Example

ColourChaseChanger (V2)

by:	Jonas Nijs, Dec. 2017
published:	December 2017
description:	changes the colours of a color chase to any color you want
remarks:	This is an updated version to the old one, this time using system syntax so it goes faster and whitout your screen flickering.
	Also see the author's remarks on how to use it (below the code)
	In the original post there is also a short manual linked which you might find helpful.

Kim Wida developed a slightly changed version: PaletteChaseChanger (V3).

change, chase, blind, colour

functions

properties

Code

ColorChaseChanger_v2.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<avolites.macros>
<!-- V2.0 by Nijs Jonas 7/12/2017 -->
 
<macro id="UserMacro.colchasechanger2">
  <name>Color chase changer</name>
  <sequence>
    <step pause="0.01">ActionScript.SetProperty.Boolean("Programmer.BlindActive", true)</step>
    <step pause="0.01">Programmer.SetBlindMode(false, 0)</step>
    <step pause="0.01">Group.RecallGroupNumeric(100)</step>
    <step pause="0.01">Palette.ApplyPalette("Location=Colours,1,16", false)</step>
    <step pause="0.01">ActionScript.SetProperty("Palette.CurrentPaletteHandle", handle:"Location=Colours,2,1")</step>
    <step pause="0.01">Palette.StoreCurrentPaletteReplace()</step>
    <step pause="0.01">Programmer.Editor.Clear(Attribute.Mask.Clear.Value, Programmer.Editor.Fixtures.Clear.Presets, false, 
Expert.ClearMenu.FadeTime)</step>
    <step pause="0.01">Group.RecallGroupNumeric(100)</step>
    <step pause="0.01">Palette.ApplyPalette("Location=Colours,1,17", false)</step>
    <step pause="0.01">ActionScript.SetProperty("Palette.CurrentPaletteHandle", handle:"Location=Colours,2,2")</step>
    <step pause="0.01">Palette.StoreCurrentPaletteReplace()</step>
    <step pause="0.01">Programmer.Editor.Clear(Attribute.Mask.Clear.Value, Programmer.Editor.Fixtures.Clear.Presets, false, 
Expert.ClearMenu.FadeTime)</step>
    <step pause="0.01">ActionScript.SetProperty.Boolean("Programmer.BlindActive", false)</step>
    <step pause="0.01">Programmer.SetBlindMode(false, 0)</step>
  </sequence>
</macro>
</avolites.macros>

Explanation

a brief explanation of the syntax used. For all the other XML details please refer to Formats and syntax

Essentially this macro does:

enter blind mode
replace a palette - e.g. our foreground colour - for a certain fixture group with another palette, clear
replace yet another palette - e.g. our background colour - for a certain fixture group with another palette, clear
exit blind mode

The commands are as follows:

ActionScript.SetProperty.Boolean(“Programmer.BlindActive”, true) and Programmer.SetBlindMode(false, 0) toggle to blind mode, see Blind Mode On/Off
Group.RecallGroupNumeric(100) recalls a specific group of fixtures - here group no. 100
Palette.ApplyPalette(“Location=Colours,1,16”, false) selects the colour palette on the first page of the Colours workspace window, 16th slot
ActionScript.SetProperty(“Palette.CurrentPaletteHandle”, handle:“Location=Colours,2,1”) sets the colour palette on the second page on the 1th slot into the desks memory, i.e. makes it the current palette handle for the next actions
Palette.StoreCurrentPaletteReplace() replaces the palette in the desks memory - the active palette handle - with what's in the programmer
HINT: if you instead want to replace only a part of the palette then you need to merge it instead of replace the entire palette. Use Palette.MergeCurrentPalette instead
Programmer.Editor.Clear(…) clears the programmer (for the parameters see Programmer.Editor.Clear - clears according to the current clear mask, clearing the presets as setglobally, in the globally set clear/release time)
repeat the above steps, now with Palette.ApplyPalette(“Location=Colours,1,17”, false) and ActionScript.SetProperty(“Palette.CurrentPaletteHandle”, handle:“Location=Colours,2,2”), in order to replace the background colour
ActionScript.SetProperty.Boolean(“Programmer.BlindActive”, false) and Programmer.SetBlindMode(false, 0) exit blind mode again - see above

How to use it

make this macro available
make a color chase that uses color pallets
place those color pallets on the color pallets windows page 2 positions 1 and 2
create a group for all the fixtures used in that color chase and give that group usernumber 100
when you want to change the colors, place the 2 new colors you want on the color pallets page 1 positions 16 and 17
run the macro and have fun.

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