The Drone Show Software (DSS) suite includes tools for designing drone shows and exporting them in the VVIZ format for use in Finale 3D. This guide outlines the steps required to prepare and export your drone show from DSS using both the main design software and the Path Viewer utility.
Step 1: Design your drone show
Create your drone choreography and LED animations using the DSS design software. The exported VVIZ file will include the motion paths and color data for all drones, and may also include pyro payload information if specified.
Figure 1 – DSS Drone Show Creator software
Step 2: Preview and refine in Path Viewer
Use the DSS Path Viewer utility to visualize the show and finalize export settings. Path Viewer allows you to confirm flight paths, LED patterns, and pyro placements before creating the VVIZ file.
Figure 2 – DSS Path Viewer for previewing drone motion and exporting
Step 3: Export your show as a VVIZ file
In Path Viewer, open the export dialog and choose the VVIZ format. Set the compression or sampling rate options as needed. We recommend exporting at approximately 10 FPS for position data and 20 FPS for color data to maintain quality while minimizing file size.
Figure 3 – Choosing compression level in the DSS Path Viewer export dialog
Step 4: Import the VVIZ file into Finale 3D
After exporting, switch to Finale 3D and use the menu command “File > Import > Import drone show”. The imported drones and effects will appear in your show. If your VVIZ file included pyro payloads, Finale 3D will import them as effects positioned on the drones.
If your VVIZ file used part numbers that match your inventory, use the command “Effects > Update per-show effects…” in Finale 3D to update the placeholder effects with your inventory’s definitions.
For additional details about how VVIZ files are handled in Finale 3D, see the Importing Drone Shows documentation.