Do you require a 5 second delay at the start for the firing system or will this be done at a later time. I have pick and created my music track but I’m 28 seconds over the 10mins, is this a problem?   also is 180 rotation of fans and slices allowed

Hi Pyro_191720000, welcome to the Finale 3D forum! Be sure to head over to your My Profile page to customize the display name and picture for your public profile.   In Finale 3D, prefire and burst height are a function of shell size. The defaults cause aerial effects to burst just before they reach apogee to mirror the performance of real-life effects. This is especially true with smaller caliber such as cake shots. At the same time, if you have an effect that is bursting much too early in its trajectory, the parameters that you can adjust in VDL are prefire and height. To get a shell to burst closer to its apogee, make sure you are using the correct prefire and height. If you are confident that all the values you are using are correct, post a link for a video of the real-world item and the VDL you’re using in Finale 3D so we can get a better understanding of what’s going on.

I am currently adjusting the visualization of cakes, certain effects break before hitting it’s aperture. Is there certain wording in the VDL description I should be using to stop this?

  DrewFinale wrote: Sven wrote: Hi, Thanks for this cool event and the FAQ thread 🙂 If I may ask a few questions. 1) Would it be OK to cut and trim a few songs with a tool like Audacity to create a soundtrack? Or is it better to have complete unedited songs? Yes, you can absolutely cut, trim, and mix songs. Use your creativity and all the tools at your disposal to make the best possible soundtrack. 2) Can I create sequences and groups of effects? For example grouping 10 single shots to create a fan? I read somewhere that we shouldn’t create chains of effects, but I am assuming sequences are OK? Yes, you can create “Groups”, but please do not create “Chains” of effects. Groups and Chains are very different. A “Group” is created by selecting a multiple effects then going to ‘Script > Groups > Combine as group’ (or pressing the keyboard shortcut ‘G’). When you create a Group, the selected items are visually consolidated into a single line on the timeline and in the script window. However, grouped items remain as individual effects. That is, each effect still gets a separate firing system address and e-match. By contrast, when you make a “Chain”, you are indicating that you plan to physically run a fuse from one effect to another in the real world. Finale 3D treats chains as a single unit from an addressing and e-match count perspective. That is, each Chain only gets a single firing system addressing and a single e-match. Another way to think about it is that ‘Groups’ are primarily just a convenience feature, they only affect how the timeline and script window appears in Finale 3D. Chains, on the other hand, affect how the show is addressed and how it is physically set up in the real world. Thanks Drew, spot on. So using G for groups  is OK, that answers my questions.

  DrewFinale wrote:     Hi Tim, how about Ctrl+C (Copy) > Ctrl+V (Paste) > Y (Replace).   Hi Drew, yeah, that works, but I was hoping for a single key press, like “A” for add.   Tim

  Sky Fire Forge wrote: Hi, not sure this is the right place to put this but here goes….. Is there a keyboard short cut that allows you to quickly add a second effect over top the first? This would keep the positions, timing, and angles of the original effect and just add the second effect. Similar to pressing “Y” but instead, it would keep the original effect. If not could this be added?   Thanks, Tim   Hi Tim, how about Ctrl+C (Copy) > Ctrl+V (Paste) > Y (Replace).

Hi, not sure this is the right place to put this but here goes….. Is there a keyboard short cut that allows you to quickly add a second effect over top the first? This would keep the positions, timing, and angles of the original effect and just add the second effect. Similar to pressing “Y” but instead, it would keep the original effect. If not could this be added?   Thanks, Tim

  Sven wrote: Hi,   Thanks for this cool event and the FAQ thread 🙂   If I may ask a few questions.   1) Would it be OK to cut and trim a few songs with a tool like Audacity to create a soundtrack? Or is it better to have complete unedited songs? Yes, you can absolutely cut, trim, and mix songs. Use your creativity and all the tools at your disposal to make the best possible soundtrack.       2) Can I create sequences and groups of effects? For example grouping 10 single shots to create a fan? I read somewhere that we shouldn’t create chains of effects, but I am assuming sequences are OK? Yes, you can create “Groups”, but please do not create “Chains” of effects. Groups and Chains are very different. A “Group” is created by selecting a multiple effects then going to ‘Script > Groups > Combine as group’ (or pressing the keyboard shortcut ‘G’). When you create a Group, the selected items are visually consolidated into a single line on the timeline and in the script window. However, grouped items remain as individual effects. That is, each effect still gets a separate firing system address and e-match. By contrast, when you make a “Chain”, you are indicating that you plan to physically run a fuse from one effect to another in the real world. Finale 3D treats chains as a single unit from an addressing and e-match count perspective. That is, each Chain only gets a single firing system addressing and a single e-match. Another way to think about it is that ‘Groups’ are primarily just a convenience feature, they only affect how the timeline and script window appears in Finale 3D. Chains, on the other hand, affect how the show is addressed and how it is physically set up in the real world.

Hi,   Thanks for this cool event and the FAQ thread 🙂   If I may ask a few questions.   1) Would it be OK to cut and trim a few songs with a tool like Audacity to create a soundtrack? Or is it better to have complete unedited songs?   2) Can I create sequences and groups of effects? For example grouping 10 single shots to create a fan? I read somewhere that we shouldn’t create chains of effects, but I am assuming sequences are OK?   Best regards, Sven        

I received a message from one of our contestants and wanted to post it here along with the answer for everyone’s benefit:   “If ve got two questions: The mines and comets for the P-Positions (SS Mine-CP, SS Comet-SP), there are only 2 products in the category. But there are way more comets and mines with also 22mm caliber. Is there a reason for or could that be an mistake. Second question: article numer SE170 and SE171 both cake-slices cost more than $100 each. Is that correct? ”   Some of the 22mm devices were accidently put into the inventory with the Subtype “SS-Comet” and “SS-Mine” instead of the proper “SS-Comet-CP” and “SS-Mine-CP”.  They have been updated to show the correct subtype and may be used at the CP positions.   The two devices in question, SE170 and SE171, were incorrectly listed as a price for two instead of one.  The prices for these two items has been updated.   My apologies for the errors.  We go through great lengths to try and ensure the inventory is correct 100% when we start the competition, but I guess our efforts weren’t perfect.