theater lighting simulation wanted

[blekenbleu]

I have recently volunteered to help design stage lighting for
our community theater group, which has only occasional access to its venue,
which in turn has recently outgrown a 24-channel manual DMX console.

In order to train and experiment away from that theater,
it should be at least in theory be possible to capture images of the stage illuminated by each channel singly,
then generate images by mixing, e.g. as done by ImageMagick's `composite -blend` to simulate
the stage appearance on a computer display. Practically, a camera on a tripod would capture
the stage fully illuminated by all channels, then (using the same manual exposure settings)
capture images for illumination by each PAR DMX channel singly at half and full DMX values.
Images would be linearized by applying tone correction such that
image pixel values for half DMX values become indeed half those for full DMX values,
then subtract pixel values for a zero DMX values.
These linearized images would be dynamically blended according to QLC+ DMX channel values,
then add zero DMX image and reverse tone correction to obtain estimated appearance.

I recognize that this could alternatively be implemented as an OLA output; perhaps it already has been?

[fooschnickens]

Would you not be able to use QLC as a "DMX capture device" of sorts?

You could use the mixer as QLC's input and then dump the DMX values that are being outputted to a function and then marry them up to their respective fixtures after they've been added to your workspace.

That seems like a much more accurate methodology than attempting to recreate various hues and dimness settings by photograph.

[blekenbleu]

I want to see how fixtures illuminate the stage, taking into account shadows and vignetting.