Zero88 FROG 2 User manual

FROG 2
OPERATING MANUAL

FROG 2 OPERATING MANUAL
If a portable or temporary three
phase mains supply is used to
power this desk, we recommend
that the desk mains plug is
removed before connecting or
disconnecting the supply.
Serious damage will occur if the
desk is connected across two
phases.
This equipment is designed for
use as a lighting control desk
only, and is unsuitable for any
other purpose. It should only be
used by, or under the
supervision of, an appropriately
qualified or trained person.
Zero 88 Lighting Ltd. reserves
the right to make changes to the
equipment described in this
manual without prior notice.
E & OE.
Federal Communications Commission
This equipment has been tested and
found to comply with the limits for a
Class A digital device, pursuant to
part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits
are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful
interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial
environment. This equipment
generates, uses, and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with
the instruction manual, may cause
harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is
likely to cause unacceptable
interference in which case the user
will be required to correct the
interference at the operators expense.
Issue 4 – October 2006
Manual Stock No. 73-760-00
Software Version 4.0
© Zero 88 Lighting Ltd. 2006
Zero 88 Lighting Ltd.
Usk House
Llantarnam Park
Cwmbran
Gwent NP44 3HD
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone] *
Fax: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]
Web: www.zero88.com
* 24 hour answerphone

Page 4 Frog 2 Operating Manual – Issue 4
Introduction ............................................... 7
This Manual........................................... 7
Conventions .......................................... 7
The Frog 2 Lighting Desk ...................... 8
Front Panel Controls ........................... 10
The Frog 2 Development Team .......... 16
Quick Start Tutorial ................................. 17
Getting Started .................................... 17
Setting Up the Desk ............................ 17
Adding Fixtures ................................... 18
Patching Fixtures................................. 19
Editing Fixtures ................................... 21
Desk Setup.......................................... 23
Saving Shows ..................................... 24
Loading Shows.................................... 25
Clear Options ...................................... 25
Exiting Setup ....................................... 25
The Program Window.......................... 26
Controlling Fixtures ............................. 27
Cues.................................................... 31
Palettes ............................................... 34
User Definable Faders (UDF).............. 36
User Definable Keys (UDK)................. 37
Groups ................................................ 38
Setup ...................................................... 39
Patch ................................................... 40
Adding Fixtures ................................... 40
Patching Fixtures................................. 42
Patch Views ........................................ 44
Editing Fixtures ................................... 46
Auto Menus ......................................... 50
Absolute Addressing ........................... 51
Desk Setup.......................................... 52
Files..................................................... 60
Clear Options ...................................... 63
Ethernet Options ................................. 65
Groups.....................................................67
Group Window.....................................67
Master Groups.....................................68
Automatic Groups ................................68
User Defined Groups ...........................68
Naming Groups....................................69
Copying Groups...................................69
Moving Groups ....................................69
Deleting Groups...................................69
Programming...........................................71
The Program Window ..........................71
Selecting Fixtures ................................73
Controlling Fixture Parameters ............74
Tagging Parameters ............................76
The Command Line .............................76
Record Options Window ......................77
Fade and Delay Times.........................81
Wheel Editing Modes...........................84
Try Cue Function .................................86
Highlight Function ................................86
Home Function ....................................86
Active Key............................................87
Update Options Window ......................88
Knockout Function ...............................90
Park Function.......................................90
Rem Dim Function ...............................90
Clear ....................................................90
Cues, Stacks and Pages .........................91
Cues ....................................................91
The Cue Stack Window .......................92
Programming Cues..............................95
Naming Cues .......................................96
Editing Cue Output Levels ...................96
Editing Cue Fade and Delay Times .....97
Editing Cue Triggers ............................97
Adding Macros to Cues........................98

Frog 2 Operating Manual – Issue 4 Page 5
Playing Back Cues .............................. 99
Copying Cues.................................... 101
Moving Cues ..................................... 101
Deleting Cues.................................... 101
Cue Stacks........................................ 102
Cue Stack Directory Window............. 102
Naming Cue Stacks........................... 103
Copying Cue Stacks.......................... 103
Moving Cue Stacks ........................... 103
Deleting Cue Stacks.......................... 103
Cue Stack Setup Window.................. 104
Pages................................................ 111
Page Window .................................... 111
Loading a Page onto the Playbacks.. 112
Naming Pages................................... 112
User Definable Faders (UDFs) ............. 113
The UDF / UDK Window ................... 114
The UDF Setup Window.................... 115
Group UDF........................................ 118
Fixture Parameter UDF ..................... 118
Cue UDF ........................................... 118
Channel Data UDF............................ 119
Time UDF.......................................... 119
Override UDF .................................... 120
Virtual Playback Master UDF ............ 120
Editing User Definable Faders .......... 121
Deleting User Definable Faders ........ 121
User Definable Keys (UDKs) ................ 123
The UDF / UDK Window ................... 123
The UDK Setup Window ................... 124
Group UDK........................................ 126
Fixture UDK....................................... 126
Palette UDK ...................................... 126
Cue UDK ........................................... 127
Channel Data UDK............................ 127
Macro UDK........................................ 127
Editing User Definable Keys ..............128
Deleting User Definable Keys............128
Palettes .................................................129
Palette Windows ................................129
Recording Palettes.............................130
Naming Palettes ................................130
Outputting Palettes ............................130
Copying Palettes................................131
Moving Palettes .................................131
Deleting Palettes................................131
Effects ...................................................133
The Effects Palette Window...............133
Standard Effects ................................134
Effect Parameters ..............................135
Effect Parameters on the Wheels ......136
Applying Effects .................................136
The Effects Window...........................137
Recording Effects ..............................138
Naming Effects ..................................138
Applying Effects .................................138
Outputting Effects ..............................139
Copying Effects..................................139
Moving Effects ...................................139
Deleting Effects..................................139
Macros...................................................141
In-Built Macros...................................141
The Macro Window............................143
Recording a Macro.............................143
Naming a Macro ................................144
Running a Macro ...............................144
Copying a Macro................................144
Moving a Macro .................................144
Deleting a Macro................................144
Other Features ......................................145
Windows ............................................145
Screen Navigation Keys.....................146

Page 6 Frog 2 Operating Manual – Issue 4
Mouse Operation on Windows .......... 146
Preview Cue Window ........................ 147
Preview Palette Windows.................. 148
Preview Group Window..................... 149
Preview Page Window ...................... 149
Preview UDF / UDK Windows ........... 150
Preview Macro Window..................... 150
Output Window.................................. 151
DMX Output Window......................... 153
Active Playback Window ................... 153
User Views ........................................ 154
Artnet................................................. 156
Software Updates.............................. 156
Glossary................................................ 157
Technical Specification ......................... 161
Power Supply .................................... 161
Audio................................................. 161
Remote Input .....................................162
SMPTE ..............................................162
MIDI ...................................................163
CAN Port............................................163
Ethernet .............................................163
USB Ports ..........................................163
Mouse ................................................163
External Keyboard .............................163
External Floppy Drive.........................163
External Storage Devices ..................164
AV Port ..............................................164
Video Output......................................164
CDRW Drive ......................................164
Desk Light..........................................164
DMX Input..........................................165
DMX Output .......................................165
Index......................................................167

Introduction
Frog 2 Operating Manual – Issue 4 Page 7
Introduction
This Manual
This manual describes the operation of the Frog 2 lighting desk. This chapter contains an
overview of the capabilities and controls of the Frog 2.
The Quick Start Tutorial chapter is designed to get you up and running with the desk, but
is not a substitute for the whole manual. For more detail on each function, this manual is
divided into chapters, one for each major area of control.
As the Frog 2 is a complex lighting desk which can be set up in many different ways, the
best tool in learning the desk is experience. Through time you will develop your own
operating style.
Conventions
Throughout this manual the following conventions are used:
References to front panel controls, buttons and lights appear in capital letters, for example:
GRAND MASTER, COLOUR, <UDK3>.
Soft buttons which appear on the touch screen or monitors are displayed as follows:
[Desk Setup], [Program Window], [Values].

Introduction
Page 8 Frog 2 Operating Manual – Issue 4
The Frog 2 Lighting Desk
The following section is a summary of the main functions of the Frog 2 lighting desk.
Graphical Interface
The desk operates a graphical interface which is provided by a touch screen in the front
panel of the desk and up to two external monitors.
All the setup, programming, playback and output information is displayed graphically on
the touch screen and/or the monitor screens.
The desk provides two VGA outputs on the rear panel of the desk. The monitors are used
extensively to display information and shortcut buttons.
An optional upgrade for the desk will allow you to connect two touch screens to the VGA
outputs to provide you with easier input facilities.
Keys on the front panel enable quick and direct access to the various monitor screens.
Cursor keys on the front panel or external keyboard will allow the user to move around the
‘active’ screen on the monitor or touch screen.
Command Line
The primary method of programming is via the command line, which is displayed on the
touch screen. Commands can be entered using the front panel keys, touch screen, control
wheels, external keyboard or by clicking on objects with a mouse.
Control Channels
The desk has 2048 channels of control as standard. These can be assigned and patched
as any number of Fixtures.
Fixtures
Fixtures can be a simple generic lamp or colour scroller, moving mirror or moving head
intelligent lights (eg Goldenscan, MAC 250), or any other item controllable via a DMX
signal. Fixtures of the same type (eg MAC 250) are grouped automatically by the desk, for
ease of programming.
On the Frog 2, dimmer channels are a simple fixture with one parameter. Moving heads,
moving mirrors, LED and Video systems controlled by DMX are fixtures with multiple
parameters. Within the Fixture Library, the Frog 2 is told which channels control which
parameters of the fixture. These are then grouped into Position, Colour and Beamshape.
Fixtures can be given a user defined name and number, for ease of reference.
Fixtures can be patched to any of the DMX output channels (1 – 512).
Fixture parameters can be manipulated from within the Program Window, from where they
can be added to cues, palettes, User Defined Faders, User Defined Keys, or macros.

Introduction
Frog 2 Operating Manual – Issue 4 Page 9
Cues, Cue Stacks and Playbacks
The desk allows you to record cues, for use in any of the 1000 user programmable cue
stacks. Each cue has a number, name (optional), trigger, a wait time (auto cues) and a set
of delay, and fade times. It is possible to give each parameter of each fixture their own
individual fade and delay times.
The desk provides 100 pages of playbacks, each page containing 10 playbacks. The 1000
cue stacks are mapped 1:1 with the 100 pages of playbacks.
Groups
The desk provides 200 user definable groups. Automatic groups for each fixture type in
the schedule can be generated from the Setup area, if required.
Palettes
The desk provides 200 user programmable palettes for each of the four attributes (Colour,
Beamshape, Position and Effects).
User Definable Faders (UDF)
The desk provides 100 pages of 10 User Definable Faders, with associated ‘flash’ buttons.
The User Definable Faders may be assigned to Groups, Cues, single fixture parameters or
channel data. They can also be assigned to Time, Override or Virtual Playback Master
Fader functions.
User Definable Keys (UDK)
The desk provides 100 pages of 20 User Definable Keys. The User Definable Keys may
be assigned to Groups, Fixtures, Palettes, Effects, Cues, or channel data.
Output Processing on the Frog 2 Desk
The Frog 2 has two distinct channel types: Intensity channels and Attribute channels
(colour, beam and position).
The main difference is that Intensity channels can be flashed, are mixed with their source's
Master Fader and the GRAND MASTER, and can have distinct Fade Up and Down times.
When you play back a cue, park a channel, or manually manipulate a channel in the
Program Window, you give ownership of the channel to that specific area of the desk.
When a channel is owned, the programmed value (or series of values, if it is defined as a
chase or effect) is output. However, the previous owner(s) are not forgotten, and go into in
a history list.
When a cue is released, it loses it's places in the history, whether it currently owns them or
not. The most recent owner in the history will then regain ownership, and hence control the
output of that channel.
If a channel is not owned by any source, then it will output zero for an Intensity channel, or
it's default value for an Attribute channel.

Introduction
Page 10 Frog 2 Operating Manual – Issue 4
Front Panel Controls
This section of the manual describes the controls and displays on the front panel of the
Frog 2 desk. The front panel controls have been divided into the following sections:
• User Definable Faders (UDF)
• Grand Master and Blackout
• Manual Playbacks
• Function Keypad
• Numeric Keypad
• User Definable Keys (UDK)
• Screen Navigation Keys
• Touch Screen
• Group, Attribute, Cursor Keys and Control Wheels