The November 2023 cake contest challenged contestants to use Visual Descriptive Language (VDL) in Finale 3D to create the best possible simulations for a set of ten preselected consumer fireworks cakes. On this page, you will find videos of the ten cakes along with matching Finale 3D simulations, and a breakdown of the VDL for each cake. The simulations represent a compilation of the “best” VDL submitted by contestants, with refinements made by the Finale 3D team. Here are the key characteristics and considerations that went into creating this VDL:
Primary Effects
The selection of individual VDL effect terms and combinations of effects should be as visually similar to the effects in the actual cake as possible. To differentiate between effects such as Falling Leaves versus Waterfall, or Peony versus Dahlia, a keen eye and a robust knowledge of VDL is required.
Effect Refinements
From one manufacturer to another, or even from one batch to another, real-life effects exhibit infinite variation. Sometimes the default characteristics of a VDL effect are a perfect match. More often, fine tuning is required. This necessitates the use of VDL adjust terms like Big, Small, Dense, Sparse, Ragged or Uniform to achieve the same appearance.
Prefire and Effect Durations
Each VDL effect has a default duration that is meant to represent a good average for an effect of that type and size. Bursting aerial effects also have default prefire times that are a function of their size. However, because of the variation in real-life effects, the prefire times and durations of individual VDL effects inevitably require adjustment. Prefire time for individual effects is specified using the VDL term PFT. When effects with non-default prefire times are used in a cake, the VDL term for lift time, LFT, is used instead. To tune the durations of effects, VDL adjustment terms such as Long and Short are used. The durations of individual effects within cakes can also be specified using the term DUR.
Overall Cake Durations
In the real world, the overall duration of a given cake can vary significantly from batch to batch, or even from one cake to another in the same carton. Since it’s impossible to account for this when creating a simulation, the best approach is simply to rely on the actual cake video. When a video of the actual cake and simulation are placed side by side, the duration from first launch to last burst should be the same.
Firing Patterns
The angles of effects and the firing order are critical for creating the best possible cake simulations. For cakes that contain effects fired at multiple angles, terms such as FNR (fan-right), FNL (fan-left) are used. When the default fan angle doesn’t match the actual cake, the VDL term Degrees should be used to specify an accurate fan angle. Fortunately, it’s rarely necessary to hand-write VDL terms for firing patterns. Instead, the individual effects within a cake can be added the time timeline and angled as if they were a sequence of single shots. Then, the VDL needed to represent the full cake can be written automatically (see cake creation process below).
Timing and Cadence
Although it is possible to create a simulation where the timing of each shot of a cake precisely matches an actual cake video, it would be very time consuming to do so. Moreover, considering the natural variance in fuse timing from cake to cake, the most practical approach is to focus on overall cake duration and any major changes in cadence within the cake. Take for example a simple cake that has a delay of approximately one second between shots. The delays in the actual cake may vary +/- from shot to shot. Instead of calculating each individual delay, the most practical approach is to simply spread the shots out evenly to match the overall duration. Now consider a cake that begins with a slow cadence, then switches to a faster cadence. Calculating the precise timing for each shot in this cake would still be impractical. Instead, the best approach is to determine the duration of the slow segment and the duration of the fast segment, and then spread the appropriate effects out evenly within each segment.
Custom Simulations
An effect represented by VDL contains human readable words. For example, 1" Bright Red Strobing Peony. An effect that has been customized in the effect editor is represented by a long string of characters inside curly braces. For example, {1KLUv/WCRALU...}. While customizing effects can produce breathtaking simulations, it can also be time consuming. Making future adjustments to customized simulations can also be more time consuming than tweaking VDL. To strike a balance between efficiency and visual perfection, best practice is to only customize an effect simulation when VDL can’t get the job done. The cakes below contain only VDL with no effect editor customizations.
Cake Creation Process
DM5072 Chillax by Dominator VDL Descriptions
| Individual Effect | Primary VDL | Adjustment Terms |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Effect (a) | White To White Shimmering To White Flashing Waterfall |
Very Sparse Very Bright Slightly Ragged |
| 2nd Effect (b) | White Flashing Peony w/ Gold Coco To Popcorn Crackling |
Dense Bright Long |
| 3rd Effect (c) | Lime To Shimmering To Lime Flashing Waterfall |
Very Sparse Very Bright Slightly Ragged |
| 4th Effect (d) | Lime Shimmering Peony w/ Gold Coco To Popcorn Crackling |
Dense Bright Long |
| 5th Effect (e) | Red To Red Shimmering To Red Flashing Waterfall |
Very Sparse Very Bright Slightly Ragged |
| 6th Effect (f) | Red Shimmering Peony w/ Gold Coco To Popcorn Crackling |
Dense Bright Long |
Additional terms used for overall cake: Degrees
Full cake VDL
1.25" 24 Shot Cake 40 Degrees (a) 3.0 DUR Very Sparse Very Bright Slightly Ragged White To Very Bright White Shimmering To Very Bright White Flashing Waterfall + (b) 3.2 DUR Dense Bright White Flashing Peony w/ Long Gold Coco To Popcorn Crackling + (c) 4.0 DUR Very Sparse Very Bright Slightly Ragged Lime To Very Bright Lime Shimmering To Very Bright Lime Flashing Waterfall + (d) Dense Bright Lime Shimmering Peony w/ Long Gold Coco To Popcorn Crackling + (e) 4.0 DUR Very Sparse Very Bright Slightly Ragged Red To Very Bright Red Shimmering To Very Bright Red Flashing Waterfall + (f) Dense Bright Red Shimmering Peony w/ Long Gold Coco To Popcorn Crackling, 6 Rows, Row 1 (aaaaa/FNL/0.17), Row 2 (5.04/bbb/FNR/0.17), Row 3 (5.04/ccccc/FNL/0.17), Row 4 (5.04/ddd/FNR/0.17), Row 5 (5.04/eeeee/FNL/0.17), Row 6 (5.04/fff/FNR/0.17)
17082 Crazy Train by Black Diamond VDL Descriptions
| Individual Effect | Primary VDL | Adjustment & Other Terms |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Effect (a) | Popcorn Crackling w/ Red & Green & Purple Dahlia Pistil w/ Red Tail |
Small Dense Very Bright Very Sparse Slightly Thick HTM LFT |
| 2nd Effect (b) | Red Comet |
Bright HTM |
| 3rd Effect (c) | Blue Comet |
Bright HTM |
| 4th Effect (d) | Time Rain Comet |
Bright HTM |
| 5th Effect (e) | Fuchsia Comet |
Bright HTM |
| 6th Effect (f) | Orange Comet |
Bright HTM |
Full cake VDL
1" 90 Shot Cake (a) 45.7 HTM 1.5 LFT Small Dense Popcorn Crackling w/ Very Bright Very Sparse Red & Green & Purple Dahlia Pistil w/ Very Bright Very Bright Slightly Thick Red Tail + (b) 45.7 HTM Bright Red Comet + (c) 45.7 HTM Bright Blue Comet + (d) 45.7 HTM Time Rain Comet + (e) 45.7 HTM Bright Fuchsia Comet + (f) 45.7 HTM Bright Orange Comet, 10 Rows, Row 1 (aaaaaaaaa/FNR/1.0), Row 2 (2.59/bbbbbbbbb/CTO/0.52), Row 3 (0.13/ccccccccc/OTC/0.52), Rows 4,8 (0.13/ddddddddd/CTO/0.52), Rows 5,9 (0.13/ddddddddd/OTC/0.52), Row 6 (1.93/eeeeeeeee/CTO/0.52), Row 7 (0.13/fffffffff/OTC/0.52), Row 10 (3.04/aaaaaaaaa/FNT)
GM163 Fade to Red by Sky Bacon VDL Descriptions
| Individual Effect | Primary VDL | Adjustment & Other Terms |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Effect (a) | Indigo & Ruby & Yellow Dahlia w/ Red Lace w/ Tight Crackling Mine |
Big Bright Small Very Sparse Slightly Ragged LFT DUR |
| 2nd Effect (b) | Charcoal Peony w/ Red Lace w/ Tight Crackling Mine |
Big Slightly Sparse Small Very Sparse Slightly Ragged LFT DUR |
Additional terms used for overall cake: Degrees
Full cake VDL
1.25" 25 Shot Cake 50 Degrees (a) 1.6 LFT 1.6 DUR Big Bright Indigo & Ruby & Yellow Dahlia w/ Small Very Sparse Slightly Ragged Red Lace w/ Tight Crackling Mine + (b) 1.2 DUR LFT Big Slightly Sparse Charcoal Peony w/ Small Very Sparse Slightly Ragged Red Lace w/ Tight Crackling Mine, 5 Rows, Rows 1,3,5 (4.13/aaaaa/FNL/0.13), Rows 2,4 (4.13/bbbbb/FNR/0.13)
2234 Mean Machine by Great Grizzly VDL Descriptions
| Individual Effect | Primary VDL | Adjustment & Other Terms |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Effect (a) | White Strobing Peony w/ Charcoal Coco |
Bright LFT DUR |
| 2nd Effect (b) | Green Strobing Peony w/ Charcoal Coco |
Bright LFT DUR |
| 3rd Effect (c) | White Strobing Peony w/ Gold Coco |
Bright LFT DUR |
| 4th Effect (d) | Charcoal Coco w/ Long Tight Crackling |
LFT Big |
| 5th Effect (e) | Gold Coco w/ Long Tight Crackling |
LFT Big |
Full cake VDL
1" 30 Shot Cake (a) 1.5 LFT 1.3 DUR Bright White Strobing Peony w/ Charcoal Coco + (b) 1.5 LFT 1.3 DUR Bright Green Strobing Peony w/ Charcoal Coco + (c) 1.5 LFT 1.3 DUR Bright White Strobing Peony w/ Gold Coco + (d) 1.5 LFT Big Charcoal Coco w/ Long Tight Crackling + (e) 1.5 LFT Big Gold Coco w/ Long Tight Crackling, 7 Rows, Rows 1,3 (3.35/aaa/STR/0.1), Rows 2,4 (3.35/bbb/STR/0.1), Row 5 (3.17/cacacacacaca/STR/4.13), Row 6 (3.2/ded/STR/0.1), Row 7 (0.05/ede/STR/0.1)
BP2700 Over The Moon by Brothers VDL Descriptions
| Individual Effect | Primary VDL | Adjustment & Other Terms |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Effect (a) | Red & Green & Yellow Dahlia w/ Tight Crackling w/ Silver Tail |
Slightly Short Slightly Sparse Very Small Dense |
| 2nd Effect (b) | Plum & Green & Yellow Dahlia w/ Tight Crackling w/ Silver Tail |
Slightly Short Slightly Sparse Very Small Dense |
| 3rd Effect (c) | Red Strobing Willow w/ Green Shimmering Peony w/ Silver Tail |
Slightly Sparse Small Slightly Long Dim |
| 4th Effect (d) | White Strobing Willow w/ Green Shimmering Peony w/ Silver Tail |
Slightly Sparse Small Slightly Long Dim |
| 5th Effect (e) | Plum & Lime & Orange Dahlia w/ Popcorn Crackling w/ Silver Tail |
Slightly Sparse Long Dense Slightly Small |
Additional terms used for overall cake: Degrees
Full cake VDL
1.25" 23 Shot Cake 36 Degrees (a) Slightly Short Slightly Sparse Red & Green & Yellow Dahlia w/ Very Small Dense Tight Crackling w/ Silver Tail + (b) Slightly Short Slightly Sparse Plum & Green & Yellow Dahlia w/ Very Small Dense Tight Crackling w/ Silver Tail + (c) Slightly Sparse Red Strobing Willow w/ Small Slightly Long Dim Green Shimmering Peony w/ Silver Tail + (d) Slightly Sparse White Strobing Willow w/ Small Slightly Long Dim Green Shimmering Peony w/ Silver Tail + (e) Slightly Sparse Plum & Lime & Orange Dahlia w/ Long Dense Slightly Small Popcorn Crackling w/ Silver Tail, 3 Rows, Row 1 (ababa/STR/14.16), Row 2 (3.87/cdcdcdcdcdcdcdc/STR/6.99), Row 3 (4.0/eee/FNT)
P5522 Starry by Fall Winda VDL Descriptions
| Individual Effect | Primary VDL | Adjustment & Other Terms |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Effect (a) | Blue Dahlia Ear w/ White Shimmering Ear |
Big Smokeless Uniform Very Long Dense LFT |
| 2nd Effect (b) | Red Dahlia Ear w/ White Shimmering Ear |
Big Smokeless Uniform Very Long Dense LFT |
| 3rd Effect (c) | Peach Dahlia Ear w/ White Shimmering Ear |
Big Smokeless Uniform Very Long Dense LFT |
| 4th Effect (d) | Fuchsia Dahlia Ear w/ White Shimmering Ear |
Big Smokeless Uniform Very Long Dense LFT |
| 5th Effect (e) | Green Dahlia Ear w/ White Shimmering Ear |
Big Smokeless Uniform Very Long Dense LFT |
| 6th Effect (f) | Intense Crackling |
Very Sparse |
Full cake VDL
1" 30 Shot Cake (a) 1.5 LFT Big Blue Dahlia Ear w/ Smokeless Big Uniform Very Long Dense White Shimmering Ear + (b) 1.5 LFT Big Red Dahlia Ear w/ Smokeless Big Uniform Very Long Dense White Shimmering Ear + (c) 1.5 LFT Big Peach Dahlia Ear w/ Smokeless Big Uniform Very Long Dense White Shimmering Ear + (d) 1.5 LFT Big Fuchsia Dahlia Ear w/ Smokeless Big Uniform Very Long Dense White Shimmering Ear + (e) 1.5 LFT Big Green Dahlia Ear w/ Smokeless Big Uniform Very Long Dense White Shimmering Ear + (f) Very Sparse Intense Crackling, 6 Rows, Rows 1,2,3,4,5 (4.36/abcde/STR/0.2), Row 6 (3.96/fffff/STR/0.4)
P5532 Ta Dah! by Winda VDL Descriptions
| Individual Effect | Primary VDL | Adjustment & Other Terms |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Effect (a) | Red Charcoal Comet To Red Crossette |
Bright Very Short Trail HTM DUR |
| 2nd Effect (b) | Red Gold Coco w/ White Shimmering Peony |
Long HTM LFT DUR |
| 3rd Effect (c) | Green Silver Comet To Green Crossette |
HTM DUR Bright |
| 4th Effect (d) | Charcoal Coco To Red & Green & Blue w/ White Shimmering Peony |
Dense Long HTM LFT DUR |
| 5th Effect (e) | Green Gold Comet To Fuchsia Crossette |
HTM DUR Bright |
| 6th Effect (f) | Red Coco w/ Popcorn Crackling |
Slightly Sparse Slightly Long HTM LFT |
| 7th Effect (g) | Pink Gold Comet To Red Crossette |
Bright HTM DUR |
| 8th Effect (h) | Coco w/ Red Shimmering w/ Popcorn Crackling |
Long HTM LFT |
Additional terms used for overall cake: Degrees
Full cake VDL
1" 36 Shot Cake 40 Degrees (a) 45.0 HTM 3.0 DUR Bright Red Charcoal Very Short Trail Comet To Red Crossette + (b) 39.6 HTM 1.5 LFT 1.4 DUR Red Gold Coco w/ Long White Shimmering Peony + (c) 45.0 HTM 3.0 DUR Bright Green Silver Comet To Green Crossette + (d) 39.6 HTM 1.5 LFT 1.4 DUR Charcoal Coco To Red & Green & Blue w/ Dense Long White Shimmering Peony + (e) 45.0 HTM 3.0 DUR Bright Green Gold Comet To Fuchsia Crossette + (f) 39.6 HTM 1.5 LFT Red Coco w/ Slightly Sparse Slightly Long Popcorn Crackling + (g) 45.0 HTM 3.0 DUR Bright Pink Gold Comet To Red Crossette + (h) 39.6 HTM 1.5 LFT Coco w/ Red Shimmering w/ Long Popcorn Crackling, 8 Rows, Row 1 (aaaaa/FNL/0.2), Row 2 (3.3/bbbb/FNR/0.15), Row 3 (3.35/ccccc/FNL/0.2), Row 4 (3.3/dddd/FNR/0.15), Row 5 (3.35/eeeee/FNL/0.2), Row 6 (3.3/ffff/FNR/0.15), Row 7 (3.35/ggggg/FNL/0.2), Row 8 (3.3/hhhh/FNR/0.15)
2875 Taste The Rainbow by Great Grizzly VDL Descriptions
| Individual Effect | Primary VDL | Adjustment & Other Terms |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Effect (a) | Red Dahlia w/ Red Mine |
Big Very Dense Sparse Very Ragged Bright LFT |
| 2nd Effect (b) | Green Dahlia w/ Green Mine |
Big Very Dense Sparse Very Ragged Bright LFT |
| 3rd Effect (c) | Peach Dahlia w/ Peach Mine |
Big Very Dense Sparse Very Ragged Bright LFT |
| 4th Effect (d) | Blue Dahlia w/ Blue Mine |
Big Very Dense Sparse Very Ragged Bright LFT |
| 5th Effect (e) | Purple Dahlia w/ Purple Mine |
Big Very Dense Sparse Very Ragged Bright LFT |
Additional terms used for overall cake: Degrees
Full cake VDL
1" 25 Shot Cake 40 Degrees (a) 1.4 LFT Big Very Dense Red Dahlia w/ Sparse Very Ragged Bright Red Mine + (b) 1.4 LFT Big Very Dense Green Dahlia w/ Sparse Very Ragged Bright Green Mine + (c) 1.4 LFT Big Very Dense Peach Dahlia w/ Sparse Very Ragged Bright Peach Mine + (d) 1.4 LFT Big Very Dense Blue Dahlia w/ Sparse Very Ragged Bright Blue Mine + (e) 1.4 LFT Big Very Dense Purple Dahlia w/ Sparse Very Ragged Bright Purple Mine, 5 Rows, Row 1 (edcba/FNL/2.27), Row 2 (3.6/edcba/FNR/2.27), Row 3 (2.9/edcba/FNL/1.23), Row 4 (2.76/edcba/FNR/1.23), Row 5 (2.81/edcba/FNT)
DM510 Twilight Twister by Dominator VDL Descriptions
| Individual Effect | Primary VDL | Adjustment & Other Terms |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Effect (a) | Aerial Farfalle w/ Green Strobing Peony |
Big Slightly Sparse Long Bright Dense Slightly Uniform LFT DUR |
| 2nd Effect (b) | Green Go Getter Comet |
Bright |
| 3rd Effect (c) | Red Go Getter Comet |
Bright |
| 4th Effect (d) | Blue Go Getter Comet |
Bright |
| 5th Effect (e) | Aerial Farfalle w/ Orange Strobing Peony |
Big Slightly Sparse Long Bright Dense Slightly Uniform LFT DUR |
| 6th Effect (f) | Aerial Farfalle w/ Red Strobing Peony |
Big Slightly Sparse Long Bright Dense Slightly Uniform LFT DUR |
Full cake VDL
1.25" 19 Shot Cake (a) Aerial 1.5 LFT 1.6 DUR Big Slightly Sparse Farfalle w/ Long Bright Dense Slightly Uniform Green Strobing Peony + (b) Bright Green Go Getter Comet + (c) Bright Red Go Getter Comet + (d) Bright Blue Go Getter Comet + (e) Aerial 1.5 LFT 1.6 DUR Big Slightly Sparse Farfalle w/ Long Bright Dense Slightly Uniform Orange Strobing Peony + (f) Aerial 1.5 LFT 1.6 DUR Big Slightly Sparse Farfalle w/ Long Bright Dense Slightly Uniform Red Strobing Peony, 5 Rows, Row 1 (aaa/STR/7.27), Rows 2,4 (5.14/bcdcb/STR/0.46), Row 3 (5.79/eee/STR/7.27), Row 5 (4.64/fff/STR/1.82)
RA53631 Willow Explosion by Racoon Fireworks VDL Descriptions
| Individual Effect | Primary VDL | Adjustment & Other Terms |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Effect (a) | Charcoal Glittering Willow w/ Blue Peony |
Big Slightly Dense Long Very Sparse Very Dim LFT DUR |
Full cake VDL
1.2" 24 Shot (a) 1.5 LFT 1.5 DUR Big Slightly Dense Charcoal Glittering Willow w/ Long Very Sparse Very Dim Blue Peony Cake, 6 Rows, Row 1 (aaaa/STR/7.78), Row 2 (2.47/aaaa/STR/0.71), Rows 3,4,5 (0.24/aaaa/STR/0.71), Row 6 (2.1/aaaa/STT)