Lula is a PC-based system for theater lighting. It consists of sophisticated software and a low-cost hardware component.
The Lula software models the design process of a theater lighting installation. The lighting designer can name the components and subcomponents of an installation and assemble them hierarchically into cues and lighting spaces. With this conceptual basis, the lighting designer can translate a director's lighting instructions into a sequence of cues very quickly. Offline operation is also possible. Changes to components of an installation automatically propagate through the system which makes later changes and fine-tuning extremely easy. Furthermore, Lula allows multiple simultaneous cues and manual intervention during a show.
Lula marks a considerable advance over conventional commercial systems which require a light designer to associate lights and cues herself. Most of these systems merely automate a manual process. Lula 's great flexibility opens up new creative potential.
Lula 's hardware component connects to a standard printer port. Hence, the system runs on a variety of platforms: Unix, Windows, and the Macintosh.