Category descriptions

[kengruven]

One of the issues I'm seeing with using OFL data is that the categories are not consistently applied, and I think that stems from there being no description of exactly what the categories mean.

For example, wearing my lighting technician hat, I would say a "Dimmer" is a device which takes DMX input, and provides PWM-dimmed power (probably over Edison, Socapex, or stage pin), i.e., PWM. But most of the fixtures in OFL which include category "Dimmer" aren't this type of dimmer at all. I think some people assumed it means "any fixture which has an Intensity channel" (which is a little silly since that's probably every DMX fixture ever made).

I think that, in almost every case, a device with category "Dimmer" should not have any other category (see #914).

I started to make a big PR which removed "Dimmer" from dozens of fixtures, and I realized there's a more general issue: I don't know what some of the other categories mean, either. (What's a "Flower"? Is "Strobe" simply anything that has a Strobe channel? What's the difference between "Smoke" and "Hazer"? Or "Scanner" and "Barrel Scanner"? I rarely work with those kinds of fixtures myself.)

So it would be great to have clarification on what the categories are intended to mean, and then I'll help clean up the data so they're accurate. Ideally, the descriptions would be in the docs (schemas?), and also visible in the web editor. Thanks!

[FloEdelmann]

Yeah, good question… Most categories were inherited from QLC+'s fixture types, but we added the possibility to add multiple categories to a single fixture to make it more expressive. However, there has never been a clear definition or description which fixtures belong to which categories.

I would say a "Dimmer" is a device which takes DMX input, and provides PWM-dimmed power

I guess we currently don't have any of these dimmers / dimmer packs in OFL. But that'd probably make sense. (See also #694.)

I think some people assumed it means "any fixture which has an Intensity channel" (which is a little silly since that's probably every DMX fixture ever made).

But not all effect lights or fog machines have a dimmer channel.

What's a "Flower"?

Often called "Moonflower". It's a single light fixture that produces many beams in different directions and often different colors: https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=moonflower%20lighting

Is "Strobe" simply anything that has a Strobe channel?

The distinction is not always clear. E.g. the cameo Thunder Wash 600 RGB can be used as a strobe, as a flood light or as a blinder. But in general, the "Strobe" category should only be applied to fixtures that are sufficiently bright and look light a Strobe light, not every moving head or PAR LED that has a strobe channel.

What's the difference between "Smoke" and "Hazer"?

I don't really know. I think Haze is less dense than Fog (and I don't know why that's called "Smoke" in QLC+) and usually used to make laser beams more visible. Maybe a hazer has to have an included fan to better distribute the haze, while a fog machine is an effect device itself, so the nozzle should usually be visible to the audience.

Or "Scanner" and "Barrel Scanner"?

Barrel scanners have a rotatable (Pan/TiltContinuous) cylinder with multiple mirrors: https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=barrel%20scanner
Normal scanners have only one rotatable (Pan/Tilt) mirror: https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=scanner%20lighting

Ideally, the descriptions would be in the docs (schemas?)

I think we can't put it in the categories enum, so better have it only in the frontend for now (category pages and fixture editor).

it would be great to have clarification on what the categories are intended to mean

I currently don't have the time to come up with exact definitions. I'm open for suggestions though! If you'd like to try, I can answer specific questions to my best knowledge (like in this comment).

[kengruven]

I guess we currently don't have any of these dimmers / dimmer packs in OFL. But that'd probably make sense.

We actually do! At least elation/uni-bar and chauvet-dj/dmx-4, and of course generic/4-channel-dimmer-pack and generic/desk-channel. I used another brand of dimmer recently and would have added it to OFL but it was functionally equivalent to the Chauvet so there seemed no point.

(See also #694.)

Yeah, I'm torn on this. On the one hand, when building a lighting plot, it sure would be nice to have beam angles and weight and lumens for the conventionals, too. On the other hand, these don't really fit well in the OFL schema, and it would greatly increase the scope of the project, and most of the conventionals I encounter don't have easily available specifications.

I currently don't have the time to come up with exact definitions. I'm open for suggestions though! If you'd like to try, I can answer specific questions to my best knowledge (like in this comment).

I'll try to come up with rough definitions for you to vet. (Maybe QLC has descriptions, since they created the category names? I'll check.) (UPDATE: Nope, they don't.)

Pictures are really helpful here. Even simply knowing that "flower" (hard to search) is also called "moonflower" was useful. The category icons are great, once you know what they are, but at the point where we ask a user to select a category, perhaps we could display an image of a canonical example of each.

[kengruven]

I've created a rough draft (in #3358) of some descriptions for the 17 categories, and picked an example for each. I tried to pick examples which:

• are clearly in that category (and not a weird corner case, of which there are many)
• had a good and complete OFL entry
• have a webpage/video/manual/etc. so you can see what it looks like
• are not all from the same manufacturer

Not all categories were clear to me, and I have some questions:

• What's the difference between Matrix/Pixelbar? I took a guess. (Pixel Bar was added in New fixture categories "Pixel Bar" and "Stand" #587, which contains a link to a QLC+ discussion.)
• Is "Effect" meant to mean only non-lighting effects? For example, are water-styled lighting also "Effects"? Are Flowers a subtype of Effect? Or is "Other" meant to be used for non-lighting? (Right now, a UV-only fixture is Other.) I took a guess.

Also, I still think that it would be helpful to have a couple more categories:

• Conventionals, if we're going to keep them (I'm still on the fence), should have their own "Conventional" category. (See Support fixtures that are only controllable via dimmer pack #694.)
• I'd like a Spot/Beam/Wash distinction, too -- that's more useful to me than some of these categories.

Feedback welcome!

[kengruven]

An issue I've seen a few times: if a fixture's only color capability is "warm white" to "cool white", is it considered a "color changer"?

I don't know that I've ever seen an authoritative definition of "color changer", but my gut says no.

[FloEdelmann]

What's the difference between Matrix/Pixelbar? I took a guess.

That looks sorta right. I'll comment concrete suggestions in the PR.

Is "Effect" meant to mean only non-lighting effects? For example, are water-styled lighting also "Effects"?

That was actually never really defined. But I'd say a water-styled lighting effect should belong to the "Effect" category.

Are Flowers a subtype of Effect?

Yes, I think of it that way.

Or is "Other" meant to be used for non-lighting? (Right now, a UV-only fixture is Other.)

Not necessarily, e.g. pyro/flame effects should also be in the "Effects" category. Maybe it might make sense to add a new "Pyro" category? UV-only fixtures are basically dimmers in a different color, so they don't really belong into any other category. So maybe also add a new "UV" category?

Conventionals

See my answer in #694.

I'd like a Spot/Beam/Wash distinction, too -- that's more useful to me than some of these categories.

Sounds good 👍

if a fixture's only color capability is "warm white" to "cool white", is it considered a "color changer"?

My gut also says no 🙂

[kengruven]

if a fixture's only color capability is "warm white" to "cool white", is it considered a "color changer"?

My gut also says no 🙂

FWIW, today I noticed that the validator (which has no gut) will flag a warning "Category 'Color Changer' suggested since there are ColorPreset or ColorIntensity capabilities or Color wheel slots." when the only color-related capabilities are ColorIntensity channels "Cold White" and "Warm White".