Groups

Tip

Functions are marked with a 2️⃣ symbol if they can only be used with MA2. Functions are marked with a 3️⃣ symbol if they can only be used with MA3. Functions without a symbol can be used on both systems.

With just one click, you can create various types of groups using prepare. The Group section of the drawer has four windows:

• Sorted Groups: groups based on any combination of FixtureType, Position, Function or your own templates.
• Sub-ID Groups: the same groups, plus a group for each module of multi-module FixtureTypes.
• XYZ Groups: groups sorted by their 3D position.
• FX Groups: groups along the forms of the preset generator.

You can also filter which fixtures are used when creating these groups with the Filter button in the drawer. Check here to see the available filter options.

If desired, prepare can also set the appearance for each group according to the FixtureType or Position. Simply use the Appearance button in the drawer and assign colors as needed.

Note

Once the appearance is configured, it will be consistently applied to both groups and layouts.

Sorted Groups

Sorted Groups are created in up to three hierarchy levels. For each level you choose:

Option	Description
Group by	FixtureType, Position, Function or Template.
Sort by	FixtureID, Name Ascending, Name Descending or Appearance.
Set Name	Rename the groups of this level with a template, e.g. only the FixtureType.
Set Grouping	Only with Group by: Template. A template that decides which fixtures end up in one group — every fixture with the same result shares a group, e.g. {{ z > 3 }} for high and low fixtures.

Here’s an example with all three levels: FixtureType, Position and Function. The items are sorted by FixtureType, with the ShortNames “Wash” and “Spot,” Positions “Rig” and “Floor,” and Functions “LX1-LX4,” as well as “Left” and “Right.”

All Wash
├── Wash Rig
│   ├── Wash Rig LX 1
│   ├── Wash Rig LX 2
│   ├── Wash Rig LX 3
│   └── Wash Rig LX 4
├── Wash Floor
    ├── Wash Floor Left
    └── Wash Floor Right

All Spot
├── Spot Rig
│   ├── Spot Rig LX 1
│   ├── Spot Rig LX 2
│   ├── Spot Rig LX 3
│   └── Spot Rig LX 4
├── Spot Floor
    ├── Spot Floor Left
    └── Spot Floor Right

prepare will automatically organize the groups in the view, so you won’t need to manually rearrange them after creation. Therefore, it is crucial to adjust the View-Width to the Group-View in your Showfile.

Option	Description
View-Width	Specifies the width of the Group View in your showfile.
Orientation	Determines whether the groups are sorted horizontally or vertically.
Include Instances	If checked, all Sub-Instances will also be stored in the group. It might be good to disable it when working with the grandMA3 hierarchy.
Sort Dummies	When checked, dummy fixtures are sorted in the middle of the group. If not checked, they are placed at the end.
Prefix / Suffix	A text added in front of or after every group name.
3️⃣ Export 3D Grid	Places the fixtures of every group in the grid according to their 3D position.
3️⃣ 3D Orientation	Defines the orientation of the MA3 Grid: Top, Front or Side.
3️⃣ Set Grid Cell Size to	Sets the size of each grid cell in meters.

Note

3️⃣ On grandMA3, the groups can have a grid based on their 3D positions. For instance, if you set the grid cell size to 1, each cell will measure 1 meter. If you set it to 0.01, each cell will be 1 centimeter, provided the checkbox is selected (☑️). If the checkbox is not selected, the grid will automatically adjust to the minimum distance between the selected fixtures.

Press Create Groups to create the groups.

Sub-ID Groups

If your showfile includes fixtures with multiple modules, it’s beneficial to create groups representing these distinct modules. For instance, consider the GLP X4 Bar, which has two modules: the Main Module and the Pixels. prepare creates the same groups as in Sorted Groups, but adds a group for each Module of a FixtureType. The names of these groups end with the module.

The window uses the same options as Sorted Groups. Press Create Sub-ID Groups to create them.

XYZ Groups

When you need groups sorted by their 3D position, XYZ Groups provide the perfect solution.

2️⃣ On the MA2 platform, XYZ Groups create 12 distinct groups, each representing a unique combination of 3D orientation and reading direction. These groups are:

• “Top X+”
• “Top X-”
• “Top Y+”
• “Top Y-”
• “Front X+”
• “Front X-”
• “Front Z+”
• “Front Z-”
• “Side Y+”
• “Side Y-”
• “Side Z+”
• “Side Z-”

For instance, the “Top X+” group views fixtures from above, sorting them first along the x-axis in the positive direction, then along the y-axis, and finally along the z-axis.

3️⃣ On the MA3 platform, the system creates 3 groups sorted by FixtureID, organized in a grid based on 3D orientation. These groups are:

• “Top”
• “Front”
• “Side”

Press Create XYZ Groups to create them. The current filter is applied.

FX Groups

FX Groups use the forms of the preset generator. For every selected form, all fixtures that get the same value share a group. For instance, the “Line X >” form with a Grouping of 4 creates four groups from left to right. The groups of each form are placed in their own block in the group view, and the name of the origin is added to the group names.

You can use the origins, forms and options of the preset generator (without the min/max values). With Group sorting you decide in which order the fixtures are stored inside each group: along the Main Function or the Secondary Function of the form.

Press Create FX Groups to create them.