ChamSys MagicQ User Manual - Manual (Page 352)

MagicQ User Manual 323 / 355
43.12 Backup Archives
By default the console stores an archive of the show files for every quarter of an hour of the day, and for every day of the week.
This enables the user to revert to a previous copy of their show.
Archive files are only made when the console auto saves – so if auto saves are disabled then no archive files will be generated.
If the console is set to “auto save on changes” then archive files will only be stored when changes are made. To revert to an
archived file press SHIFT and LOAD SHOW in the Setup Window.
Archive files are stored in a special directory that should not be modified by the user. When the user re-loads an archived backup
file, the backup file is restored into the standard show directory.
Archive files have the name “backup0530.sbk” to indicate the show file that was recorded just before 5.30am. Daily files are also
stored – “backupfri.sbk” indicates the show file that was recorded at the start of Friday. Archive files are overwritten every 24
hours, except for the daily files which are overwritten every 7 days.
43.13 Using shows on different MagicQ products and show versions
In general MagicQ show files are backwards and forwards compatible so you can load any show into any version of software.
Loading shows created and modified on newer software versions into older software versions may result in some features not
being supported or not working exactly as expected.
In March 2006 new MagicQ consoles were changed from 6 universes to 12 universes. MagicQ software version v1.2.5.4 and
above supported 12 universes. In December 2007 ChamSys launched the Pro range of consoles with software version v1.3.4.3
supporting 18 universes.
In May 2010 new MagicQ Pro 2010 consoles supported 32 universes. MagicQ Expert consoles supported 6. MagicQ PC / Mac
and Linux software supported 32.
From March 2013 new MagicQ Pro 2014 consoles support 64 universes. MagicQ MQ60, MQ70 and MQ100 Expert consoles
support 12 universes. MQ40 supports 4 universes.
MagicQ PC / Mac and Linux software supports 64 universes – this enables backup from a PC/Mac system.
43.13.1 Loading a show onto a smaller console
Note that the limit of number of universes/channels refers to both patched and unpatched channels - i.e. any fixtures that have
programming within the console. Therefore unpatched fixtures in a show still take up channels from the total number of universes
supported on the console - MagicQ just allocates them to unused addresses.
If you try to load a show with more channels used than the MagicQ console supports then it will ignore any channels above the
number of supported universes and will save the show using a default show name rather than the original show name to avoid the
ignored fixtures being removed from the original show file.
We recommend that when loading a show into a console with less universes the show should first be reduced to the number of
universes used by the smaller console. For example when transferring a show from a MQ100 Pro 2014 to a MQ60 the show
should first be reduced to 12 universes. This show can be reduced on the Pro 2014 or using MagicQ on a PC or Mac.
The number of universes used by a show is reported in Setup, View Systems, View Status, Show Data, Highest Universe.
Note that unpatched heads may affect the highest universe depending on which universe they were last used and how many heads
you have in your show. Either remove unpatched heads or repatch them down to a universe below the total number of universes.
43.13.2 Configuring number of Universes
To enable 12, 18, 32 or 64 universes, go to Setup Window and VIEW DMX I/O and select “SET NUM UNIVERSES” soft
button. It is necessary to restart MagicQ before the changes take effect.
Show files are compatible – except that it is not possible to load a show using more universes than the console is set to. So, if a
show has channels patched to universes 7 to 12 it will not be loaded into a console set to support 6 universes.