Thanks Neil,   I synced my catalog and the effect still seems to have well over 36 shots?

Hi PyroExec,   As you correctly pointed out, there are some discrepancies between the first-party video details and the actual product label. The Finale 3D sim is based on the Raccoon demo video, but the final product that was shipped doesn't seem to match the original product in the demo video.   The cake label suggests that each cake is 13s in duration, V-shaped with angles in both directions, with 36 shots per cake (so 18 shots of each left and right per cake). In the original demo video, there are 42 shots for each left and right all happening within the ~13s duration.   According to the label, it looks like one cake will launch 36 shots in the same amount of time as the demo video's 84 total shots.   Due to this, it seems firing both cakes at the same time will produce a similar effect to the video, with 72 shots in the ~13s duration — or you could fire one after the other to get ~26s duration with a slower firing cadence. However, because of the discrepancies in the information, the actual performance may still be different even to what the label shows.   I have updated the Raccoon supplier catalog simulation to reflect this — now the cake is shown as ~13s duration with 36 shots, representing a single cake from the box.   In cases like this, the only way to know for sure the details of the product that was shipped is to wait until someone tests the actual cakes. If/when you find out how the cake actually performs, please let us know and we can make sure the sim matches.

Thanks, Drew. I believe you said at Cobra-Con that you wanted to do a session or webinar on racking. Let me know when that will be.

  EhrlichFire wrote: OK Thanks. I see the 2nd row of “Optional Inputs” (size, prefire, duration …) edit the Outputs. It does not matter what the “required inputs” provide. And the “effect type” edits the “Outputs” if you do not use “cake” in the “required inputs”. The "Optional inputs" section could better be described as "Alternative way to enter required inputs plus additional optional information". For example, Size is not optional, but it's included in the optional section because it can entered in the full VDL description at the top. Everything you see in the Outputs section is required, anything not in the Outputs section is optional.   I exported my effects and am working to clean them up. I guess if I change the effect type or other columns from this form, will they change in the my effects screen and simulation if needed. There are many ways to edit your My Effects data. You can edit using the Edit effect dialog, you can edit directly in the table in the effects window, and you can export or copy data for editing in Excel.

Hi Pyro_7100000, a dark timeline with no waveform after importing an audio file indicates the audio file is in an incompatible format. For WAV files, if you format with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz and bit depth of 16-bit, you should have no trouble.   Here's another topic on this subject: https://finale3d.com/groups/english/forum/topic/importing-audio-issue/#post-1925652

Hi! Was great to see people at the UK Cobra Meetup yesterday. A question I forgot to ask that happens to also be a feature request. A lot was spoken about improving the dmx implementation, Are there any plans the integrate the import of the GDTF Fixture format? Even if the simulation was not made when a fixture is imported, it could massively speed up the process of creating new dmx fixtures, and could lessen the need for finale to create as large of a catalog of their own.

Tracks aren't analysing when I import. The timeline just goes dark, no waveform shows. The songs window shows a duration a 0:00. I don't get the analysing pop up. I use Cubase 11 to edit my music.Tried exporting both wave and mp3, tried converting to mp3 through iTunes. Most of the time they don't open in finale. But all play in media player and itunes. It works about 20% of the time.

Thank you, that is what I was thinking as well. I guess if it is a single cake (fingers crossed) I could test one and see.

Hey PyroExec,   First, I have no real-world experience with this specific product...sorry.   I compared both the video from Racoon (link), the product on American Wholesale Fireworks (same video, diff product picture), and the simulation from Finale3d. Regardless of the discrepancy in shot counts, the timing (~10seconds) looks correct. When I compare cakes etc...it's usually the TIMING that is most important in the simulations...ie the prefire time to the "fadeout" of the last effect in the sky...FWIW.   In this case, based on the pictures you have and Racoon's video, I *believe* that the 10seconds is for EACH 500g cake, and what you've purchased appears to be a 1.4gPRO level 1000g cake, which can be chained together...so it's safe to assume that the chained effect duration would be 20seconds.   Thats what I would plan for in my show, and sorry in advance if I'm wrong!   Cheers, -Russ

I purchased a bunch of 1.4 cakes from RKM and American Wholesale and would love to include them in my design....but it will take forever to create them all.  Is there a database anywhere? Thanks in advance!