Usually lighting software implements a feature usually called something like "tracking"; where steps in a cuelist that affect settings on fixtures are "tracked", meaning the hold over from one cue to the next, until specifically turned off. This allows you to set up a general stage lighting using the main wash fixtures in one cue, then spend a few more cues inbetween affecting other, unrelated fixtures, before coming back to fade out that first one afterwards.
How can I achieve something like this in QLC? So far I have observed that if I make lots of functions, I can sortof get this effect, because my initial start and my final stop steps would be Script functions that start/stop the Scene functions I require for the main lighting effect. But this doesn't seem a very good thing to do, because now I'll have to make lots of pairs of Scripts to start/stop every Scene I have. It also doesn't play too well with stepping backwards to re-rehearse parts of the show, because stepping backwards over a "start" script won't automatically stop the function that it would have started, meaning I'll have to manually reset that by turning it off again. Also I can't have different fade up/down times for Scenes in the cuelist by this method.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get this?
Tracking and Cuelists
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Jano Svitok
Tough question Paul 
I know what tracking is, but since I'm not theatre guy, I didn't think about it yet. I'm aware of its advantages for quite some time, but I'm afraid implementing it is not easy at all. Especially backwards tracking and random jumping to steps.
One thing is that you could create sub-scenes for your building blocks, then collections for each step and put those in a chaser. Nevertheless it would work for LTP channels only (gobos, pan, tilt,...). HTP will be reset to 0 if a scene does not contain the channel - that could be solved by switching to LTP, but then fading might not work (or will, I'm not sure).
I know what tracking is, but since I'm not theatre guy, I didn't think about it yet. I'm aware of its advantages for quite some time, but I'm afraid implementing it is not easy at all. Especially backwards tracking and random jumping to steps.
One thing is that you could create sub-scenes for your building blocks, then collections for each step and put those in a chaser. Nevertheless it would work for LTP channels only (gobos, pan, tilt,...). HTP will be reset to 0 if a scene does not contain the channel - that could be solved by switching to LTP, but then fading might not work (or will, I'm not sure).
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Chris Laurie
I have only ever used QLC+ so I cannot speak from experience of other software.
Looking at your question, would it not make sense to make more than one cue list? One chaser for your washes and one for the other.
In my set-up I tend to divide the theatre lights in sets based on their main functions: stage wash, focus lights, sides, foots, spots etc. Scenes then contain only fixtures from their group. Collections also comes in handy here. One cue list drives the washes and another the rest.
It does mean keeping track of two separate cues but that does not seem to be too much of a problem.
Sound fx goes into it's own cue list as well.
Looking at your question, would it not make sense to make more than one cue list? One chaser for your washes and one for the other.
In my set-up I tend to divide the theatre lights in sets based on their main functions: stage wash, focus lights, sides, foots, spots etc. Scenes then contain only fixtures from their group. Collections also comes in handy here. One cue list drives the washes and another the rest.
It does mean keeping track of two separate cues but that does not seem to be too much of a problem.
Sound fx goes into it's own cue list as well.