Cooper Controls have announced the launch of Version 2 of the incredibly powerful LightFactory PC based lighting control software.
Version 2 brings major changes to the underlying software engine, increasing the power of the software and providing a more sophisticated operating platform for future releases. Utilising a host of Ethernet, USB and Software accessories, LightFactory offers the power of any lighting desk from a familiar user interface.
The launch of Version 2 also brings a host of new features and a new aesthetic design providing a more intuitive and powerful set of tools for the user. Key additions include:
A new fixture library engine provides a hybrid of 100% dynamic fixture and generic fixture control and inherits almost 2000 fixtures from the Zero 88 library. This means that not only can LightFactory handle complex fixtures with any number of attributes but can also control fixtures of multiple types in an abstract fashion. For example setting a zoom of 30deg can be done on any fixture and the software will work out if it’s possible to achieve this.
Special attribute controls including a rotation tool that can control gobos or effects and display them in RPM and direction, XYZ positioning for media servers and camera control and HSI colour mixing.
A new advanced colour heuristics system for multi colour fixtures. This system allows you to select multiple fixtures all with different colour mixing systems and apply a selected colour with optimal output. E.g the X7 by Seladore which offers 7 channels for colour mixing.
Version 2 also brings:
- Multi language support.
- New enhanced fan control offers options to fan most attribute types in a touch screen friendly interface.
- Enhanced Dimmer Patching screen with large number of fields of data it can track and more user-friendly ways of seeing what is already patched and where.
- Built in DMX merge function for integrating LightFactory into an existing control environment.
- Astronomical clock now included with the scheduler.
LightFactory controllers have been used in a large range of lighting applications – whether it is running major stadium spectaculars or controlling lighting in local theatre, television studios and night clubs the tools provided by LightFactory are ideal.
Lightfactory is the coolest. I mean, it’s like having a GrandMA for less than the tax on a GrandMA! Seriously, if you haven’t scoped this software out you should get on it. Could change your life like it did mine. Checkout the Behringer VCF2000 as a really cheap fader wing.
Features: 5/5
Interface: 4.5/5
Stability: -100/5
Lightfactory has heaps of features but I really think the developers should crack down on making the program more stable. I upgraded from v1 to v2 expecting the new version to of fixed the bugs in the first. It has lots of cool new features including the fixture editor but is the most unstable program I have ever used. I don’t know if its because Im using xp but on a gig I did on sunday, I lost count of how many times the program crashed when I got to about 20. It comes up with errors so often I’ve found that since it can only throw one at you at a time the best thing is to move the error box to the side of the screen until the program becomes completely unresponsive then it needs to be restarted.
I dont care about the matrixes, visualization and remote control, give me a program that doesn’t crash for pushing the cue go button!
About the bugs. I bought this software right when they released V2, and yes it had a ridiculous amount of bugs and crashed every 30 seconds. But they’ve since done a lot of updates and now it rarely has problems. A matter of fact, I don’t think its crashed on me in the past 6 months… now windows has had problems which is a whole other story.