The following file illustrates the essentials of the USITT ASCII cue format. It contains commands which will create a short set of cues when read by a ASCII Cue compatible console or off-line editor. The file also contains extensive annotations, for human use only, explaining each command.
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Contents:
! Sample USITT ASCII Cue file with LP90 extensions
! ------------------------------------------------
! An ASCII Cue file contains a list of instructions which
! describe cues, groups, submasters, dimmer softpatch, and other
! information in a lighting console. The instructions in the file are
! very similar to those an operator might use to create the show at the
! console.
! This file is an actual ASCII Cue text file with extensive comments
! which explain each instruction. The file includes examples of cues,
! groups, submasters, and softpatch. There are also examples of "manufacturer
! specific" commands developed to support the Strand Lightpalette 90
! features including data for effects, macros and profiles.
! Some basics:
! -- Instructions consist of words and numbers separated by "delimiters".
! All delimiters are interchangeable. Anywhere this sample file uses
! a space, comma, >, <, =, @, or / it may be replaced by one or more of
! any combination of the other delimiters.
!
! -- No line in the file can be longer than 80 characters, including
! all delimiters and spaces. Blank lines are ok.
!
! -- Capitalization is unimportant. CUE, Cue and cUe are all the same.
!
! -- Only one instruction on a line, please.
!
! -- For reasons beyond the scope of this sample file, the number of "$"
! symbols in special LP90 instructions is important.
!
! << An exclamation point indicates that the rest of the line is a
! comment about the file, and not information to be processed.
!========= Basic Instructions ==========
Ident 3:0
!
! The IDENT instruction identifies the version of the ASCII Cues
! language used in a file. It is an optional instruction. If present,
! it must be the first instruction in the file.
Clear Cues
Clear Submasters
Clear Groups
Clear Patch
Clear All
!
! The CLEAR instruction clears any data in the console before
! loading the information contained in the text file. CLEAR ALL
! does the work of the four preceding CLEAR instructions.
Set Channels 100
Set Dimmers 100
Set Patch Default
!
! The SET instruction defines basic show information.
! Default patch is dimmer 1 = channel 1, etc. Use of all SET
! instructions is optional.
Manufacturer Strand
Console Lightpalette90
!
! These two instructions enable processing of LP90 information
! (effects, macros, profiles, etc.) Consoles or translators which do
! not have LP90 capability will simply ignore all LP90-specific
! instructions. No $ or $$ instructions will be processed until
! after the above instructions enable the LP90 mode.
!
! After the LP90 mode is enabled, special basic instructions may be used.
Set $Title SAMPLE SHOW
!
! The SET $TITLE instruction defines the show name.
Clear $Effects
Clear $Macros
Clear $Profiles
!
! Special versions of the CLEAR instruction clear any or all of the
! LP90-specific data areas. All LP90 data areas are cleared by CLEAR ALL.
!========= Cues ==========
Cue 1
!
! The CUE instruction marks the beginning of a cue description. The
! following instructions define fade times and levels for cue 1.
Up 5
Down 10
!
! The UP and DOWN instructions set the fade time for the cue.
! If only one direction is listed, the other direction has the
! same time.
Chan 1=50 2=30 5=100 6=100
!
! The CHAN instruction sets levels for the cue. All channels which
! are up in a cue must be listed in a CHAN instruction. Any channels not
! listed are set to zero. Multiple CHAN instructions may be used to set
! many channel levels in one cue.
Chan 10@h80
!
! This instruction, typical of ETC ASCII Cue support, uses @ as a level delimiter,
! and lists the actual level as a hexadecimal value instead of a decimal percentage.
! h00 is 0, h40 is 25%, h80 is 50%, HC0 is 75% and hFF is full.
Text curtain warmers
!
! The TEXT instruction attaches descriptive comments to a cue.
! Cue 1 will get the comment "curtain warmers".
Followon 15
!
! The FOLLOWON instruction sets an optional automatic follow time (WAIT).
! The next cue will start 15 seconds after cue 1 starts.
Link 8.5
!
! The LINK instruction changes the cue sequence. Cue 8.5 will
! be loaded after cue 1.
!========= Cue Variations ==========
! This cue shows the use of "point" cue numbers, delayed fades,
! and minutes and seconds time format.
Cue 2.3 ! Cue numbers range from 0.1 to 999.9
Up 120 20 ! The 2 minute up time is delayed by 20 seconds
Down 1:15 ! Time may also be written as hours:minutes:seconds
Chan 1 100 5 25 ! Channels 2, 6 and 10 will go out since they are not listed
!========= Part Cues ==========
Cue 8.5
Part 1
!
! The PART instruction allows multi-part cues to be defined.
Up 3 ! (Down time of 3 is implied)
Chan 2 100 3 100
Part 2 ! Start of second part description for cue 8.5
Up 3 1 ! 3 second fade, delayed by 1 second
Chan 1 50 7 50 8 75 ! Channel 5 will go out (since it is not listed)
! in part 2 (the last part).
!========= LP90 Cue Features ==========
Cue 10
Up 999
$$Effect 1 ! Assigns effect 1 to cue 10.
Chan 1 50 2 100 ! Effect cues may not change channel levels, so CHAN
Chan 3 100 7 50 8 75! instructions from previous cue must be repeated,
! otherwise the cue would indicate a fade to black.
Cue 11
$$Profile 3 ! Profile 3 is assigned to cue 11
Cue 12
$$Macro 1 ! Cue 12 executes macro 1
Cue 13
Chan 1 50 2 50 3 100
$$Remote 7.5 ! Cue 13 activates remote cue 7.5
Link 12
$$LoopCount 7 ! Console will execute the cue link 7 times
Cue 14
Part 1 ! Part 1...
Up 2
Chan 1 100 ! ...fades channel 1 from 50 to full.
Part 2 ! Part 2...
Up 5
Chan 2 100 ! ...fades channel 2 from 50 to full.
$$Blocked ! The BLOCKED instruction forces each following
Chan 4 0 ! channel to have a "move" to the listed level,
! even though it may already be at that level.
$$Tracking ! The TRACKING instruction indicates that the
Chan 3 100 ! following channels are not blocked.
! In a multi-part cue, LightPort always lists tracking
! channels after the last part. If the last part has
! $$BLOCKED channels, the tracking channels must be
! preceded by a $$TRACKING instruction.
!========= Groups ==========
Group 10 ! Start of description of group 10. Groups
! may be numbered 1 to 999 .
Chan 1 100 2 100 ! CHAN instructions set levels in the group.
Text blue wash ! Optional group name may be assigned.
!========= Submasters ==========
Sub 1 ! Start of submaster 1 description. Subs may
! be numbered 1 to 48.
Chan 10 100 11 50 ! Any number of CHAN instructions may be used to
! set levels in the submaster.
Sub 2
$$Inhibit ! Sub is inhibitive, otherwise it is pile-on
$$OverRange ! Sub is over-range, otherwise it is normal
$$NoBump ! Bump button is disabled
Chan 1 20 2 20 5 80
Sub 3
$$LoadGroup 10 ! Sub 3 has group 10 loaded
$$BumpInd ! Bump button toggles dependent/independent mode
Sub 4
$$LoadEffect 2 ! Sub 4 has effect 2 loaded
$$BumpOut ! Bump button takes sub out
Sub 5
$$BumpQuickLoad ! Sub 5 bump button does quick-load
!========= Softpatch ==========
Patch 1 5<8@100 2<9@100
!
! PATCH instructions define the dimmer-to-channel softpatch. The ASCII
! Cues format includes information for proportional dimmer levels and
! multiple versions of patch information, called pages. Though the LP90
! does not follow this model, LightPort includes the data in its files
! for compatibility with other ASCII Cue systems.
!
! This example patches two dimmers on patch page 1. Dimmer 8 is patched to
! channel 5 and dimmer 9 is patched to channel 2. Both have a proportional
! level of 100%.
$$DimmerNames 1 FRT 2 BACK 4 PK2
!
! Dimmer names are assigned with the $$DIMMERNAMES instruction.
! See the LP90 manual for rules on naming dimmers. In this example
! dimmer 1 is named "FRT", dimmer 2 is named "BACK", etc. Multiple
! instructions may be used to assign many dimmer names.
$$DimmerProfiles 1=1 2=1 90=7
!
! Dimmer profiles are assigned with the $$DIMMERPROFILES instruction.
! Multiple instructions may be used to assign many dimmer profiles.
$$Dimmer6k 85 86 87 88 89 90
!
! Dimmers are assigned as CD80 6K/12K. Multiple instructions may be
! used to set many 6K/12K dimmers.
!========= Effects ==========
$Effect 2 ! Start of effect 2 description.
Text Wild ! Optional effect comment.
$$High 80 ! Optional default high level, otherwise 100%.
$$Low 20 ! Optional default low level, otherwise 0.
$$StepTime .2 ! Optional default step time, otherwise 0.1 .
$$Negative ! Optional effect attributes may be set, with these six
$$Alternate ! instructions, one per line. Omitted attributes
$$Bounce ! are set to OFF.
$$Random
$$Build
$$Reverse
$$Step 1 ! Start of definition for step 1
$$High 50 ! Optional high level, otherwise default is used.
$$Low 10 ! Optional low level, otherwise default is used.
$$Time 1 ! Optional step time, otherwise default is used.
$$InDwellOut 0 3 0 ! Optional fade-in, dwell, and fade-out times for step.
! Otherwise default fade-in and fade-out are 0,
! and dwell time matches step time.
$$Control 1+2+3 ! Control list of channels in effect step.
! Skipped steps (step 2 in this example) are empty.
$$Step 3 ! Start of definition for step 3.
$$Control 20+30+40
$Effect 5 ! Start of new effect description
$$Step 1
$$Control 1+3+5 ! Multiple CONTROL instructions may be used, but LP90
$$Control 7+9 ! limits the list to 25 items.
$$Step 2
$$Control 5>10-8+Q16.5+G10=50+S3+E4
! Any valid LP90 control list may be included.
!========= Macros ==========
$Macro 8 ! Start of macro description.
Text time 15 * ! TEXT instruction(s) describe macro. LP90 limits
! macros to 33 buttons.
!========= Profiles ==========
$Profile 5 ! Start of description for profile 5.
$$Curve 40=60 80=100! CURVE lists "corners" of profile curve; missing points
! are automatically computed, as with LP90
! "fill-in-blanks" feature. Additional CURVE
! instructions may be used as needed.
!========= The End ==========
EndData ! For tidiness, the optional ENDDATA instruction
! indicates the end of an ASCII Cues file.