This one is a little long and technical in some places. If you get bored skip to the summary LOL
If you don't have an Apex now some of it won't mean anything to you. I hope it's useful to someone. If you have questions feel free to ask.
I moved My Aqua Illuminations Sol Blues from the Apex to the Profilux this evening. I was dreading this a little because I had a pretty complicated light program for the 3 different colors. After doing the Profilux, I think I had it a lot more complicated than it needed to be.
This will also allow others to learn from my mistake whichever controller you're using.
The Profilux has a little graph of the color you're working with, so you can see the intensity during time periods throughout the day. I had 13 different statements in each color for the Apex, with the Profilux I have 5. I probably could have done the same 5 with the Apex had I thought of it. The graph on the Profilux made me realize how simple it could have been.
If you're interested this is the Apex programming:
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Time 09:20 to 11:20 Then DawnWh
If Time 11:20 to 12:20 Then 20%-30%
If Time 12:20 to 13:20 Then 30%-40%
If Time 13:20 to 14:00 Then 40%-60%
If Time 14:00 to 16:00 Then 60%-70%
If Time 16:00 to 17:30 Then 70%-80%
If Time 17:30 to 18:30 Then 80%-70%
If Time 18:30 to 19:30 Then 70%-60%
If Time 19:30 to 20:00 Then 60%-40%
If Time 20:00 to 20:30 Then 40%-30%
If Time 20:30 to 21:00 Then 30%-20%
If Time 21:00 to 22:00 Then DuskWh
If Time 22:00 to 09:20 Then OFF
Each of those is a profile that needs to be set up and then used in the programming above. Each has a 30 minute ramp time, which means when going from 30% to 40% it will take 30 minutes to get there and then stay there for the rest of the time period.
For the Profilux the programming is:
9:20 AM 0%
2:20PM 70%
4PM 80%
7PM 70%
10PM 0% This is done via drop down menus, instead of typing it all in above.
I now know I could have done the Apex with 5 steps, like I have done with the Profilux. What I learned is If I let it ramp for the whole time period (9:20A - 2:20P above for example) it will evenly increase the intensity. Instead of with the Apex where I stepped it all those times.
The reason, I did it "the hard way" with Apex, and learned the "easy way" with the Profilux is...."Ramp time" When setting the profiles in the Apex you have to set a ramp time, and always just selected 30 minutes, just because it seemed good. When I started programming the Profilux there is no "ramp time" at first I thought I was lost...how I do it without a ramp time? Then I realized the Profilux ramps it the whole way until the next time command.
Again I could have done the same with the Apex by calculating the number of minutes and setting the ramp time accordingly. Not as easy as the Profilux but the same result. Problem is if you want to tinker with your light schedule all the calculation would make it quite a chore.
When I first programmed the AI's with the Profilux I had only 3 commands, for the whites above it was 0% to 80% and then back to 0% which made a graph like an upside down V. Which would have been OK but I wanted to stretch out the "bright period" so I added the 2 70% on each side of the 80% peak. the graph now looks more like a barn roof with 70% - 80% for about half of the illumination period.
Summary:
So far I'm very pleased with my Profilux, and impressed. It's not perfect, and it's got a couple of minor quirks. Before buying it I kept asking what makes it better than the Apex I have, and It was hard to find an answer that convinced me. So far it has been just what I thought when I bought it...It may not do anything my Apex couldn't do, but it does just about everything, a little better, or easier. And the Profilux also seems to be easier to try new settings and "play" a little.
This is sure making me want to join the Profilux Club.