Aether DMX | AI-Powered Architectural Lighting Control

# Show Control This guide covers how to program and run lighting shows with AETHER — from creating individual looks to building full timed shows and running them live. *** ## Core Concepts AETHER organizes lighting control into a hierarchy. Understanding these building blocks will help you program faster and more effectively. **Channels** are the raw DMX values (0–255) that control individual fixture parameters like red intensity, green intensity, blue intensity, dimmer level, pan, tilt, and so on. Each fixture occupies a range of consecutive channels on a universe. **Looks** are saved snapshots of channel values across one or more fixtures. A look might be "deep blue stage wash" or "warm amber accent." Looks are the fundamental unit you'll work with — everything else builds on top of them. **Modifiers** are effects that animate a look's base values over time. Add a pulse modifier to make lights breathe slowly, a strobe modifier for flash effects, a rainbow modifier for color cycling, or a wave modifier for synchronized movement across a group. Multiple modifiers can stack on a single look. **Sequences** are ordered lists of looks that play back step by step with configurable timing and transitions. A sequence might cycle through three color states at 120 BPM, or slowly crossfade between moods over 30 seconds each. **Shows** are time-based arrangements of looks and sequences on a timeline, with millisecond-accurate positioning. Shows run autonomously once started, with play/pause/stop controls and adjustable tempo. **Cue Stacks** are ordered lists of cues (each containing a look or sequence) that advance one at a time — manually or on a timer. This is the traditional theatrical model: press "Go" to advance to the next cue. *** ## Creating Looks Open the Looks screen and tap the new look button. Give your look a descriptive name — you'll be searching for it later during live shows, so "Stage Blue Wash" is better than "Look 7." Select the fixtures or groups you want to include. Set the channel values using the color picker (for RGB fixtures) or individual channel sliders (for more complex fixtures). The preview mode lets you see the result on your actual fixtures as you adjust values, without committing the look. Once you're happy with the look, save it. You can always edit it later — changes to a saved look update everywhere it's used (in sequences, shows, and cue stacks). ### Adding Modifiers to Looks With a look open, tap the modifiers section to add dynamic effects. Choose a modifier type: * **Pulse** — smooth sine-wave brightness oscillation, great for ambient breathing effects * **Strobe** — sharp on/off flashing at configurable speed * **Flicker** — random brightness variation, simulates candlelight or fire * **Wave** — phase-offset oscillation across a group of fixtures, creates movement * **Rainbow** — continuous HSV color cycling through the spectrum * **Twinkle** — random fixtures activate and deactivate, like stars Each modifier has parameters you can adjust: speed (BPM or Hz), depth/intensity, color range, and distribution pattern. Modifiers apply on top of the look's base values and blend together when multiple are active. *** ## Building Sequences A sequence is a series of looks played back in order with timing. From the Looks screen, create a new sequence (or convert an existing look into a sequence by adding steps). Add looks as steps in the sequence. For each step, configure the hold time (how long to stay on that step), the transition time (crossfade duration to the next step), and any per-step modifiers. Set the sequence BPM to control overall tempo. Steps advance automatically based on your timing settings. You can also configure sequences to loop continuously or play through once and stop. *** ## Programming Shows Shows give you timeline-based control with precise timing. Open the Shows screen and create a new show. The timeline interface lets you place looks and sequences at specific timestamps (in milliseconds). Drag items to reposition them on the timeline. Each item can have its own duration and transition. Show controls include play, pause, stop, and tempo adjustment. Changing tempo scales all timing proportionally — 0.5x plays at half speed, 2.0x at double speed. This is useful for rehearsal (slow down to check timing) or for adapting a show to a different music tempo. Shows save their state — if you stop and restart, playback resumes from where you left off (unless you explicitly reset to the beginning). *** ## Running Cue Stacks Cue stacks are for events where you need to advance through cues manually or on fixed timing — theatrical shows, corporate presentations, or any situation where you follow a script. Create a cue stack from the Cue Stacks screen. Add cues in order, assigning a look or sequence to each. For each cue, set an optional auto-advance time (the cue will automatically proceed to the next one after the timer expires) and a transition/crossfade duration. During the event, use the Go button to advance to each next cue. The current cue, next cue, and transition progress are always visible on screen. *** ## Playback Priority System When multiple things try to control the same fixtures simultaneously, AETHER uses a priority system to decide which one wins. From highest to lowest priority: Blackout (always wins), Manual fader control, Active effects, Looks, Sequences, Chases, Scenes (legacy), and Idle state. This means if you have a show running but manually grab a fader, your manual control takes priority. Pressing blackout overrides everything instantly. When you release control, the next-highest-priority source takes over smoothly. *** ## Live Performance Tips **Pre-program, then improvise.** Build your core looks and sequences before the event. During the show, use the Action Pad and LUX for on-the-fly adjustments rather than building from scratch. **Use groups effectively.** Group your fixtures by position (stage left, center, right) and by type (pars, moving heads, strips). This lets you quickly target the right fixtures during live control. **Master fader as safety net.** The master fader in the Console view controls overall output intensity. If anything looks too bright or wrong, pull the master down rather than hunting for the specific look. **Blackout is your friend.** The blackout button is an instant kill switch. Use it between songs, during transitions, or whenever you need a clean reset. Releasing blackout restores the previous playback state. **Test transitions.** Before the event, run through your cue stack or show at least once to verify crossfade timing. What looks smooth at your desk may feel different in a live venue. **Save incrementally.** Name your looks and shows clearly and save often. AETHER persists everything through restarts, so your work is safe even if power cycles.