Light Composer/Mitras questions

[Brew12]

My new LX7206 comes in today so I'll be dropping my T5's and adding this to my other 2 7206's. Of course, this means all new light settings. I want to make sure I understand how this works to try and get it right the first time, so here are my questions.

Is there a way to create or modify a Light Composer project without being online?

What is the difference between the energy efficiency mode and high output mode on the Mitras units?

How does adjust the power output setting for each channel within a light fixture impact the Light Composer settings?

For instance, I set a blue channel to 130% max in the light fixture and a red channel to 60%. If I then program both to 100% via the Light Composer does this mean both go to 100% or does the blue go to 130% and the red to 60%? How does this change if I'm in high efficiency vs high output mode.

Thank you for any clarification you can offer!

 

[KJoFan]

High Efficiency - Total power output capped at 70% regardless of settings in your schedule
High Output - Full power of LX7 is available for use

This is the only one I can help you with, as I asked the same question in a thread of my own when I switched to Mitras.

 

[KJoFan]

My thread if there's anything else useful....https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/switching-from-mh-to-ghl-mitras.391720/

 

[Vinny@GHLUSA]

Is there a way to create or modify a Light Composer project without being online?
You don't need to be "online" to make any changes on Light Composer. Either connect to the MASTER LX7 via WiFi over your network OR connect via USB.
Any changes you make now and be adjusted again when ever you want.

What is the difference between the energy efficiency mode and high output mode on the Mitras units?
Answer given by KJoFan
@KJoFan Thank you for helping out!

How does adjust the power output setting for each channel within a light fixture impact the Light Composer settings?
The adjustments made in the PBT settings are max output limits you set for each LED channel.

For example, leaving one channel at 100% runs this channel at the default power limit (depending on chosen ENERGY MODE). Increasing beyond 100%, will then utilize unused power from other channels increase brightness of desired channel. Decreasing will limit power to that channel.
In light composer, the individual channel percentages are mainly for "color temperature adjustment". The power output of the light (brightness) is where you select how much power you want to send to those channels.

If you look at the display of your LX7, it will show you the actual percentage of each channel with power settings factored-in.

 

[Brew12]

This is the only one I can help you with, as I asked the same question in a thread of my own when I switched to Mitras.

That info is fantastic!

Just to make sure I understand this correctly... If you are in high efficiency mode and have 1 channel set at 70% and another at 100% they will both actually operate at 70%? So it is a cap and is not scaling?

Is there a way to create or modify a Light Composer project without being online?
You don't need to be "online" to make any changes on Light Composer. Either connect to the MASTER LX7 via WiFi over your network OR connect via USB.
Any changes you make now and be adjusted again when ever you want.

I should have been more clear. By "online" I meant not connected to the Master (Profilux 4 in my case). It would be nice to open GCC and create light settings that I could connect and test to a device later. Minor issue since you can make all of the changes without transmitting them to the fixtures, but it would be convenient for me.

How does adjust the power output setting for each channel within a light fixture impact the Light Composer settings?
The adjustments made in the PBT settings are max output limits you set for each LED channel.

For example, leaving one channel at 100% runs this channel at the default power limit (depending on chosen ENERGY MODE). Increasing beyond 100%, will then utilize unused power from other channels increase brightness of desired channel. Decreasing will limit power to that channel.
In light composer, the individual channel percentages are mainly for "color temperature adjustment". The power output of the light (brightness) is where you select how much power you want to send to those channels.

If you look at the display of your LX7, it will show you the actual percentage of each channel with power settings factored-in.

I get the part about unused power, so that is good. I think I also understand now that these are strictly limits and are not used for scaling. I have yet to see a channel on my lights reach anything over 100% despite being set at 130% limit on the fixture and power output at 100%. I may have hit a temperature limit. I did bump max fan speeds up to 100% but did not raise the temp limit to 65C. I was still a few degrees below the max setpoint when I looked at the light display but I'm guessing there is a built in PID controller designed to prevent/limit temperature overshoot that could have come in to play.


I appreciate the input guys. I need to do a little more playing, but I think I understand much better now. I was expecting these limits to be scaling factors instead of hard limits. I think I have a much better idea of how to make the changes I want now.

 

[Whipples]

Even with the profilux Mitras add-in card I think you can still connect via USB or potentially wifi and run light composer via GHLConnect to avoid working through the profilux. Once you find the program/balance you like I think you can then disconnect and upload that to your profilux.

Also, when you adjust the power settings it is a little misleading on the LED screen. For example if you have deep blue set to 130%, but you only see 100% on the LED screen, you are using 100% of that 130% power, 90% would be 117%, etc. What you are doing with power balancing is pushing that power to the LED, but the sliders for that channel still operate on a 1-100 scale so you have to factor that in. Red at 60% power balancing, and then 100% on the fixture LED screen means 60% output from that channel. If your C reading is below the limit, you have not hit the thermal threshold for throttling .

 

[Brew12]

Even with the profilux Mitras add-in card I think you can still connect via USB or potentially wifi and run light composer via GHLConnect to avoid working through the profilux. Once you find the program/balance you like I think you can then disconnect and upload that to your profilux.

This is what I do now for the most part. Well, via Wifi anyway. It would just be nice to tinker with a lighting profile without being connected to a device, imo.

Also, when you adjust the power settings it is a little misleading on the LED screen. For example if you have deep blue set to 130%, but you only see 100% on the LED screen, you are using 100% of that 130% power, 90% would be 117%, etc. What you are doing with power balancing is pushing that power to the LED, but the sliders for that channel still operate on a 1-100 scale so you have to factor that in. Red at 60% power balancing, and then 100% on the screen means 60% output from that channel. If your C reading is below the limit, you have not hit the thermal threshold for throttling .

This is more along the lines of what I expected.

So the advantage of this is that I can drive extra power through desired channels. The downside is that Light Composer will only correctly display "color temperature" if all of the lighting channels have the same maximum setting.

And, if I understand it correctly, I should never see a Mitras display an output higher than 100% on it's local screen.

 

[Whipples]

Correct as far as I understand it on all points. The light spectrum graph within composer does not factor in power balancing as I understand it, too. You can manually adjust the fixtures via LED screen and touch keys I think, but that would be miserable as far as I'm concerned!

 

[Brew12]

Correct as far as I understand it on all points. The light spectrum graph within composer does not factor in power balancing as I understand it, too. You can manually adjust the fixtures via LED screen and touch keys I think, but that would be miserable as far as I'm concerned!

Thank you. This stuff is about as clear as mud but I think I'm getting it.

I've never tried to do anything manually on the front screen. I rarely use the USB. I find the Wifi interface on the Mitras units to work very well when I need to make changes to the individual lights and then use my Profilux as the master.

Appreciate the help!