Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1989 - 33

wheel." To date, we haven't discovered anything we can't
do with our CAD system, and we plan to make even
greater use of it in the future.
CREATING LIGHT PLOTS/PAPERWORK

One of the reasons we chose Generic software was that it
has become enough of a "standard" to warrant third-pany
support. A company known as IC Computer Technology
has developed a line of theatre-related software, including
a program which allows instrument schedule information
to be exported to the CAD software. With this information, our CAD system can draft a light plot within the
parameters of a given theatre.
IC 's Lighting ApprenticelCaddriver stores general information about each instrument (location, dimmer, circuit, gel, wattage, focus area) and can generate needed
paperwork (instrument schedules, sorts by pipe, type of
instrument, gel cut-out orders, repair tags, etc.). It also
COntains a number of "information keys" which display
selected photometric data and coverage areas for various
beam spreads. IC also includes a USITT Graphics Symbols disk which contains component files of most major
instrument types.
The "default document" in Lighting Apprentice is the
instrument schedule (Figure 31. In addition to the normal
instrument schedule information, Lighting Apprentice
stores the specific hanging location of the instrument (SR
or SL of the center line); the distance (US or DSI of the
hanging position from the proscenium arch; and the "orientation" of the instrument (facing US, SL, etc.).
Although we find the process of creating a readable CAD
file from Lighting ApprenticelCaddriver a bit cumbersome, the process does indeed produce an accurate plot
(Figure 4, which shows the formation from Figure 3). Plot
information includes the instrument number, the dimmer
assignment, and gel color (Figure 51. The only drawback we
have discovered is that hanging positions which are not
parallel or perpendicular to the proscenium arch are difficult to plot. This can be accomplished, however; by creating "imaginary" hanging positions and then computing
the distance from the center line for a given instrument
(instruments 2 and 5 in Figure 4). On the whole, though,
we find the advantages of Lighting ApprenticelCaddriver
far outweigh the inconveniences, making it a valuable
addition to our CAD equipment by allowing us to incorporate scenic and lighting designs into one integrated
package.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

As we continue to use our CAD system, we find addi tional
reasons to believe we made a wise decision. As all of our
drawings are saved on disk, we have begun to create an
"archival record" of our production designs. Storage is no

802

842

854

Figure 5: Detail of instrument symbols from CAD-generated light plot.

The Semiotics
of Theatre
Architecture

Marvin Carlson
In rhis pioneering work,
Carlson explore, rhe cultural,
"Kial, and polirical meaning,
of rhearre archirecture
rhrough rhe ages_ Carlson's
range is hroad, from rhe rhearres of Ancienr Greece rn
conremporaryexperimenral
rhearre" fmm rhe nrnare
neohamLjue opera houses of
rhe ninereenrh cenrun- rn
,imple impro"i,ed srages and
rn nnn-rhearrical ,paces appmpriared for rhearricaluse.
105 b&w illus 536.95
Cornell University Press
124 Robert, Place
Irhaca. ~y 14,'50

longer a problem, and fresh copies can be created anytime
instead of relying on faded and/or folded originals. We have
also found that our students seem more interested in the
design process. They enjoy working with the CAD system
and seem to spend more time on the computer than they
would with pencil and paper. Although CAD is clearly not
a substitute for study and practice, if it encourages student
participation it is certainly a beneficial instructional tool.
SUMMARY

While a CAD system may not suit everyone's needs, we
have found that our entry-level setup helps us a great deal.
Generic's software lets us produce most any drawing we
can think of, and the addition of IC 's Lighting
ApprenticelCaddriver significantly enhances our design
capabilities. For a relatively modest outlay, we have constructed a system which suits our needs, and we are confident that as we continue to learn more about the
software, additional uses will present themselves. In a
small program like ours where one person handles all
design/TD responsibilities, CAD offers the hope that we
mighr indeed get to spend some time with family and
friends.*

(Note: For a comparison of severallolV-cost CAD programs, consult the article by Michael Stauffer in the [anuary 1989 issue of Theatre Crafts.)
William J. Wallace is chairman of the Department of
Speech Communications and Theatre Arts at Monmouth
College in Monmouth, 11.
TD&T

SUMMER 19a9

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1989