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Import real fixtures with GDTF

GDTF is an open file format that lighting manufacturers publish so their fixtures show up accurately, dimensions, DMX modes and all, in design software like ShowPlot instead of as a generic stand-in.

Two ways to import​

  • Browse GDTF Share: once you connect a GDTF Share account from your account settings, you can search its online library and import a fixture straight into your org's gear library.
  • Upload a file: have a .gdtf file already, from a manufacturer or a rental house? Upload it directly.

Either way, the fixture lands in your Lighting category with its real DMX modes attached, ready to place like any other library item.

What you see in the 3D view​

An imported fixture doesn't wait on anything to look right. ShowPlot builds a shaped stand-in immediately, a base, yoke, head, and lens for a moving light, a pixel strip for a bar, from the fixture's own geometry data, so it reads correctly in the room from the moment you place it. When the fixture's file includes real 3D model files, ShowPlot swaps in those models automatically once they've loaded, no extra step on your part.

:::note If a fixture has no usable geometry A small number of files don't carry anything ShowPlot can build a shape from. Those fall back to a generic fixture shape for that category so placement never breaks. :::

Which plan you need​

GDTF import, both browsing GDTF Share and uploading files, is a Max plan feature (or the ShowSuite bundle). See Plans and the bundle. Custom library items with your own dimensions are available on every plan if you just need a placeholder for a fixture you don't have a GDTF file for.