Guide · GDTF
GDTF files, and why they matter
What GDTF files are, and what SDC does with them.
What is GDTF?
GDTF - General Device Type Format - is an open, standardised file that describes a lighting fixture: its DMX channels, what each channel does, its colour and gobo wheels, movement ranges and more. One file, written once, usually by the manufacturer, that any GDTF-capable software can read.
Think of it as a driver for your light.
Where do you get GDTF files?
The central library is GDTF-Share.com, a free industry-run database with thousands of fixtures uploaded by manufacturers and users. Search your fixture model, download the .gdtf file, done.
If your fixture is not there, you can build the file yourself - with the free online GDTF Builder on that site, or directly inside SDC.
What SDC does with a GDTF file
This is where a fully built file pays off. When you add a fixture from GDTF, SDC reads:
- ·Channel names, so every fader in Fixture Faders is labelled with its real function - Dimmer, Pan, Gobo 1 - instead of just a channel number
- ·Colour wheels including their actual colour codes, so colour palettes show the true output colour
- ·Gobo wheels by name, so gobo palettes show the shape you will actually get
SDC builds ready-to-use palettes from that wheel data automatically. A freshly patched fixture is usable within seconds, before you have saved a single thing yourself.
Adding a GDTF fixture in SDC
Get the .gdtf file - from GDTF-Share, or made in SDC with one of the GDTF Makers.
In SDC, open Add Fixture.
Load the GDTF file and choose the DMX mode your fixture is set to.
Set the DMX address and the rest of the fixture info.
No GDTF for your fixture?
It happens often, especially with budget and no-name fixtures - nobody has ever made a file for them. In SDC you just make one. Two GDTF Makers are built in, both opened from the Add Fixture page.
Worth knowing: if you want everyone with the same model to benefit, you can upload your file to GDTF-Share, or build it there with the free online GDTF Builder.
Manual To GDTF
Point SDC at the PDF manual that came with your fixture. It reads the channel tables, finds the DMX modes, pulls out the gobo and colour wheel information, and writes a finished .gdtf file. A manual that would take an hour to type in becomes a working fixture file in a couple of minutes, with named channels and automatic palettes ready to go.
It runs as an online service and uses tokens. Every user gets two free - enough to try it on your own fixtures and see what comes out. More tokens can be bought inside SDC.
Simple GDTF Maker
Prefer to do it yourself? Build the file by hand in SDC - set your channel layout, name each channel, define your colour and gobo wheels, and save.
Both Makers save a standard .gdtf file - the same format every other GDTF-capable console and software reads. Nothing is locked to SDC. More on the GDTF Makers.
Questions
Can I create a GDTF file in SDC?
Yes - two Makers, one generating the file from your fixture's PDF manual, one where you build it yourself. Both save a standard .gdtf file you can use anywhere.
Does it cost anything to make a GDTF file?
The Simple GDTF Maker is free and unlimited. Manual To GDTF is a service that uses tokens - you get two free, and extra tokens can be bought in SDC.
Is GDTF free?
Yes. The format is open and the GDTF-Share library is free.
What is the difference between GDTF and a fixture library?
Traditional fixture libraries are locked to one software brand. GDTF is one shared format that works across consoles and software.
Does the file need to be “fully built”?
The more complete the file, the more SDC can do. A minimal file gives you channels; a fully built one gives you named channels, colour codes and automatic palettes.
Download a GDTF file for one of your fixtures, or make one from its manual. SDC is free in 2-hour sessions; unlimited use is $29.99/year.
Download SDC v8.1