Fixture Position Estimation (FPE)

If you don't know the position and orientation of your fixtures, Eos can automatically configure the location and orientation of automated fixtures in Augment3d using a process called Fixture Position Estimation (FPE). FPE associates four or more points in your space with corresponding Focus Palettes in order to estimate the location and rotation of your automated fixtures.

If you are setting up your fixtures for the first time, it is generally easier to choose FPE points first and then record Focus Palettes for each one. However, if you have existing Focus Palettes it may be possible to use those focus locations for your FPE points instead.

FPE Points

Each point is a known physical location in a space, measured in relation to the XYZ & Origin. It is recommended to choose at least four points on the floor encompassing the origin and as much of your space as possible.

For best results, the four points should be on the same plane (have the same Z coordinate). If
differing Z coordinates must be used, list the points in a clockwise direction from the point of view of the fixtures. While four points is the minimum requirement, additional points may increase FPE accuracy.

  1. Determine the X and Y coordinates of these points by measuring outwards from the origin point.

Once you have your points chosen and measured, enter the coordinates for each point.

  1. Navigate to the Eos Patch screen. Click the Augment3d tab and select the FPE section.
  2. Enter the measured coordinates of each point. Augment3d will automatically place an FPE Point at each location.

Updating XYZ coordinates in Patch will alter the FPE Point's location in the Augment3d model.

An error will appear if the points chosen are suboptimal. For help, see Troubleshooting FPE.

Focus Palettes

Once you have chosen, measured, and entered the coordinates of your points, associate each point with a Focus Palette.

  1. Focus your fixtures at one of your FPE points and record a Focus Palette.

Note:  Fixture beams must be centered on the FPE point. Focusing fixtures one at a time, sharpening the beam edge, and narrowing the iris to create a smaller-sized beam may help you center the beam. Using a gobo with an easily-identifiable center point (such as a crosshair) may also help.

  1. In Patch, enter the Focus Palette number into the "FP#" column that corresponds with the point on which you focused.
  2. Repeat this process until all your FPE points have associated Focus Palettes.

This association between FPE Points and Focus Palettes is crucial to the accurate rendering of fixtures in Augment3d.

FPE Sets

If multiple sets of FPE calibration data are needed, FPE Points can be arranged in up to ten sets. Each set has its own FPE Points, allowing you to maintain FPE data for multiple spaces within the same Eos showfile. Each FPE set can then be assigned to a channel or range of channels. The fixtures patched to those channels will then use the FPE Points in that set for their calibration and focusing.

Multiple FPE sets can be useful for consoles that control more than one space, or for touring shows working in multiple venues. This can also be useful if all the fixtures in your space cannot focus on the same set of FPE points.