Import Custom Resources

An advanced user can import custom fixture, station, and script files using the "Import Custom Resources" feature in the File menu. Custom files are created for customers who have a unique requirement that the standard features in LightDesigner do not fulfill. Contact ETC Applications Engineering or ETC Technical Services for details when a custom resource is required.

Guidelines For Use

Guidelines for use of the "Import Custom Resources" feature:

Note: If a *.pcf or *.spcf file contains custom scripts, other users can import those custom scripts into their own resource libraries using the "Import Custom Script" feature.

Note: Overriding existing standard library data does not alter the contents of the encrypted library resource file, it merely overrides its content.

Once a custom resource is imported, LightDesigner offers three ways to differentiate custom resources from standard resources in your library files including; permanent, temporary, and orphan.

Permanent 

Permanent custom resource additions are custom resources that are permanently added to the standard LightDesigner resource libraries and are made available every time LightDesigner is opened. Names of permanent custom objects appear with (custom) appended.

Add permanent files to the library resource folders using the import custom feature from the File menu (preferred method) or by manually adding them to the resource folder.

Temporary

A temporary resource addition is a custom resource that has been made temporarily available within resource libraries, allowing a user to create new instances of that resource without permanently affecting the standard installed library resources. Temporary custom resources appear with (config) appended to the name. These resource additions can be temporarily added simply by opening (importing) a .pcf file that contains them, and will remain available until LightDesigner is closed.

Orphan

Orphaned object instances are configuration objects for which there is no library support (i.e. object types that are not currently present in the corresponding resource library). Orphaned object instances are not new, and users may have previously seen examples of orphaned scripts where the object name appears with (orphan) appended.

Resource Import Procedure

Custom resources are provided by a Developer user of LightDesigner. Typically, ETC Technical Services or ETC Applications Engineering will provide custom resource files to LightDesigner User's on an as needed basis. The resource file should be stored to a location on the computer or removable memory device that LightDesigner can browse and locate for import.

Note: This procedure assumes that LightDesigner is already open.

  1. In the [File] menu, select "Import Custom Resources", then select the resource type to be imported from the fly out menu. The "Import Custom..." dialog displays for browsing and selection of the custom resource file.
  2. Browse to and select the custom resource file. Reference the section "Guidelines For Use" to determine which file type LightDesigner requires for each resource type.
  3. Click [Open]. A dialog will display for a successful import.
  4. Click [OK] to continue. Before the new custom resource is available for use in a project, you must close and restart LightDesigner.