Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I have my lights setup in CyberCommander and working just fine, but wondered if the full power (for instance) overrides the setting on the b800 itself if the panel slider is set to say 1/2 power??

Yes. But the back panel should be set to full power.

So basically the CyberCommander settings overrides the back panels in terms of behavior of the lights in a group?

Yes.


Not sure what groups have to do with it, specifically.

Obviously u guys DON't get paid by the word on responses

What do groups have to do with it? I thought u could setup a light into multiple groups to use differently

Yes, you can use the Cyber Commander to set up different groups, but you do not have to. Yes, the Cyber Commander overrides the back panel, though it does so whenever it is in use, not just when using groups. The two are not directly related, and I am trying to get a feel for what you are trying to do so I can be specific in my answer.

Also, there are two functions which are often confused, and that is the "set up" function (not specifically called this in the CC, but for a lack of a better term...) and the grouping function. The grouping function is a subset of the the "set up" function.

A "set up", in this sense, is all of the lights which are in use and are programmed into the Cyber Commander. You can have a set up with 1 light, and another with 16 lights, and another with 8 lights, and a total of 52 different set ups. When a set up is saved, the frequency, channels, model lamp settings, power settings, meter readings, recycle indicators (if applicable), groups, and other parameters are saved as they are set at the time the save is performed. Saved set ups are performed via the OPEN MEMORY tab in the set up screen. A change to one set up is not applied to any other set up. Also, the change is not saved as part of the set up, unless you manually enter the SAVE AS option and save the set up with the new settings.

A group is just that, a group of lights within a lighting set up. This could be the group of lights that are on the background, or the group of lights that are not a hair light. Some people put each light into its own group, so they can see the effect of individual lights as they photograph each one. Each group can contain 0-16 lights. Each light can be in 0-16 groups. However, whatever the setting for a given light is in one group, it is at the same setting in each group, unless it is changed. Once changed, the new setting is then applied across all groups.

Again, the back panel slider is over ridden by the Cyber Commander (actually, the back panel is over ridden by the receiver, who gets the settings from the Cyber Commander. If there is no Cyber Commander, the receiver will still over ride the back panel slider, but to unpredictable results). Also, the model lamp buttons are not over ridden (except the model lamp can be switched OFF if the button is ON) and the power switch can not be switched OFF, but the unit can be placed into STANDBY, which is as close as we can get with the analogue lights and Cyber Commander.

The group function doesn't allow for changing the power levels or the other functions of the lights in a group – it just disables the other lights not in the group.

However, the "Presets" allow totally different setups with all light parameters capable of being different in each of the 50 possible Preset.

Tech Support - can you explain how to set up Presets. (It's in the CC Manual)

Paul refers to them as "presets" where I refered to them as "set ups". I prefer "presets" and will continue to use this term.

(modified excerpt from page 36):
After you have specified all of the lights in your setup, you’ll want to save the specifications and settings that you’ve entered. Ensure that the MicroSD card (provided with the unit, shipped already installed along the left side of the housing) is in place in your Cyber Commander™ remote.

1. Select the SAVE AS menu using the LEFT and RIGHT actuations on the RIGHT JOYSTICK. On the SETUP screen, use the UP and DOWN actuations on the RIGHT JOYSTICK to scroll to the SAVE AS tab. When SAVE AS is highlighted, press IN on the RIGHT JOYSTICK to select it. The SAVE ALL TO menu should appear.

2. Choose the location where you wish to save your setup. Use the LEFT and RIGHT actuations on the LEFT JOYSTICK to scroll through the location options (Internal 1 and 2 and SD 1 through 50 - SD locations without information saved to them appear in white, locations with saved information that is unlocked appear in BLUE, locations with saved information that is locked appear in RED). With your chosen location displayed in the lower left corner, press IN on the RIGHT JOYSTICK to save the setup information to that location. SAVE COMPLETE will be displayed in yellow text above the graph indicating that your setup is now saved to the chosen location to be recalled as needed.
When a setup is SAVED it means that the information entered for that setup (individual light specifications, settings, names, etc.) will remain in that location unless it is overwritten. As long as you keep the same setup of lights, keeping each light with its same associated CyberSync™ receiver, you can recall the setup each time you begin working with the lights and Cyber Commander™ remote.

*Incidentally, I recommend scrolling left and starting with SD50 and working "backwards". This will make it faster to select the correct setting in the OPEN MEMORY funtion, as you will not have to scroll through 16 individual channels.

Once the Presets are saved, they can be immediately opened in the OPEN MEMORY tab. This is where you would have selected STUDIO in the original set up, but now, you will select SD50 or SD49, or whatever saved set up you choose.

(Excerpted from pg 29 and 30, and edited for applicable steps)
1. Select the OPEN MEMORY menu. Using the LEFT and RIGHT actuations on the RIGHT JOYSTICK to scroll to the SETUP screen. On the SETUP screen, use the UP and DOWN actuations on the RIGHT JOYSTICK to scroll to the OPEN MEMORY tab. When OPEN MEMORY is highlighted, press IN on the RIGHT JOYSTICK to select it. The OPEN MEMORY menu should appear.

2. Select the location to open. Using the LEFT and RIGHT actuations on the LEFT JOYSTICK, scroll the LEFT joystick through the available opening locations (if you started at SD50, you should scroll left):
>> Saved Setup Locations (SD 1 - SD 50 and Internal 1 and Internal 2): The OPEN ALL FROM MEMORY command recalls previously saved setups, saved to one of these 52 specific, named locations. If all receivers are assigned to the same lights and all are set to the same frequency and channel, the Cyber Commander™ unit will restore the settings that existed when the setup was last saved to that location.

3. Open the selected location. With the selected location name displayed, open the location by pressing IN on the RIGHT JOYSTICK
**Note the UNDO function. This function is provided to prevent loss of programming if you should accidentally open from a location that you did not intend to open from, potentially erasing any programming that was previously set. As long as you have not exited this screen, pressing DOWN on the RIGHT JOYSTICK will UNDO the last open command and revert back to the previous settings.

4. Return to the SETUP menu. Press the RIGHT JOYSTICK to the RIGHT to return to the SETUP menu.