26th March 2013
FocusTrack, the leading lighting documentation software, will be demonstrating its PowerTrack function at Green My Production, a half-day showcase of sustainable solutions for the performing arts organised by Julie’s Bicycle and White Light and taking place this Wednesday, March 27th.
PowerTrack makes use of information FocusTrack already has as part of its function to provide a complete record of how a show’s lighting was created - principally the data from the lighting console showfile and about the rig itself - to calculate the power used by the show lighting. This includes the load of each cue, and the total power consumption of the show as a whole. To carry out the calculation, PowerTrack factors in not only details such as which lights are tungsten and which are discharge and which cues run when, but also which discharge sources switch to a ‘power save’ mode when their dimmers are closed, as many modern moving lights do.
“The results produced by PowerTrack will not be spot-on accurate, of course,” comments FocusTrack’s creator, Rob Halliday, “since there are just too many ‘real world’ factors that the lighting console has no awareness of. That said, there are shows where we have both PowerTrack’s calculated figures and real, measured power data - and these clearly show that PowerTrack’s results are pretty good, giving numbers very close to the metered figures. In fact, from a lighting point of view, the PowerTrack numbers are sometimes better, since they don’t include the washing machines, ice cream fridges and other stuff that often gets measured as part of backstage power!”
The data generated by FocusTrack’s PowerTrack function can be put to a wide range of uses. PowerTrack can indicate the peak load during a show, allowing those planning tours to specify the mains supply the show actually needs. And it can help analyse power used not just by one show, but by whole series of shows in the same venue, making it an invaluable tool when planning new facilities or considering new equipment purchases.
At the Green My Production event, Rob Halliday will be demonstrating FocusTrack’s PowerTrack functionality, as well as taking part in a panel entitled “The Future of Green Lighting”. The event takes place at White Light’s base in Wimbledon on the afternoon of March 27th. The event is free, but anyone wanting to attend must register in advance at www.GreenMyProduction.eventbrite.com.
PowerTrack is a standard feature of FocusTrack, the lighting documentation system already in use on shows around the world. Further details of FocusTrack, including a downloadable demo version, can be found elsewhere on this website.