It strikes me that it would be useful to be able to "spread" the values of the individual channels in a channels group
The channels groups in question would normally be controlling the same parameter on every one of number of identical fixtures.
a) For pan and tilt values it would be useful when the physical fixtures can be in a straight line or other well defined array. One can't have automated corrections for fixtures that were physically constrained to be in awkward places without a lot of complex 3D geometry, although clearly corrections can be done manually in qlc+.
b) With colour intensity values a nice range of varying shades could quickly be generated.
c) Strobe rate and the speed of the fixtures' built-in effects could be quickly pseudo randomised.
d) Building a chaser with scenes containing spread values could produce all sort of interesting effects relatively quickly – hours of fun!
Suggestions for implimentation:
1) The values could be spread according to various different mathematical functions – I would suggest linear, parabola, sine wave and cycloid for a start, but others out there may have better ideas.
2) The amount of "spread" would be set by a slider with zero spread at the centre or entered as + and – values in a box.
3) One channel in the channels group would be selected to have zero "spread" applied.
4) For a channels group created from the "all fixtures" group the individual channels would be treated as if in a line from left to right in the order they were selected.
5) The spread values would go up (or down) equally (per fixture) on either side of the "zero spread" channel. (Obviously the zero channel could be at either end of the line).
6) Since for other fixtures groups we already have an X, Y matrix, we can have other options for how the "spread" is applied, after having created the appropriate channels group for all fixtures in the matrix.
7) The "spread" could be applied by row or by column so that all rows or all columns take on values applied to one of the rows or column. Any empty cells in the X, Y matrix would be treated exactly as if they in fact contained a fixture.
8) The "spread" could be applied outwards from the "zero spread" channel. (Obviously the zero channel could be at the corners or sides of the matrix.)
9) Again, without getting into horrible amounts of 3D geometry, these procedures would (only?) produce good results for pan and tilt where the fixtures are physically in a well structured X, Y array.
Q Light Controller+
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