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When will the next update come out?

My name is Clayton Combe, and I’m a DP, LD, Gaffer, and Board Operator based in New York City. I created Lighting Designer in 2012 because it didn’t exist yet and I wanted to use it, and I continue to develop it solo, in my spare time. Because of this, it’s impossible to say when I’ll have time to work on it. However, I’m always happy to talk about my plans for LD, so if you have any specific questions about certain features, email me.

What is the best iOS device for Lighting Designer?

As usual, it’s up to you to pick the right tool for the job. An iPad Pro 12.9″ has a ton of screen space so you can see more at once, but an iPhone fits in your pocket. iCloud Sync helps eliminate this problem to a degree; you can create and view your Plots on different devices. Ultimately, LD is a memory-intensive app because of all the images and objects it handles at one time, so the best rule to follow is that newer devices are always better than older devices, and if you’re on an older device, try to close as many other apps as you can to avoid an out-of-memory crash. Also, having a newer device ensures you can run the latest version of iOS, which will always be the version LD requires.

Can I run Lighting Designer on a Mac?

As of now, macOS and iOS are still different operating systems, so although they share two programming languages and many development frameworks, the answer is no. I do plan to develop a macOS version of LD at some point; after all, now that LD can sync its data among devices, having a Mac to create Plots and an iPad to share them would be the best of both worlds. The only question is when, and unfortunately that’s not one I can answer until I actually begin development.

Will you make an Android version?

The Android development landscape is very different from iOS. Apple provides a lot of consistency, even across its various sizes of iPhone and iPad, and goes out of its way to make it easy for third-party developers to deliver stable apps to users. Android, on the other hand, allows hardware manufacturers to tailor its operating system to their own devices, and user adoption of new versions of Android is not nearly as high as iOS. Because of this, it would be incredibly time-consuming to maintain LD for all these different devices and versions, and I barely have time to keep it up to date for iOS alone. For now, I have no plans to create an Android version of LD.

Why can’t I download the latest update?

Because I’m a solo developer, I only ever have time to keep LD up to date for the newest version of iOS. If you aren’t running the latest iOS, I recommend you update to it. If your device is too old to update to the latest iOS, then it’s probably not going to be able to handle LD’s operations anyway, and I recommend you buy a new device.

I don’t have the latest version of iOS. Can I still download LD?

The App Store will allow you to download the “last compatible version” of an app, and I’ve made every version of LD available for download, but I do not maintain any version of LD except the latest. For that reason, and for the optimal operation and security of your device, I highly recommend keeping your device up-to-date with the latest versions of iOS and LD. For a list of iOS versions and device compatibility, check out this List of iOS Devices.

Can I import/export x file type?

LD uses the proprietary .ldshow and .ldplot file extensions to send Shows and Plots from one device to another. You can add to a Plot any image you can get into your device’s Photos. Other than that, there is no file import. LD can export your Plot renders as .png images (as an email attachment, text, file share, save to device Photos, print, or anything else you can do with an image). It can also attach to an email .txt files of your Plot’s patch list, crew info, and equipment order.

How do I change units of measurement?

When you first open a Plot, tap the units button to cycle through feet (ft), yards (yd), and meters (m). You can also cycle through by double-tapping with four fingers on the workspace, pressing and holding the Snap button to open the Snap Menu, or open the Display Settings table to change grid preferences.

Can I create my own types of Plot objects?

You can create your own Units; see the Custom Units sections. You can also create an Image Shape. It will not be targetable like a Unit, but it will appear on your Plot, and is common for adding pre-rendered floor plans. If you don’t want to create a custom Unit, try using an existing object and changing its model or nickname. You can also add images from your device as Gels with the gobo type.

Can I resize Units?

Every object in the inventory is sized specifically to the manufacturer’s specifications. If you find your objects are too large or too small, it means your floor plan is not to scale. Turn on the grid and resize your floor plan accordingly. However, you can always use the Scale property in an Object’s detail table to make something slightly bigger or smaller, for whatever reason.

How do I add people?

The Person object is available in the Notation category of the Inventory. It can be a generic person or a few other combinations of age and gender. It’s a Unit type, so it can be rigged to other objects, and can have a target, and be targeted.

Do you offer group discounts?

I have enabled volume discounts for educational institutions in the App Store. This provides a 50% discount for purchases of 20 units or more, once you’ve enrolled as an educational organization.

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