Blackout User Manual

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Priority Hierarchy ​

Blackout follows a strict hierarchy to manage conflicting events and ensure smooth and predictable operation of controlling Fixtures. When a Fixture is controlled by two or more control sources, the hierarchy determines which source takes precedence. Understanding this hierarchy is crucial for effective use of the console, especially in complex lighting setups. Below is the order of priority that Blackout follows:

Priority Hierarchy
  1. Park
  2. Master Fader
  3. Inhibitive Faders
  4. Effects
  5. SUPER Faders
  6. FREEZE
  7. Command Line (Manual Values)
  8. HTP Faders
  9. HIGH Faders
  10. LTP Faders

Priority Hierarchy

  1. Park - Parking a Fixture, parameter, or output address at a certain value Universe 4 Address 510: 4/510 @ 255 is the topmost priority. Nothing, not even the Master Fader can modify this value. Parked values cannot be recorded into Looks.

    • This is usually done to park values so that one cannot easily change them. This is often used in a similar way to FREEZE or during a live event where you don’t want anything you do in the console to affect a certain group of lights such as background lights uplighting a banner. Park is much harder to release values from on purpose whereas FREEZE can easily be unfrozen quickly. Parked Fixtures/parameters will have a tree icon next to them.

  2. Master Fader - The Master Fader is used for inhibiting Fixture intensities globally throughout the app no matter what state or Fader has control, except for parked values.

  3. Inhibitive Fader - This priority state is used for overriding levels. Inhibitive Faders can be used to lower the intensity, regardless of what is set in other priority levels.

  4. Effects -

  5. SUPER Faders - This is the highest level of priority for a Fader. This priority is typically reserved for very critical objects that must always take precedence in your lighting setup, regardless of any other settings or changes happening on lower priority levels. By default, Super Faders are Exclude from Record which means the values they are affecting will not be recorded into any Looks you create.

  6. FREEZE - FREEZE is a way for users to temporarily FREEZE Fixtures so that the user can still play through Looks without those Fixtures changing.

    • This is most often used while programming a live show. A Lighting Designer is very quick to call out changes and often wants to see a temporary change they are making carry through a transition. The lighting programmer, FREEZES those changes, then is able to press Go and play the next Look. Those values are still frozen and do not adhere to the next move/change in the played Look. At this point, the programmer usually UNFREEZES a selection, updates their Look and discards the rest of the frozen Fixtures values or records them elsewhere. FREEZE can be easily turned on/off as it is a workflow tool vs PARK (see above Priority #1).

  7. Command Line (Manual Values) - The command line allows the user the ability to give precise values to targets in batches. This priority level is the same as changing a Fixture via the Fixture Controls Sidebar as those are still manual changes.

    • Note that only LTP, HIGH, and HTP (and frozen fixtures) can be overwritten by the commandline/manual changes.

  8. HTP Faders - In this mode, for intensity parameters only, the highest value from any control source is used. This is typical for controlling the brightness of lights, where you might have multiple Faders or inputs affecting the same light, and you want the highest intensity value to be the one that is output.

  9. HIGH Faders - This priority is a step above the normal LTP. It means that any command given at this priority level will override commands in the standard LTP priority. This is useful when you have a particular control or effect that you always want to take precedence over others set in the normal LTP mode.

  10. LTP Faders - This is the standard mode for handling conflicting control inputs. In this state, if there are multiple commands for the same control channel, the most recent command takes precedence over the others.

Key Concepts: HTP and LTP ​

There are two major concepts in this hierarchy that users need to understand: Highest Takes Precedence (HTP) and Latest Takes Precedence (LTP).

Latest Takes Precedence (LTP): This is the standard mode for handling conflicting control inputs. In this state, if there are multiple commands for the same control channel, the most recent command takes precedence over the others.

Highest Takes Precedence (HTP): In scenarios where multiple faders control the same attribute of a Fixture, the highest value from these Faders is used. HTP is exclusively applicable to the intensity of a Fixture. All Non-Intensity Parameters (NIPs) are always LTP simply because one color or gobo wheel cannot be higher than another. Faders set to HTP will output the highest intensity level from all control sources. This method is particularly useful when you want to ensure that the maximum possible intensity is always achieved, regardless of how many control sources are affecting the channel.

Understanding these principles and the overall priority hierarchy allows one to predict and control how their commands and faders will affect Fixtures, leading to more precise and creative lighting design.