Read more

MSD comes in five different packages; Gold, Live, Live-4, Live-LJ and Silver. Each version is carefully balanced with regards to features and price.

Working closely with an array of lighting professionals from both the entertainment and architectural industry, Martin has concentrated on identifying the key elements in the ShowDesigner software. These form the heart of ShowDesigner Silver while the more advanced features such as Rendering and the 3D Visualizer module are found in the Gold version. MSD 5 Live will appeal to users who simply need to program or visualize shows dynamically.

In separating MSD 5 into different packages, Martin gives you the choice to get exactly what you need, and if those needs change, users can always upgrade their version online via the online store at www.martinshowdesigner.com

MSD for Entertainment:
MSD eliminates the time consuming task of producing scale models and detailed drawings, letting you spend less time “on location.” ShowDesigner Gold, Live, Live-4 and Live-LJ feature a very realistic 3D Visualizer programming module, enabling the lighting programmer to hook up a DMX console to MSD and start programming using virtual fixtures. Rental companies can pre-program shows in realistic real time 3D visualization thereby saving time and money on the production budget. With ShowDesigner you can give your customer the confidence that they have picked the best solution and give yourself the confidence that you have presented the highest quality visualization simulation available while at the same time saving both time and money.

MSD for Architecture:
In the architectural field, MSD can be used to realistically demonstrate the enhancing effects of lighting on buildings, bridges, monuments or any structure. Imagine creating realistic renderings of a building, subtly changing lighting, shadow and reflection in order to obtain the best solution based on different fixture positions, spread angles and environments. Conveniently create lighting designs from your own PC or laptop. Forget time-consuming scale models and detailed drawings. Make positional and effect alterations quickly and easily, and view them on-screen. MSD gives you the ability to present to your customer a variety of looks, multiple realistic renderings that are appealing to view and easy to understand. ShowDesigner calculates the luminous intensity on any surface, taking into account color, refraction, absorption, reflectance and transparency. Ambient light can be adjusted to any level when calculating dawn, day, dusk, or night environments. The renderings can be saved in BMP or JPEG format and displayed via any picture viewer.

MSD 5 is available in 5 different packages. Each package is aimed at different users and price levels in the market.

• MSD 5 Gold
  The full package with paperwork and photorealistic rendering
• MSD 5 Live
  For users who mainly do offline programming or video presentation
• MSD 5 Live-4
  Same as MSD5 Live but limited to 4 universes
• MSD 5 Silver
  For users who simply need to build scene and print plots

MSD 5 Live-LJ
This version is similar to MSD 5 Live-4 but will only connect to the Martin LightJockey.

Below is a list showing the differences between each package

The Modules:
MSD 5 consists of 5 modules, each specially designed for a specific task. Together with extensive fixture, object and material libraries, they enable a designer to create an authentic representation, in a minimum amount of time.

ShowDesigner is the main program, which works in a full 3D environment. Here the different objects and fixtures combine to form a stage, building or whatever environment you desire. It is possible to work in real time wireframe or solid mode. Set and lighting design can be simulated easily and extremely realistically in wireframe or render mode.

Contained in the ShowDesigner are the Picture, Object and Material Libraries which give your design total reality with an extensive list of manufacturers’ products, musical instruments, stage props and all surfaces such as grass, concrete or wood. At the same time any BMP or JPEG can be imported into the material editor and modified. The material editor features bump mapping, making it possible to assign a fluid or wave pattern to any texture.

MSD calculates the luminous intensity of any surface and takes into account the surface of an object in terms of color, refraction, absorption, reflectance and transparency. The ambient light level can also be adjusted to any level.

Solid view renderings can be saved in BMP or JPEG format and displayed via any standard Windows picture viewer.

3D Visualizer is the part of the software that allows you to precisely program your show in real-time from any location via a PC or laptop. The Visualizer can be connected to any DMX controller via various interfaces for real-time programming such as Martin Universal USB DMX interface or any ArtNet device such as the Martin Ether2DMX 8. Most fixture functions are displayed such as focusing of light (even the head of a moving head will turn accordingly), intensity, fixed colors, CMY color mixing, gobos, framing, iris and more. Laser beams can also be simulated along with bouncing mirrors for the beam. Camera positions and angles can be easily changed on the fly, making it fast to inspect a light show from different viewing positions. The show can be recorded in real time and saved as a video clip in various formats such as AVI and MOV, WMV, DIVX, making it possible to view a pre-programmed show using any standard Windows video player.

Video Inputs. With convergence of video and light becoming more popular, MSD now gives you the unique ability to see every visual aspect of your show instantaneously. Video Inputs can be fed into the MSD PC to simulate video screens of any shape - also moving and static video projectors.

Paperwork is a powerful module for printing out rigging plans. It also creates easy to view fixture and patching lists. The MSD Paperwork comes with a series of standard templates for fast reports of any kind: gels, circuits, dimmers, channels or fixtures reports. Users can also create their own templates to be re-used with any drawings, saving an enormous amount of time. The same module gives the user the possibility to re-patch and renumber any fixture.

Gobo Editor lets you create your own customized gobos for use inside ShowDesigner and Visualizer.

Modeler is an excellent 3D CAD program for creating or modifying objects. Objects can be built from scratch using different primitives (like cubes, pyramids, toroids, etc.), or can be a modification of an already existing object from the library. The object library contains images of tables, chairs, stage elements, people, trussing of various manufacturers and much more. It is also possible to import 3D DXF files or 2D DXF files that can be extruded on import.

Fast Net-Render is a feature which provides the possibility of networked rendering between multiple Windows-based PC’s, cutting rendering time dramatically. Through the Fast Render Client program, renderings are split into small blocks and dispatched to the various machines to work on each block separately by the Fast Render Server. Once completed the image blocks are returned and rejoined into a final image.

Read Less