Drew, I suspect I know the answer to this but to confirm:  In the Lite version of Finale3D, I don’t see any option in the blue gear to ‘Edit Report Template’, is that option not available in Lite?   There are columns I don’t need to print and others I’d like to rearrange.  Thx.   Mark

Pyroland – PE25FX2501 – Pro Snowball – 1.4pro – 1000g – 25 shot – cake – 4/1   Product page: Unknown Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrQIDwCw4sc   I think I did a pretty good approximation here.   2″ 110.0m 21.40s 25 Shot (a) {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} Cake, 2 Rows, Row 1 (aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/STR/20.0), Row 2 (1.0/aaaa/STR/0.4)

I actually was able to find the solution by searching this forum which was very helpful!  I’ll paste the link below in case someone else runs into this issue:   https://finale3d.com/groups/english/forum/topic/issues-with-importing-google-maps/

When I click the option to set the ground image to google maps, Finale 3d keeps freezing and I have to ctrl alt delete to shut it down.  I have a fairly powerful laptop and can’t imagine this is an issue with the laptop.  I have never ran into this problem until now and I am scripting a last minute show!

Seems color changing is already supported, see product SE170:   15 shot 120 degrees (a) green to blue to red mine very sparse very sparse very sparse very bright very bright cake, 1 row (a/FNL)   Suggested VDL syntax to be used *anywhere a color keyword is currently accepted*   red, unchanging for duration of effect (as most effects are now) red   red changing to blue (already supported by VDL) red to blue   select random color, unchanging for duration of effect (supported, but only for some specific selected effects) multi-color   random color changing multi-color to multi-color   pick one of rgb red or green or blue   this syntax should be pretty easy to parse.   I think excalibur shells would be an example. they are ALWAYS mislabeled. might as well be random.

I built a pretty simple google sheets template to see if it will work for people to share. The general idea is that if people put stuff on the submission tab, I can move it over to the effects tab.  I picked the FInale3D export/import format to make it easier for people who want to just copy/paste into excel and make a CSV.   No idea whether this will work for people or take off. I can start adding things from my own library after next week.  Open to suggestions on what else to include.   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tsA5V5laZCikZh0EsxEjJMLMiOl1NZ9eaapP13lCIlg/edit?usp=sharing

Glad to talk to another SD guy! 🙂   I think the trick here is to try and really understand what multi-color means on some effects.  multi-color on a strobing tail would look like a rainbow on the way up changing periodically? or would it pick a single solid color and stick with it for the entire duration of that effect – in other words it might pick a purple strobing tail?  There’s obviously some set of colors they’re using to modify effect colors, but do all of them apply to every effect like a strobing tail? Or do you really want the ability to define a limited set of colors for an effect and have it pick 1 of N for that effect?  Like pick one of RGB, but only from that set.   I’m a big fan of any advancement on the directives we can use in VDL, but the better we define the use case that we think is missing from the ‘real’ fireworks world, the more likely that enhancement will be done and make sense.   Do you have another example beyond the King Dragon tails?  By the way, great shells if you can some.

“where it makes sense” is pretty subjective since manufacturers are coming up with new effects all the time.   mabe it’s just my experience as a software developer but it seems to me that it would be simpler to support “multi-color” as a randomizer in place of anywhere that a specific color is accepted as input. more flexible and not limited to special cases like pearl and dahlia but nothing else.   example pseudocode: if (input == “red”) { color = colormap[RED]; } if (input == “blue”) { color = colormap[BLUE]; } if (input == “green”) { color = colormap[GREEN]; } if (input == “multi-color”) { color = colormap[random()]; }  

You can randomize other effects where it makes sense.  E.g. if you type “multi-color dahlia” you will get multiple colors.  I read your request as wanting to pick a single color strobing tail from yellow/red/green, which feels like a different use case.    

DrewFinale what would your recommended VDL for this product be?