Object-specific properties

As explained above, objects also have properties that are particular to the type of object. For example, fixtures have unit numbers but do not have a radius. When an object is selected and its properties are displayed, a tab appears in the properties dialog box for that type of object. When you select multiple objects of different types, tabs appear for each type of object selected.

The following objects are defined:

• points
• lines
• cones
• spheres
• text labels
• dimensions
• axes and motion frames

For all other types of objects (venues, circles, arcs, risers, cylinders, and cameras), refer to Drawing objects. In these cases, the properties dialog box offers the same options that were given when the object was initially drawn.

Hanging structures properties (pipes, truss, floor mounts, and so on) are fully defined in Hang structures.

Fixtures and lighting-specific object properties are fully defined in the Fixture properties section.

Colors window

The Colors window allows for full customization and control over colors used in WYSIWYG. From here the color of any object in WYSIWYG can be changed. This section will explain the various features of the color window.

• Standard: A hexagon of basic colors and shades available for selection.
• OK: Will confirm the use of a new color to replace the current color.
• Cancel: Will exit the color window without making a color selection.
• Select...: This option is used to gather a custom color sample from anywhere on your desktop. This option will turn the cursor into a dropper from which colors can be gathered.
• New: Color selected in the Color window.
• Current: The color that is currently in use.
• Saved Custom Colors: A saved palette of custom colors.
• Add to Custom: Will save selected New color to the Saved Custom Colors palette.
• Custom: Section for editing a selected color’s properties.

Point tab

Options on the Point tab affect how the selected point is drawn. The default point type used in a document is defined on the Object Settings tab of Document Options. To ignore the default setting, clear the Use Document Defaults checkbox, and then select the desired point type.

Line tab

Options on the Line tab affect how the selected line is drawn.

Line Pattern

• Line Pattern: Choose a line pattern for the selected lines. For an illustration of each line pattern, see Drawing lines.

Note: Line patterns are available for a Rectangle, Circle, Ellipse, and Arc or Elliptical Arc, in the corresponding Properties windows. Line patterns are available to a Closed Line Polygon from the Line tab of its Properties window.

• Scale: Type a value in this box to change the length and spacing of dots and dashes for the selected lines. This value is applicable to center, hidden, or dot lines only.
• Spline: Select the Spline checkbox to transform a line into a spline or French curve.
• Closed: Select the Closed checkbox to quickly connect the first point of a multi-segment line to the last point of that line.

Note: You cannot change a line to a spline or French curve unless the selected line has more than two vertices.

Arrow Options

How arrows attached to the line will be shown.

• Display: Select this checkbox to show an arrow at the end(s) of the line.
• Location: Where the arrow will appear on the line.
• Arrow Size: How large the arrow will appear.
• Arrow Offset: How far away the arrow if from the line.
• Arrow Type: The style of arrow that will be displayed.

Double Line 

• Double Line: Select this checkbox to display the line as a double line.
• Distance: How far apart the double lines will be from each other.

Shaded View Options

• Select the Shade checkbox to display the selected line(s) in Shaded views and renderings, and in the Diameter box, type a value for the radius to set its thickness.

Cone tab

Options on the Cone tab affect how the object is drawn.

• Horizontal Radius: Type a value to change the width of the base surface.
• Vertical Radius: Type a value to change the depth of the base surface.
• Height: Type a value to change the height of the cone.
• Lock Ratio: Select this checkbox to lock the shape proportion when the size of the cone is changed.
• Smooth Shading: Select this checkbox to display a smooth appearance in Shaded view.
• Number of Segments: Type a value to change the number of vertical divisions that appear when the cone is broken into surfaces, set pieces, or lines.
• Number of Stacks: Type a value to change the number of horizontal divisions that appear when the cone is broken into surfaces, set pieces, or lines.
• Use Document Defaults: Clear this checkbox if you want to specify the Number of Segments and the Number of Stacks.

Sphere tab

Options on the Sphere tab affect how the object is drawn.

• Horizontal Radius: Type a value to change the width of the middle of the sphere or equator.
• Depth Radius: Type a value to change the horizontal depth of the middle of the sphere or equator.
• Vertical Radius: Type a value to change the vertical depth of the middle of the sphere or equator.
• Lock Ratio: Select this checkbox to lock the shape proportion when the size of the sphere is changed.
• Smooth Shading: Select this checkbox to display a smooth appearance in Shaded view.
• Number of Segments: Type a value to change the number of vertical divisions that appear when the sphere is broken into surfaces, set pieces, or lines.
• Number of Stacks: Type a value to change the number of horizontal divisions that appear when the sphere is broken into surfaces, set pieces, or lines.
• Use Document Defaults: Clear this checkbox if you want to specify the Number of Segments and the Number of Stacks.

Text Label tab

Options on the Text Label tab affect the information, justification and style of the selected text labels.

• Text Label: Type new text to change the label.
• Use SHIFT+ENTER to type on the next line.
• Use ENTER to close the dialog box (equivalent to the OK button).
• Insert Smart Variable: Open the Smart Variables window and select a smart variable text from the table of smart variables that are listed in the Production Team Info tab in Document Options.
• Insert Item Data: Open the Item Data window and select data from the list of retrieved properties of selected fixtures and trusses.
• Multiline Text Alignment: How the text in the Text field will be aligned.

Height

Section for controlling the height of the text label.

• Specify for: Choose how you would like to specify the height of the Text Label.
• Individual Line of Text: Sets the height for a single line of text.
• All Lines of Text: Sets the total height of all lines of text.

Example: If you set this to 4' and there are 4 lines of text, then each line of text will be 1' in height.

• Text Label Padding: Adds space between the text and the text label border.
• Total Text Label Height: The height of the text and text label padding combined.

Font

Section for controlling the font settings of the text label.

• Use Document Defaults: Clear this checkbox to choose the default font and font styles for all text labels, and then make your selections.

Anchor Position

Section for controlling how the text label is anchored.

• Horizontal: Select the Text label’s horizontal alignment from the drop-down list. The available horizontal alignment options are:

Left: Places the selected text label to the left of the insertion point.

Center: Horizontally centers the selected text label on the insertion point.

Right: Places the selected text label to the right of the insertion point.

• Vertical: Select the text label’s vertical alignment from the drop-down list. The available vertical alignment options are:

Top: Places the selected text label below the insertion point.

Center: Vertically centers the selected text label on the insertion point.

Bottom: Places the selected text label above the insertion point.

Outline

• Show Border: Select this checkbox to display a border around the text label.
• Fill: Select this checkbox and click on the color box to add a fill color to the background of the text label.

Callout and Arrow

Section for controlling how callout lines and arrows attached to the line will be shown.

• Show Callout: Select this checkbox to display the text label with a callout line.
• Pattern: The pattern of the callout line.
• Scale: The dimension at which the callout pattern is to be viewed at making it legible.
• Callout Position: The position on the text label where the callout will extend.
• Show Arrow: Select this checkbox to show an arrow at the end of the callout.
• Style: The style of the callout arrow that will be displayed.
• Size: How large of the callout arrow that will appear.
• Use Label Color: When selected will use the same color as the text label for the callout. If not selected a different color can be chosen.
• Lock Callout Position: When selected will lock the position of the callout when the text label is moved.
• Align to View: Select this checkbox to set the text labels to be legible regardless of plot type.

Linear Dimension tab

Options on the Linear Dimension tab affect the appearance and measurement mode of the selected dimension. To change the length of a dimension, it must be stretched in the drawing.

Linear Dimension

View and change how the linear dimension is displayed.

• Length: This box is not editable. It displays the actual length of the line drawn for the dimension.
• Displayed Length: Select this checkbox and type a value you wish to display.
• View Type: This box is not editable. It displays the plot type in which the dimension label is visible, which is determined when the dimension is drawn.
• Measurement Mode: Specify the view in which the dimension will be visible. Measurement modes are explained in Drawing dimension objects.
• Rotate: Select the checkbox to rotate the linear dimension.
• Angle: Type the angle of rotation.
• Fill: Select the checkbox and click the color select box to change the fill color behind the dimension text.

Options

Customize the other elements of the linear dimension.

• Use Document Defaults: Toggle this option to specify whether the dimension is to use default document settings as configured in the Dimension Styles tab, or use custom settings.
• Text Height: The height of the text used in the dimension.
• Text Offset: The positive or negative offset of the text.
• Show Leader Line: Select this checkbox to display the leader line which indicates the text to the linear dimension.
• Extension: The length of the extension lines.
• Offset: The distance from extension line from the object being measured.
• Arrow Size: The size of the arrow head used on the dimension.
• Arrow Type: The style of arrow head used on the dimension.
• Measurement Units: Measurement modes are explained in Drawing dimension objects. Select Imperial or Metric to change the measurement units.
• Display Units: The preferred way to display measurements. For Imperial measurements, choose between Feet & Inches, or just Inches; For Metric, the options are Meters, Centimeters or Millimeters.
• Precision: Specify the measurement precision of the dimension line. Based on your choice for measurement units, you can choose to display the drawing resolution in centimeters, millimeters, whole numbers, or fractions.
• Display Alternate Unit: Select this checkbox to display the alternate unit.
• Align To View: The orientation of the text used in the dimension. Select this checkbox to set the horizontal alignment of the text to match your view.

Arc Length Dimension tab

Options on the Arc Length Dimension tab affect the appearance and measurement mode of the selected arc length dimension. The arc length dimension can only be changed when the arc itself changes.

Arc Length Dimension

• Arc Length: This box is not editable. It displays the actual length of the arc to which the dimension is attached.
• Displayed Length: Select this checkbox and type a value you wish to display.

Options

• Use Document Defaults: Toggle this option to specify whether the dimension is to use default document settings as configured in the Dimension Styles tab, or use custom settings.
• Text Height: The height of the text used in the dimension.
• Text Offset: The positive or negative offset of the text.
• Extension: The length of the extension lines.
• Offset: The distance from extension line from the object being measured.
• Arrow Size: The size of the arrow head used on the dimension.
• Arrow Type: The style of arrow head used on the dimension.
• Measurement Units: Measurement modes are explained in Drawing dimension objects. Select Imperial or Metric to change the measurement units.
• Display Units: The magnitude of scale which measurements will be shown, e.g. feet or inches.
• Precision: Specify the measurement precision of the dimension line. Based on your choice for measurement units, you can choose to display the drawing resolution in centimeters, millimeters, whole numbers, or fractions.
• Display Alternate Unit: Select this checkbox to display the alternate unit.

Radial Dimension tab

Options on the Radial Dimension tab affect the appearance and measurement mode of the selected radial dimension. The radial dimension can only be changed when the circle or arc itself changes.

Radial Dimension

• Radius: This box is not editable; it displays the actual radius of the circle or arc to which the dimension is attached.
• Displayed Length: Select this checkbox and type a value you wish to display.

Options

• Use Document Defaults: Toggle this option to specify whether the dimension is to use default document settings as configured in the Dimension Styles tab, or use custom settings.
• Text Height: The height of the text used in the dimension.
• Extension: The length of the extension lines.
• Offset: The distance from extension line from the object being measured.
• Arrow Size: The size of the arrow head used on the dimension.
• Arrow Type: The style of arrow head used on the dimension.
• Measurement Units: Measurement modes are explained in Drawing dimension objects. Select Imperial or Metric to change the measurement units.
• Display Units: The magnitude of scale which measurements will be shown, e.g. feet or inches.
• Precision: Specify the measurement precision of the dimension line. Based on your choice for measurement units, you can choose to display the drawing resolution in centimeters, millimeters, whole numbers, or fractions.
• Display Alternate Unit: Select this checkbox to display the alternate unit.

Angle Dimension tab

Options on the Angle Dimension tab affect the appearance and measurement mode of the selected protractor object.

Angle Dimension

Displays the actual measurements of the Angle Dimension.

• Angle: This box is not editable; it displays the angle as measured by the Angle Dimension.
• View: The box is not editable; it displays the view that the angle was drawn in. Angles are only visible as long as they are drawn in a views coplanar to either XY, XZ, or YZ planes.
• Flip Angle: Toggle this option to switch between measuring the interior and exterior angle defined by the Angle Dimension.

Options

Specify display settings of the Angle Dimension.

• Text Height: Type a value to change the height of the text displayed by the angle dimension tool.
• Extension Lines: Type a value to change the length of the extension lines.
• Radius: Type a value to change the radius of the angle dimension arc.
• Fixed Text Distance: Toggle this option to specify a fixed distance from the text to the middle of the arc.
• Show Leader Line: Clear the Fixed Text Distance checkbox and toggle this option to display the anchored center line.
• Close Extension Lines: Toggle this option to close the center extension or to specify the length of the center extension.
• Show Arrows: Toggle this option to display the arc with arrows. You can specify the size of the arrow and choose the arrow type from the drop-down list.

Axis tab

Options on the Axis tab affect the appearance of the selected axis. The Axis tab also enables you to specify the patch settings for the selected axis.

Tip: You can select an axis from the Wireframe views in DESIGN and LIVE modes and open its Properties window.

• Name: Modify this property to change the name of the axis.
• Type: Indicates the type of axis. Can be one of Linear or Rotation.

Patch

• Patch Type: Allows you to specify which patch type you want. Can be one of DMX or Motion Patch. If DMX Patch is selected then the DMX Patch area will be enabled while the Motion Patch is disabled.
• DMX Patch - Universe: Select the DMX Universe to which you want to bind the axis. The Universe must be created in DATA mode.
• DMX Patch - Address: Specify the starting address of the axis object. Linear and Rotational axes take up two channels in a DMX universe (Move, Move Fine).
• Motion Patch – Universe: Select the Motion Control Universe to which you want to bind the axis. The Universe must be created in DATA mode.
• Motion Patch - ID: Specify the root ID of the axis. Linear and Rotational axes will take up one slot in the Motion Control Universe.

Arrow Size

• Size: Type a value to change the size of the arrow on a selected linear axis.

Label

• Height: Type the height of the text associated with the axis.
• Align to View: Select this checkbox to align the axis to the specific view that it is in (i.e. Side, Front, Back, Iso).
• Show Label: Select this checkbox to display the label text of the axis.
• Label Position: Choose where to place the label text along the axis.
• Text Justification- Horizontal: Choose how the label text is aligned horizontally to the axis.
• Text Justification - Vertical: Choose how the label text is aligned vertically to the axis.
• Font: Clear the Use Document Defaults checkbox to change the font face of the label text, or leave the Use Document Defaults checkbox selected to use defaults.

Frame tab

Options on the Frame tab affect the appearance of the selected frame. The Frame tab also enables you to specify the patch settings for the selected frame.

Tip: You can select a Frame from the Wireframe views in DESIGN and LIVE modes and open its Properties window.

• Name: Modify this property to change the name of the frame.

Patch

• Patch Type: Allows you to specify which patch type you want. Can be one of DMX or Motion Patch. If DMX Patch is selected then the DMX Patch area will be enabled while the Motion Patch is disabled.
• DMX Patch - Universe: Select the DMX Universe to which you want to bind the frame. The Universe must be created in DATA mode.
• DMX Patch - Address: Specify the starting address of the frame object. Frames take 12 channels (X, X Fine, Y, Y Fine, Z, Z Fine, Rx, Rx Fine, Ry, Ry Fine, Rz, and Rz Fine).
• Motion Patch – Universe: Select the Motion Control Universe to which you want to bind the frame. The Universe must be created in DATA mode.
• Motion Patch - ID: Specify the root ID of the frame. Frames will take up 6 slots in the Motion Control Universe, where each slot will take the form of ID:X, ID:Y, ID:Z, ID:Rx, ID:Ry, and ID:Rz.

Frame Type

• BlackTrax Trackable Frame: Select this checkbox to set the frame for BlackTrax and associate with a BlackTrax Trackable.

Label

• Height: Type the height of the text associated with the frame.
• Align to View: Select this checkbox to align the frame to the specific view that it is in (i.e. Side, Front, Back, Iso).
• Show Label: Select this checkbox to display the label text of the frame.
• Label Position: Choose where to place the label text along the frame.
• Text Justification- Horizontal: Choose how the label text is aligned horizontally to the frame.
• Text Justification - Vertical: Choose how the label text is aligned vertically to the frame.
• Font: Clear the Use Document Defaults checkbox to change the font face of the label text, or leave the Use Document Defaults checkbox selected to use defaults.

Motion Ranges tab

Options in the Motion Ranges tab enable you to modify the allowed ranges of motion for the selected Frame.

• X Direction: Select this checkbox to allow linear movement along the X axis. Edit the minimum and maximum extents to define the Frame’s motion range.
• Y Direction: Select this checkbox to allow linear movement along the Y axis. Edit the minimum and maximum extents to define the Frame’s motion range.
• Z Direction: Select this checkbox to allow linear movement along the Z axis. Edit the minimum and maximum extents to define the Frame’s motion range.
• X Rotation: Select this checkbox to allow rotations around the X axis. Edit the minimum and maximum extents to define the Frame’s motion range.
• Y Rotation: Select this checkbox to allow rotations around the Y axis. Edit the minimum and maximum extents to define the Frame’s motion range.
• Z Rotation: Select this checkbox to allow rotations around the Z axis. Edit the minimum and maximum extents to define the Frame’s motion range.
• Use Motion Ranges in Live Mode: When disabled, the specified motion ranges will only be enforced in DESIGN mode, giving you the full free range of motion in LIVE mode. When enabled, the specified ranges of motion will be enforced in LIVE mode as well.