To create and export a script for the PyroDigiT firing system, please follow these three steps: Design the show. Set the Section field for launch positions with AFC32 units (Right-click positions and edit position properties to enter the AFC32 unit number 1-99 servicing those positions, if any, into the Section field.). Address the show ("Addressing > Address show"). Export the script ("File > Export > Export firing scripts"). Step 3 creates the script file, which is a CSV file that you can import into the PyroDigiT software. To compile the CSV script file from Finale 3D and download it to the PyroDigiT controller, please follow these steps: Download and install the "Finale 3D to PyroDigiT System Compiler" application (link available at the bottom of this page). Launch the compiler application and click "Select Finale 3D CSV". After selecting the file, the software reads the script contents and displays the various tracks into which the show is divided. For each track, called "Section X", enter a name and select a music file. Or, if the show is not divided into tracks, enter a name and select the music for the whole show. Click on "START>>" to compile the show. The PyroDigiT Pyroshow software is not required, the show is now ready to be downloaded to the PyroDigiT controller. Launch the PyroDigiT "Project Manager" application and download the show to the PyroDigiT controller. Figure 1 – PyroDigiT Master 999 Touch control panel   The PyroDigiT CSV is a human-readable text file that contains the essential information for the PyroDigiT Master 999 Touch to fire the show.   Table 1 – File format and encoding File format Extension Text encoding Field delimiter End-of-line Text CSV UTF-8 Tab CRLF  The script contains five header lines, followed by a single header row with the column names of the rows, followed by the rows themselves. The special characteristics of the script are shown in the following table:   Table 2 – Special characteristics Special characteristics Description Sort order of rows Rows are sorted by ignition time. What rows represent Each row identifies a unique firing pin ignition (i.e., unique rail address, pin address, ignition time). Module types Rows in the script can represent multiple types of modules: pyrodigit_slave_15 -- 15 pins pyrodigit_slave_30 -- 30 pins pyrodigit_slave_60 -- 60 pins pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 -- 15 pins pyrodigit_afc32_sm30 -- 30 pins Slave modules connect directly to PyroDigiT Master 999 Touch controllers and therefore only need a single module number XXX to identify the slave, in the Rail Address field in the exported script.   SM15 and SM30 slats  connect to AFC32 units, which connect to Master 999 Touch controllers.  Thus SM15 and SM30 slats require two fields for their addresses: XXX to identify the slat in the Rail Address field; and YY to identify the AFC32 unit, in the AFC32 Address field. (See Using AFC32 units, below.) Special characters Fields include any Unicode characters except: ' , ; " tab and newline and other control characters. Support for semi-automatic firing The Cue and Track fields support semi-automatic firing mode.  Cue numbers begin at one and increment with each new ignition time or each new track group of effects.  The Track is an optional identifier associating a collection of rows that are to be fired together as a sequence or "macro" with a single trigger in semi-automatic mode on the firing system.  Cue numbers do not increment within a track group of effects. Start/end times for semi-automatic tracks To specify the start and end time of a track, if different from the track's first and last events' times, insert an empty event at the start time, before the track's first event, and an empty event at the end time, after the track's last event.  Empty events are events that do not have a Part Number, and therefore do not have fields like Type or Description.  Empty events do have valid Track fields, however, and the Track field must match the track of (pyro) events with which the empty cue is associated (see Empty events, below). Header The file contains a five line header, consisting of: Unique identifier (a SHA1 checksum of the file contents) Show name Music path Show date Show location Each script row has the following fields:   Table 3 – Specifications of script fields Field name Description Cue The cue count, beginning with one and incrementing at each new ignition time or at each new track group of effects.  The cue count does not increment within a track group of effects even if the effects in the track group have different ignition times. Ignition Time The exact time of the firing system's "ignition event" (application of a voltage to a pin) that ignites e-matches or triggers a sequencer that ultimately leads to the ignition of effects. Format is HH:MM:SS.DDD. Duration The duration represents the lifetime of the perceived visual effect, which is usually interpreted for shells as the time from break to dissipation of the stars. Format is in seconds with two digits after the decimal point. Device Count The number of devices (shells) represented by the row.  May be more than one in the case of chains or multiple e-matches connected to the same firing system pin. Delay The delay from the ignition time to the perceived visual effect.  This delay typically includes the lift time (for shells) plus any fuse time between the ignition time and the first launch of the effect.  Format is in seconds with two digits after the decimal point. Effect Name The name of the effect. Size The device caliber.  Format is either a number followed by double-quote for inches or "mm" for millimeters, or the string "NA" or blank for effects for which the caliber term is not applicable. Category A user defined string identifying the category of the effect. Type One of several pre-defined terms that have specific meaning in Finale 3D (see Why is ‘Type’ so important? What depends on it?). Angles A list of angles in degrees, separated by spaces, for the effects represented by this row in the script.  Position The name of the launch position from which the effect is fired. Module Type The type of module or slat: pyrodigit_slave_15, pyrodigit_slave_30, pyrodigit_slave_60, pyrodigit_afc32_sm15, pyrodigit_afc32_sm30. AFC32 Address For effects fired from SM15 or SM30 slats connected to AFC32 units, the Section field in the script is the AFC32 unit number, from 1-99. The addressing functions copy the Section field from the launch position into the script event's Section field at the time of addressing, so please specify the AFC32 unit for each launch position by editing the position properties prior to addressing the show.  (See Using AFC32 units, below.) Rail Address The module number XXX in the case of slave modules or slat number XXX in the case of SM15 or SM30 slats connected to AFC32 units (see Section field for identifying the AFC32 units).  Pin Address The pin number. Part Number A user-defined identifier for the effect. Manufacturer Part Number The manufacturer part number. Track A string identifying a group of effects that are to be fired as a sequence with a single trigger if the firing system is in semi-automatic mode. The example script below shows an exported script with nine pairs of shots and two different types of modules.  The cue numbers are the same for both effects in each pair.  The rail address of the AFC32 unit 15-pin slats contain two numbers to identify the AFC32 unit and the slat independently.   1234567890 My Test Show C:UserswharveyDocumentsfinale_3d_website_mediatest_pyrodigit02.mp3 NYE New York Cue Ignition Time Duration Device Count Delay Effect Name Size Category Type Angles Position Module Type AFC32 Address Rail Address Pin Address Part Number Manufacturer Part Number Track 1 00:00:02.760 1.02 2 2.24 (2) Red Chrysanthemum ... 2" 2 Assorted shell 0 0 Pos-01 pyrodigit_slave_15 001 1 G2SH1000 G2SH1000 2 00:00:05.260 1.02 2 2.24 (2) Red Chrysanthemum ... 2" 2 Assorted shell 0 0 Pos-02 pyrodigit_slave_15 002 1 G2SH1000 G2SH1000 3 00:00:07.760 1.02 2 2.24 (2) Red Chrysanthemum ... 2" 2 Assorted shell 0 0 Pos-03 pyrodigit_slave_15 003 1 G2SH1000 G2SH1000 4 00:00:10.260 1.02 2 2.24 (2) Red Chrysanthemum ... 2" 2 Assorted shell 0 0 Pos-04 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 01 004 1 G2SH1000 G2SH1000 5 00:00:12.760 1.02 2 2.24 (2) Red Chrysanthemum ... 2" 2 Assorted shell -30 30 Pos-05 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 01 005 1 G2SH1000 G2SH1000 6 00:00:15.260 1.02 2 2.24 (2) Red Chrysanthemum ... 2" 2 Assorted shell -30 30 Pos-06 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 01 006 1 G2SH1000 G2SH1000 7 00:00:17.760 1.02 2 2.24 (2) Red Chrysanthemum ... 2" 2 Assorted shell 0 0 Pos-07 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 01 007 1 G2SH1000 G2SH1000 8 00:00:20.260 1.02 2 2.24 (2) Red Chrysanthemum ... 2" 2 Assorted shell 0 0 Pos-08 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 01 008 1 G2SH1000 G2SH1000 9 00:00:22.760 1.02 2 2.24 (2) Red Chrysanthemum ... 2" 2 Assorted shell 0 0 Pos-09 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 01 009 1 G2SH1000 G2SH1000 Figure 1 – Example PyroDigiT script with slaves and AFC32 slats   Using AFC32 units As discussed above, PyroDigiT AFC32 units require two addresses for their pins, XXX to identify the slat number, and YY to identify the AFC32 unit itself.  When you address the show using Finale 3D's addressing functions, Finale 3D assigns the slat numbers XXX for all the shots, but the addressing functions do not take into consideration the AFC32 unit numbers YY for the shots.  You need to specify the AFC32 unit numbers yourself, prior to addressing the show, by setting the numbers in the "Section" field of the launch positions' position properties.   Figure 2 – Set the position properties' Section field to the AFC32 unit number   Since you may want multiple launch positions to use the same AFC32 units you can set multiple positions' Section fields to the same AFC32 unit number.  Here are two examples. In the first example, the user has four launch positions total, A, B, C, D.  Each launch position has 16 x 15-pin slats.  Thus 64 15-pin slats are required in total, which means two AFC32 units are required.  So the user sets the Section field of launch position A and B to 01 (for example), and sets the Section field of launch positions B and C to 02.  The rows in the exported script will thus include AFC32 numbers YY and slat numbers XXX of, At position A: 01-001 01-002 01-003 ... 01-016 At position B: 01-017 01-018 01-019 ... 01-032 At position C: 02-033 02-034 02-035 ... 02-048 At position D: 02-049 02-050 02-051 ... 02-064 Figure 3 – Example addresses for two launch positions A and B sharing the same AFC32, and two other launch positions C and D sharing a different AFC32   Alternatively, the user may want to put a separate AFC32 at each of the positions A, B, C, D.  That would require four AFC32 units instead of two, which is less efficient but maybe the user wants to do it anyway.  To do that, the user specifies the Section of position A is 01; the Section of position B is 02; the Section of position C is 03; the Section of position D is 04.  When the user exports the script, it will contain, At position A: 01-001 01-002 01-003 ... 01-016 At position B: 02-017 02-018 02-019 ... 02-032 At position C: 03-033 03-034 03-035 ... 03-048 At position D: 04-049 04-050 04-051 ... 04-064 Figure 4 – Example addresses for four launch positions A, B, C, and D each with its own AFC32   Since the AFC32 Address is not part of the Rail Address or the Pin Address, it is is not present in the standard label configurations.  To get the AFC32 Addresses to be included on the labels, you will need to modify an existing labels template or create a new one that has the Section field from the script window as one of the displayed fields (recall that the AFC32 Address comes from the Section field in Finale 3D.)  Instructions for configuring labels templates are, Labels basic instructions.   Empty events Empty events are used to specify the start and end time of tracks in the exported script, if different from the tracks' first and last event times themselves.  In the example shown in Figure 2, both tracks have start and end times that are 2-seconds before and after the events in the track.  To add empty events in Finale 3D, simply use the menu item, "Script > Insert empty cue". Empty events in Finale 3D are events that do not have Part Numbers.  Empty events in a show will not be included in the exported PyroDigiT script unless they have a non-empty Track field that matches a track that contains non-empty cues.  In the exported script, all fields of empty events are blank except the Ignition Time, possibly the Effect Name, and the Track.  The Effect Name will contain the Notes field from the event in Finale 3D, which can be used for comments or names of tracks in the exported script.   1230086691 C:UserswillDownloadstest-pyrodigit02.mp3 Cue Ignition Time Duration Device Count Delay Effect Name Size Category Type Angles Position Module Type AFC32 Address Rail Address Pin Address Part Number Manufacturer Part Number Track 00:00:01.000 1 1 00:00:03.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 1 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 1 1 00:00:04.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 2 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 1 1 00:00:05.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 3 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 1 1 00:00:06.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 4 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 1 1 00:00:07.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 5 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 1 1 00:00:08.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 6 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 1 1 00:00:09.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 7 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 1 1 00:00:10.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 8 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 1 1 00:00:11.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 9 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 1 1 00:00:12.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 10 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 1 00:00:14.000 1 00:00:23.000 2 2 00:00:25.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 11 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 2 2 00:00:26.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 12 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 2 2 00:00:27.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 13 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 2 2 00:00:28.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 14 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 2 2 00:00:29.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 001 15 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 2 2 00:00:30.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM15-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm15 20 002 1 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 2 2 00:00:31.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM30-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm30 20 003 1 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 2 2 00:00:32.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM30-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm30 20 003 2 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 2 2 00:00:33.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM30-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm30 20 003 3 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 2 2 00:00:34.000 2.14 1 0.0 Red Comet 2" 2 Assorted comet 0 SM30-ON-20 pyrodigit_afc32_sm30 20 003 4 G2XX1000 G2XX1000 2 00:00:36.000 2 Figure 2 – Example script with two tracks that have start/end times specified by empty events   Table 4 – Example files & tools Download link Explanation test_pyrodigit.csv Example exported file  (CSV) test_pyrodigit.fin Example show file FTP Compiler 1.1.3.exe Finale 3D to PyroDigiT System Compiler

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The licensing options for Finale 3D are designed to accommodate individuals and companies, enthusiasts and industry leading professionals. To accomplish this goal, there are three licensed versions of Finale 3D: Lite, Hobbyist, and Pro. Additionally, there are discounted licenses for individuals with multiple computers, and companies with multi-user design teams. This article includes answers to licensing questions and examples to help you select and manage the licenses that are best for your situation. [/vc_column_text][rs_space lg_device="50" md_device="" sm_device="" xs_device=""][vc_column_text] For everyone: [/vc_column_text][rs_space lg_device="25" md_device="" sm_device="" xs_device=""][vc_toggle title="Where do I start?" style="simple"]Finale 3D is completely free to try, so start by installing the software on your computer. Go to the Download page to begin. All versions of Finale 3D are contained in the same download package. There is no need to worry about the different license types when you are downloading and installing the software. When you run Finale 3D without a license, you will be in demo mode. This mode gives you access to all the features of the “Lite” version, but saving an exporting are disabled.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="What are the system requirements for Finale 3D?" style="simple"]If you have a PC, or a Mac that is set up to run Windows, chances are good that Finale 3D will run on your computer. The best way to find out is to give it a try. For more details, see System Requirements.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="How can I try all the features?" style="simple"]To request a free 14-day trial of Lite, Hobbyist, or Pro, use the button at the top of the Pricing page.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="What is the difference between Lite, Hobbyist and Pro?" style="simple"]The key features in each version of Finale 3D are listed near the top of the Pricing page. Scroll down on the same page to see a complete Feature Comparison. Also watch the Feature Comparison Video.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="What is the renewal price for my license?" style="simple"]The renewal price for all Finale 3D licenses is the same as the original purchase price. For example, if your purchase a Pro license for $1049, the license is good for 1 year and the renewal price is $1049 to extend the license for another year.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="Can I purchase Finale 3D as a monthly subscription or buy a lifetime license?" style="simple"]Finale 3D is only available as an annual license subscription. This enables us to continuously make improvements, add new features, and provide high quality customer service and support.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="What happens if I don’t renew my Finale 3D license?" style="simple"]Finale 3D is only available as an annual license subscription. If you purchase a license and choose not to renew it, then the software will revert to demo mode. In this mode, you will not be able to save or export your work.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="Can I install Finale 3D on multiple computers?" style="simple"]Each Finale 3D license is for one user and can only be activated on one computer at a time. You can unlink your license and move it to another computer up to 12 times per year. If you have a Hobbyist or Pro license and you need to have two computers activated at the same time, you can purchase an Extra Machine license.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="How do I move my Finale 3D license to a new computer?" style="simple"]To move your license, install Finale 3D on your new computer, login, and follow the instructions onscreen. You can move your license up to 12 times per year.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="What is an Extra Machine license?" style="simple"]Each Finale 3D license is for one user and can only be activated on one computer at a time. An Extra Machine license allows a user with a Hobbyist or Pro license to activate Finale 3D on another computer. For example, if you have a computer at your office, and a computer at home, an Extra Machine license will allow you to have Finale 3D activated on both computers. If your primary license is Pro, then the Extra Machine license will allow you to activate Pro on a second computer. If you have Hobbyist, the Extra Machine license will allow you to activate Hobbyist on a second computer. If you only purchase Extra Machine and don’t have a Hobbyist or Pro license, the Extra Machine license will do nothing.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="How can I upgrade my Finale 3D license?" style="simple"]You can upgrade your license at any time by contacting support@finale3d.com.[/vc_toggle][rs_space lg_device="25" md_device="" sm_device="" xs_device=""][vc_column_text] For individuals: [/vc_column_text][rs_space lg_device="25" md_device="" sm_device="" xs_device=""][vc_toggle title="I am an individual, how do I purchase a Finale 3D license?" style="simple"]Go to the Pricing page, add the version of Finale 3D you would like to purchase to your shopping cart and complete the online checkout. Your license will be activated automatically within 1 to 2 minutes. There are no license keys to enter, simply login to Finale 3D to begin using your license.[/vc_toggle][rs_space lg_device="25" md_device="" sm_device="" xs_device=""][vc_column_text] For teams: [/vc_column_text][rs_space lg_device="25" md_device="" sm_device="" xs_device=""][vc_toggle title="I represent company, how do we purchase Finale 3D licenses?" style="simple"]Licenses for users within a company can be purchased on the Pricing page. To leverage the multi-user discounts, all licenses for an company must be purchased using the same Finale 3D account. This account can belong to a member of the company who will use Finale 3D, or it can belong to someone who is only serving the role of license administrator. The person designated for this role within your company will be responsible for purchasing new licenses, assigning the licenses users, and managing annual license renewals. Please be sure to select someone who is authorized to make payments on behalf of your company.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="My company has multiple users, which kinds of licenses should I buy?" style="simple"]For your first user, you will need a standard (i.e., full price) Hobbyist or Pro license. You can add more users at a discount by purchasing Additional Hobbyist or Additional Pro licenses. Examples of various licensing scenarios are shown in Table 1. All types of licenses can be purchased on the Pricing page.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="What is an “Additional Hobbyist” or “Additional Pro” license?" style="simple"]After purchasing a Hobbyist or Pro license, you can add more users by purchasing discounted Additional Hobbyist or Additional Pro licenses. If you are an individual or a company with a single user, these license types don’t apply to you. The discounted Additional Hobbyist and Additional Pro licenses only function if you also own a standard Hobbyist or Pro license. Examples of various licensing scenarios are shown in Table 1.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="How do I assign a license to someone in my company?" style="simple"]After purchasing licenses for your team, assign them by going to "finale3d.com > Login > My Account > Assign Licenses to Other People".[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="Can I purchase an Extra Machine license to allow another person in my company to use Finale 3D?" style="simple"]No. An Extra Machine license does nothing unless the same person is also assigned a Hobbyist or Pro license. To add users to your team, please purchase a discounted Additional Hobbyist or Additional Pro licenses.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="I assigned an Extra Machine license to a user in my company, but the user is still in Demo Mode, why?" style="simple"]An Extra Machine license allows a user who is assigned a Hobbyist or Pro license to activate Finale 3D on another computer. If the user is not assigned a Hobbyist or Pro license, the Extra Machine license does nothing. To add users to your team, please purchase a discounted Additional Hobbyist or Additional Pro licenses.[/vc_toggle][rs_space lg_device="25" md_device="" sm_device="" xs_device=""][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Table 1 – License examples Scenario License needs Individual with one computer (1) Lite, Hobbyist, or Pro Individual with two computers (1) Hobbyist or Pro + (1) Extra Machine Company with one user, one computer (1) Lite, Hobbyist, or Pro Company with one user, two computers (1) Hobbyist or Pro + (1) Extra Machine Company with two Pro users, one computer each (1) Pro + (1) Additional Pro Company with two Hobbyist users, one computer each (1) Hobbyist + (1) Additional Hobbyist Company with two Pro users, two computers each (1) Pro + (1) Additional Pro + (2) Extra Machine Company with two Hobbyist users, two computers each (1) Hobbyist + (1) Additional Hobbyist + (2) Extra Machine Company with one Pro and one Hobbyist user, one computer each (1) Pro + (1) Additional Hobbyist Company with one Pro and one Hobbyist user, two computers each (1) Pro + (1) Additional Hobbyist + (2) Extra Machine [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Fireworks companies that keep inventory records in an external inventory management system or in Excel can import their inventory records into Finale 3D as described here but they then face a puzzle when their inventory records are revised in their inventory management system: how can they update the inventory stored Finale 3D with up-to-date information from their inventory system without overwriting any fine tuning to simulations they may have made directly to the records stored in Finale 3D. The most common fields to update regularly are "Price," "Description," and "Available".  The Available field is the item quantity available for scripting, which companies usually calculate as the Quantity On Hand minus Quantity Reserved plus (maybe) Quantity On Order.  You can use any calculation you want.  From the perspective of Finale 3D, if you are using an external inventory management system the Available field is just a number.  You may notice Finale 3D also has a "Quantity On Hand" column, but that column is reserved for the Finale Inventory integration available from our sister company, finaleinventory.com.   Figure 1 – Importing effects into an effects database will overwrite any matching effects entirely, including any adjustments you may have made to their simulations   One other quantity column that is available for you to use is the "Quota" column.  Like the Available column, the Quota can be used to filter the effects lists to items that have Quota > 0, as well as other filtering criteria.  Also like the Available column, you can import any quantities you want into the Quota column, by whatever calculation you want, including for example, if you wanted to use the Quota column to hold the Quantity On Hand or Available or Reserved or other item quantity calculation from your external inventory system.  There is one significant difference, though, between the Quota column and the Available column: the Quota column is saved as part of the show file, whereas the Available column is saved as part of the effect database.  The intended meaning of Quota is "the item quantity target for a particular show," which explains why the Quota is saved in the show file, not in the effects database.  You can import the Quota from the menu item, "File > Import > Import quotas..."  The import operation will have no effect on the effect database or on any other fields.  It therefore will not affect any simulations you may have modified in your effect database.   Figure 2 – Imported quotas are saved with the show; importing does not affect the effects database.   So, if the only field you need to update is a quantity field, and if you don't mind importing it as part of every new show, then the Quota column may be an easy solution for you.  If you need to update prices or any other fields, then we still need to solve the puzzle of importing the revisions without blowing away any updates to simulations you may have done in Finale 3D. The "File > Import > Import effects file..." is an all-or-nothing proposition for each row.   If the row has part number that matches a part number in the effects database you are importing into, the row will overwrite all fields in the effect database, including the VDL fields or any other fields that you may have customized in Finale 3D to fine tune the simulation.  Consequently, re-importing your external inventory into an existing effects database in Finale 3D is not a great option if your effects database in Finale 3D has any information in it that you don't want to overwrite. To update a specific field without overwriting other fields, the best option is to lean on the copy/paste functionality in Finale 3D, and its compatibility with Excel.  The instructions are, Open your external inventory records file in Excel. Sort by part number. Select the column of data cells in Excel that you want to copy into Finale 3D, e.g., Price, Description, Available, etc., by clicking on the top cell and dragging down.  Do not include the column header cell in the selection.  Press control-C to copy. Turn your attention to the effects window in Finale 3D, and select your effects database from the blue selector in the upper right. Sort your effects database by part number in Finale 3D by right clicking the part number column and selecting "Sort by this column." Select the column in Finale 3D that you want to replace by right clicking on the column header and doing "Select this column." Press control-V to paste.  As a result, all the rows will turn fully yellow to indicate they were modified, and the pasted values should appear in the column that had been selected. Confirm that you have the same number of rows in Excel and in your effects database in Finale 3D, and confirm the sorts are the same.  Note that Finale 3D sorting is case-sensitive.  Excel's sorting is generally not case-sensitive, so if you have upper and lower case letters in your part numbers, you may need to sort by another column to ensure consistency. You could use the "Custom Part Field", for example.  

The first time someone asked me to add a randomize function to Finale 3D, I didn't believe it was a serious request.  How could a randomize function be at all useful in a scripted show?  It would take two or three other people requesting the same thing before I finally added the function.  Only after I added the function did I understand how useful and beautiful randomization can be.   Figure 1 shows a snapshot of the moment I understood its purpose:   Figure 1 – A wall of comets as a randomized sequence   The wall of comets created by a randomized sequence was one of the most beautiful choreography motifs I'd seen.  You can make such a pattern with just a few steps: Select a set of positions in line or circle. Click in the effect palette to add a comet effect to all of them. Press control-D a few times to duplicate each comet at each position into eight comets. Press the "S" key to put them into a sequence, with 0.1 seconds or so intervals. Do the menu item, "Script > Reorder > Randomize". Literally, it only takes half a dozen key presses or clicks to create this beautiful pattern.  The way it works is that the randomize function reorders the selected set of effects into a random permutation.  The only requirement for the randomize function is that you select multiple events and they are at different times (otherwise reordering them wouldn't do anything).   Randomizing effect types and angles The wall of comets example is a random permutation of events shooting from a line of positions.  The randomize function can also randomize a sequence of various effect types shooting from the same position, or a sequence of various angles of the same effect type at the same position.  Thus, you can create a randomized fan of comets with similar appearance to the randomized wall.  You can also insert a large batch of effects at a single position without concern over their order, then put them into a sequence and randomize the sequence to convert the batch of effects into a pleasingly random "bucket toss show". Figure 2 shows an example of inserting a batch of four colors of comets, and then putting them into a sequence and then a fan.   Figure 2 – A batch of four colors without randomization.   Figure 3 shows the result of applying the randomize function after putting the batch into a sequence.   Figure 3 – The batch after applying the randomize function.   Do you notice anything unusual about Figure 3?  The sequence of colors looks random, but poker players and mathematicians may recognize something is awry.  It turns out there is a difference between sequences that look random and sequences that actually are random.  If you are curious, look at Figure 4 and read on to see what the randomize function is actually doing.   Technical note Soon after adding the randomize function to Finale 3D I got feedback that the function had a bug: it wasn't producing random sequences.  I couldn't understand the complaint because I was certain that the function was correct.  Eventually someone showed me what he meant.  He showed me a randomized wall like that in Figure 1, and he pointed out that at various points in the randomized sequence, two or three comets in a row would come from the same position.  And that didn't look random.   Figure 4 – Truly random permutations have runs of the same color, but people say that doesn't "look" random.   That's when I learned the difference between "truly random" and "looking random".  Truly random sequences of shots from a set of positions often do have small runs of multiple shots in a row from the same position, but I can't argue with the complaint.   The runs don't look random.  The objection is not so apparent in a still image like Figure 4, but it looks a lot worse when you watch a sequence like the wall of comets. The current randomize function in Finale 3D is substantially more complicated than just rolling the dice to produce a random sequence.  It produces sequences that "look random" even though mathematically they are not.  For the choreographer, they are better than random. The aesthetic quality of the result depends on the number of events being randomized and, roughly speaking, the number of positions they shoot from (or effect types or angles).   If there are no "good permutations" of events without runs, then the input can be said to be overconstrained.  In these cases, the randomize function does the best it can, but the result will have runs for sure.  The degree to which the input is underconstrained is the ratio of good permutations to all permutations.  The randomize algorithm guarantees no repeats for all underconstrained inputs. It is likely to produce desirably random looking distributions for highly underconstrained inputs, but it can produce undesirable distributions for overconstrained or marginally underconstrained inputs.  In most practical circumstances, though, the randomize algorithm will produce a result that is not worse than true randomization.   Random seed The randomize function produces deterministic results based on a random seed calculated from 1) the ordered list of times being randomized, 2) the ordered list of positions, part numbers, or angles of the effects being randomized, and 3) the size of the undo buffer.   Thus if you do the randomization operation, then undo, then do it again, you will get the identical result; but if you randomize repeatedly you will get a new result each time because you are increasing the size of the undo buffer with each operation.

Sky dome images are background images in the 3D scene that depict what you see at the farthest distance.  Everything in the simulation will appear in front of the sky dome image, either a default image or one you've chosen.   You can also use a "backdrop" background image with transparency to depict nearer objects in the scene like buildings, and you can position fireworks in front of the backdrop image or between the backdrop image and the sky dome in the distance. If you have a day time photograph of the shoot site, you can import it as a sky dome image in Finale 3D and apply darkening gradients to make it look like night.  By arranging the launch positions, you can make it look like the fireworks are coming from the buildings or other structures in the background image.  The technique is called trompe l'oeil, and it is often the easiest way to create a simulation video with minimal effort. You can also import a background image of the terrain if you have an aerial image or a screen shot from Google Earth.   In fact to make it easy, Finale 3D has a feature to import Google Map satellite imagery directly from Google.  For large shoot sites, the size of the ground image can be an issue.  If your shoot site area is 10 km by 10 km, for example, and if you want a resolution of one pixel per square meter, that would be 100,000,000 pixels, which is probably too large for your computer to handle.   When Finale 3D imports a background image of the ground, it gives you the option of downsampling the resolution in the distance to keep the resolution higher in the center of the shoot site, which would figure prominently in your simulation video, while lower in the distance where it doesn't matter as much.   Importing a sky dome In Finale 3D, the word "sky dome" means an image projected onto a backdrop in the shape of a dome covering everything you see, like the inside surface of a snow globe with you inside.  When you import a sky dome image, the dimensions of the photograph and the field of view of the original camera that took the photograph determine the height and wrap around width of the projection of the photograph on the dome.  As shown in Figure 1, the "Set sky dome image adjustments" dialog that is in the "Background images" menu and presented when you import a sky dome image includes an input field to specify the field of view.  Most cameras have a field of view of about 70 degrees.  Try that and adjust if the image looks skewed. Figure 1 – The Sky Dome Image Adjustments dialog adjusts the field of view, horizon, and darkening.   The dialog also includes an input field to specify the horizon height in the image.  The horizon height adjusts the projection of the image up and down vertically on the inside surface of the dome.  You should set the horizon field such that the horizon in the image is just above the plane of the ground in the 3D view.   Backdrop photographs of buildings and landscapes typically have a horizon about 25% up from the bottom of the photography.  The photograph shown in Figure 1 is an exception.  As you can see, its horizon is nearly 50% of the way up (although it is a little hard to tell where the true horizon is since the hills are blocking a view of the distance).  When you import a sky dome image photograph, whether it is a building or landscape or anything else, the first two adjustments to get right are the field of view and the horizon height.   Darkening the edges The optional darkening fields in the Sky Dome Image Adjustments dialog apply gradients to the top, bottom, and edges in order to make the image look like night time and to make the edges blend smoothly to black.  Figure 2 shows the result of setting the horizon to 45% and the darkening fields to 100, 50, 100, and 25.   The picturesque night time image of Figure 2 is the same photograph as in Figure 1, with these adjustments applied.   Figure 2 – The darkening parameters can make a day time image look like night.   The specific settings for the night time image in Figure 2 are shown in Figure 3.  Notice the bottom setting, "Turn off ground", is checked.  That setting turns off the ground image, making the ground transparent so the bottom of the photograph, below the horizon line, will show through.   Figure 3 – Example of darkening settings that look good.   Turning off ground is the way to go if you are creating a simulation video that is mainly front view and if the imported photograph looks good by itself, but there are a few circumstances in which you may want to leave ground turned on.  You can turn on the simulated, reflective water, for example, with the menu item "Scenery > Landscape and water > Set to water everywhere".   The combination of simulated water and an imported sky dome image photograph makes for an extremely believable scene as shown in Figure 4 -- especially when you see the reflections of the fireworks in the water!   Figure 4 – Combining a sky image with simulated water is stunning!   Another circumstance for turning on ground is if you have an imported ground image or if you select ground imagery from Google Maps using "Scenery > Background images > Set background image to Google Map..."  If you are making a video from the front view, then the sky dome image is usually the center of attention, and the ground is either turned off or is set to water.  If you are making a video from more of a top down, aerial point of view, such as if shot from a drone, then the ground image is usually the center of attention, and the ground is turned on.  In that case, the sky dome image is often just a distant sky line or a generic backdrop.   Trompe l'oeil By arranging the launch positions, you can make it look like the fireworks are coming from the buildings or other structures in the background image.  Take for example the photograph shown in Figure 5.  After importing this photograph as a sky dome image, setting the ground to water everywhere, and arranging launch positions so they look like they are on the bridge, you can generate a simulated scene like that of Figure 6.   Figure 5 – The trompe l'oeil technique can make it look like fireworks are coming from the bridge in this photograph.   Of course, the launch positions aren't actually on the bridge.  They can't be, because the bridge is just a projected image in the background, but they can appear to be on the bridge if you align them perfectly for a particular point of view.   Figure 6 – After importing the photograph as a sky dome image and arranging the positions, the scene is ready for fireworks.   The positions in Figure 6 are arranged to look like they are on the bridge.  In fact, in this example the positions on the lower section of the bridge are oriented facing out (notice the yellow circles are seemingly facing outward, away from the side of the bridge), and the positions on the upper truss shooting red mines are oriented facing up.  In both cases the actual coordinates of the positions are somewhat realistic.  Those positions farther away on the bridge are actually farther away in the 3D view, which makes the fireworks from them foreshortened realistically. For images like the front of a building in which all the positions are about the same distance away from the viewer, you don't need to try very hard to get the positions to align with the building.  All you need to do is click the yellow padlock in the lower right to unlock the positions, and then while viewing from the desired point of view drag the positions to the right spot relative to the picture.  That's it.  You could even do the same for the Sydney Bridge example of Figure 6, but the simulation would be a little less accurate because the positions at the distant end of the bridge should be farther away from the viewer in order that the fireworks appear smaller. The trompe l'oeil technique only works for a particular point of view and aspect ratio.  If you arrange the positions to align perfectly with the image, and then subsequently rotate or move the point of view even slightly or resize the window, all the positions will shift against the image and will no longer be in the correct spots.  Thus even before arranging the positions you'll need to follow a few steps: In the "File > Render settings..." dialog, set the screen to the standard aspect ratio (letterbox mode).  This mode will always render the screen in a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is the same aspect ratio as the simulation videos. Choose your point of view and create a camera shortcut for it (unless you are using the "front' camera shortcut which exists by default).  To create your own camera shortcut, orient the point of view with the blue navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen, and then click on the green plus sign on the right side of the screen.  That creates the new camera icon.  Then click on the name of the new camera icon, and rename it to whatever you want. Drag the positions so they align with the image.  Right clicking positions and selecting "Move on axis" from the context menu is a good way to fine tune the coordinates by dragging three colored arrows pointing along the axes in the positions' orientation.  The "Rotate" options in the context menu are a good way to adjust the orientations. For reference, step 1 of this process involves the checkbox at the bottom of the "File > Render settings..." dialog, as shown in Figure 7.  These three steps are all that is required to make a simulation video with fireworks appearing to come from objects in a background image. Figure 7 – The "File > Render settings..." dialog   Ground images Google maps and imported ground images are simpler than the sky dome images if you aren't trying to do trompe l'oeil because there's nothing to align and there aren't any visual adjustments other than possibly adjusting the brightness of the terrain in the "File > Render settings..." dialog.  The only settings required for importing a ground image are shown in Figure 8, which is presented after importing an image from "Scenery > Background images > Set ground image > Add image..."   Figure 8 – The settings for importing ground images   The width and height fields in the ground image settings will determine the size of the image on the ground.  You can type the dimensions in feet in this dialog if you prefer, by adding "ft" or single-quote after the number to indicate the unit of measure is feet instead of meters.  The downsampling rings reduce the resolution in the distance to compress the image so it doesn't use as much memory on your computer.  A very large image might use too much memory and cause your computer to crash.  If your image is larger than 2000 pixels wide, you may need to use downsampling, depending on your computer's specifications.  For very large images, like 8000 pixels by 8000 pixels, you will definitely need downsampling.   Table 1 – Example files Download link Explanation trompe-l-oeil-sydney-bridge.fin Example show  

Every firing system on Earth that uses numerical module numbers begins with module number zero or one.  When you assign firing system addresses using Finale 3D, the module numbers naturally will begin by default with the firing system's starting module number.  You can change that, however, if you have reason to. If your firing system starts with module number zero and you would prefer to start with module number one, you can change that in Finale 3D by making a custom module specification for the firing system, and addressing the show with your custom module specification.  The menu item, "Addressing > Addressing settings > Set custom module specification..." is the first step. Figure 1 – The pound sign indicates the numbers will start counting at one.   The "Rail Address Template" field of the custom module specification dialog specifies the address format for the custom module.  For a simple firing system address scheme like Cobra, the Rail Address Template field has two components, indicating the format of the module and the pin.  The pound sign indicates the numbers start counting at one.  If there's no pound sign, then the numbers start counting at zero.  So you can see with the default Rail Address Template for Cobra in Figure 1, the modules start counting at zero (no pound sign), and the pins start counting at one (pound sign).  If you want the module numbers to start counting at one, just add a pound sign in front, as in Figure 2.   Figure 2 – Add a pound sign to the module number format to make the Cobra module numbers start counting at one.   If you want the module numbers to start with some other number, then you can set the "Start Module" number of the launch positions by right clicking on the positions and doing "Edit position properties..." from the context menu, or opening the "Positions" window from the "Window" menu and editing the Start Module fields in the table for any or all of the positions. If you set all the positions' Start Module numbers to the same number, then the addressing functions will operate uniformly except beginning with your chosen Start Module number.  If you set different Start Module numbers for different positions, then the addressing functions will assign module numbers counting upward from the each unique Start Module number.   It is imperative that these sequences of module numbers don't overlap.  If you assign the Start Module number 10, for example, to some positions, and 15 to other positions, then make sure that all the shots at the positions with Start Module number 10 can be accommodated by 5 modules, so the sequence of module numbers beginning at 10 doesn't overlap the sequence beginning at 15.  You will get addressing errors in the addressing function if the sequences do overlap. For more instructions, see Specifying module numbers for each position A third option for assigning addresses beginning at arbitrary start numbers is to assign firing system addresses by selecting rows and filling down, using the fill down technique described in, Addressing basic instructions.  

This example illustrates the steps to setup and design a flame show for the Explo X2 Wave Flamer using the Pyromac firing system.  The example includes the use of, Explo X2 Wave Flamer pre-defined macros/programs Explo X2 Wave Flamer non-macro shots with user-defined angles Pyro effects used in the same show as the flames Safety channels turned on for the flame units for the flame part of the show A Pyromac script that contains both DMX and firing system outputs The example show is 30 seconds long.  It contains five flame positions, one per flame unit; and three pyro launch positions.  It also contains five "safety" positions to hold the safety channel effects for the corresponding five flame units.   The safety positions don't exist in the real world; they just hold the safety channel effects in Finale 3D. Since Explo X2 Wave Flamer fixtures incorporate the safety channel in the DMX personality of the fixture at a defined offset it is not necessary to use safety positions for Explo shows -- you can just add the "DMX safety channel" effects directly to the Explo X2 Wave Flamer fixture positions.  This example uses safety positions to explain the concept, since they are required for other types of flame systems (G-Flame, Flamaniac) for which safety channels are configured to their own DMX channels (not at pre-defined offsets relative to a Start Address). From the front view when designing the show in Finale 3D, the show looks like Figure 1:   Figure 1 – An Explo X2 Wave Flamer macro shot in parallel from five positions   Setting up the show Switch to top view in Finale 3D by clicking on the camera icon on the right side of the screen. Figure 2 shows the site layout from the top view perspective. When designing the show it is easiest to create a safety channel position for each DMX safety channel the show requires. The Explo X2 Wave Flamer flame units require a separate safety channel for each independent flame unit. The show contains five independent flame units, thus it requires five safety channels. By comparison, if the flame units were listening to the same DMX channel range (firing in parallel) then the show would only need one safety channel.  The flame units in this show are independent ,though, so they will be configured for different DMX channel ranges.  Some other types of flame systems have independently configurable safety channel addresses that can be shared by flame units listening to different DMX channel ranges, but with the Explo X2 Wave Flamer system each DMX channel range has its own safety channel as part of the range.   Figure 2 – Create separate positions for flame and pyro and safety (for Explo DMX flames, one safety per flame position).   As explained in Exporting a firing system script for flame systems, there are two ways to setup a DMX flame show, either: 1) each flame unit has its own DMX universe, or 2) each flame has its own range of DMX channels in a shared DMX universe.  The Pyromac firing system is designed to support a single DMX universe that is shared by all the modules, and thus by all the flame units.  So that makes the choice easy for this show: (2) is the only option. After designing the show, you will do the menu item, "Addressing > Address show" to assign firing system addresses and DMX parameters to all the effects in the show; and then you'll do the final step, "File > Export > Export firing system script(s)..." to export a script for your Pyromac firing system.  The addressing functions depend on position DMX properties, which you can edit by right-clicking the positions and selecting "Configure as DMX fixture..." from the context menu.   This menu item is also what will turn the yellow disk (pyro) positions into blue square DMX fixtures, as shown in the Figure 1 and Figure 2.  The menu item brings up the dialog shown in Figure 3.   Figure 3 – Right-click positions and "Configure as DMX fixture..." to set up the flame and safety positions.   From this dialog, you will configure the flame and safety positions in the show as DMX fixtures, following the instructions in Table 1.   Table 1 – Configuration for DMX Fixture positions (flame and safety) Property Instructions Position Type Set to "DMX Fixture (Master)". DMX Universe Set to 1 for Pyromac, though it doesn't really matter what number you set it to because it isn't represented in Pyromac scripts. DMX Channel Base For each flame position, set the DMX Channel Base to whatever the flame unit's physical "Start Address" will be in the real world (previous versions of Finale 3D required subtracting 1, which is no longer correct); set each safety position's DMX Channel Base to be the same as its corresponding flame position (e.g., position flame-01 should have the same DMX Channel Base as safety-01).  In the example show, the DMX Channel Bases are 1,7,13,19,25.  Pyromac only supports channels up to 50, and each Explo X2 Wave Flamer DMX channel range consists of six channels, so the channel bases of 1,7,13,19,25 pack the ranges together back to back. DMX Fixture Type Choose "Explo [001] Wave Flamer". DMX Effect Filter This field fills in automatically when you select the DMX Fixture Type, though you can change it if you want.  The purpose of this field is to support the position's right-click context menu item, "Add compatible DMX effect".  You obviously only want to add Explo effects to an Explo flame projector.  The DMX Effect Filter reduces the list of effects shown in the context menu to those whose descriptions contain DMX Effect Filter text.   Except for the DMX Channel Base field, the fields are the same for all the DMX fixture positions, so you can select all the DMX fixture positions and then right-click on one of them to configure them all as DMX fixtures at the same time.  Then you can open the Positions window and manually type in the DMX Channel Base numbers for the relevant rows, Excel-style, as shown in Figure 4.  Some columns in Figure 4 are hidden (use the blue gear menu in the upper right) to save space.   Figure 4 – It is easiest to set the DMX Channel Base numbers directly in the Positions window by typing them in, Excel-style.   Designing the show To design this example show or other shows with Explo X2 Wave Flamer units, please follow these steps: Add flame effects.  Right-click on the flame positions and do "Add compatible DMX effect" to add effects.  If you insert "Explo DMX X2 Rotatable Flame Shot" effects, you can drag the tops of their trajectories in the 3D view to set their angle, and you can select groups of them and do functions like "Fan" to create interesting patterns. The first four seconds of the example show use only the Explo macro effects.  The remaining flame effects in the show between seconds 5 and 10 are all "Explo DMX X2 Rotatable Flame Shot" effects.  You can use the timing design functions like "Sequence" for any of the effects, but please only drag the trajectory tops to adjust the angles of the "Explo DMX X2 Rotatable Flame Shot" effects. Add pyro effects.  Select the pyro positions you want to add effects to, and then click on the effect icons in the effects window to add effects.  All the scripting functions like "Fan" and "Sequence" are available. Add safety channel effects.  Right-click on the safety positions and do "Add compatible DMX effect" to add "Explo DMX Safety Channel" effects.  Adjust their durations in the script window to cover the spans of time for which you want to arm the flame units.  To see the duration column in the script window, go to the blue gear menu in the upper right of the script window and select the menu item, "Hide or unhide columns > Duration".  In the example show, the flames only last from the beginning of the show to about 9.5 seconds, so the safety channel durations are set to 9.5 in the script to cover that period of time.   Addressing and exporting the script After designing the show, follow these steps to export a script for your Pyromac firing system: Address the show.  The menu item, "Addressing > Address show..." brings up the dialog shown in Figure 5.  In this example you don't need to change much in the dialog at all.  Just select the Pyromac firing system, and choose the module type.  If you want, you can change the assignment order or the constraints, but none of those decisions will affect the DMX fixture positions or the DMX parts of the script.  The configuration from Table 1 is all that matters for DMX. Export the script.  Do the menu item, "File > Export > Export firing system script(s)..."  to generate the script file for your firing system.   Figure 5 – Address the show with "Addressing > Address show..." just as you would for a pyro-only show.     Table 2 – Example files Download link Explanation demo_explo_pyromac_macros_and_rotatable_dmx.fin Example show file demo_explo_pyromac_macros_and_rotatable_dmx.txt Example exported Pyromac DMX script demo_explo_pyromac_plays_on_browser.mp4 Video   Video 1 – Render with water and camera motion [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://finale3d.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/demo_explo_pyromac_plays_on_browser.mp4"][/video]

This article contains a complete list of the columns (i.e., fields) that can by synced between Finale 3D and Finale Inventory. Many of the columns have slightly different names between the two applications. Table 1 below shows the corresponding names for all columns and explains what type of information can be stored in each. If you have a Finale Inventory or Shared Company Effects List account connected to Finale 3D, you can add, edit, and delete items directly in the Effects window in Finale 3D. Be careful, because if you select all (Ctrl+A), then delete, and then do "File > Sync with network" you'll wipe everything out. There is a confirmation dialog with a summary of changes when you synch, to guard against accidents.   Table 1 – Complete list of columns for Finale 3D and corresponding names for Finale Inventory Finale 3D English name Finale 3D internal name Finale Inventory name Explanation Part Number partNumber Product ID The unique identifier for the effect, like DOM10001 or LD3CK253.  Description description Description The name as it appears in in the printed catalog, like “Galactic Gladiator” or “30mm Red Peony 75m” or “Bomba Roja Con Aro Azul” or “Синяя в красную хризантему”. Type partType Choreography Tab The physical type of the effect, which determines whether it is a single shot or mortar-based effect or something else (See Why is ‘Type’ so important? What depends on it?). Note that the values are different between Finale Inventory and Finale 3D. When importing effects, use the values recognized by the system you are importing into. The values in Finale 3D are: shell, comet, mine, cake, candle, other_effect, single_shot, ground, rocket, flame, not_an_effect, rack, macro, sfx, and light. The corresponding values in Finale Inventory are: Shells, Comets, Mines, Cakes, Candles, Other, Single Shot, Ground, Rocket, Flame, Not An Effect, Rack, Sfx, Macro, or Light. Finale Inventory also has a special value: Non-Choreographed. Effects with this value are not shown in Finale 3D.  Category category Category A field in Finale Inventory that is restricted to the user's pre-defined, enumerated category names, or blank. For compatibility with Finale 3D, the "Use legacy categories" option must be enabled in Finale Inventory. This setting is found on the "Product" tab of the "Applications settings" page in Finale Inventory. This field can only be updated from Finale Inventory, any value entered in this field in the Finale 3D Effects window will be cleared when you Sync with network. Size size Caliber The caliber of the effect, in inches or millimeters, e.g., 3” or 75mm; or blank. This field determines the size of the visual simulation. Prefire internalDelay Prefire Time The lift time, for shells, or the lift time of the first effect of a cake if it is a shell. The Prefire time should incorporate the fuse delay.  Prefires < 0.5s will delay the simulation and will not affect the lift time of aerial shells.  Prefires >= 0.5s will not delay the simulation and will determine the lift time of aerial shells.  If the column or field is not present in the imported file, Finale 3D will calculate a good default value based on the size and description.  The terms LFT and DLY can be incorporated into the VDL description of an item to override the lift time or delay before first launch implied by the prefire.    Duration duration Duration The lifetime of the stars, for aerial shells, or the duration of the continuous effect for gerbs or flares, or the duration from first launch to last break for cakes.   DMX Fixture Definition dmxFixtureDefinition DMX Fixture Definition Reserved for future features.   E-Matches Default ematches E-Matches Reserved for future features.   Physical Specifications physicalSpecifications Physical Specifications A field containing optional physical specifications of a rack or effect, such as: {[rackRowLengthConsumption 50]} which specifies that an effect consumes 50mm of a single-shot rack row that has a "Max. usable row length" constraint, overriding the default which is that an effect consumes an amount equal to its effect size. Height Meters height Effect Height The height in meters of the trajectory apex of an aerial shell, or of the spark plume for fountains and gerbs. This field determines the height of the visual simulation. In Finale 3D, this field is always meters.  In Finale Inventory, you can set the Distance Unit Of Measure to feet if you want, which applies to all distances including height and safety distance. Finale 3D will convert between feet and meters automatically, if necessary, when it connects to Finale Inventory, but we recommend you use meters, for simplicity. VDL vdl VDL Description The description of the effect in standard pyrotechnics terminology (Visual Description Language). This field defines the visual simulation of the effect, along with a few other specifications like Size, Height Meters, and Duration.  Manufacturer Part Number manufacturerPartNumber Mfg Product Id The manufacturer or supplier part number. Manufacturer manufacturer Manufacturer This is the name of the manufacturer or supplier. Price stdPrice Item Price The price of the item. Finale 3D will display the price of a show based on these values.  For chains, you can decide whether the price means the price of the full chain or whether it means the price per device (i.e., per shell). From within the Finale 3D application, the user can select “File > User settings > Chain price, cost, NEQ, and weight are for entire chain” to make the prices and price summaries display correctly for either meaning. Notes partNotes Notes A user-defined field for the user’s convenience.   EX Number exNumber EX Number A field that is useful to include for US users.  This field can contain single EX numbers or a comma separated list, like 2008040132, 2004110899. This field can only be updated from Finale Inventory, any value entered in this field in the Finale 3D Effects window will be cleared when you Sync with network. CE Number ceNumber CE Number A field that is useful to include for European users. This field can only be updated from Finale Inventory, any value entered in this field in the Finale 3D Effects window will be cleared when you Sync with network. UN Number unNumber Hazardous Material A field that is useful to include for all users.  This number must be in the format: UNXXXX, where XXXX is a four digit number like 0336 or 0337.  Example: UN0337. This field can contain single EX numbers or a comma separated list, like 2008040132, 2004110899. This field can only be updated from Finale Inventory, any value entered in this field in the Finale 3D Effects window will be cleared when you Sync with network. Delay Default fuseDelay Fuse Delay DEPRECATED. An extra delay between the firing system ignition and the first launch that is copied by value (hence the the name "Delay Default") into the Delay field of a script row when it is inserted in the script.  As of February 28, 2020, use of this field is deprecated.  Fuse delay should be incorporated into the Prefire time.  Prefires < 0.5s will delay the simulation and will not affect the lift time of aerial shells.  Prefires >= 0.5s will not delay the simulation and will determine the lift time of aerial shells.   Devices numDevices Chain Number Of Devices The number of devices in the chain, or 1 if the item is not a chain. Subtype subtype Effect Sub Type A user-defined category, such as 500g Cakes, or Special Shells. DMX Patch dmxPatch DMX Patch A program that defines the DMX signals corresponding to the effect. Hazard Default lockoutDefault Hazard Default A default value for the hazard class or caliber group that show operators may use to selectively prevent effects from firing based on real time conditions.  Custom Part Field customPartField Custom Part Field Anything. Color color Effect Color A single color, which the user can use as a search term. It may contain spaces but not commas. If the effect has multiple colors, this field should contain the most prominent single color that the user is likely to search for. Tubes numTubes Rack Tubes For racks, the number of tubes in the rack. Leave blank for anything other than racks. Rack Type Default rackType Rack Type Default A field that the user an employ to set matching conditions between racks and effects. Suppliers should leave this field blank. Storage Location stdLocation Std bin ID The "standard" location or bin at which an item is stored.  Do not confuse this field with Finale Inventory's concept of "sublocations" or "locations".  Sublocations in Finale Inventory are not communicated to Finale 3D. Locations in Finale Inventory are communicated to Finale 3D, and can be used as filters in "File > Finale Inventory > Selected locations". Cost stdCost Std accounting cost The "standard" cost of an item (not the calculated cost in Finale Inventory).  For chains, you can decide whether the cost means the cost of the full chain or whether it means the cost per device (i.e., per shell). From within the Finale 3D application, the user can select “File > User settings > Chain price, cost, NEQ, and weight are for entire chain” to make the costs and cost summaries display correctly for either meaning. Safety Distance Meters safetyDistance Safety distance The safety distance for the effect. In Finale 3D, this field is always meters.  In Finale Inventory, you can set the Distance Unit Of Measure to feet if you want, which applies to all distances including height and safety distance. Finale 3D will convert between feet and meters automatically, if necessary, when it connects to Finale Inventory, but we recommend you use meters, for simplicity. Weight weight Weight per unit The weight of one device (shell, cake, etc.). If you are synching to Finale Inventory, whatever units you use in Finale Inventory apply (grams, kilograms, etc.). The "Basic Product List" report and other similar reports in Finale 3D will show the total weight for all items in the show.  For chains, you can decide whether the weight means the weight of the full chain or whether it means the price per device (i.e., per shell). From within the Finale 3D application, the user can select “File > User settings > Chain price, cost, NEQ, and weight are for entire chain” to make the weights and weight summaries display correctly for either meaning. NEQ neq NEQ per unit The net explosive quantity of one device (shell, cake, etc.).  The "Basic Product List" report and other similar reports in Finale 3D will show the total NEQ for all items in the show.  For chains, you can decide whether the NEQ means the NEQ of the full chain or whether it means the NEQ per device (i.e., per shell). From within the Finale 3D application, the user can select “File > User settings > Chain price, cost, NEQ, and weight are for entire chain” to make the NEQ and NEQ summaries display correctly for either meaning.   Feet versus meters If you import to a Finale Inventory account by synching from Finale 3D, Finale 3D converts the distance unit of measure from meters in Finale 3D to whatever unit of measure is chosen in your Finale Inventory account, so no special attention is required on your part.  However, if you import directly into Finale Inventory by pasting into the import products page, Finale Inventory defaults to feet as the unit of measure for distances (e.g., effect height, width), regardless of the company's default system of measure chosen in the application settings page. To avoid conversion problems when importing into Finale Inventory directly, please include an extra column called "Distance Unit" with cell values of "Meter" or "Feet" in your imported table to ensure the quantities you are importing are given the correct interpretation.  Without this column, the most common error is that imported heights are about 1/3rd what they ought to be, because quantities intended to mean meters are interpreted as feet.    

To create and export a script for the Megafire firing system, please follow these steps: Address the show ("Addressing > Address show"). Export the script ("File > Export > Export firing scripts"). Step 2 creates the script file, which has the "CSV" extension.  The file format details are described in this section.   Figure 1 – Megafire firing system   Table 1 – File format and encoding File format Extension Text encoding Field delimiter End-of-line Text .CSV UTF-8 semicolon CRLF The script contains rows for the firing events, i.e., unique combinations of module, pin, and ignition-time.  Multiple effects can be combined on a single cue.  The special characteristics of the script are shown in the following table:   Table 2 – Special characteristics Special characteristics Description Sort order of rows Rows sorted ascending by event time. What rows represent Each row represents a unique firing event, a module/pin/event-time combination.  For example, a chain of five shells will be one row, not five.  A pair of shells shot together from the same position will be one row, not two, even if the shells are different effects.  A flight of shells shot together from multiple positions with the same module-pin using scab wire is still one row. Header The header file, in Brazilian Portuguese, indicates the meaning of the columns. Time resolution The Megafire system supports millisecond resolution. Special characters The CSV file allows all UTF-8 characters except semicolon and control characters like linefeed and tab, which are filtered out.  There is no escaping or quoting facility. Each row in the script has a number of fields separated by the tab character.  The names of the fields and their descriptions are the following: Table 3 – Specifications of script fields Field name Description Sequência Cue number, starting with 1. Every row is a unique event time / module / pin combination, so every row is a unique cue. The cue numbers thus increment sequentially. If multiple effects are on the same cue, their effect names are combined in the effect name and size column (see below). Tempo de ignição Time of ignition in seconds with three digits of fraction. Duração do efeito Duration of the effect in seconds with three digits of fraction. Tempo para disparo Prefire of the effect in seconds with three digits of fraction. Artefato e calibre Effect name and size. If the cue represents multiple effects, the description begins with the number of effects in parentheses, continues with the first effect name, and ends with elipsis (...) as an indication the row represents more than is being displayed in this single field. Nome da posição Position name. Direção Angle or angles of the shells in the cue, drawn in ASCII art, like |/. Distribuidor Module number, starting with 1. Canal Pin number, starting with 1. ID do artefato Part number. Preço do artefato Price per device. An example script containing twelve (12) shells across nine (9) firing rows is shown in Figure 1 and included for download in Table 4. Sequência;Tempo de ignição;Duração do efeito;Tempo para disparo;Artefato e calibre;Nome da posição;Direção;Distribuidor;Canal;ID do artefato;Preço do artefato 1;2.760;1.020;2.240;White Chrysanthemum 2";Pos-01;|;1;1;G2SH1001;1.45 2;2.860;1.020;2.240;White Chrysanthemum 2";Pos-02;|;2;1;G2SH1001;1.45 3;2.960;1.020;2.240;White Chrysanthemum 2";Pos-03;|;3;1;G2SH1001;1.45 4;3.060;1.020;2.240;White Chrysanthemum 2";Pos-04;|;4;1;G2SH1001;1.45 5;3.160;1.020;2.240;White Chrysanthemum 2";Pos-05;|;5;1;G2SH1001;1.45 6;3.260;1.020;2.240;White Chrysanthemum 2";Pos-06;|;6;1;G2SH1001;1.45 7;3.360;1.020;2.240;White Chrysanthemum 2";Pos-07;|;7;1;G2SH1001;1.45 8;3.460;1.020;2.240;White Chrysanthemum 2";Pos-08;|;8;1;G2SH1001;1.45 9;3.560;1.020;2.240;White Chrysanthemum 2";Pos-09;|;9;1;G2SH1001;1.45 10;11.446;1.110;0.000;Green Mine 2";Pos-04;;4;2;G2XX1018;1.45 11;11.446;1.110;0.000;Green Mine 2";Pos-05;|;5;2;G2XX1018;1.45 12;11.446;1.110;0.000;Green Mine 2";Pos-06;/;6;2;G2XX1018;1.45 Figure 1 – Example Megafire script   Table 4 – Example files Download link Explanation test_megafire.fix Example show file test_megafire.csv Example exported file (TXT)

Most effects in Finale 3D have a constant duration, even most of the flame effects in the Generic Effects collection.   The reasoning is: you can easily create multiple versions of the effects with different part numbers for the different durations, and then when you are building your show, you can simply click on the effect that has the duration you want.  This reasoning is also supported by the fact that some of the flame systems have predefined durations (example the flame macros in the Explo X2 Wave Flamer), so in those cases you wouldn't have a choice.  However, it is also quite reasonable to want to edit durations duration in the script, so Finale 3D supports both methods. The "Type" of the effect (see the detailed explanation here: Why is ‘Type’ so important? What depends on it?) determines the functionalities of the effect, such as whether it requires a rack in the rack layout view, or whether it requires an e-match, etc.  One of these functionalities is: does the effect have a variable duration?  If the answer is NO, then the duration defined by the effect definition in the effects window defines the duration for all instances of the effect in the script, by reference.  If the answer is YES, then the duration defined by the effect definition is the default duration that gets copied into the script row when you insert the effect, but the script row durations do not remain linked to the effect definition, and you can edit them directly in the script. If you want to change a flame effect definition from having a constant duration to having a variable duration, you can just change its Type from "flame" to "sfx".  The "flame" and "sfx" Type values define whether the effect has constant duration ("flame") or variable duration ("sfx") and are the same with respect to all other functionalities. Most of the provided flame effects in Generic Effects have constant duration (Type = "flame"), but Generic Effects also includes three effects that already have Type = "sfx" so you can edit their durations in the script: GFX1005 -- "SFX Flame" GFX1006 -- "SFX Cryo" GFX1007 -- "SFX Stadium Shot" You can find these effects in Generic Effects by searching for "sfx" in the search bar, as shown in Figure 1.   Figure 1 – Type "sfx" in the search bar to find the effects with variable duration.   You can also create your own variable duration versions of existing effects by copy/pasting the existing effect row in the effect window into your "My effects" collection, and changing its Type to "sfx". After finding or creating a variable duration effect and inserting it into your show, you will need to unhide the "Duration" column in the script window to change the durations.  The blue gear menu in the upper right of the window has a menu item, "Hide or unhide column", from which you can unhide the Duration column, as shown in Figure 2.   Figure 2 – Unhide the "Duration" column from the blue gear menu in the upper right of the script window.   Having unhid the Duration column in the script window, you can edit the effect durations directly in the script, as shown in Figure 3.   Figure 3 – If the effect's Type is "sfx" then you can edit its Duration directly in the script.   Figure 4 shows five flame effects having the same Part Number, shot at the same time.  The center one has a longer Duration, so it lasts longer, as you can see in the simulation and on the timeline. Figure 4 – The middle flame has a longer duration than the others, but they are all the same effect (same Part Number)   The Duration value in the script may be exported as part of the firing system script, depending on the type of firing system (some firing systems have a duration field; other's don't).  It also may be a parameter in an exported DMX script, which depends on the "DMX patch" field of the effect and depends on the firing system.  For more information on flames and special effects using DMX, see Exporting a firing system script for flame systems). Figure 5 shows an example of a variable duration effect and fixed duration effect that are exactly the same except for their Type field, with is "sfx" in the variable case and "flame" in the fixed duration case.  The top window contains the two effect definitions.  Notice that both effect definitions have a duration of 0.11.  The bottom window shows the script.  Notice that the variable duration effect, with type = "sfx", has a duration of 1.0 in the script, which is different from the definition of the effect in the window above.  That would not be possible with the other effect -- its duration column in the script window is read-only.   Figure 5 – Effects with Type = "sfx" can have a different duration value in the effect window and the script window.   The exported script of Figure 5 is shown in Figure 6 for the Pyromac firing system.  The Explo flame system requires five or six DMX channels to represent each effect, so the exported script isn't as simple as two rows and is hard for a human to understand, but you can see the durations of the two effects at the end of line 6 and line 9. Pyromac firing system Cue;Time;Delay;Address (Mod,Pins);"Note";Duration 0001;00,00,00.00;00,00,00.00;901,128;"Explo Macro FIXED DURATION";00,00,30.00 0001;00,00,00.00;00,00,00.00;902,255;"Explo Macro FIXED DURATION";00,00,00.43 0001;00,00,00.00;00,00,00.00;903,000;"Explo Macro FIXED DURATION";00,00,00.32 0001;00,00,00.00;00,00,00.00;904,000;"Explo Macro FIXED DURATION";00,00,00.43 0001;00,00,00.00;00,00,00.00;905,022;"Explo Macro FIXED DURATION";00,00,00.43 0002;00,00,00.32;00,00,00.00;903,255;"Explo Macro FIXED DURATION";00,00,00.11 0003;00,00,04.62;00,00,00.00;902,255;"Explo Macro VARIABLE DURATION";00,00,01.34 0003;00,00,04.62;00,00,00.00;905,022;"Explo Macro VARIABLE DURATION";00,00,01.34 0004;00,00,04.96;00,00,00.00;903,255;"Explo Macro VARIABLE DURATION";00,00,01.00 end Figure 6 – The script exported to Pyromac, with 0.11 duration for one effect (line 6) and 1.00 duration for the other (line 9).   Table 1 – Example files Download link Explanation demo_explo_pyromac_duration.fin Example show file from Figure 5 demo_explo_pyromac_duration.txt Example exported file, same as Figure 6 (TXT)