Originally Posted by
RGBLaserFan
Is the FB3 package any good for creating then?
My interest if going down the ILDA route is in creating my owns shows to fit my own music and that requires both the ability to do that plus a comprehensive library of effects.
Its no good having a program that will do it but having no animations or beam effects pre-created to use. Such a handicap would turn the program into a nightmare if everything had to be created from scratch. As a hobbyist, I'm really looking for something that has thousands and thousands of effects but no shows, so you just drag and adjust pre-made effects into the timeline to make your own shows.
Definitely!!
You won't be able to use shows designed for the LD2000/QM2000 suite, but you still have GREAT options!
Here's the FREE software suite available for the FB3:
http://www.pangolin.com/LA_Studio/Showrider.htm
VERY capable, and can save shows and graphics in the universal ILD format, or the LAStudio Showrider format. And, as mentioned previously, it can open ILD files from other sources, so there will be TONS of freely available clips you can use! Like any package, there's a bit of a learning curve, and the user base doesn't have quite as many people available to pass ideas around - but, for the price, you can't beat it!
There is also a USB version of the Pangolin LivePRO software available specifically for the FB3. Here's a link to the "standard" version:
http://www.pangolin.com/LivePRO.htm
Note that LivePRO is not free, but I believe the USB/FB3 version does cost considerably less now than the "standard" version for the QM2000 boards. I have both, and unless there's been a recent change, the only real difference is the USB/FB3 version does NOT support DMX OUT, since the FB3 does not have DMX out (it DOES have DMX in if you get the "evaluation kit" version with the DMX board attached).
Cut and dry - nothing out there that I've seen is going to come close to all the capabilities of the LD2000/QM2000 suite except another LD2000/QM2000 suite! However, if you can't afford the expense of that system but still want a lot of capabilities with and the ability to use industry-standard graphics, you can't go wrong with the FB3!!
Last edited by Stuka; 09-20-2008 at 12:25.
RR
Metrologic HeNe 3.3mw Modulated laser, 2 Radio Shack motors, and a broken mirror.
1979.
Sweet.....