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Thread: Quick Start Guide

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Winter Garden, FL USA
    Posts
    77

    Quick Start Guide

    Hello everyone. I decided to write a quick start guide to Catalyst because I found myself answering a lot of the same basic questions a lot. Let me know what you guys think. So far it has been well received. Let me know if you think I should add anything, keep in mind Im trying to keep it basic. Matt

    http://web.me.com/millsmatt/Lighting...t%20Guilde.pdf

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    UK - Milton Keynes
    Posts
    807
    A few comments without going in to massive detail:

    page 3 -
    Not a good idea to keep catalyst in the applications folder amongst everything else.
    Better to be in its own sub-folder - then it is easier to find all the settings files that go with your show.

    - should include part about selecting number of layers in preferences - sometimes 32 layers and mixes gets a bit confused.

    - page 11 - should mention about mixes... not all shows run with full screen...

    - page 13 - credit to SNP for the text thanks... straight out of one of my emails - not from any official catalyst manual...

    good start... many have tried and given up!!..
    needs a bit more detail...

    Simon
    Simon Pugsley

    SNP Productions Ltd. (UK)
    Lighting & Video Control Solutions
    Catalyst|Sales|Hire|Training|Support
    Catalyst Dealer UK Europe & Worldwide...

    Office: +44 (0)1908 410129
    Mobile: +44 (0)7958 390034
    simon@snp-productions.co.uk
    www.snp-productions.co.uk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Winter Garden, FL USA
    Posts
    77
    Thanks Simon, I agree and this was the type of feedback I was hoping for.

    Never knew Catalyst shouldn't be in Applications. So, I should just keep it in a folder on the desktop?

    Ill definitely add the layers selection in preferences, great idea.

    As for the mixes, I'm kind of on the fence with that one. I want this to be informative and basic. In my opinion, if someone understands the mixes part of Catalyst then this guide I have going on won't help them any. The calls I get on a regular basis are people asking how to get something playing on Catalyst. Really people that don't understand what they're doing. So I was hoping this would get them started.

    So far people are digging it so ill definitely keep it going. Ill make a few revisions to this one and then start creating a more advanced one. Any suggestions on what I should cover in the advanced version? Definitely mixes, definitely PixelMad. Any other suggestions?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    UK - Milton Keynes
    Posts
    807
    I started writing specific help sheets based on questions I get asked - it is a bit easier than writing a full guide or manual.

    Re catalyst location - doesnt matter where it is.
    But it makes life easier if you put the application in it's own folder - then all the prefs files get saved in one place. This makes it easy to backup or archive a show since all the settings are in one folder.

    I create a folder called catalyst, then in to that, put a sub folder for the show containing the catalyst application. This makes it very easy to duplicate the show folder for backup - always working from the original folder and all the copies become the backups. This means you can always reach the current version from task bar shortcut.
    A lot of people leave a folder on the desktop, as it's easier to find...

    S
    Simon Pugsley

    SNP Productions Ltd. (UK)
    Lighting & Video Control Solutions
    Catalyst|Sales|Hire|Training|Support
    Catalyst Dealer UK Europe & Worldwide...

    Office: +44 (0)1908 410129
    Mobile: +44 (0)7958 390034
    simon@snp-productions.co.uk
    www.snp-productions.co.uk

  5. #5
    Hello,
    if someone is interested in german tutorials, just let me know and I will send you.
    Cheers

    Andre Krause
    Technical Service & Support Specialist

    Arcus Licht- und Präsentationstechnik GmbH
    Obermeiers Feld 2-4
    33104 Paderborn-Sennelager
    Germany

    Fon: +49 5254 93069 0
    Fax: +49 5254 93069 29

    www.arcus-lighting.com
    www.facebook.com/arcuslicht

  6. #6
    Is it possible to get a pdf version of the embedded manual in the program

    cheers
    Kevin

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    UK - Milton Keynes
    Posts
    807
    I wouldn't bother - its out of date...

    take a look at:
    https://sites.google.com/a/samsc.com/catalyst/home

    its less out of date - Some features have been updated
    But it should cover enough of the basics, until you figure out that you don't really need a manual...

    S
    Simon Pugsley

    SNP Productions Ltd. (UK)
    Lighting & Video Control Solutions
    Catalyst|Sales|Hire|Training|Support
    Catalyst Dealer UK Europe & Worldwide...

    Office: +44 (0)1908 410129
    Mobile: +44 (0)7958 390034
    simon@snp-productions.co.uk
    www.snp-productions.co.uk

  8. #8
    OK Cheers Simon

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