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At Prolight + Sound, the American manufacturer High End Systems unveiled version 3 of the software developed for the Hog 4 series consoles. It includes two major new features: Plot and Pixel Mapping and, of course, other improvements.
The first, and highly anticipated, new feature is the Plot function. It allows the quick and easy creation of two-dimensional lighting plots, starting from the fixtures selected in the programmer.
To facilitate creating plots, it has four layout tools: a line, a path the user can create with the mouse or on the touchscreen, a grid and a ring. Once all fixtures are positioned, the user can select them one by one, by following a path traced with the mouse or on the touchscreen, or by integrating them into a rectangle or a freely defined shape. The plot view also provides visual feedback of the dimmer, RGB, CMY and HSI settings.
The second new feature, also eagerly awaited since the release of the console, is the pixel mapping function.
To assign an image or video content to a set of fixtures, the user simply adds one or more “Pixel Map Layers” in the patch window and assigns them to “PixelMap” (a display incorporating a set of fixtures). He then selects the desired fixtures, assigns them a plot to be pixel-mapped onto and sets one of the relative layers to “PixelMap”.
The other updates are enhancements to existing features; for example, the level of an “Inhibitive Master” can now be modified using the control combination Select+Wheel. With this new option, the user can control the level of an “Inhibitive Master” assigned to a master without using a physical fader (in the Playback Bar).
A new function has been added to the “Pig” key. In the “File Browser” window, multiple files or folders can be selected by holding down the “Pig” key, regardless of their position, as with the Control key on the keyboard. In previous versions, holding down the “Pig” key in this window corresponded to the action of the Shift key of the keyboard.
A new combination of keys, Pig+Fan+Cursor Up puts the front panel in HID Mode. The activation of this function is indicated by the continuous flashing of the Blind key LED. This is, among other things, useful during a complete reinstallation of the software on the consoles Full Boar 4, Road Hog 4 and Hedgehog 4 consoles, when no external keyboard is connected.
With the introduction of the PixelMapper, the Center Wheel now permits the regulation of single integer parameters by a value of 1 with each click.
The two new features are debuting in their initial version, while other features are planned for future updates. The team of developers of High End Systems welcomes your comments and suggestions on the forum http://forums.highend.com.
Note also that backups of shows programmed on previous versions are compatible with version 3, but backups from this new release can not be read by consoles that have not been updated.
The American manufacturer seems to want to accelerate the development of its console. version 3.1 should be out before the summer, with a significant improvement in the Effect Palettes and increased stability of the Software. There are also some rumors concerning a major evolution of the effects generator in version 4.
More information: https://www.highend.com
