Software Documentation

Firing SystemsDocumentation

Integration Intermediate Last updated: October 20, 2021

5 Dance Of Fire

To create and export a script for the Dance Of Fire firing system, please follow these three steps:

  1. Design the show.
  2. Address the show (“Addressing > Address show”).
  3. Export the script (“File > Export > Export firing scripts“).

Step 3 creates the script file, which is a TXT file that you can import into your firing system, or edit in a text editor.

Figure 1 – The Dance Of Fire firing system

 

The exported script is a human-readable text file that contains only the essential information for a firing system controller to fire the show — the ignition time, module, pin, and effect name.

 

Table 1 – File format and encoding

File formatExtensionText encodingField delimiterEnd-of-line
TextTXTASCIITabCRLF 

 

The script contains rows of data fields separated by tabs.  There are no header rows or comments.  The special characteristics of the script are shown in the following table:

 

Table 2 – Special characteristics

Special characteristicsDescription
Sort order of rowsRows are sorted by ignition time.
What rows representEach row identifies a unique firing pin ignition (i.e., unique module-pin address on the firing system).
Module/pin addressesThe Dance Of Fire system employs modules with 12 slats of 10 pins each, for 120 pins in total per module.  Finale 3D represents the firing system addresses as three part addresses, module-slat-pin, and converts the addresses to module-pin addresses with pin numbers relative to the module in the exported script.
Special charactersFields include ASCII characters other than: ‘ , ; ” \ tab and newline and other control characters.

Each script row has the fields shown in Table 3.

 

Table 3 – Specifications of script fields

Field nameDescription
Event TimeThe exact time of the firing system’s “ignition event” (application of a voltage to a pin) that ignites e-matches or triggers a sequencer that ultimately leads to the ignition of effects. Format is H:MM:SS.DD.
Module NumberThe module number (without the slat number).
Pin NumberThe pin number, relative to the module.
DescriptionThe name of the effect.

 

The example displayed script in Figure 2 below and the corresponding exported script in Figure 3 illustrate the translation of module-slat-pin addresses in Finale 3D to module-pin addresses in the exported script.

 

Figure 2 – A script showing sixteen addresses on module 01, the first ten on slat 01 and the remaining six on slat 02

 

The pin addresses beginning on row 11 of Figure 2 are relative to the slat number in the Finale 3D script table, but are converted to be relative to the module itself in the exported script shown in Figure 3.  The standard labels templates in Finale 3D for stickers will show module-slat-pin addresses, but if you would prefer to create labels with module-pin addresses you can customize the labels template, and use the “Pin Absolute” field or “Module/Pin Address” field instead of the “Address” field.  Instructions are here: Labels basic instructions.

 

0:00:02.76	1	1	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:02.86	1	2	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:02.96	1	3	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:03.06	1	4	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:03.16	1	5	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:03.26	1	6	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:03.36	1	7	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:03.46	1	8	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:03.56	1	9	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:03.66	1	10	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:03.76	1	11	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:03.86	1	12	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:03.96	1	13	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:04.06	1	14	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:04.16	1	15	Red Chrysanthemum
0:00:04.26	1	16	Red Chrysanthemum

Figure 3 – Exported Dance Of Fire firing system script corresponding to the script of Figure 2

 

Table 4 – Example files

Download linkExplanation
test_danceoffire.txtExample exported file  (TXT)
test_danceoffire.finExample show file