Pharos Adds Impressive Range of Features with Updated Designer 2 Software

Architectural controls specialist Pharos has launched the latest evolution of its new Designer 2 software, version 2.8. This new, cutting-edge version of the existing Designer software has been developed in line with user feedback, the company says, ensuring that Pharos' technologies and systems deliver exactly what clients need and want.

The new Designer 2.8 offers a wealth of new features, improvements, tweaks, and fixes. A key addition is the support for the new serial data interface (SDI) which allows the EDN to generate a variety of synchronous and asynchronous protocols for directly driving LED products such as digital LED tape. This will enable projects that choose to get bespoke fixtures made that use SPI-type protocols rather than DMX to still have a complete Pharos hardware solution.

Other additions include new EDN "RDM" support and new EDN 10-port variant support, as well as support for sACN synchronization packets. Users can now also benefit from dark mode; an alternative look to the Pharos Designer application with a darker background, making it ideal for working in low-light environments.

New VCL enhancements -- support for 60fps, finer precision on fixture rotation, and improvements to the 16-bit support -- have also been made. Users will further benefit from Cloud improvements, which will enable a better overall user experience. The upgrades to the Cloud will allow the software to manage firmware updates with remote devices and report their status, as well as fire a task within the Cloud site. Designer 2.8 allows controllers to generate notifications to be sent to subscribed Cloud site users, and has new action types for controls of timelines, scenes, and fixture overrides which means users no longer have to create triggers for Cloud integration.

Pharos' Designer 2 is a powerful program with an intuitive graphical user interface that allows even new users to start work immediately and takes them through each stage of their lighting project. It also has a vast array of precise control options and features for advanced users to experiment with on their larger lighting and video installations.

It is free to download and all Pharos' lighting controllers and remote devices are supported by Designer 2. The software can be used to configure systems of any size from the one universe TPCs and LPCs to the 3000 universe VLC+ with scalable systems that support up to 40 Controllers and 200 remote devices.

Richard Mead, managing director for Pharos Architectural Controls, said: "We pride ourselves on being a value-added company, ensuring our customers have everything they need from us to meet their lighting control needs.

"Designer 2 has been a phenomenal success, but we are not a company that rests on our laurels; we continually look to improve and seek ways to ensure our clients have the most up-to-date, technologically advanced products and solutions. Designer 2.8 is just one example of where we are striving to deliver the best."

Details of the new release can be found on the Pharos website below.