Some types of single-shot rack holders can hold multiple tubes, packed together, if the tubes are small enough to fit. In Finale 3D, single-shot racks with multi-load holders look like Figure 1. The larger text and angle graphics represent individual tubes in the holders. The smaller text and angle graphics in the quadrants of the holders represent four smaller tubes packed together. You can see in Figure 1 that a rack packed full of multi-load holders can accommodate quite a few tubes and require quite a few modules and pins. The first pin of the first module is always in the upper left hand corner, module #41, pin #01 in this example.
Figure 1 – Multi-load single-shot racks can hold one or more effects in a single holder
Obviously, all tubes sharing the same holder must have the same effect angle. In Finale 3D, if you manually drag-and-drop effects of different angles into the same holder, they will turn red in the rack layout view to signal the violated constraint. Tubes being too large to share a tube is another possible constraint.
Figure 2 – CraigCo MinCom racks with extruded aluminum holders can fit 4 x 22mm or 1 x 50mm
In Finale 3D, single-shot rack definitions can specify a minimum and maximum effect size. Multi-shot single-shot rack definitions may also specify a term called “Max. effect size in shared holder”. This term limits the size of effects that can share a holder. If an effect is larger than this term but smaller than or equal to the rack’s maximum effect size, then the effect can still fit in the rack but it consumes an entire holder for itself.
The rack definitions in Finale 3D specify either 1X or 2X or 4X tubes per holder. Figure 1 illustrates the 4X tubes per holder option. The number of effects that can fit in each holder is either the 1X, 2X, or 4X as specified, or just 1X if the effect is larger than “Max. effect size in shared holder”.
Figure 3 illustrates an example single-shot rack diagram for a multi-load rack. Since the rack can hold so many items, you may need to customize the diagram template to shrink the size of the font in the information panel to get all the information to fit.
Figure 3 – An example single-shot rack report for a multi-load rack
Figure 4 shows the rack definition dialog (“Racks > Create rack”). The primary fields pertaining to multi-load racks are 1) the rack structure (choosing 1X, 2X, or 4X), and 2) the min and max effect size, and 3) the “Max. effect size in shared holder”.
Figure 4 – These three fields define the constraints for multi-load racks
Differences between multi-load racks and non-multi-load racks
In general, multi-load racks work the same way as non-multi-load racks. When you re-address the show or position, the effects fill into the racks and are rearranged to avoid angle conflicts. The addressing algorithm automatically ensures that all the effects in each holder have the same angle and that the size constraints are satisfied. You should choose, when you add racks for the show, whether you want the multi-load version racks or non-multi-load version.
In the physical world, both versions are likely the identical equipment. In Finale 3D you choose one or the other based on whether you want to multi-load effects when possible. The multi-load versions of racks are drawn with checkerboard holders, making it easy to tell the difference.
There are some differences in the addressing algorithm results between multi-load and non-multi-load racks, even if all the loaded effects are larger than the “Max. effect size in shared holder”.
- If a non-multi-load rack uses exactly two modules, then their pin orders will start from the upper left and upper right corners, working inwards, whereas the pin order for multi-load racks will always start in the first pin of the first module in the upper left and work toward the right.
- If a rack has prewired pins and multi-load holders, then the addressing algorithm doesn’t rearrange or reorder the effects, which means that angle collisions are possible.
- If the rack holders are 2-axis tiltable and multi-load, then the addressing algorithm doesn’t rearrange or reorder the effects, which means that angle collisions are possible.
- If a rack has multi-load holders, then the loading order as shown in Figure 4 to the right of the min and max size must be one of the “Along rows” options, not the “Across rows” options.