Avolites R20 Personality Builder Full |best| -

Mastering Lighting Control: The Ultimate Guide to Avolites R20 Personality Builder Full

In the world of professional lighting control, compatibility is king. For technicians, lighting designers, and rental houses using Avolites consoles (from the classic Pearl to the modern Arena and Quartz), the ability to communicate with a new, obscure, or custom-manufactured LED fixture is non-negotiable.

Enter the Avolites R20 Personality Builder Full. This powerful, standalone software utility is the golden key to creating custom fixture profiles (known as "Personalities" or "R20 files") when the fixture isn't found in the internal library of your desk.

This article provides a deep dive into the R20 Personality Builder Full version—what it is, why you need the "Full" version, how to master its advanced features, and best practices for building reliable personalities.

Step 2: Create a New File

Open the R20 Personality Builder Full. Click File > New Personality. avolites r20 personality builder full

Manufacturer: Input the brand name.
Mode: Usually "Normal."
Default DMX Address: Leave at 1.
DMX Channels: Enter "18" (Total number of channels the fixture uses).

Who Should Buy the "Full" Version?

Do NOT buy if you only use major brands (Martin, Robe, Chauvet, ADJ) – the built-in Titan library already covers you.
BUY if you are a rental house with a warehouse of no-name moving heads.
BUY if you design pixel-mapped LED installations (walls, floors, set pieces).
BUY if you are a touring LD who gets last-minute fixture change requests.

1. Overview & Purpose

Avolites R20 Personality Builder (often called "Personality Builder" or "R20") is a proprietary Windows-based software tool used to create, edit, and compile device personality files for Avolites lighting consoles (running Titan software, from Titan v1.0 to v11.x, as well as legacy D4 and Pearl Expert systems).

Full version refers to the complete, unrestricted software (as opposed to a limited demo) that can both edit and compile final .R20 files.
Primary function: Convert a lighting fixture’s DMX channel map (from the manufacturer’s manual) into a format that an Avolites console can understand, enabling proper patching, attribute control (dimmer, pan/tilt, color, gobo, etc.), and visual feedback on the console’s touchscreen.

File output: .R20 (or .r20). These are essentially renamed ZIP archives containing XML manifest + binary attribute maps.

5.1 File Installation

To use the file on an R20 console:

Transfer the .r20 file to a floppy disk (historically) or USB drive (depending on console upgrades).
On the console, navigate to the Personality menu.
Select Load Personality and locate the file.
Patch the fixture using the newly loaded file.

Step-by-Step: Building Your First Personality

Let’s walk through a quick build to show you why this software is a lifesaver.

1. Get the DMX Chart Before opening the software, open your fixture's manual. You need the DMX chart (Channel/Value functions).

2. Create a New Fixture Open R20 Builder. Click File > New > Generic/Moving Light. Mastering Lighting Control: The Ultimate Guide to Avolites

Manufacturer: Type the name (e.g., "Generic LED Co.")
Model: Type the fixture name (e.g., "Par 64 RGBW")
Mode: (e.g., "8 Channel")

3. Add the DMX Channels (The "Spreads") This is the core of the builder. You drag "Features" (like Dimmer, Red, Green, Blue) onto a grid.

Pro Tip: Use the "Spreadsheet Mode" for speed. Input the DMX address (1,2,3) and assign the feature.
For a moving head, set your Pan (Fine) and Tilt (Fine) as 16-bit. This is essential for smooth movement.

4. Configure the Ranges (The Magic) This is where the "Full" version shines. You don't just tell it "Channel 5 is Color." You define what DMX values do what.

Example: Color Macro channel. You set Range 0-9 = "Open/White". Range 10-19 = "Red". Range 200-209 = "Sound Active."
Save these ranges exactly as they appear in the manual.

5. Compile & Export Click the "Compile" button (the gear icon). If there are no errors, R20 will create a .d4 file. Step 2: Create a New File Open the

Location: It usually saves to C:\ProgramData\Avolites\Titan\Personalities\.
Copy that file to a USB stick or drop it into your Titan PC Suite folder.