This sounds great, I will check it out. Will this have a separate cost?

Welcome to the Finale 3D forum!   Can you please share a picture of your rack? If you find it difficult to share here, you can email it to support@finale3d.com.

Hey PyroExec, I completely understand where you’re coming from — it’s not super convenient to be switching from catalog to catalog when trying to find effects.   There’s not currently a way to simultaneously search across multiple catalogs in the Finale 3D effects window. However, we are launching a brand-new platform that’s designed to make finding fireworks easier than ever before. It’s called Finale DB and you check it out by visiting finaledb.com.   Not only does Finale DB provide global search, but it also allows you to watch manufacturer demo videos, and filter based on a bunch of useful criteria including duration, color, and product attributes like crackle, whistle, etc. When you find an item you like, you can simply hit the Add to My Effects button to bring the item into Finale 3D. For things that are missing, you can request brands, products and sims, which puts them in the request queue. What’s more, Finale DB is mobile friendly, so you can use it on pretty much any device with a web browser. Give it a try!

Hello, We have structures for close-up shows where we install cold jets and single-shot FX. How can we create a rack that integrates these jets and single-shot FX?

Is there a way to search all the supplier catalogs in the effects window?   It would be awesome to be able to select something like “All Catalogs” in the drop down and then I could search or filter to find effects across different catalogs.   Maybe this can be done already (let me know how) but I think it would be a great feature and would save time when looking for new effects.   Thoughts?    

We are PYROTECHNICS ACTIVITIES, a company from Slovakia, and we have received funding to present Slovak culture in Malta through a fireworks show. We are looking for a local company in Malta to collaborate with — all costs will be covered by us. We mainly need an invitation letter from the Maltese partner. If you are interested in cooperation, we would be happy to get in touch! our email: pact@pact.sk

Make sure Trajectory drift randomness in enabled in File > Render settings.

Thank you so much Drew, I really appreciate it!   I tried to use your VDL but for some reason it just shoots everything straight up. If you have time, can you let me know if I need to change a setting somewhere? If not, no big deal as I was able to add the DLY to my VDL to make it work.   Thanks again! 🙂

Try this full cake VDL:   3″ 2.70s 5.95 PFT 10 Shot (a) 5.95 DLY {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} Cake, 1 Row (aaaaaaaaaa/STR)   The key piece is adding the 5.95 PFT (prefire time) and the 5.95 DLY (delay before simulation) to the VDL when combining the individual effects into a cake. Ideally, this would happen automatically, but it just isn’t handled gracefully by the cake combiner in this situation. I also made a few tweaks to your custom sim, most notably increasing the angle-spread in the launch node to more closely match the random flight paths of the real-life effect. I also remove the mortar flame, mortar sparks, and replaced the launch sound.

Awesome, thank you.