[SML] Automated linesets

[Personal]

I was overhire in a roadhouse theater with a fully automated JR Clancy system for 8 years, usually as an electrician. The system was only controlled by permanent house staff, never myself, but I know plenty on them.

Things move very easily with automation, things like floating legs or getting over head-height with electrics can happen all at once, you don't have to wait, or worry, for weight to be thrown, that's also usually 2 less labor. We also used them as cranes for putting large set pieces on top of others. Automation is great if your lead guys know little rigging & more about programming.

However, as you can guess they're expensive, carry their own dangers, & large. Buildings generally need to be built for them, motors take a lot of space. I imagine the one space that went from 36 to 10 was due to motors being crammed into the grid, ours were placed on the mid-rail area, and we also had no grid. Cost is install & maintenance, I don't know numbers but it's up there.

The safety factor is the other thing, you can't "feel" the lineset on auto. If it picks up something, it'll take that wherever you told it to go. Those with a lot of rigging experience & little programming will struggle.

-Ian Millholland

> On May 28, 2015, at 3:04 AM, Ben Thoron SML via Stagecraft <stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:
> 
> I am interested in hearing from folks with permanently installed
> mechanized line sets.
> 
> I'm curious about usability, speed/capacity, and ease of adaption. I'd
> also be interested in the software/ cuing effectiveness under show
> conditions.
> 
> We routinely add winches to automate our counterweight line sets, so
> for me the value of automating them is a closed case, but the ultimate
> question is whether the cost of the available commercial systems can
> be balanced by their utility.
> Thoughts?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Ben Thoron
> Technical Director
> The Old Globe
> 
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