Sascha wrote: Hi Drew, hi Tim! 1. The effect-time in the simulation of the 1sec Fireballs (RA8120, RA8121, RA8122, RA8123) is looking so long! According to the product-videos from Raccoon they are all more like a flash! Is there an opportunity to fix it in the effect-catalogue? I would like to use them and I think live they’re looking really cool and should work as a quick accent, but they might destroy the simulation/rendered Video completely because of the very long lasting effect-time! 2. Are only those gerbs on the two towers allowed which show up by typing in “gerbs”? Or are color fountains, flame pots and other ground effects (except salutes, bursts etc.) also allowed? 3. Is it allowed to shoot towards the trees if the effect is angled steep / high enough? So when I don‘t hit the 3D-trees in the preview, it‘s good for you? Thanks for your reply! Best regards Sascha   Great questions Sascha, here are the answers:   1) The devices we have are from the very first production run from Raccoon and they are long (about 1 sec to slightly longer in duration).  After feedback from us, they changed them so they are more instant (which is what we wanted originally).  Unfortunately, we haven't gotten any of the newer batch yet so we created the sim based on how they perform in real life.   2)  The towers are limited to just items which are labled "gerbs" or "single shots" since they fit in the racks which we use on the towers.  The fountains, flames, bursts, etc will not fit in our racks and would be much more difficult to mount.  As you can imagine with a setup this large, we try to keep things as logistically simple as possible while still allowing for as much creativity as possible.   3)  Yes, items may be shot towards the outer sides of the field, but need to be angled so that they do not end up IN the trees as you suggest.   Hopefully this answers your questions and thank you for participating in the competition.

Hi Drew, hi Tim!   1. The effect-time in the simulation of the 1sec Fireballs (RA8120, RA8121, RA8122, RA8123) is looking so long! According to the product-videos from Raccoon they are all more like a flash! Is there an opportunity to fix it in the effect-catalogue? I would like to use them and I think live they’re looking really cool and should work as a quick accent, but they might destroy the simulation/rendered Video completely because of the very long lasting effect-time!   2. Are only those gerbs on the two towers allowed which show up by typing in "gerbs"? Or are color fountains, flame pots and other ground effects (except salutes, bursts etc.) also allowed?   3. Is it allowed to shoot towards the trees if the effect is angled steep / high enough? So when I don‘t hit the 3D-trees in the preview, it‘s good for you?   Thanks for your reply!   Best regards Sascha

  Pyro_115540000 wrote: Bonjour et merci pour ce fil de discussion. C’est ma première participation. J’ai télécharger le modèle “pyrojam” sur mon pc mais quand je cherche à l’intégrer depuis final3d par le menu : paysage : modèles : ajouter une modélisation on ne me propose que des formats sketchup. Je dois me tromper quelque part. Mais ou ?   Welcome to PyroJam! The file that you should have downloaded is the PyroJam show design template. This is not a 3D model, it is a Finale 3D show file with a .fin file extension. To open a show file in Finale 3D, simple go to File > Open.   If you are have the latest version of the Finale 3D software installed, you can open a show (.fin) file simply by double clicking on it, just like you would do to open almost any other kind of file on your computer.

Bonjour et merci pour ce fil de discussion. C'est ma première participation. J'ai télécharger le modèle "pyrojam" sur mon pc mais quand je cherche à l'intégrer depuis final3d par le menu : paysage : modèles : ajouter une modélisation on ne me propose que des formats sketchup. Je dois me tromper quelque part. Mais ou ?   @Tim Jameson

  Al Rose wrote: Am used to using MP3 for my audio tracks, but sometimes the audio scratch makes it’s presence known. Is it OK to use WAV for the competition ? Also may silence be used between the audio tracks, ( I have two tracks ), to make the minimum nine minute rule ? Have only five seconds. Al Rose   • Soundtracks may be formatted as MP3 or WAV files. For best quality, format your soundtrack as a WAV file and use a sample rate of 44.1 kHz (44,100 Hz) and bit depth of 16-bit for compatibility with Finale 3D.   • Yes, you may have silence between your audio tracks. A tasteful amount of silence to break up segments or changes in pace is not uncommon in world-class pyromusical displays. However, if you have a long, awkward silence that seems out of place, it may negatively affect your judging score. Take care to use silence as a tool for artistic effect, not just to achieve the minimum show length.

Good Luck everyone.  

Am used to using MP3 for my audio tracks, but sometimes the audio scratch makes it's presence known.  Is it OK to use WAV  for the competition ?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Also may silence be used between the audio tracks, ( I have two tracks ), to make the minimum nine minute rule ?  Have only five seconds.   Al Rose

Thank you for starting this thread Drew, it makes things real simple having one spot for folks to ask questions about the competition.  As always, if folks have an IMMEDIATE need for an answer, make sure to mention me (by including @Tim Jameson) in the post so I get an instant email sent to me.  Good luck all!

The PyroJam 2025 design competition is LIVE! This is your chance to see your show design brought to life in front of thousands of people and compete for $5,000 in prizes. New to PyroJam? Don’t wait to get started, the deadline to submit your show is March 1, 2025. Get all the details at finale3d.com/pyrojam. Have a question? Need some help? Post it here!   PyroJam 2025 FAQ:   1) When I import my MP3 soundtrack into Finale 3D, I hear audio artifacts like, static, crackling, popping, or clicking, how can I fix this problem? To resolve this issue, encode or convert your soundtrack to WAV before importing it into Finale 3D. If you need a tool for audio editing, Audacity is a great free option. When creating a WAV file, use a sample rate of 44.1 kHz (44,100 Hz) and bit depth of 16-bit. WAV files with other sample rates and bit depths may not work properly in Finale 3D.   2) Do I need to include silence or a pre-roll at the beginning of my soundtrack? You may include silence at the beginning of a soundtrack but is not required.   3) Can my soundtrack include songs that are edited? Yes, you may edit, cut, trim, and mix songs any way you like. Use your creativity and all the tools at your disposal to make the best possible soundtrack.   4) Can I use copyrighted music in my soundtrack? Yes, you may use any music of your choice.   5) Can my soundtrack include a voice introduction? Yes, you may include a recorded voice introduction, but it is not required. If you include a voiceover introduction, please make sure that it does not identify you as the designer to ensure the impartiality of the judging process.   6) What are the requirements for show duration? Your show must be between 9 and 10 minutes. Show duration is calculated from the first cue marker to the last cue marker on the timeline. For details, see Show Duration in the PyroJam competition rules.   7) Can more firing positions be added to the PyroJam layout? The PyroJam design template includes 93 predefined firing positions. You may use as many or as few firing positions as you like, but modifying the position layout is not permitted.   8) Can 360° circle racks for single shots be used at PyroJam? Yes! New for 2025 — a dedicated tower has been added to allow single shots to be fired from 360° circle racks. For details, see the Show Add-ons section in the PyroJam competition rules.   9) Can liquid fuel mines be used in the PyroJam competition? Yes! New for 2025 — a new row of firing positions has been added for liquid fuel mines. For details, see the Show Add-ons section in the PyroJam competition rules.   10) Can I angle and rotate cakes? Yes, you may angle cakes left or right. Cakes may not be angled toward or away from the audience. You may also rotate cakes 180°.   11) Can I do "lettering shooting" or "matrix letters" in my show? Sorry, matrix letter shooting isn’t allowed in this year’s PyroJam competition. Effects my only be angled left or right, not toward or away from the audience.   12) What kind of single shot racks are used at PyroJam? The single shot racks used at PyroJam are produced by CraigCo. You can see the racks in the PyroJam documentary.   13) What firing system will be used at PyroJam? The StarFire firing system will be used at PyroJam. The system is capable of 1/100th of a second (0.01 second) timing resolution and can fire any number of pins simultaneously. Please keep in mind that you are only responsible for the artistic design. When you submit your show, you do not need to assign firing system modules or pins. If your show is selected to be produced, the firing system addresses will be assigned by the PyroJam organizers.   14) When I submit my show (.fin) file, do I also need to submit my soundtrack? No, the only file you need to submit is your Finale 3D show (.fin) file. This file contains 100% the digital assets that have been added to the show. This includes the effects, images, models, and music.   15) How do I refresh the PyroJam Competition catalog to get the latest updates? Each time you login to Finale 3D with an internet connection, the latest version of the catalog will be downloaded automatically. You can refresh the catalog without restarting Finale 3D by going to File > Sync with Network.   16) How do I update the effects in my show to reflect updates that have been made to the PyroJam Competition catalog? Select the PyroJam Competition catalog in the Finale 3D effects window. Then, go to the Effects menu on the main menu bar and select Update Per-show effects.     P.S. If you're new to the forum, don't forget to head over to your My Profile and customize your Display Name and Profile Picture!      

Another nice to have:   When opening a show and getting the notification that there are Updates to blueprints as well as missing blueprints, it's an all or nothing option. I'd like to have the ability to only get the updated blueprints and not the "missing" as I've created a lot of custom versions and purposely removed all of the ones I do not want (ex: I only use 3 Avery labels so having all of the other options are just a distraction).   <edit>  If easier, have a column that tags a blueprint as "Default" or "Custom" for quick filtering