selection and right-click for context sensitive options & commands) and drag-and-drop. Creating a project is broken down into ten sections, use the mode tabs down the left hand side of the application or the function keys (in brackets) to toggle between them:
In Setup you add your fixtures to the plan, arrange them in groups or customize their behaviour. Use the Properties pane to import a bitmap for the plan, set the plan’s size and grid spacing and specify the geographic location of the installation. See Setup reference.
In Patch the fixtures are assigned to the connected Controllers (see Network) and given DMX universes and addresses. This step can be skipped during design and only completed during installation. See Patch reference.
In DALI you patch and define DALI groups & scenes for any DALI ballasts in the project. Unlike DMX fixtures, these definitions are stored in the DALI ballasts themselves and so the configuration must be uploaded separately from here. See DALI reference.
In Mover you program presets for any automated lights with position or beam manipulation controls. These presets can then be placed onto timelines along with other programming. See Mover reference.
Media allows you to create virtual video screens and map fixtures to pixels of the screen. Here you also import and manage the media files (either static images or video) which can then be played back on these screens and any audio visual fixtures in the project. See Media reference.
Program is where you create and edit the timelines that make up your presentation. Each fixture or group of fixtures is a row of the timeline and you can drag-and-drop from an extensive range of built-in intensity and colour effects, as well as placing mover presets and media clips. See Program reference.
In Triggers you connect your programming with the real world. At its most basic you can define which timeline to begin on startup but for more complex environments with external triggers you can define a detailed script, even incorporating conditions if necessary. See Trigger reference.
Simulate allows you to view a representation of your project in plan format. You can play individual timelines to check your programming then run the whole project including triggers. A set of buttons allow you to simulate external triggers in order to test your programming properly. See Simulate reference.
The Simulator can also be opened in its own window so that it is permanently available, typically on a second monitor. Tear off (click and then drag to the right) the Simulate mode tab or press Ctrl (Apple) + F8 to open this window.
This is where you manage your Pharos hardware, assigning connected Controllers to the Controllers in your project, configuring their input/output interfaces and any
Here you can view and organise spreadsheet-style reports listing the elements within the project for example fixture schedule, patch, triggers. This is useful in providing documentation about the installation for future reference and to aid maintenance. Reports can be exported as *.tsv files (Tab Separated Values) for importing into an Excel spreadsheet for formatting and printing. See Report reference.