Export to Cobra

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System Overview

Export DMX Data yes
Flamejets via electrical signals (multitrigger) no
Semiautomatic firing (sections) yes
File Format Cobra - .csv

Please make sure you install the latest Cobra firmware before exporting. Please visit CobraFiringSystems.com to upgrade your firmware.

This video demonstrates how to create a simple show and transfer it to the Cobra firing system:

Please follow these steps:

  1. Create a new show or open an existing one. Select the “Cobra” firing system.
  2. Under the “Modules” tab, create enough modules for all cues. Per default, cues are connected to the nearest module. However, you can also associate modules with specific firing positions.
  3. Click Export -> Cobra and select a filename. FWsim will generate module and pin numbers automatically and create a .csv file. If there are any problems (e.g. too few modules), FWsim will alert you.
  4. FWsim will prompt you for deadman switch setting and music filename. These are optional and you can leave these fields empty if you don’t need them.
  5. You can now transfer this .csv file to your system.

The difference between FWsim Pro and Cobra ShowCreator

Cobra Show Creator (CSC) is a web-based application for planning pyrotechnic shows. It can be used on any operating system that supports the Chrome browser. CSC has been specifically designed to create shows for the Cobra system. The user interface consists of a table showing the cues, and a simple timeline. The application can be used to plan both timed as well as STEP-based shows. It can load music and therefore be used to plan pyromusicals. There is no visualization.

FWsim Pro is a downloadable fireworks choreography software. It works on Microsoft Windows only. FWsim Pro fully supports Cobra as well as many other firing systems. FWsim Pro focusses on visual simulation, it features a timeline as well as a table view. The workflow in FWsim Pro is optimized on working with the timeline.

How to use the STEP functionality of Cobra

With the Cobra STEP functionality, you can have multiple sections in your show. After each section, the system waits until you press the STEP button to proceed. Here’s how to use this functionality with the FWsim Pro data export:

  1. Create your show in FWsim.
  2. To add section markers, click Export –> Start New Sequence. Read more about that in the FWsim manual
  3. Export your show to Cobra like usual.

The Cobra system requires that a channel is fired on every start of a section. That means, in a Cobra script file, you cannot start a new section without firing something. FWsim handles this as follows:

How can I use multiple pieces of music, when using the Cobra STEP mode?

With FWsim, you can do Cobra STEP shows. The basic Cobra STEP approach is explained above.

However, when doing a STEP show, Cobra only allows you to have one file of music (not several).

If you want several pieces of music, you need to produce a “multi script” instead. Unfortunately, FWsim currently does not support producing Cobra Multi Scripts. (This is on our wishlist!)

We suggest the following approach:

  1. Read the documentation on Cobra multi scripts, to understand how the file format works.
  2. Plan your entire show in one FWsim file
  3. When you are done, do the show addressing by clicking Export –> Auto-Address
  4. Click Export –> Lock All Channels, to make sure you don’t overwrite any of the channels by mistake later
  5. In FWsim, save your show file several times, for example as “Part 1”, “Part 2” and “Part 3”. You now have three files on your hard drive with the same show.
  6. Click File -> Open, and open the first part.
    • Delete everything except the first part.
    • Save the FWsim show file.
    • Click Export and make a Cobra script
  7. Click File -> Open, and open the second part.
    • Delete everything except the second part.
    • Save the FWsim show file.
    • Select everything and move it to the very left, such that it starts at 0:00.
    • Click Export and make a Cobra script
  8. Repeat the same process with the third part
  9. You now have three FWsim files and three Cobra scripts on your hard drive.
  10. Use Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet software to merge your separate Cobra CSV files together into one multi script. You can also do this with a text editor like Notepad.
  11. Please note: The merged multi script must have only one “end” at the very end.
  12. As always: Make sure you test the file, including music, before the show.

How to use the Cobra Audiobox with FWsim

Please follow these steps:

  1. Cobra requires that your music starts at 0 seconds. Please make sure that this is the case before continuing.
  2. Simply export your show as described above.
  3. When exporting, FWsim will ask you for the audiobox filename. Insert the filename of your music, but without the .mp3 extension.

Please be aware that Cobra has some limitations for the audio filename. They are:

“If you are using firmware version 3.0 to 4.0.1, make sure your audio filename is audiobox.mp3. If you are using firmware version 5.0.1 to 5.0.5, make sure your audio filename, when imported into COBRA Show Creator, has no more than 9 characters excluding the .mp3 extension: for example, 123456789.mp3. If you are using firmware version 5.1 or higher, make sure your audio filename, when imported into COBRA Show Creator, has no more than 45 characters excluding the .mp3 extension. If your audio filename is too long, you can re-name the audio file, re-import the audio file into COBRA Show Creator, and then re-export the COBRA script file into the 18R2.” (this is quoted directly from the Cobra user manual)

How do I add a short pause to the beginning of my show?

You may want to add a short pause to the beginning of the show - such that the script start at 5 seconds, and the music is also delayed for 5 seconds.

With Cobra, the music file always starts playback at 0 seconds. Therefore, we need a workaround to make this work:

  1. In FWsim, move your music such that it starts at 5 seconds. (if you can’t move the music, right-click on an empty spot in the timeline and select “Display Music in Timeline”)
  2. Click Export > Music and SMPTE Timecode, then select the option “Stereo Music”
  3. Save that music WAV file to your hard drive
  4. You now have a WAV file of the music - with 5 seconds of pause added at the beginning. This needs to be converted to MP3. We recommend the Online Audio Converter for this. Select “MP3” and turn the quality all the way up to 320 kbps.
  5. Save this music MP3 file to your hard drive
  6. In FWsim, delete the original music, and insert this new MP3 file into the timeline.
  7. Make sure the music starts at 0 seconds in the timeline

Can I use WAV or FLAC or AAC audio files with the Cobra Audiobox?

No, the Cobra audiobox only supports MP3. Cobra recommends that, for optimum quality, you always export your files to MP3 with 320 kbps. That way, the quality should be almost identical to WAV.

How can I have multiple pieces of music with the Cobra Firing System and FWsim?

There’s two different approaches depending on whether you want a fully automatic show (runs from beginning to end) or a semiautomatic show (show pauses and then continues).

How to make a fully automatic show with multiple pieces of music?

  1. Plan your show in FWsim, putting several pieces of music onto the timeline
  2. When you are finished, export the audio track by clicking Export –> “Music and SMPTE Timecode”. Select the “Stereo Music” option.
  3. You now have a WAV file of the music. This needs to be converted to MP3. We recommend the Online Audio Converter for this. Select “MP3” and turn the quality all the way up to 320 kbps.
  4. When the Online Audio Converter is finished, you now have a file. Save it under, for example, “my complete soundtrack.mp3”
  5. Finally, when you export your Cobra script from FWsim, it will ask you for the audio filename. Insert “my complete soundtrack” (without the quotes).

How to make a semi-automatic show with multiple pieces of music?

Unfortunately, the cobra STEP approach does not support multiple pieces of music.

You can use the “multi script” approach - please see aboveö for instructions on how to do that.