My Name is Redbeard Pyro I am a builder and show creator. I am a member of the WPA, Utah Pyro Association and PGI. I have ran the WPA pyros in training youth show for 4 years and am now the WPA manufacturing chair. I do this as a hobby and a few professional shows a year and love it all.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u2aQobcmNifrdDFGwLIjAQMlhqR3SsSW/view?usp=sharing May I know how to create an effect like this? Moreover, I want to know how to use json custom in finale.

In the 2026.03.19 full release version of Finale 3D, the Explo X2 Waver Flamer effects (and all other DMX effects) have been removed from the Generic Effects collection. Supplier catalogs containing DMX effects are also obsolete. All new and improved DMX effects, including the upgraded Explo X2 Waver Flamer effects are accessible by navigating to DMX > Create or update standard effects for DMX fixture (see screenshot below). The Explo X2 Waver Flamer effects are generated this way both for use with DMX-capable firing systems or the Explo ignition system.      

Hi, I am unable to find the Explo Waveflamer X2 cues in the Generic library anymore. These cues used to be available, but they seem to have been removed or are no longer appearing in the list. Is this a known issue, or have the Explo cues been intentionally deleted/moved to a different section? Thanks in advance for your help!

That is super cool, thank you.  Oddly enough, I am at Cobra Con 2026 and just now seen this update.  I will be using it!

🚀 MASSIVE UPDATE: The Next Level of FINALE 3D Custom Creation is Here! 🎆 We are thrilled to announce a game-changing update to the Finale 3D Cake Creator! We’ve listened to your feedback and packed this version with features that make designing custom effects faster, smarter, and more creative than ever before. Whether you are building complex lancework or specialized water cakes, these new tools are designed to streamline your workflow. ✨ What’s New? Core Workflow & Control: 🏁 Wizard-Driven Approach: New project types with a step-by-step guide to get you started instantly. 💾 Full Control: Save and Load your progress across all project types. 🔄 The “Undo” Button: Experiment freely—now you can step back if you change your mind! 📋 Copy/Paste Function: Effortlessly duplicate complete rows in your design matrix. 🛠️ Smarter Selection: Faster effect selection by just pressing the ‘A’ key, plus improved effect creation. 👀 Live VDL Preview: See your generated VDL come to life in real-time as you build. Creative Design Tools: 🎨 Lancework & Comet Shooting: Add custom text and predefined pixel art (like smileys!) to your designs. 📊 Enhanced Matrices: Bigger grids for larger-than-life patterns. 🖼️ Lancework PNG Export: Convert drawn landscapes into .png files with perfect color matching for set piece macros. 🌊 Water Cake Creator: Generate effect macros directly for specialized water-based displays. Advanced Features: 📋 Report Management: Copy reports from one .fin file to another for ultimate efficiency. 🎵 Beat Detection: Automatically create empty cues for any given song (.wav). ⚡ Split Cakes (Alpha): Easily reduce cake duration or shoot them in reverse order (currently in Alpha—testing encouraged!). Everything you need to push the boundaries of pyrotechnic design is just a click away. 🔗 Try it now at: cakecreator.finale3d.de Let’s see those incredible designs! What are you building first? 👇  

Have a look at the new water cake generator under my toll suite at cakecreator.finale3d.de

      In the flurry to get the latest releases out, which hit simultaneously with PyroJam, PTC, and Elevate, our documentation and communication about what the releases actually contain has been lacking.  There are two new columns in the script window, DMX Parameters and Intensity, which create variations of individual effects in the script.  Why care?  Because with these per-event changes you can make cool scenes and you don’t have to create custom effects to do it.  Here’s an example for a row of par lights that looks awesome at the beginning of a show:   0. Right click on positions and “Configure as fixture” from the menu.  Choose your fixture.  Click yes to add or update the “standard effects” for your fixture, which includes some animation effects like “Intensity Loop”.   1. Insert the “Intensity Loop: Pulse” in all your positions. 2. In the DMX Parameters column in the script window, type 0 in the cell for the first position’s effect.  Type 30 in the cell for the second. 3. Click on the first cell (containing 0) and drag down such that the first two cells containing 0 and 30 (just cells, not rows) are selected.  Now in the lower right corner of that yellow selection box will be a black dot.  Click the black dot and drag down to extend the sequence to all the rows: 0, 30, 60, 90, … (In Excel this is called the “fill handle”.) 4. Leaving the cells selected, right click on one, and from the context menu select “Randomize”.  That will result in something similar to what you see in the image above.  This context menu is a new feature we just added. 5.  That’s it. Here’s what’s happening.  When you put numbers in the DMX Parameters column, the numbers get piped into to the “phase” parameter of animated effects, which means an offset into the animation.  The numbers are in degrees, 0-360.  This example is starting the pulsing animation with different phases randomized, which looks cool.   If you try this same technique with the motion loop “standard effects” for moving head lights you get very impressive results.   These animations smoothly change the intensity or angle, so if your firing system doesn’t have the ramp capability (e.g., Cobra prior to V8.0 which was just released two days ago), then the animations generate quite a few rows of script.  The ramp capability reduces the number of generated lines quite a lot, and makes the animation smoother.   The Intensity column scales the intensity of the effect.  0 = off; 255 = full intensity.  

Need these 4 compound cakes if anyone has them: RA168S42DX4 — The Cascade RA126S42BX3 — The Predator RA168S42GX4 — Color Command RA168S42EX4 — Sky Wrecker Also, just so its not just me that has these, here are some NishiPyro VDL’s I had to make in case it helps anyone: PNC015 — Red Fireflies: 30mm 49 Shot 10s 43m Blue Comet To Big Dense Red Strobe Peony Cake Z-Shape PNC022 — Blue and Fishes: 30mm 43.0m 10.00s 50 Shot Blue Comet To Big Dense Blue Flying Fish w/ Blue Horsetail Z Shape Cake (10 Rows) PNC014 — Ghost Fireflies: 30mm 49 Shot 26s 40m Blue Comet To Big Dense Color Changing Strobe Peony Cake 7 Rows FNT PNC021 — Nishiki Garden: 30mm 48 Shot 17s Cake (a) 30.0 HTM Thick Trail Rising Gold Comet + (b) 43.0 HTM Aerial Big Dense Red Strobe Peony w/ Very Long Gold Nishiki Kamuro + (c) 43.0 HTM Aerial Big Dense Green Strobe Peony w/ Very Long Gold Nishiki Kamuro + (d) 43.0 HTM Aerial Big Dense White Strobe Peony w/ Very Long Gold Nishiki Kamuro + (e) 43.0 HTM Aerial Big Crackle Ball w/ Very Long Gold Nishiki Kamuro, 4 Rows, Row 1 (abababababab/FNT), Row 2 (acacacacacac/FNT), Row 3 (adadadadadad/FNT), Row 4 (aeaeaeaeaeae/FNT) PNC005 — Peacock King: 30mm 486 Shot Cake (a) 40.0 HTM Red Pearl + (b) 40.0 HTM Blue Pearl + (c) 40.0 HTM Green Pearl + (d) 40.0 HTM Yellow Pearl + (e) 40.0 HTM Purple Pearl + (f) 40.0 HTM Orange Pearl + (g) 43.0 HTM Aerial Big Dense Multi-Color Peony, 1 Row (-30a123/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d122/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f91/-30a32/18e69/-18b53/6d48/-6c75/c26/6d97/-18b3/18e101/30f19/-30a82/30f41/-30a60/18e63/-18b38/6d85/-6c16/c100/-18b7/6d94/-30a29/18e72/-30a51/30f50/-18b72/30f29/-6c94/18e7/6d100/18e16/6d85/30f38/-6c63/30f60/-18b41/18e82/-30a19/6d101/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e100/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a/a/-18b/-6c/6d/18e/30f/f/18e/6d/-6c/-18b/-30a513/a0/30f56/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d57/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d57/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e57/-6c0/6d56/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e57/-6c0/6d56/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e57/-6c0/6d56/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f57/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d56/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f57/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d56/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f57/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d56/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f57/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d56/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e57/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d56/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e57/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d56/-6c0/6d57/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d56/-6c0/6d57/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d56/-6c0/6d57/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d57/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f56/-30a0/30f56/-18b0/18e56/-6c0/6d57/-6c0/6d56/-18b0/18e56/-30a0/30f389/-30g0/-18g/-6g/6g/18g/30g/CAK) PFC026 — Flatliner: 30mm 43.0m 17.00s 49 Shot Silver Whistles Comet To Tight Crackling w/ Red Tip Cake (7 Rows) PNC023 — Brocade Waterfall: 30mm 50 Shot 12s 43m Brocade Waterfall w/ Gold Tail Cake Z-Shape PNC018 — Gold Time Rain w/ Time Rain Mine: 30mm 49 Shot 20s 43m Aerial Big Dense Gold Popcorn Crackle w/ 15.0 HTM Gold Popcorn Crackle Mine Cake, 7 Rows, Row 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 (aaaaaaa/FNT) PNC006 — Chromatic Plum Flowers: 30mm 35 Shot 20s 43m Blue Comet To Big Dense Red Lace Cake, 7 Rows, Row 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 (aaaaa/FNT) PFC008 — White Strobe Mine Burst: 30mm 49 Shot 22s Cake (a) 43.0 HTM Aerial Big Dense White Strobing Peony w/ 15.0 HTM Bright White Strobing Mine PNC013 — Patriotic Paint: 30mm 36 Shot 10s 43m Blue Comet To Sparse Bright Red & Blue Dahlia w/ Big White Strobing w/ Brocade Cak

Hi Jonathan, the problem is effect Type. All but one of the red (incompatible) effects are set to ‘mine’, and one is set to ‘cake’. If you change the Type for part number 10301 to ‘single_shot’, you’ll see the red disappear.