QuickQ - Move When Dark
What Is "Move When Dark"?
Move When Dark is a feature that automatically pre-positions moving lights (position, beam, and colour attributes) before they are needed in the next cue — but only while those fixtures are at 0% intensity (i.e., "dark"). This prevents the audience from seeing a moving light travel to its new position while it is lit.
When Move When Dark is triggered, the console checks fixtures used in the next cue that currently have 0% intensity. If their Position, Beam, or Colour values differ from their current values, those attributes will crossfade to the new values over 3 seconds (default), invisibly to the audience.
"Any heads that are used in the next Cue but which have 0% intensity in the current Cue are checked to see whether the Position, Beam and Colour attributes should be preloaded before the next Cue is executed." — QuickQ v10 Manual, p. 51
Method 1: Enable Move When Dark Automatically via Theatre Mode
The easiest and recommended way to use Move When Dark in a theatre or school setting is to switch the console to Theatre Mode. This enables Move When Dark automatically on all Cue Stacks.
Step-by-Step:
Step 1 — Open the Settings Window
- From the Home Window, tap the Menu icon (≡) in the top right corner.
- Select Settings.
Step 2 — Enable Theatre Mode
- In the Settings Window, locate the Live & Theatre Modes section.
- Tap Theatre Mode to enable it.
Step 3 — Confirm the Result
- Move When Dark is now automatically enabled on all Cue Stacks (not chases).
- Playback 1 becomes the primary theatre cue stack with default 3-second fade times.
- Playback 2 becomes a manual crossfader.
"Move When Dark is automatically enabled on all Cue Stacks (not chases), when in Theatre mode." — QuickQ v10 Manual, p. 39
| Console | Move When Dark Behavior |
|---|---|
| QuickQ 10 | Applies to Playback 1 (the single Cue Stack) |
| QuickQ 20 & 30 | Applies to all Cue Stacks on Playbacks 1–10. Playbacks 3–10 are still chases by default but can be manually changed to Cue Stacks, at which point Move When Dark will also apply. |
Step 4: Verify Move When Dark Is Working
Once Theatre Mode is active:
- Build your cue stack on Playback 1 with your scenes, ensuring moving lights are at 0% intensity in some cues and then used in subsequent cues.
- Run the show — when a cue executes where a moving light is dark (0%), the console will automatically pre-position that fixture over 3 seconds in preparation for the next cue.
- You will see/hear the fixture move silently while unlit, arriving at its new position ready for the next GO.
Key Behaviors to Understand
- Move When Dark only affects LTP (Last Takes Precedence) attributes — Position, Beam, and Colour. It does not affect intensity.
- It only fires when the fixture is at 0% intensity in the current cue.
- The pre-position crossfade time is 3 seconds by default.
- It works per playback in Theatre Mode.
- It does not apply to chases — only to Cue Stacks.
"In Theatre Mode 'Move When Dark' works on a per playback basis. When it is enabled any heads that are used in the next Cue but which have 0% intensity in the current Cue are checked to see whether the Position, Beam and Colour attributes should be preloaded before the next Cue is executed." — QuickQ v10 Manual, p. 51
Summary Checklist
- Open Settings (Menu ≡ → Settings)
- Enable Theatre Mode
- Confirm your playbacks are Cue Stacks (not chases)
- Build cues with moving lights that go dark between scenes
- Run show — Move When Dark fires automatically at 0% intensity fixtures
Reference: QuickQ v10 Manual, pages 39 and 51 — Theatre Mode and Move When Dark sections. (Source: ChamSys QuickQ v10 Manual, 2024-03-11)
How To: Manually Build a Move When Dark Outcome on QuickQ
Understanding the Concept
When Theatre Mode's automatic Move When Dark is not enabled, you can achieve the same result manually by carefully structuring your cue stack. The technique involves inserting a dedicated "dark” cue, and a pre-position - “mark" cue between your scene cues. This cue sequence runs over 4 cues:
- Scene A, Light ON — position A, colour A
- Fades the moving light's intensity to 0%.
- Immediately after — moves the fixture's Position, Colour, and Beam attributes to their values needed for the next scene
- Then the next scene cue fires, bringing intensity up, with the fixture already in position; Light ON — position B, colour B
This is the manual equivalent of what the QuickQ documentation describes as the principle behind Move When Dark:
"Any heads that are used in the next Cue but which have 0% intensity in the current Cue are checked to see whether the Position, Beam and Colour attributes should be preloaded before the next Cue is executed." — QuickQ v10 Manual, p. 51
| Cue # | Name | What It Does | Wait | Intensity Fade | LTP Fade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cue 1 | Scene A | Light ON — position A, colour A | Wait for GO | 3 sec | 3 sec |
| Cue 2 | Fade Dark | Intensity fades to 0% | Follow Previous | 3 sec | 0 sec (no change) |
| Cue 3 | Move Dark | Fixture moves to position B, colour B at 0% intensity | Follow Previous | 0 sec | 3 sec |
| Cue 4 | Scene B | Light ON — position B, colour B | Wait for GO | 3 sec | 3 sec |
Key Rules to Remember
- Move When Dark only works when the fixture is at 0% intensity. If the light is on during the travel cue, the move will be visible.
- The non-intensity (Position/Colour/Beam) fade time on Cue 2 controls how smoothly the fixture travels. Set it to match or be shorter than your available blackout time.
- Cue 4 should always "Wait for GO" so the operator controls when the light comes back up — don't auto-follow into the reveal cue or the fixture may not have finished moving.
- If you are using Theatre Mode, this whole process happens automatically — the manual method is for Live Mode or when you need precise per-cue control.
Built using Claude AI and checked by Phil Watson. 2026-4-20