Hi Pyro_14440000, we will add support for newer versions of SketchUp as soon as we can. In the meantime, you can easily convert a model using the free, online version of SketchUp. Here a quick tutorial video:   UPDATE: As of February 2023, it is no longer possible convert models to the 2018 format using the free version of the SketchUp modeling software. At this time, the only known solution for converting models to the 2018 format is using SketchUp Pro. Finale 3D will be updated to support new formats as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you don’t have access to SketchUp Pro, you can send a model you would like to use to support@finale3d.com and a member of the Finale 3D team will convert it for you.   UPDATE: As of April 2023, Support for SketchUp 2023 models has been added to Finale 3D. To get this improvement, visit finale3d.com/download and download and install any release of Finale 3D published on or after April 27, 2023.  

Hi Andy, you’re totally right, the simulation for “Party On” isn’t even close. PyroWalker is correct, some sims are just placeholders, but even as a placeholder this one is a bit embarrassing. Spirit of 76 maintains their Finale 3D catalog, I’ll reach out to them and ask them to make another push to fix up the cake sims. We are also working on a project to improve consumer cakes and add new ones. The goal is to add 1,000 good quality consumer cakes. It’s a big undertaking, so it will take some time. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn how to create your own cakes, check out some of the other forum topics on this subject:   https://finale3d.com/groups/english/forum/topic/how-do-i-create-the-500g-demons-fury-consumer-cake-in-finale-3d/ https://finale3d.com/groups/english/forum/topic/how-do-i-create-the-500g-sparta-consumer-cake-in-finale-3d/ https://finale3d.com/groups/english/forum/topic/2-cakes-i-need-help-with/

How to Create a Scoring Cannon 0:10-0:15 this time

In the script editing I can see you can “highlight every other row in light grey”, is it possible to change it to do every other cue ? if that makes sense ? thanks Mark.

Hi Drew, We need to import a stadium model in finale3D. Since few weeks, all models in 3D Warehouse are noted 2020, 2021, 2022. Bu we can only import 2018 or 2017 models… How can I do? Thanks,

Most of the consumer cakes from the Spirit of 76 catalog are actually placeholders, and don’t have the visual effect. Rather they are timed for scripting purposes. Some of the ProLine items are scripted as more than just a placeholder. I believe it is in the works to make some of the popular consumer cakes available in the visuals at some point. You could use cake creator to make your own version of these cakes.

Creating “Safety ON” and “Safety OFF” effects as an alternative to “With Safety (For Duration)” effects is a good example of what you can do with the new dialog: First, copy/paste the safety channel effect definition to create two new copies named “Safety ON” and “Safety OFF”, and then edit these two copies with the new function “DMX > Edit DMX effect…” to change them from effects that set the safety channel on for the duration of the effect into effects that set the safety channel on or off forever (i.e., until subsequently changed by another effect).  It requires only three clicks in the dialog:   1) Click on the “Channel setting options” field and change it from “Set for duration of the effect” to “Set forever”.   2) Click on the “Begin value” of channel 9 (the arm/safety channel) and change it to zero for the OFF effect.  Leave it alone for the ON effect.   3) Click on the “Duration” field near the top of the dialog and change it to zero, which is not strictly necessary but which makes more sense for ON/OFF as opposed to duration-based effects.   This screenshot points to the three places to click for the 8-head Sigma Services FireFly Flame Machine.  

Can this be used to create alternate safety channel approaches? I’m working with a customer  on setting up some pure manual scenes for the Mongoose Firing System in Finale3D  using the “Track” parameter to group sequences that were built in the timeline to get the creative part right. The Mongoose importer can automatically use this parameter to group related sequences on import and either (1) use them in a manual (step-fire) mode, or (2) assign them to buttons in Mongoose Display Director for “live” (DJ-like) access. The duration-based safety channels that are there for some devices don’t work well in a manual setting, since the specific timing is unknown. It might be a nice option to be able to split duration-based safety channels into two separate events..safety channel on, and safety channel off that can be added to the manual script or attached to a button. Maybe something like this feature can support those scenarios as well?

Fantastic Video so helpful, Thanks Drew!

Now that we have these new “Create DMX effect” and “Edit DMX effect” functions in the DMX menu of the latest beta release, I have written up new instructions for creating your own effects and fixtures here:   Creating fixture definitions and effects   It is way easier than before.   Previously it was possible to create and edit effects by manually editing the DMX Patch and Custom Part Field attributes directly, but that was akin to programming in assembly language.  Now that we have a user interface, I have relegated the documentation articles about the programming approach to “Programmer documentation” articles at the bottom of the DMX section of our general documentation here:   Software Documentation