Layouts

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.

Getting layouts into grandMA is straightforward when your showfile contains 3D data. However, you often need to make significant adjustments to ensure they are both visually appealing and functional. With prepare, you can create precise and efficient layouts quickly and effortlessly. The Layout section of the drawer has five windows: Single Layout, Multi Layout, SubID Layout, Straight Layout and FX Layout.

You can customize the border color with the Appearance button in the drawer, and filter your data with the Filter button. For more information on filtering your data, please refer to this resource.

Note

3️⃣ The coordinates of grandMA3 layouts are limited. If a layout is too big, prepare asks whether it should be scaled down or split into several layouts.

Single Layout

Here, you can create layouts based on orientation and rotation. Additionally, you have the option to add a background image, such as a plot of your setup.

Option	Description
Layout Name	Specify the name of the layout.
Rotation	Adjust the rotation in degrees.
Orientation	Determine the side from which the 3D data is projected onto the 2D layout canvas: Top, Front or Side.
Set Fixturesize to	If enabled, all fixtures will have the same specified size in the layout; otherwise, the size from the Fixture Type is used.
Include Multifixtures	If enabled, all instances of a fixture will be set to the specified size.
Create Layout for each Module	Creates a separate layout for each module of multi-module fixtures.
Export Image	Click here for more details.

Press Create Layout to create it.

Multi Layout

prepare can generate multiple layouts with a single click. With Create Layouts for you choose whether you get one layout per FixtureType, Position or Function. For any other split, use Set Grouping with a template: prepare creates one layout for every result.

All other options are the same as in the Single Layout. Press Create Multi Layouts to create them.

SubID Layout

It is possible to design layouts where all SubIDs are stacked vertically. This arrangement enables you to represent a single fixture from a specific FixtureType. When you drag over one instance, it will select the same instance for every fixture in the show file.

Select the multi-instance FixtureType and, if needed, Create Layout for each Module. Then press Create SubId Layout.

Straight Layout

A Straight Layout ignores the 3D positions and puts every group into one clean row, labelled with a text. This is great for fast selections, e.g. on a festival rig. Multi-instance fixtures stay together in one cell.

Option	Description
Include Type / Position / Function	Which fields define a row.
Set Grouping	Define the rows with a template instead.
Sort by Fixture ID within each group	Orders the fixtures of each row by their Fixture ID.
Separate Multi-Instance Modules	Creates one row per module for multi-module fixtures.
3️⃣ One Cell per Fixture / Sub-Fixture	Every fixture, sub-fixture and dummy gets exactly one cell on a tight grid. See below.
Sort Rows by	FixtureID, ShortType, Function, Position, Appearance or FunctionID.
Sort Fixtures within Rows by	FixtureID or FunctionID.

Press Create Layout to create it.

FX Layout

An FX Layout also puts every group into one row, but uses an origin from the preset generator: the fixtures on the left side of the origin are placed in the left part of the row, the fixtures on the right side in the right part. The fixtures are sorted by their function ID. This makes it easy to select fixtures symmetrically from the centre.

The options are the same as in the Straight Layout (Include Type / Position / Function, Set Grouping, Separate Multi-Instance Modules and 3️⃣ One Cell per Fixture / Sub-Fixture). Press Create FX Layout to create it.

3️⃣ One cell per fixture

With One Cell per Fixture / Sub-Fixture, the real fixture sizes are ignored. Every fixture, sub-fixture and dummy gets a cell of exactly one grid unit, directly next to each other. Dummies stay empty cells, so the rows line up. This ensures that the selection grid remains without unnecessary gaps.

Export Image

For improved organization, especially in larger setups, incorporating a plot in the background of your layout can be highly beneficial. Achieving this is straightforward using prepare. The primary requirement is to know the dimensions and position of your image in meters. If you’re using CAD software, exporting a plot with the necessary details should be simple.

Enable Export Image in the Single or Multi Layout window.

• 2️⃣ In MA2, you have the option to select an image from the Image Pool (Pool No, List Images) or upload one directly from your computer into the show file (Upload Image). X and Y are the center of the image.
• 3️⃣ In MA3, you can only upload an image directly from your computer into the show file (Choose Image). X and Y are the top left corner of the image.

Once the image is uploaded or the file name is selected, enter the position and the size (Width, Height) of the image. After setting these values, any layout you create will display that image in the background.