[SML] Pipe Unit Numbering for Corporate Event Plots

[SAMUEL JONES]

As you might have expected, I have heard of this coming from some concert and corporate event electricians and programmers.  First, a intolerant and theater centric reaction.  They’re $#@% lazy.  The channel number is there, and it doesn’t take a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist to go “Oh, the channel is in the big circle.”
Now that I have gotten that off my chest.  Ever since intelligent lights came on the scene many concert and corporate event electricians would channel the rig much like it look on the console screen, and that is how they identified units.  I’m sure this occurred prior to intelligent lights and probably started with the use of computer screens on consoles, yea, I’m that old, but still the channel number can’t replace the unit number.  When someone says the problem is with the 5th unit on the pipe, the channel number is of no use, unless the channeling is completely moronic.  I know; insensitive of me.  But come on, the blue backlight system or LED backlight system, that is distributed across 3 pipes should be channeled consecutively in an array.  That way they are together on the screen and can be accessed with the “Through” button on the console.  
OK, the designer, or the console programmer who is designing, should channel any way that makes the best sense to them and makes them work the most efficiently, but logical channeling almost always provides insufficient geographic information.  However, there is another golden rule.  I have quizzed many designers that I respect, some on this list, about what should be included on the plot and how.  According to all of them, there are many things to consider and many personnel quirks (their own) to take into account, but the number one rule, the number one rule, was “I do whatever my master electrician wants.”  That’s master electrician, not the rest of the crew.  He’s the guy who is going to get your rig up and wrung out.  The crew works for him.  Now if he wants the channel number in the body of the fixture, then start making label legends with the channel number in the body of the fixture, but figure out a way to keep unit numbers, so when someone says the 8th unit is out, you can find the channel, address, and circuit in the plot an paperwork.  As for the rest of the crew, how the ME is going to work with idiots is the ME’s problem, and sometimes that means pandering to them.  To be fair, to watch a good crew throw up a rig can be a truly wonderful thing to watch.  Truly, watching the crew figuring out how to get the right things to the right places overcoming all sorts of site issues, working as a team.  I love it.  Watching others hanging conventionals upside down so the gel frames and gobos fall out… not so much.

My $0.02
Sam

Samuel L. Jones
Developer of AutoPlot Tools for SpotLight, and Chain Hoist Tools
E-mail: sjones at autoplotvw.com
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> On Apr 25, 2017, at 7:17 PM, Scott C. Parker via Stagecraft <stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:
> 
> Hi All,
> I've always numbered my units on pipes from stage left to right with each unit getting a number starting with 1 and ending with the last unit. Thus, giving me a total number of units per pipe. Each pipe starting with unit #1, etc. Traditional theater type numbering.
> 
> Now that I'm doing more corporate event lighting, I'm getting a bit of push back on this style of numbering. The preference seems to be calling each unit a "fixture" and using just the "fixture" number, aka "Channel" number in place of my traditional theater style unit numbering.
> 
> I've been placing the channel (fixture) number in a rather large oval and my unit number in the body. I'm told "this is still confusing to the crew at venues."
> 
> So, what is the current norm for events? I'm resistant to losing unit numbers. (couldn't ya tell?)
> 
> <unit numbering.jpg>
> ​
> 
> -- 
> Thanks,
> Scott
> 
> Scott C. Parker
> Lighting Designer http://scpld.com/ <http://scpld.com/> Studio 212-533-3430  Cell 718-757-6661 
> http://twitter.com/stageseminars <http://twitter.com/stageseminars>   https://www.linkedin.com/in/lightingdesigner <https://www.linkedin.com/in/lightingdesigner>
> USA829, IES, PLASA, USITT, ETCP certified Rigger & Electrician
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