USITT RP-2 Lighting Design Graphics v3.5 Pack
The latest upgrade to the USITT RP-2 Theatre Lighting Design Graphics Package! It’s been hailed as a major advancement. Why is it so great? Here’s a brief review:
In the Beginning:
In 1998 members of the USITT Lighting Commission gathered to revise the Lighting Graphic Standard. Shelley was invited to participate, and over the next eight years created the six graphic pages that became the drafted portion of RP-2. Along with the written information, that document was published as a 2D pdf in the fall of 2006. In January 2007, Shelley released his Vectorworks object library FT-USITT 2007, which expanded on his drafted contribution to the RP-2 standard.
Other USITT Object Libraries:
Since the release of RP-2, other Vectorworks object libraries have been released that emulate Shelley's drafting efforts.
These USITT Vectorworks object libraries consist of several layers; why, we don’t know. Some layers display 2-dimensional [2D] symbols. Other layers display 3-dimensional components for the same symbols. Still other layers have no symbols in them whatsoever. And while the 2D symbol layers are in Top/Plan view, the 3D layers are in a variety of views and selections. It’s pretty confusing.
That’s nothing. Those symbols in the other object libraries aren’t properly constructed; NONE of them contain any default data. No beam, field, wattage, weight—NOTHING. Some of them don’t even have a Light Info Record attached to the symbol.
On top of that, the symbols are all mashed together into only two folders; one for "Lights", and one for "Accessories". Selecting a resource can be a difficult search because they’re all in two big glumps with funny resource names.
Speaking of accessories, NONE of them are hybrids! Tophats, barndoors, boom base, effects projector, practicals—each symbol contains only 2-dimensional components. None of them are 3D.
The 3D components for the rest of the lighting symbols? There’s not a **single** yoke or c-clamp in the entire document. For that matter, none of the 3D components are even attached to the Parts Record.
Yes, these symbols can be used to draw a simple 2D light plot. But they cannot be used to provide any visual beam spread information, they can’t render, and none of them contain any default data information to exchange with Lightwright. Not the best educational tool.
Enter SoftSymbols™ FT-USITT 3.5
The SoftSymbols™ USITT object library is substantially different. First, Shelley expanded the original six pages he designed for the RP-2 graphic. Instead of a single tophat [to show it’s iconic shape], he included examples of tophats in ALL the standard sizes.
Then he categorized them. All of the symbols are in file folders named and ordered to mimic the RP-2 document. The 6.2 symbol folder in his SoftSymbol™ object library matches the symbols displayed in the 6.2 category on the RP-2 document.
For this update, Shelley jumped into the 3D world. ALL the accessories are hybrids. And the 3D component of EVERY lighting resource has been updated to possess Vw2011 3D Focus Functionality®. That means the 3D components are attached to the parts record; in any 3D view, the lighting device automatically targets ”wysiwygy-like” towards an assigned Spotlight focus point.
Finally, Shelley added 30 new symbols to increase basic drafting functionality. The result? A fourteen page object library, a matching pdf file that can be printed as an offline reference, and a pdf excel file displaying the default resource data extracted directly from the symbols.
Summary
The SoftSymbols™ USITT RP-2 Theatre Light Design Graphics Package provides the basic symbology necessary to create the basic elements of a light plot, and communicate the technical elements of a lighting design to the electrics crew.
The USITT 3.5 Object Library
• The USITT 3.5 Legacy Pack is designed in the Vectorworks 2008, 2009, and 2010 environments. The 3D components are not attached to a parts record—they’re static, and will not aim to a Spotlight focus point.
• The USITT 3.5 Enhanced Vw2011-2015 Pack is designed in the Vectorworks 2011-2015 environments. All applicable 3D components possess Vw2011 Focus Functionality®. That means the 3D components are attached to the parts record; in any 3D view, the lighting device automatically aims towards an assigned Spotlight focus point.
• The USITT 3.5 Enhanced Enhanced Vw2016 Pack is designed in the Vectorworks 2016 environment. All applicable 3D components retain Vw2011 Focus Functionality®. The object library is segmented, so that the new Spotlight Instrument Tool can reveal the Pop-up Thumbnail Resource Window.
• The USITT 3.5 Enhanced Vw2017 Pack is designed in the Vectorworks 2017 environment. All applicable 3D components retain Vw2011 Focus Functionality®. The object library is recombined, allowing the new Resource Manager to display more complete resource names, while the Spotlight Instrument Tool still reveals the Pop-up Thumbnail Resource Window.
Legacy for Vw2008-Vw2010
$20 Mac or PC
(4.4MB) 26.2MG
(includes pdfs of symbols and data)
BUY
Enhanced for Vw2011-Vw2015
$20 Mac or PC
(4.2MB) 21.8MG
(includes pdfs of symbols and data)
BUY
Enhanced for Vw2016
$20 Mac or PC
(10.8MB) 34.2MG
(includes pdfs of symbols and data)
BUY
Enhanced for Vw2017
$20 Mac or PC
(10.1MB) 29.2MG
(includes pdfs of symbols and data)
BUY
3.5" ERS's, 4.5" Box-Shaped Instruments, and 4.5" Lens Instruments
6" Lens Instruments, 6" Box-Shaped Instruments, and Enhanced ERS Instruments
8" Box-Shaped Instruments, and 8" Lens Instruments
10" Lens Instruments, 10" Box-Shaped Instruments, and Variations on Standard ERS Symbols
Fresnels and PAR Instruments
PAR Instruments and Beam Projector Instruments
Ellipsoidal Reflector Floodlights, and T-3 Cyclorama Instruments
Cyclorama Instruments, Striplights, and Striplight Mounting Designations
Fluorescents, Automated Luminaries, and Practicals & Special Units
Follow Spot, Symbols for Circuitry & Symbols and Layout for Lighting Booms
Accessory and Ancillary Symbols, and Circuitry Notations
Normal Notation for Luminaire, Striplights & Cycs, PARs, Followpots, & Arc Source Luminaries
LED Fixtures, Scene Machine, Line Weights; USITT Standard & Shelley Standard
Shelley Goodies 2012
