Axis Controller Quick Start

Click here to View Quick Start Video

                                                                      Starting Hardware Output

        Axis will try to activate the USB to DMX hardware each time it starts up. Make sure the USB box is plugged into the available USB port and the drivers are loaded. Check the Quick Install guide that came with the Axis box for help on installing the drivers and configuring the USB hardware

                                       Loading Fixtures and Creating a Sequence

Terms:

  • Scene - a scene is a look achieved by setting the dmx values of the desired fixtures. It is a still 'look'.
  • Sequence- a sequence is a set of scenes looped or played with certain fade times between each scene to create a changing 'look'.

Creating a sequence for recall later is the goal of all lighting controllers. Here is a simple step by step method of loading or pathcing fixtures, creating a sequence for later recall, and saving the fixtures loaded as the default startup when Axis Loads.

                                                                                        Loading Fixtures

 
  1.              ^ Select Gear icon with the word New to clear all loaded fixtures and shortcuts.

                                 ^ To Load the fixtures you will be using select the icon with the fixture and a plus sign from the toolbar.

From the menu of the Fixture Editor select Load/Patch New Fixtures.

Select the fixture model you want to load and press the load button.

If you do not see the fixture you are using, you may contact us and we will send the profile via email. Fixture profiles can also be created by the user using the fixture editor found under 'File->Fixture Editor'

Indicate how may Fixtures of this type you want to load.

Press the OK button. The fixtures are now loaded.

To save this configuration of fixtures, select 'File-.Save->Save Configurations, this will save the configuration file and start the program with the current configuration file by default.

                                                            Creating a Sequence or Cue list

Make playback 1 active by clicking on the MDI window. You may want to put it in Default View under the view menu.

   ^ Press the new Sequence Icon to clear the current playback/chaser.

                                                    ^ To make selecting fixtures easier from the main Window active Select the Fixture list Icon. Move the window to the side of your screen.

    
  1.                                                                                                                                                        ^  To view what you are programming with the 3D Visualizer Select the 3D icon.                                              
                                                                                                  Fixture List

From the 'Fixture List' Select the fixtures you want to control.

                                                                Changing Channel Properties

Below each channel there is a text box with a property. To change that property click the text box and select the property for each channel you want to change. With most fixtures you will set Gobo, Color, Shutter and or Dimmer etc.

                                                                                        Shape Generator

                                                             ^  Open the Shape Generator window from the Icon on the toolbar.

From the Shape Generator window open and making sure your fixtures are still selected go to Pre Calculated Shapes->circle. The window will pop up.

At this point we can size the geometric shape and change the amount of steps. Keep the default values and press ok.

                                                                                                       StepShift

With the fixtures selected go back to the Shape Generator and press the Movement ShapeShift button. This will offset the circle by one step for each fixture selected.

We can now save this sequence to a file and a Sequence shortcut that can be recalled later.

                                                                                           Save Sequence

  ^   To save the sequence, select the save icon with the playback active and save the sequence with a name that refers to its traits.

The Sequence Properties Window will open. Here you can select the Fade in time from the sequence running to this sequence. You can also select on which playback this sequence will play back on and whether it will use Sequence Fadetime and motionfade. Select all the default values and press the save button.

You can choose to automatically assign the sequence to a Shortcut button in Sequence shortcuts window.

                                                                                        Recall Sequence

  1.                                                                        ^   The shortcut will show up on the master Sequence Shortcut window and each of the playbacks if they are in Show Shortcuts view mode.
  1. To save the configuration select 'File->Save->Save Configuration. This saves the loaded fixtures and the sequence shortcuts.
  2. This process can be repeated for as many sequence you would like to create and save for later recall.

                                                  Creating a DMX-Pilot Shortcut/Profile

Select Dmx Pilot Wizard From the File Menu on the main screen and follow the wizard's instructions.