Output
Moving Heads & Movement FX
Fan a movement shape across a row of heads, keep it locked to the music, and see the result on a 3D stage before the rig ever moves.
Pan, tilt and channel roles
A moving head is patched like any other fixture, but its channels carry roles — pan, tilt, and their 16-bit fine counterparts. Marking the roles is what lets WavePhase aim the head in real units instead of raw DMX values.
- 16-bit pan and tilt are handled automatically when the fixture has fine channels — you work in normalised 0..1 and WavePhase splits it across coarse and fine.
- Orientation per fixture handles heads that are rigged upside down or rotated, so "left" means the same thing for every head.
- Pan / tilt range in degrees tells the engine how much travel the head actually has, which is what keeps a circle circular rather than a wide ellipse.
The Movement FX node
One node drives any number of heads. It carries its own shape generator and clock, so dropping it in and wiring the heads is enough to see movement — each head gets a single combined movement output.
Shapes
Spread
Mirror banks
Centre & size
Staggering that keeps the shape
When the source shape is visible to the engine, staggering re-samples the shape at an offset phase — so a delayed head runs the real path a moment later, rather than having its aim vector rotated (which distorts anything that isn't a circle).Locked to the music
Set the time base to beats and the effect stays welded to the track: a one-bar sweep keeps matching the music as the tempo drifts. The rate input multiplies that — rate 2 cycles twice per beat window while staying phase-locked.
Changing rate mid-show
Turning the rate up or down changes how fast the effect runs from that moment on — it does not jump the heads to a new position. The phase is continuous across a rate change, so you can ride the speed live.Switching between looks
For several fully-configured movement effects that you switch between, bundle each one's outputs with Array create, feed them into an Array switch, and unpack with Array output. One index input then selects the whole look at once, however many heads are patched.
- Wire the switch's index to a button group on a control surface to change looks from the booth.
- Turn on interpolate and the switch crossfades between looks instead of cutting, movement included.
The 3D stage
The stage view shows your rig in three dimensions — fixture positions, yokes following pan and tilt, beams and the pools they land in. It is the fastest way to check an effect without being in the room with the lights.
- Place and rotate fixtures, and group-transform a selection.
- Add scenery props and imported meshes for context.
- Multiple stage sheets, so a touring rig and a club rig can coexist.
Getting a rig moving
- 1
Patch the heads
Add the fixture from the library and patch it, making sure pan and tilt roles are set. - 2
Place them on the stage
Position the heads in the stage view so the preview matches the room. - 3
Add Movement FX
Drop the node in, set the output count to the number of heads, and wire each output to a fixture. - 4
Choose a shape and spread
Pick a shape, then dial spread until the fan looks right. - 5
Lock it to the track
Switch the time base to beats and let the music drive the timing.
Where to go next
- Controlling Fixtures — the output side in general.
- Animators & Curves — custom motion to feed a movement effect.