Adding Positions
When creating a new show, one firing position will automatically be created for you, located at the bottom center of the screen.  You can relocate and rename this position if desired, and add as many additional positions as you need.  Clicking the Add button will create a new position on the screen, with the new position also appearing in the position list.

Moving Positions
Firing positions are specified in screen pixels, which is the smallest unit of change on your monitor.  A position of X=0 and Y=0 represents the center bottom point of the screen.  Moving left of center gives you negative values for X, while moving right of center creates positive X values.  Y values increase up from zero as you move towards the top of the screen.

In most cases you do not have to edit the actual coordinates of each firing position, since you can position them more easily by dragging the arrows with your mouse. Firing positions that are selected in the list will appear as red arrows on the main screen. You can also click on the green arrows with your mouse to select a position rather than selecting it from the list, which is easier when you can’t remember what the name of the position is. However, the list allows you to select more than one position so that you can adjust the position of many locations at once without disturbing their spacing relative to each other. The screen shot above shows a group of positions selected in the list, with the corresponding row of red arrows seen on the main screen. When more than one firing position is selected at the same time, the data entry form controls for the firing positions are disabled. The only way to adjust the position of many positions at once is by dragging them with the mouse after selecting them in the list. Note that holding down the CTRL key while clicking in the position list will allow you to select multiple items in a non-sequential order.

Note that positions can be moved even after effects have been assigned to them.  This feature allows you to rearrange big blocks of your show without having to modify any cue data individually.

Renaming Positions
When scripting a show, it is helpful to have position names that are more descriptive than the default names assigned when creating the positions.  Names such as “background left” or “roof top” let you know where the position is, rather than “pos 1” and “pos 2.”  The position names you create will also be used in the printed setup reports and firing scripts, so try to be descriptive while still keeping the names short.

To rename a position, simply select it in the list and then type the new name into the Name field.

Deleting Positions
To delete a position that is no longer needed, simply select its arrow icon with the mouse select its name in the position list, then click the delete button.  Note that positions which have effects assigned to them can not be deleted.  You would first have to remove all effects from the position using the Cue Editor, then return to the Position Editor to delete the position.

Note that you can not delete all firing positions, as there must be at least one in the list.  Deleting the last firing position is not allowed.

Position Proximity
The Proximity setting allows you to specify the distance between the firing position and you, the viewer. Effects are scaled according to distance from the viewer, so you can layer your firing positions with large effects farther away and smaller effects like gerbs and cakes closer up front just like you would in a real show.

Note that the proximity you use here does not usually represent the actual distance between the audience and the firing location, rather it is typically much greater. This is because the audience has the ability to tilt their head up and down to view a larger area than can be captured through the fixed-frame viewpoint of a computer monitor. In order to represent a view that shows the ground as well as the peaks of the largest shells fired in your show, it is typically necessary to set the proximity distances to at least 2000 feet (600 meters) or more on locations where shells will be fired. It is also important to coordinate the proximity settings with the proximity setting of your background image so that effects that are intended to fire in front of the background image do not unintentionally fire behind it.

Sometimes it is necessary to move the proximity of one or more locations forward or backwards in order to get the effects to appear the way you want. This can be done by first selecting one or more positions in the list, then entering a modification distance in the area under the heading “Change Proximity of Selected Positions.” Choose weather you want the selected positions to be moved closer or farther away by the specified amount, then click the Apply button to append modify the selected distances accordingly.

Firing Position VS Image Distance
Note that the proximity of firing positions that are set greater than or equal to the proximity of the background image will fire from behind the image. This means that any low level effects like mines or cakes could be hidden by the background image unknowingly if the viewing distance setting of the background image was not setup correctly. Click here for more information on setting up background images.

Scaling Your Show Layout
Sometimes it is necessary to change the overall size of your show as it appears on the screen. If you find that large shells are bursting off screen or if your layout expands beyond the edge of the screen, you would want to scale the show down so that it all fits on your screen. When producing video demos, it can help to drastically reduce the output file size by shrinking the size of your display area and then shrinking the recording area in order to get smaller video frames. You may also want to make the display area bigger in some cases.

The scaling controls allow you to magnify or shrink various aspects of your show by a specified percentage relative to its current size. This handy utility can save you a lot of work by automatically recalculating the coordinates and proximity of each firing position while keeping the layout the same relative to the background image. Simply enter the percentage change you would like, then specify if you want the size change to be larger or smaller, then click the Apply button. The settings will be applied to all firing positions regardless of what is selected in the list.

The parameters that are automatically scaled are the width, height, proximity and image size-- all of which are broken out into selectable options that allow you to only scale certain aspects. For example, you may only wish to make your layout wider without changing the vertical positions of your firing locations. In this case you would just check the “scale width” box and uncheck all the other options. If your effects look too large or small relative to objects in your background image but the layout is good, you can only scale the proximity setting while leaving everything else alone.

Once you are happy with all your firing positions, click the Save button to make them permanent.  Clicking Cancel will abort the changes and revert to your former position settings.