Ross Williams: Tools for the Lighting Programmer

Posted July 5, 2026  ‐ Categories: GDTF, MVR

In his latest Technical Note Tools for the Lighting Programmer, Ross Williams writes about his workflow and tools, how he likes to structure his work, and what the exact points of such a workflow are. He emphasizes the important point: it is the programmer who is there to make the show look good; the tools are there to support him. GDTF and MVR formats and their implementations in applications are there to remove repetitive work, increase efficiency, prevent mistakes, and allow the flow of data such as position, fixture number, patch, mode, or 3D location between applications. Ross's workflow includes several programs, such as Vectorworks, HogTools, MA Tools, Reaper, CuePoints, Depence / Syncronorm, Wysiwyg / CAST Software, as well as his own Ross Williams Apps.