This section provides supplementary information pertaining to the MVR importing functionality.
In this section
Information/notes related to assets
nSince each imported fixture hangs from its own 10cm-long pipe, the fact that incoming hang structures are not converted into their WYSIWYG equivalents has no bearing on your ability to import the MVR and start pre-visualizing (in DESIGN mode) or pre-cueing (in LIVE mode, after connecting to a console). For all intents and purposes, imported hang structures and fixtures appear in WYSIWYG the same as they do in the application that created the MVR file. Should you wish (or need) to use real hang structures in WYSIWYG, you may re-create them by drawing Pipes and /or inserting Truss from the WYSIWYG Library; once done, you will be able to use Relocate Fixtures to move fixtures from their 10cm pipes to the new hang structures, as long as the fixtures are aligned.
nGroups will always import, but should they contain fixtures, these will be extracted from the Groups in question, since fixtures in WYSYWYG cannot be Grouped with other objects. However, such fixtures’ 10cm pipes will be added to the resulting Groups. Therefore, if the Layer those Groups are on is made invisible, the fixtures will become invisible as well.
Notes on the Fixture Mapping Table
The Incoming Fixtures Column
This column displays the manufacturer, name (model), operation Mode and other options for the incoming fixtures, as obtained from the GDTF profiles associated with the fixtures (which reside within the .MVR file). This information is essential for associating (mapping) the incoming fixtures to the same fixtures from WYSIWYG’s Library. Please see Potential Issue #2, as well as the note regarding GDTF Files’ Accuracy for information regarding the special “DMX Mode” Mode.
The Incoming Channels Column
This column displays the number of DMX Channels that the fixture requires (based on its Mode – and, for some fixtures, other options as well). This value is also obtained from the fixture’s GDTF profile – and the same Potential Issue (#2) and note regarding GDTF Files’ Accuracy apply.
The Selected Channels Column
This column is auto-filled with the number of DMX channels required by the WYSIWYG fixture profile and options you just selected. If the number here matches the number in the Incoming Channels cell, there is a very good chance that the mapping is correct. (On occasion however, different fixture Modes require the same number of DMX channels, but their functions vary between those Modes; as such, matching Channel values cannot always guarantee a correct mapping.)
The Selected Mode and/or Other Options Column
This column is auto-filled with information about the WYSIWYG fixture profile you selected; it may display more information than the Incoming Fixture column, since in some cases, WYSIWYG’s fixture profiles allow for more options to be changed than GDTF profiles do. (For example, where a GDTF Profile for a Clay Paky Sharpy may only allow for switching between its two Modes (Standard and Vector), in WYSIWYG it is also possible to choose whether or not to use the fixture’s Linear Color function.)
Information/notes related to fixture mapping
nSpot numbers (in WYSIWYG) are equivalent to FixtureID numbers on the grandMA 3 console or Channel numbers in VectorWorks. MVR files exported from the grandMA 3 will (likely) always have FixtureIDs assigned to fixtures so these will always import. If you require Spot numbers in .WYG files that result from MVR files exported from VectorWorks (and you do not want to assign these in WYSIWYG) please ensure that you’ve assigned the correct Channel numbers in VectorWorks – and not Fixture IDs.
nFixtures’ Unit numbers are not imported in this version.
nColours (Gels) assigned to conventional fixtures are not imported in this version.
nAll this time, MVR files cannot carry information about Gobos inserted into conventional or LED-conventional fixtures.
nCurrently, it is beyond the purpose of MVR, to carry Dimmer, Circuit or any other such fixture information; therefore, no such information is contained within MVR files.
nShould you make a mistake while mapping fixtures, if you haven’t clicked Finish yet, simply click the ellipsis button (…) in the Selected Fixture cell of the fixture in question, to create a new mapping. In case you’ve already clicked Finish, simply access the Properties of the fixture(s) in question and change their options as needed (via the Fixture > Options tab).
Potential issues in .mvr files that may lead to incorrect import results
GDTF Profiles Not Assigned to Fixtures
It is possible for one or more incoming fixtures, regardless of type (conventional, LED, automated/mover) to appear in the Fixture Mapping Table with the following Mode information: Mode: DMX Mode and a Channel value of 1. This will happen when the file’s author chooses not to, is unable to, or for some other reason does not assign a GDTF profile to fixtures before exporting to MVR: since the MVR Specification stipulates that all fixtures in an .MVR file must have a GDTF profile associated with them, when no GDTF is assigned by the user, a GDTF containing the aforementioned information is created during export.
It is still possible to map such fixtures correctly (i.e. as intended, to the appropriate profiles from WYSIWYG’s library) but in order to do so, the WYSIWYG user must know what Mode and/or other options those fixtures were intended to be set to. Even so however, importing MVR files which do not contain proper/actual GDTF profiles for all fixtures within, can cause problems: if no actual GTDF profile was assigned (and therefore no operation Mode was defined), all fixtures of the same type will appear on a single row of the Fixture Mapping Table, making correct mapping impossible if some are set to operate in one Mode and some in another.
Note regarding GDTF Files’ Accuracy
GDTF files can come from any number of sources and are not guaranteed to be accurate. In particular:
nThe mode names may be incorrect or out of order, which can be misleading when trying to select the equivalent options in WYSIWYG;
nSome options that affect the fixture’s DMX footprint (number of Channels) may not be defined in the GDTF profile even though the main fixture mode is defined;
nThe DMX footprint may be incorrect or incomplete (e.g., not all circuits or “breaks” may be defined).
As such, when contacting CAST for support with this, please confirm that you have checked relevant combinations of options of the WYSIWYG fixture and that you have identified an error with the DMX footprint in WYSIWYG. To support this, please send the link to the fixture manufacturer’s official specification, which we can use to verify that an issue exitss with the DMX footprint – again, in WYSIWYG. Please also send the .mvr file, which we can use for reference.