ABSTRACT
Computer-Assisted Lighting Design (C.A.L.D.) is a computer program developed at the Yale School of Drama by Joseph Barna. C.A.L.D. provides a means of storing lighting design data in one format and then retrieving it in the many formats used in stage lighting. Thus, it is especially useful in recording design changes. For example, making several changes — adding two 6×9 ellipsoidals to the system controlled by dimmer 3, reassigning the system controlled by dimmer 6 to dimmer 4, and adding two more systems of instruments to the design — normally means having to record those changes on several documents. By doing most of the paperwork, C.A.L.D. cuts the time involved by two-thirds. C.A.L.D. offers a variety of options too numerous to detail here, but this article describes the system’s basic use and output.
