Working with beam variants (advanced)
Beam variants are variations of the same Coverage Beam which have different parameters. Beam variants are useful if you want to use similar beams across different presets.
Only one beam variant can be used once in a single preset.
This means that when a beam already exists in a preset, if you add the beam to a layer and try to add this layer to the Preset, which already contains the beam, the action will not be possible, and the add to preset option will be greyed out.
The parameters that can be changed between beam variants are listed below and can be found in the Coverage Beam Properties Panel on the right.
| Coverage Beam Parameter | Can be changed per Variant? |
|---|---|
SPL drop | No |
Air Absorption Compensation | No |
Target response | Yes |
Phase response | Yes |
Input signal | Yes |
Audio input | Yes |
Creating beam variants
There are multiple different ways to create beam variants. Certain actions will cause beam Variants to be automatically created.
Add an existing beam to another preset or layer
Adding an existing beam to another preset or layer will automatically create a new beam variant.
To add the beam to another preset or layer, navigate to the beam in the library and right-click on Add to Preset. Similarly, If you would like to re-use a beam in another layer, navigate to the beam in the library and right-click on Add to Layer.
Once added the beam will now appear in the preset or layer. In the Coverage Beam's Properties Panel on the right, a new preset layer will also be visible, providing an overview of which beam variant is used in which preset layer.
Add beam variants from the tuning panel
Another way to create beam variants is from the Tuning Panel. To open the panel, click on the preset and the tuning contextual menu item will appear on the left or the viewport. Alternatively, click on the Tuning Panel icon on the right of the toolbar.
The tuning panel will display the variants of the beams currently used in the preset. To change the variant's properties, select a new parameter in the field you would like to change the click Optimize. This will create a new variant, and this newly created variant will be used in the selected preset.
Add a new environmental condition to create new beam variants
If a Coverage Beam is in a preset or layer, adding a new environmental condition to that preset or layer will automatically create a new beam variant at the temperature and humidity of the new environmental condition. This will apply to all of the beams in the preset or layer.
When the new environmental condition is added, click on the Optimization Jobs table to see the beams that need to be optimized for it.
Using beam variants across different presets
To add a Coverage Beam to another preset, it must first be inside a layer, which can then be added to the desired Preset. To do so, add a Coverage Beam to a new layer from inside the library.
Once the beam is added to the layer, in the Coverage Beam properties panel the new layer will be shown, along with the parameters for that version of the variant. The layers that the beam is in will always be shown in the Properties Panel, meaning you can adjust the beam variant without needing to switch back and forth between presets.
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