Relative Controls

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What Are Relative Controls?

Most controls within Slyyd immediately match all selected fixtures to the newly selected value. Relative controls, on the other hand, work a bit differently. Slyyd’s relative controls adjust all selected fixtures by the same amount, based on their individual starting points. For example, if three fixtures are at 10%, 20%, and 30% intensity, and the Relative Encoder is used to increase their intensities by 5, the resulting intensities would be 15%, 25%, and 35%. This is a useful way to adjust multiple fixtures while maintaining the relationship between them. Instructions like “Make everything a little more green” become much easier with relative controls.

Slyyd has two different tools that use the relative behavior: the Relative Encoder and the Color Nudge Buttons.

Relative Encoder

The Relative Encoder can be used to adjust the relative values of many fixtures, but it is also a precise way to smoothly adjust values for a single fixture. The Relative Encoder uses smart acceleration to allow for very quick or very accurate adjustments, depending on the movement speed.

Relative Encoder
The Relative Encoder can be moved and placed anywhere on the iPad

To open the Encoder, tap the Relative Encoder button next to the desired capability slider on the Control Panel. Tapping the Encoder button again will dismiss the Encoder. The Encoder can also be dismissed with the ‘Done’ button on the Encoder itself. Tapping the Encoder button next to another capability’s slider will switch the Encoder to that capability.

The Relative Encoder controls all color capabilities separately. For example, the color of all selected fixtures can be made less saturated at the same time using the saturation Relative Encoder. Using the saturation slider instead would make all selected fixtures the same color.The Relative Encoder can also be used for all slider capabilities on the More tab.

On the iPad, the Encoder can be placed anywhere on screen by dragging the handle at the top of the Encoder. Under the handle is a list of all the currently selected Fixture IDs. If this list is too long to fit at the top, the ‘i’ symbol can be tapped to reveal the full selection.

Below the ‘Done’ button, the Fixture ID of the Focused Fixture is displayed next to the currently controlled capability name. (See the Scratchpad article for more information on the Focused Fixture.) Below the Focused Fixture ID is the current value of the Focused Fixture.

To use the Encoder, tap and hold anywhere on the dark gray portion and start moving in a circular motion: clockwise to increase the value, and counterclockwise to decrease the value. While adjusting the Encoder, the delta value will appear to the right of the current value. This is the amount the capability has been changed. The delta value is cleared once the Encoder is released.

Relative Encoder in use
The delta value disappears once the encoder is released

Color Nudge Buttons

The Color Nudge buttons can be used to nudge the color of all selected fixtures along three different color axis: ±red, ±green, and ±blue. This answers the popular request for green-tint controls, with red and blue controls thrown in for free.

Color Nudge buttons
The Color Nudge buttons adjust color along one of three axis

The Color Nudge buttons can be found underneath the Control Panel’s saturation slider on the CIE xy diagram. To make all selected fixtures less green and more magenta, keep tapping the ‘-G’ button until the desired color is reached. To make the selected fixture more blue and less yellow, tap the ‘B+’ button.

The Color Nudge buttons are relative controls: they adjust the color of all selected fixtures by the same amount, but they do not match their colors to a single value. This is why the Color Nudge buttons are buttons instead of sliders. A slider sets an absolute value, where these buttons apply a relative change.

The Relative Encoder can be used with each color axis by tapping the Relative Encoder button for the desired axis. Since the Color Nudge buttons do not have an associated slider, there is no current value displayed, only the delta value appears when the Encoder is moved.

Color Nudge buttons with Relative Encoder
The Relative Encoder can adjust the Color Nudge controls in smaller increments than the buttons
The Color Nudge buttons adjust color using the CIE 1976 u’ v’ diagram, which is why the axis appears to change based on the color’s starting point. This phenomenon is most apparent when adjusting the ±green axis. This method allows for color adjustments that feel more natural and even to the eye.