SuperRayBeamComponent (Ray Beam)
Applies to SuperStage 26H2.6 and later
The ray beam is a volumetric beam without optical elements: no gobos, no colour wheel, no prism, no blades.
It exists for matrix and effect fixtures. Those carry dozens or hundreds of emitting units on one fixture, each a component — the ray beam always takes the zero-sample closed-form path, which costs far less than per-pixel stepping and is not affected by sampling rate artefacts. And this class of fixture does not project patterns in the first place.
1. When to Use It
| Situation | Choose |
|---|---|
| Columns on matrix fixtures, pixel bars, effect fixtures | Ray Beam |
| Patterns needed | Volumetric beam |
| Framing needed | Volumetric framing |
| Colour / blinder / strobe with no aerial column | Wash |
On GDTF import, matrix / pixel groups are assigned Ray Beam automatically; groups declared BeamType=Glow/None in the package (aura rings, backplates) are assigned Wash and emit no column.
2. Parameters
It reuses the volumetric beam's default value group (density, haze, edge softness, fades and so on) with the same meanings. See section 1 of SuperVolumetricBeamComponent.
Beam Occlusion has no effect on the ray beam. That option is implemented only on the volumetric beam pipeline; the ray beam reuses the same parameter struct for its defaults but has no occlusion implementation.
3. Performance Characteristics
- A constant zero-sample closed-form integral; samples do not grow with the quality tier;
- Produces no extra primitives;
- The hot path carries dirty checks, so nothing is written when nothing changed.
Those three together are why a matrix fixture can carry dozens or hundreds of emitting units.