• Introduction
• Show Editor Quick-Start Tutorials
  • Part 1 - Show Editor Overview
  • Part 2 - Creating Steppers and Positions
  • Part 3 - Shortcuts and Advanced Features
  • Part 4 - Navigating in the timeline
  • Part 5 - Including 3D Models in your Fireworks Show
    • Loading real locations in 3D from Google Earth
  • Part 6 - Achieving Perfect Synchronization
• The show editor
  • Fullscreen Mode
  • Adding cues and arranging them in time
  • Arranging effects in space
  • Cues in detail
  • Cameras
    • Importing Camera Move Data from other 3D applications (FWsim Pro)
  • Edit multiple cues at once
  • Video Export
  • The “Edit” menu
  • The “Show” menu
  • Working with two monitors (only in FWsim Pro)
  • Positions
• Working with Flamejets and other devices (FWsim Pro)
  • How to add DMX devices and cues to your show
  • How to export DMX data
• The Firework Editor
  • Overview
  • The building block system
  • Effect Editor components in detail
    • Shell
    • Mine
    • Bursting Charge (“Explosion”)
    • Stars
    • Tails
    • Ascent Effect
    • Ascent Star
    • Eruption
    • Rocket
    • Catherine Wheel
    • Cake
    • Shell of Shells
    • Tourbillon, Whistle, Farfalle
    • Crackling (Popping Flowers) and Crossette
  • How to create many effects efficiently (FWsim Pro)
    • Custom Components
    • Creating Color Variations
  • Location of effect files on disk
  • Export effects as video (FWsim Pro)
  • Store custom effect data using the “Firework Database” (FWsim Pro)
  • Display cost information while editing your show (FWsim Pro)
  • Display Net Explosive Content (NEM, NEC) while editing your show (FWsim Pro)
• Export to Firing Systems (FWsim Pro)
  • Preparing a show for data export
  • Automatic channel assignment
  • Steppers and Channels
  • Chains
  • Creating re-usable chains
  • Manual Channel Assignment
  • Sequences (Semi-Automatic Firing)
  • Assigning a Channel to Music
  • Firing system export
  • My firing system is not supported by FWsim
• Importing existing shows (FWsim Pro)
• Creating Plans and Labels (FWsim Pro)
  • Sample files
  • CSV export
  • Firing Plans as HTML or PDF
  • Labels as PDF
• Working with Drone Shows (FWsim Pro)
  • General Instructions
    • Step 1: Plan your show in external drone show planning software
    • Step 2: Import the show into FWsim Pro
    • Step 3 (Optional) Put fireworks onto drones
    • How to update the show after it has been imported
    • How to export Pyros on Drones
  • Step by Step: How to plan Drone Shows with Fireworks using FWsim and Drotek
• Preferences (Tools → Preferences)
  • General Preferences
  • Preferences for FWsim Pro
• The World Editor
  • The “Objects” Tab
  • The “Settings” Tab

Working with Drone Shows (FWsim Pro)

Starting with version 3.5, FWsim Pro is able to import drone shows using the VVIZ format. The workflow is as follows:

1. Plan your show in external drone show planning software, and export to VVIZ.
2. Import the show into FWsim Pro
3. (Optional) Put fireworks onto drones

General Instructions

Step 1: Plan your show in external drone show planning software

First, you need to choreograph your drone show in your drone show simulation software. Which software you use will depend on the manufacturer of your drones. We recommend the Drotek system - their software supports VVIZ export and they are very responsive to technical support requests.

If your drone simulation software does not offer VVIZ export, let us know.

Step 2: Import the show into FWsim Pro

You will find the VVIZ import in the Show menu. Upon import, a firing position will be created for every drone in the show.

You can click the show in the timeline and adjust the size of the light dots in the sidebar on the right.

Step 3 (Optional) Put fireworks onto drones

Upon import, a firing position is created for every drone. This allows you to put shots onto moving drones.

How you export the data for triggering shots on drones will depend on your drone system. Contact us with your specific scenario and we’d be happy to help you.

How to update the show after it has been imported

Simply delete the drone show from your timeline and import it again. The firing positions (one for each drone) will remain.

How to export Pyros on Drones

When importing a VVIZ drone show into FWsim, FWsim automatically creates a moving firing position for each drone. This allows you to place single shots onto your drones.

You then might want to export this data back to your drone system. Here’s how to do that:

• Place your shots on drones.
• You do not need to select a firing system. You also do not need to place any modules.
• Click Export → “Export VVIZ Pyros on Drones”.
• Select a new file name. Do not overwrite the original VVIZ that you used to import the data in the first place.

FWsim will output the original VVIZ file that you used to import earlier, with the following modifications:

• The movement of drones will be deleted
• Any existing light or pyro data will be deleted
• The pyros for each drone will then be added into the file.

You can then import VVIZ into your Drone control software - for example, the Lightshow Creator by Drotek.

Step by Step: How to plan Drone Shows with Fireworks using FWsim and Drotek

In this tutorial, we will go over all the steps needed to plan a drone show using Drotek and FWsim.

Drotek is a French manufacturer of Drone show hardware and software. One of the ways to create Drotek shows is by using their Blender add-on. Blender is an open source 3D animation software.

Installing Blender with the Drotek Add-On, and creating your show

Please follow these steps to install. Under the same link, you will find instructions how to create a show, plan takeoff & landing, choreograph formations and much more.

Please note: The Lightshow Creator is only available to fireworks and event professionals who are using the Drotek system or are considering acquiring it. If you would like to request access, please get in touch with Drotek.

Exporting your Show from Blender into FWsim

1. When you are happy with your design in Blender, click “Export VVIZ” in the Drotek Add-On to create a VVIZ file.
2. Create a new file in FWsim
3. Click Show → “Import .vviz Drone Show” and select your file
4. You will notice that FWsim has created a firing position for every drone in the show.
5. You can now add single shots onto Drones. You can also place fireworks on the ground.
6. The new “Smart Clone” feature might be useful if you want to place a lot of cues on many drones: Create one shot on one drone. Then, right-click and select “Smart Clone”. Activate “Multiple Positions” and “Filter by position name”. Then, enter “Drone”. That way, your shot will be duplicated onto all other drones.

Exporting firing data to your firing system, and to Drotek

1. You can perform automatic channel assignment, and export a script, using your ground firing system. This only affects your ground shots. Shots on drones will not receive channels through the firing system, and they will not be exported into your firing system script.
2. We are now ready to export those drone shots to the Drotek system. To do that, click Export → “Export VVIZ Pyros on Drones”. This VVIZ file will only contain the cues to be fired. It does not contain drone movement.
3. Switch back to Blender. Click Lightshow → Fire → Import, select the newly created VVIZ file.
4. Your firing data is now included in the Blender file, and can be used to trigger cues on the Drotek drones.

Please note:

If your drone show starts at a time later than 0:00 in the FWsim timeline, the times that are exported will be relative to that. For example, if your drone show starts at 0:10 and you have a single shot at 0:30, then the single shot will be exported as 0:20 in the VVIZ file.