Video and Light Tracking
Adding automation to theatre productions brings many advantages with it. Safety, precision and repeatability are just some. However, the automation also enables other opportunities that are more than just moving scenery. One of those opportunities is the addition of video and light tracking, which can add a powerful new dimension to a production.
In an automation system, we are constantly keeping track of the position of every moving element on the production. It’s vital to controlling the movement of the scenery. But as well as forming part of our motion control system, we can use those precision measurements for other purposes.
Our position tracking add-on allows you to add live position tracking for any element in your production, allowing lighting or video effects to follow an item of scenery exactly.
We are able to integrate into a wide range different video and lighting systems using several, widely-available protocols. We natively support PosiStageNet and ArtNet. We are also able to support other protocols such as DMX and sACN as add-on options.
Systems that work with our supported protocols include: Disguise, Catalyst, Green Hippo, ETC Eos Family, MA Lighting grandMA.
Standalone Tracking
As well as being able to provide position tracking for moving elements controlled by our automation system, we are also able to provide standalone tracking for any moving element.
This means that tracking can be added to scenery that is moved manually, or scenery controlled by various different systems, and still maintain perfect position feedback.
Our standalone system uses draw-wire encoders which can measure up to 50m in travel. Our mounts allow the secure fixing of the encoder on standard products like Triple E UniBeam. These same encoders can also be used with flying scenery and floor tracks. In fact, pretty much anything that moves! We can also provide encoders that measure rotary positions for revolves and other similar scenic items.
Standalone video tracking enables any production to add video or light tracking to a production, without the need to automate those scenic elements. Although, if your production requires tracking for a combination of manual and automated elements, our standalone system works seamlessly with our automation system.
Our standalone tracking solution is available for rental or for purchase.
Lightstrike
We have also worked closely with the developer of LightStrike, Daniel Murfin, to ensure that position tracking works flawlessly with his software.
LightStrike provides performer and scenic tracking for OSC/UDP enabled consoles and sACN controlled rigs.
We recently used LightStrike on the production A German Life at The Bridge Theatre.
