Array has announced a firmware update for the SkyPanel with ten new features.
Here they are
Extended Color Control
Pick a starting colour such as a digital gel, HSI value, or colour temperature and use the eight new colour adjustments to push the colour in the desired direction. These colour parameters include warmer/cooler, saturate/desaturate, +/- red, +/- green, +/- blue. +/- cyan, +/- magenta, +/- yellow. These controls are available via the onboard control panel or DMX.
Light Engine DMX Control
Every SkyPanel is made up of one or more light engines. The S60 has two light engines while the S360 has twelve light engines. SkyPanel Firmware 4 allows the user to control individual light engines via new DMX modes. Each light engine acts as its own mini SkyPanel with parameters like CCT & RGBW, HSI, or x,y Coordinates.
Additional Lighting Effects
Explosion, welding, process, and fluorescent flicker have been added to the lineup for a new total of 17 pre-programmed lighting effects. Explosion is the perfect effect for muzzle flashes and explosion effects. Welding mimics the sparks of a high intensity welding source. Process sends light shooting down the surface of a SkyPanel to imitate the effect of a street light passing over a car. The fluorescent flicker effect recreates the hum and flutter of a malfunctioning fluorescent bulb. The existing cop car effect has been augmented with five new colour combinations.
Stage Mode
Live entertainment and theatrical performances require completely smooth dimming to zero which create natural lighting transitions for their live audiences. The new Stage Mode in SkyPanel Firmware 4 is designed specifically to meet these demands. Activating Stage Mode allows SkyPanel to smoothly dim down to zero percent intensity without colour jumps or noticeable intensity drop off.
Ultimate DMX Mode
The Ultimate DMX Mode allows for any control mode to be selected within one DMX mode. Simply pick the colour method (CCT, HSI, lighting effects, etc.) and the DMX parameters will adjust to allow for control of the selected control method. One DMX mode is all that is needed.
New SkyPanel Web Portal
The SkyPanel Web Portal that allows adjustments to a SkyPanel over an Ethernet or WiFi network has been expanded and improved in SkyPanel Firmware 4. A new design allows for fast navigation and new control interfaces offer control over all aspects of a SkyPanel directly from any web browser. Advanced monitoring capabilities also provide an in-depth view into all DMX functions.
DMX Live Page
When receiving a DMX signal, the SkyPanel can display detailed DMX information directly on the control panel with SkyPanel Firmware 4. The SkyPanel now displays lighting values for the DMX signal it is receiving. The SkyPanel does the conversion from DMX values to real world light output values by calculating the maths internally.
Strobe DMX Channel
To make it easier to access the strobing effect, one of the reserved DMX slots at the end of every DMX mode has been turned into a strobe channel. No matter what colour mode is being used in SkyPanel Firmware 4, it is now easy to strobe that colour without having to change to the lighting effects DMX mode.
x, y Coordinate Onboard Control
x, y Coordinate Mode is a method for recreating an exact match to a colour point measured with a spectrometer. In SkyPanel Firmware 4, this colour mode can be controlled via DMX and can now also be adjusted using the onboard control panel.
Custom RGBW White Point
SkyPanel Firmware 3.0 introduced a RGBW Calibrated Mode with a set white point of 3200 K. In the new SkyPanel Firmware 4, this white point can be set anywhere from 2800 K to 10,000 K. Having a user selectable white point gives users the ability to customize their SkyPanel RGBW output to any other light source’s white point.
Other Minor Changes
Include menu adjustments, improved DMX behavior, and the ability to adjust the Bonjour state.
Staff Reporter
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