I've run into a number of issues due to the inherent limitations of the built-in library. A large number of the topics I see in this forum would be solved by allowing the user to have broad customization of existing fixtures or creating a new category of user fixtures.
Whether a light creates beams, which surfaces emit light, and the materials on each model are clearly things that are customizable by the developers. Obviously, so are the personalities of each fixture.
I can, as an example, use a Martin Sceptron. The light source is an emissive surface and does not create beams in the air. I can alse use a GLP X4-20 bar, but it does create beams in the air. I can turn off "throws light" on the X4-20 bar, but then it doesn't actually cast light on something. This is an issue when I'm trying to use a fixture to light up a person on stage where a beam causes multiple issues.
Many non-generic fixtures have different lenses that have different materials, yet they emit light just the same. Most of the surfaces on the fixtures are a dark grey and not a true black, which means any ambient lighting I add causes me to have to see fixtures that I wouldn't otherwise. This also causes issues with color rendering with ambient lighting. Dimming a light with the grey material to 20% in blue is essentially impossible because the ambient lighting hitting the fixture's material overpowers the emissision of the light.
The solution Capture has given is to use the Texture generator function, which is my specific example as to why personality editing is essential. I simply have no control over the limited channel arrangements that fixture has. If I want strobe, I can't have it. If my fixture's personality is IRGB and not RGBI, I have to do some unfortunate things on the patching side to make my Previz work.
Once again, the developers very clearly have control over the following fixture attributes. Giving users control over the following would greatly improve each users' experience and eliminate many workarounds:
- The material of a lighting fixture including its emissive surface
- Suggested method: Allowing the user to drag materials onto generic fixtures similar to other 3D objects
- Whether or not a lighting fixture creates beams in smoke
- Suggested method: Adding a new drop down feature in the "selected item" section that gives users access to the "has beams" variable of each fixture.
- The entire personality of a fixture
- Suggested method 1: Allow users to upload a console's XML personality files to a user fixture
- Suggested method 2: Create a new "custom personality" option on the fixture's drop down menu accessible in the "selected item" section that allows a user to add to the existing database file
- Editing fixture's other attributes not mentioned above
- Suggested method: Allow users to edit all of the other variables in a user fixture's database with an "advanced fixture editor" function.
Please include these functions. I understand the desire to have the library as self-contained rather than as a separate file(s), and I don't believe implementing this function would harm that.
There are manufacturer fixtures that SHOULDN'T have any more customization. There are generic fixtures that offer more customization, but that Capture still wants to provide regular library updates for. I'm suggesting a third category. A user spot, beam, omnidirectional bulb, etc (basically anything that already has a generic version) that gets one update push per year, but where users are otherwise on their own. This doesn't have to conflict with your regular update schedule, it doesn't have to change how the library functions, and it will solve so many issues!