ABSTRACT

An advanced software program called Show Director has been developed and it offers a new, easier, and more powerful tool to Create, Design, and Choreograph Pyrotechnic Displays in real time synchronization to music, lasers, lighting, film, water screens, and other multimedia elements. Show Director is designed to function in the easy to use and familiar Windows paradigm under the Windows 95™ or Windows NT™ operating System by Microsoft.

This paper explains the operation of Show Director through descriptions and presentations of the various operating screens. The extensive data management features are shown which demonstrate how the user can comprehensively manage complex Displays of any type or size.

Show Director clearly provides an easy to use, state-of-the-art design tool for the Multimedia Choreographer on a familiar platform offering great potential for further advancements well into the future.

INTRODUCTION

Show Director was created during 1997 and 1998 (1) to provide the pyrotechnic or multimedia choreographer with a new, more powerful, and advanced software tool for the design of pyrotechnic and multimedia displays. The basic design criteria of Show Director itself was twofold. The first requirement was that Show Director operate under the Microsoft Windows™ platform, being Windows 95™ / Windows 98™ or Windows NT™. The second requirement was that Show Director operate similar to, and improve upon, Pyrodigital Consultant's highly successful VER250 "Super Script". VER250 Super Script is an MS-DOS™ based program which has designed literally thousands of pyrotechnic displays of every type and size, from theme park nightly displays to 1st place victories at International Fireworks Competitions.

METHOD

The basic paradigm of Show Director is the same as that in Pyrodigital Consultant's VER250 Super Script, being one of scrolling descriptive event lines which are driven by time code. Either SMPTE time code or Pyrodigital time code can be used, with the source being tape (or equivalent), CD-ROM, or Wave file.

In other words, the computer listens to a series of discreet numbers representing time, while displaying a scrolling sequence of informational lines, each of which fully describe a pyrotechnic event. Each event line is related to a specific time via the time code. Since the time code is on a separate track of the tape, or internal to CD-ROM or Wave file, time becomes transparent and automatic. The choreographer simply listens to the music and sees the display he or she has created. It is the function of Show Director to assist the choreographer in creating these event information lines, thus creating the sequence of the entire display.

Show Director offers many extensive features to assist the choreographer in creating the series of event lines. The basic and most important information of the event line is the time of desired occurrence of the event. This can be captured directly, similar toVER250, by simply depressing the spacebar while listening to the music. Show Director also supports importing the event times through other programs. Event lines can also be created automatically as a series of events relating to a specific block of time, number of events, or desired interval time spacing.

Show Director maintains an internal database which contains extensive information relating to the pyrotechnic device itself. Specific pyrotechnic devices are entered into the event lines directly, or more conveniently by inserting them or dragging & dropping them from the Show Director database. The database information within Show Director can be directly entered or imported and exported from/to all major database formats. The event line sequence, or the Script as it is called, can also be exported and re-imported from all major database formats for additional processing or enhanced printing.

Many parameters of Show Director can be adjusted to suit the specific task at hand or the preferences of the choreographer. Columns can be hidden or changed in color. Additionally the program follows all the standard Windows sizing and general attributes.

Once the show has been created, the information can be printed in various reports or exported. Also the Script can be directly downloaded into an automated firing system.

Additionally, Show Director offers a Manual Mode. The manual mode displays the firing cue number at the correct firing time along with other helpful information. The manual mode is thus used by the choreographer to create a set of verbal announcement firing cues for operation of a manual firing board.

DISCUSSION

Show Director's File System

The Show Director stores information in Project files (.pyr). Project files contain the Script Manager and Effect Manager. Projects also save the configurations for Firing Tables, Cue and Effect Filter parameters, screen sizes, colors, and fonts as settings of the Project. The Script Manager is the scripting window where the cues are captured and translated to a time cue and also where the pyrotechnic device information for the cue is inserted. The information for the pyrotechnic devices is stored in the Effects Manager or effects database. It is possible to insert an effect or effects from the Effects Manager to the Script Manager in various ways, as will be explained later. It is only possible to have one project open at a time. If another project is open, the current one on screen will close. Changes are automatically saved. It is possible to create projects as templates of preferred configurations. It is possible to have different configurations for the number of tables, columns visibility, column colors, etc..

Script Manager
With Show Director it is possible to can create a new Script file (filename..scx), import a .csv file created with any spreadsheet or database application (like Excel), or import your existing .sho files from VER250 Super Script software. Also Show Director Script files (.scx) can be exported in various formats to be opened in a spreadsheet application for more complex editing or presentations. The Script window has the following columns, as shown in Fig 1.

CUE: Displays the Cue or shot number.

HH MM SS FF: Displays the Time in Hours, Minutes, and Seconds, and the Frames.

NEXT: Display the time to the next Cue. 00:00:00. Minutes, Seconds, and Frames.

EVENT DESCRIPTION: Space for 52 Characters. For notes while scripting; musical
descriptions or possible effects.

PFT: 2 Characters. Pre-Fire Time. In 1/10 of second (rise time/pre-ignition of pyro effect)

ADDR: Display the address for the Pyrodigital Firing System. Hexadecimal number.
Maximum address is 7FF.

CGHZ: Displays the Caliber Group Hazard. Numbers 1 to 16. Corresponds to the Caliber Group in the Pyrodigital Field Controller. This is the field that will be downloaded as Caliber to the Field Controller. Used to lock out corresponding cues during Firing

POS: Displays Position. 6 Characters. Where the effect is located. Alphanumeric sort.

ANGLE: Displays Launching Angle or special positioning of the device. 10 Characters.

QTY: Displays Quantity of product Used. 4 Characters. To obtain the price sum it must have a value.

CAL: Displays Caliber. 3 Characters. No ( , ) or ( . ) .

TYPE: 36 Characters. Type of product; Shell, Roman Candle, Mine, Gerb, Double shell,
Chrysanthemum, Peony, etc..

EFFECT DESCRIPTION: 52 Characters. Description of the Effect. Red, Blue, etc..

DUR: 00:00 .Seconds and Frames. Duration of the Effect.

REF: 16 Characters. Product Number or Reference number of the Product.

MFG: 12 Characters. Manufacturer.

MAGAZINE: 6 Characters. Magazine location where the product is stored.

PRICE1: 12,345,678.90 (no currency signs are permitted). Three types of prices, cost,
wholesale, retail, with electric match, etc.

PRICE2: 12,345,678.90

PRICE3: 12,345,678.90

CUSTOM1: 12 Characters. This field can be used for notes. Pre-addressed product, etc.,
or additional parameters for sorting.

CUSTOM2: 12 Characters, sortable field.

Any of these columns can be hidden or unhidden by the user at any time with the Options menu.
Effect Manager
The Effect Manager (filename.efx) is the Show Director products database. Show Director can open simultaneously only these two windows; the Script and the Effect Manager, and only one Effect Manager and one Script at a time. There is no limit on the number of effect Manager files that can be created for different products, stocks and applications. Each Effect Manager has 5 Filters available. A complete database including all the inventory could be filtered by, for example; indoor products, outdoor products, or other product classifications.

The Effect Manager files, can be easily created or imported from a .csv file created with Excel, Access or any database/spreadsheet application. It is possible to Export a Show Director Effect file (.efx) to various formats to be opened with any spreadsheet or word processor application for inventory update or more complex editing or presentation.

These following are the format parameters of the columns on the database:

CAL: 3 Characters. Caliber

TYPE: 24 Characters. Type of product; Shell, Roman Candle, Mine, Gerb, etc..

PFT: 2 Characters. Pre-Fire Time. In 1/10 of second (rise time/pre-ignition of pyro effect)

DUR: 00:00. Seconds and Frames. Duration of the Effect

EFFECT DESCRIPTION: 52 Characters. Description of the Effect. Red, Blue, etc..

REF: 16 Characters. Product number or reference number of the product.

MFG: 12 Characters. Manufacturer.

MAGAZINE: 6 Characters. Magazine location where the product is stored.

PRICE1: 12,345,678,90 (no currency signs are permitted). Three types of prices, cost,
wholesale, retail, etc.

PRICE2: 12,345,678,90

PRICE : 12,345,678,90

CUSTOM1: 12 Characters. Use this column for Total number of pieces in Inventory.
Sortable field.

CUSTOM2: 12 Characters. Use this field for notes. Pre-addressed product, etc.. Sortable
field.

Source Configuration

The Show Director has the following time code sources for scripting shows; Pyrodigital time code, SMPTE time code (30 fps non drop or drop, 25 fps European, or 25 fps film), Internal CD-Audio, and WAVE (.wav) sound file format. (See Fig 2)

a. Time Code: Pyrodigital time code or SMPTE (24, 25, 30ND or 30D)

A external or internal source of a minimum two channel (stereo) tape, CD, mini Disc, WAVE Player, etc., with a soundtrack and time code striped. This option requires the Pyrodigital modem or a SMPTE modem connected to the your computer. If using an internal source (the same computer) to play the CD or WAVE, the stereo audio output can be connected to the audio input of the modem and a speaker for the time code and music respectively. The soundtrack can be played in the computer at the same time that Show Director is running.

b. WAVE file (.wav)

The soundtrack can be played from a .wav file stored in the computer hard drive, and cues can be captured at the same time. For the final show tape the clock of the music and the time code tracks must be aligned the same values.

c. CD Audio on your internal CD-ROM drive.

With a CD audio player in the computer is possible to play CDs and capture cues directly from them.

General Functions and Cues Menu

The Show Director has an extensive set of functions that allow the choreographer to perform quick and sophisticated scripting operations. (See Fig 3) The level of automation on many scripting routines is very high, increasing precision and saving a great amount of time. To be more specific in these important features, they will be described and are listed as follows;

1. Capture Cues F2
2. Save New Cues
3. Clear New Cues
4. Copy Cues Ctrl+C
5. Cut Cues Ctrl+X
6. Paste Cues Ctrl+V
7. Insert Cues Ctrl+I
8. Duplicate Cues Ctrl+D
9. Insert Effects Ctrl+E
10. Sort Ctrl+S
11. Filter Ctrl+F
12. Import Cues
13. Export Cues
14. Renumber Cues F3
15. Renumber Address F4
16. Validate Addresses F5
18. Refresh Grid F8
19. Locate (Address, Cue # or Time) F11
20. Options..

Capturing Cues
The Show Director, has two operating modes: Edit and Capture. This is necessary to update the database and to allow the com port to be released for other applications. To capture and insert time cues, Capture must be ON. The Clock of the screen displays a HH:MM:SS:FF clock in sync with the time code. When pressing the space bar, the New Cues indicator displays the total of the cues entered, the Last Cue, and the time of the last cue. The Script window displays the new cues with the <CAPTURE> sign in the Event Description column. The columns HH:MM:SS:FF display the exact time of the cues. When stopping the tape or time code input, the Script Window will update and save automatically the cues entered. The cues can also be saved at any time during capture by going to the Cue menu and clicking on Save Cues.

When rewinding the tape and playing (Capture must be ON to play the cues), the next cue on the time sequence will be highlighted in blue as it scrolls, and as the cues time match the time code running clock, they will be highlighted as well. The blue highlighting of the events is programmed to be stable at the bottom of the first third of your window. Therefore at the beginning of the script it will scroll down to find the position of the screen, and at the end will move down until the last cue is highlighted. Up to 500 cues may be captured before being saved.

It is possible to type directly or enter a modification or adjustment in the time HH:MM:SS:FF, by selecting the cell and typing a new number. It is also possible to increase or decrease the time value by Pressing (+) to increase, or (-) to decrease.

Editing the Script
To insert an Effect, type the effect directly into the script window or select one or multiple effects from the Effect Manager. It is possible to select multiple cues and insert multiple effects in all of them. To change an effect, select another one in the Effect manager and insert it by typing Crtl+E. It is also possible to click the right mouse on the desired effect and drag it into the script and release the mouse to drop the effect into your desired cue.

To search and select an effect within the Script window, type a reference number in the Reference column and the effect will be displayed in the Script row automatically. The search is by approximation and displayed in the Effects Manager window, so that numbers can be added until one is close or in the effect desired. Pressing return will insert the effect.

Copy, Cut and Paste

With this feature of the Show Director, it is possible to copy or cut any selection on the Script and paste it in any other cue with automatic time reset to the inserted cue. It is also the way to make offsets (Cut) on parts or the whole script.

Insert Cues: Ctrl+I
This is a powerful Show Director feature, with great flexibility. (See Fig 4) It is a real time saver. The Insert/Edit cues window is at the same time a calculator. Use this window to do the following operations: Insert any number of cues, with a selected effect, address, position and interval of firing. There are 3 methods of operation.

1. Compute # Cues: Select a time in and a time out for the effect and interval. Show
Director will calculate the number of cues necessary.

2. Compute Interval: Select a time in and a time out and the number of cues. Show
Director will calculate the interval between cues.

3. Compute Duration: Select a time in, the number of cues and the interval. Show
Director will calculate the time out.

To any of these methods it is possible to assign the selected effect in the Effects Manager with a position, correlative or offset addresses, angle, quantity, Caliber Group Hazard number, and an Event Description.

Sort Ctrl+S
Show Director allows sorting of the Script and Effect Manager by four different criteria, correspondent to any of the window columns. (See Fig 5) The default sort is by Time.

Filters: Ctrl+F
Show Director allows filtering the script by Cues, Time, Positions, Addresses and Calibers. (See Fig 6) To work separately in a particular area of the script, use the filter option. The Cues marquis on the tool bar allows the user to select any of the filters that are set. Select All Cues to display the entire script. Select a Cue Filter and the data filtered by the parameters set in the Filter Window will be displayed. Also there are as many filters as tables selected in the Field Controller Configuration Menu (up to 12).

Duplicate Cues: Ctrl+D.
By selecting a row, rows, or any cell in a row, and pressing Ctrl-D (or Duplicate Cues in the Cue menu), the row, or rows will be duplicated. Press Ctrl-D as many times as the effect needs to be duplicated. It is possible to duplicate a multiple selection, of adjacent rows or non-adjacent rows.

Insert Current Effect: Ctrl+E
In the Effects Manager, select a single effect, subsequent effects, or a non-adjacent selection of effects, and in the Script Manager select one or multiples cues. Insert Current effect or pressing Ctrl-E will insert the selected effects in the selected cues.

Import Cues And Export Cues
Show Director allows exporting parts of the script, and inserting them with the time offset to other script. The Import/Export cues can also be used as a data bank and editor for songs or preset sequences that can be used in different shows many times. For example, to reuse the same song, mine run, or a finale sequence, etc., save all these sequences by exporting, and then import them to a new script, with all the product data included.

Locate (Address, Cue # or Time): F11
It is easy to navigate through the script and make changes if desired. Selecting Locate or pressing F11 will display the Locate Window, where an Address, Time Event in HH:MM:SS:FF, or a Cue Number can be selected.

Validate Addresses: F5
Once finished addressing, Validate the Script by checking for repeated addresses. If any addresses are duplicated, the ERROR message indicates the Cue number and the Address duplicated, and at the same time highlights, on the Script Window, the row with the error.

Refresh Grid - Calculate Total Price: F8
The Refresh Grid command sorts the script by the current options set in the Sort Menu. By default the sort is by Time. Refresh also computes and adds new values for the NEXT column, and updates the TOTAL Price 1-2-3 sum.

Options
This is one of the fanciest looking features of Show Director. It is possible to format the Script and Effects Manager Windows to the user's taste. The choreographer can customize the appearance of each column individually, by groups of adjacent selections, or all at once. It offers the following features:

· Select Font, Font Style, Size. The Rows are re-sizable by pointing in between the left row buttons. Make them as big as you want. This could be useful for manually fired shows to have a large, readable and contrasted display.

· Foreground and Background Color. Choose the colors of each column or define custom colors.

· Visible or Invisible Columns. When not using or needing a particular column or columns, hide them by deselecting the visible check mark.

· Save the Project file, by clicking the Floppy Disk Icon, and all the Options settings are saved.
To use the configuration in a new project, open the template project, load a script and save it as new name.

Effects Menu

The Effects Menu contains the commands to operate within the Effect Manager window. See Fig 7) The functions are identical to those of the Cues Menu. The same instructions for Script Window apply to Effects Manager: SORT, FILTER, DUPLICATE EFFECTS, REFRESH GRID, OPTIONS.

Locate Effect. (Ref# Shift+F11)
This is a particular feature of the Effects Manager. To locate an effect by reference number, just enter it in the Go To Effects window.

Manual Mode

Description of Manual Mode, when manual mode is entered: (See Fig 8)

a. If the script window is on the screen, the PFT (Pre Fire Time/Delay) column is locked (i.e. edits not allowed) and the time (HMSF) is adjusted by the PFT. The time displayed is the Fire Time. The PFT column is locked, so that when manual mode is terminated, time is converted back to the original event time (Firing Time + PFT).

b. If the script window in not on the screen, when the script is opened the script will be converted to the manual mode (i.e., the time will be adjusted to Fire Time).

When manual mode is active, the Manual Pull Down Menu is enabled. This Menu has the following functions:

Configuration
Display Countdown
Renumber Cues
Validate Cues with Tolerance
Convert script to Normal Mode

Configuration: This screen contains all the Manual Mode parameters: The current set includes:

Tolerance (H:M:S:F): Specifies how near cues can be to each other. The validate function will use this number to compare cue times (if cues are too close together, they are difficult to Fire on a manual panel; consolidate or adjust the script as required).
Response delay (tenths): Sets the number of tenths of a second at which the "FIRE" wave file is to be played, to compensate for the Firing Operator's Delay in physically initiating the Firing button/probe on a manual Firing board.

Display Countdown: This window has a countdown HMSF/Cue #/and Fire indicator. Everything is in big fonts for easy visibility.

Renumber Cues: This function allows a quick and semi-automatic addressing of the number of Firing Positions per rail/slat on the manual firing system. It is possible to set the number of cues per rail/slat and automatically renumber all the script.

Validate Cues with Tolerance: This function flags occurrences of inter-cue times that do not meet the specified tolerance. The user specifies a tolerance and is able to select all, or selected cues for validation. It operates similar to the address validation in that the user is able to ignore/proceed past conditions that fail the check. This function insures that user has not specified cues too close together for actual operation of the manual firing system.

Convert script to normal mode: This function allows the user to perform the Time = time + PFT function manually if a file has been corrupted.

Reports Menu

Script Manager
Show Director produces, within the application, various pre-defined Reports and Summaries. (See Fig 9) Reports are Lists of all the data contained in the Effects Manager, with the applied Filter, and with predetermined sorts, following the order of the columns from left to right. Summaries are tables with computed information about Caliber use, by subtotals, or for each individual item. In the lower tool bar there is a summary of Cost for each Price category that can be updated by pressing F8.

The Reports and summaries open in a separate control window that can be left open to check as the show is scripted or sent to the Windows tool bar. The window has navigational controls, page by page, zoom in and out. The report can be saved to a large variety of file formats thus allowing it to be opened in another application such as Excel, Word, etc., in order to edit the format, alter the order of the columns, sort differently, apply other calculations, or print differently. If this is unsatisfactory, the whole Script can be exported as a .csv file, opened with Excel or another spreadsheet/database application and adjusted for a final print out. It is also possible to combine exported reports in another application. With these additional functions, the options are unlimited, and Show Director offers the widest possible flexibility.

Script Report Displays the following Columns:

Show Report: Lists of all the cues with description.
SHOT, HH MM SS FF, CAL, QTY, TYPE, FFECT DESCRIPTION, POS, ADDR,
ANGLE

Event Report: Lists of all the music cues for pre-scripting.
SHOT, HH MM SS FF, NEXT, EVENT DESCRIPTION, CAL, QTY, POS, ANGLE,
CUSTOM1, CUSTOM2

Loading Report: Lists of all the products sorted by Position.
POS, ADDR, CAL, QTY, TYPE, EFFECT DESCRIPTION, REF, ANGLE

Product Report: Lists of all the products sorted by Reference.
REF, CAL, TYPE, FFECT DESCRIPTION, MAGAZINE, POS, QTY, ADDR, TOTAL
(for each product)

Product Summary: Lists of each type of product sorted by Reference and with total used.
REF, CAL, TYPE, EFFECT DESCRIPTION, MAGAZINE, CUSTOM1, TOTAL (each)

Caliber Summary: List of total quantities per each caliber:
CALIBER, QUANTITY

Show Effects and Cost: Lists of products sorted by REFERENCE with COST

Loading Screen Sort Report: Lists with the sort order in the Script.
POS, ADDR, CAL, QTY, TYPE, EFFECT DESCRIPTION, REF, ANGLE

Export All Columns: Exports all the columns to the following format files:
Character separated values, csv, rpt, dif, xls, html, wk1, wk2, wks, odbc, access, txt, doc, etc.. The script can be opened in other application for advanced editing, printing, or file integration.

Effects Manager
There are five types of Effect Reports; by Caliber, by Reference, by Type, by Screen Sort. These Reports display the following columns:

CAL, TYPE, PFT, DUR, EFFECT DESCRIPTION, REF, MFG, MAGAZINE, PRICE1

Export all columns, exports all the columns to the same file formats as Script Reports. Event or Script Reports and Effects reports can be printed within Show Director, delivered via email service, or exported to a variety of file formats for a more sophisticated printing layout.

CONCLUSIONS

New ideas and possible improvements are evolving constantly from a growing number of experienced users. The authors will continue to release more advanced versions of this software in the future.

The Advanced Pyrotechnic and Multimedia Choreography Software program, Show Director clearly does provide a powerful new tool for the pyrotechnic and multimedia choreographer. Built for the Windows platform, as an enhanced version of the successful Super Script, Show Director provides the Choreographer with a familiar environment which offers greater capability to design the next generation of increasingly complex and sophisticated pyrotechnic and multimedia displays.

REFERENCES

1. The Advanced Pyrotechnic and Multimedia Choreography Software Program, named Show Director, was created during 1997 and 1998, a collaborative work between Alberto Navarro of Infinity Visions and Ken G. Nixon of Pyrodigital Consultants. The original code was written by Edward Buchwalter of Binary Systems in Visual Basic™ to specifications by Mr. Navarro and Mr. Nixon.
2. A complete description and operation manual of Show Director and the Pyrodigital Phase III Computerized Firing system can be found at the following sites:

http:/www.infinityvisions.com/Show Director.htm