I'm a complete intelligent light noob...suggestions on criteria?

Well, Kittmaster,
your questions are correct...just in multiple layers of lighting design and costs. SO, lets see if i can break them down for you so you can see the world you are entering.
First, welcome to your first steps of frustrations. I promise you, once the frustration goes away and the light bulb turns on, the posibilities are endless...
Now, for your questions... Yes, there are lights out there that have multiple gobos. (movers, scanners, etc) most of them have changeable gobos like you want. However, in gobos for what you are looking for, it might be more cost effective to use a leko with custom gobos. Reason i say this is because when the light is in "dancing" the names no longer are where you had them before.... If you are going for the "just married" on a wall or dance floor, a leko with a 26deg would be better than a mover. With that being said, a mover can do exactly what you want as well. you can, using a dmx controller, tell the light to point that gobo at that location at this color. But, if you want it to stay there, you end up losing that light for the night. If its for only part of the night and then you want to use it for dancing, then you loose the gobo pattern on the wall/floor once you start using the light for the dancing mood. It can be done, but a moving light is a lot more expensive than a leko, if that is the only look you would be using it for.
The programming of the lights are entirely how in depth you want to get with them. most lights have several modes, from stand alone (which would be sound activated) to master/slave to full DMX control. you can leave them in sound mode and they will just run through shows in beat to the music, or for custom shows, you can program using a dmx controller any show you want.
My advice to you is to sit down and decide exactly what it is that you want to do with the light(s) if its gobo names all night long and want dance lights, i would use lekos for the names and dj lights or movers for your dance music. If its a combo of the two using one light, then i would use a mover or scanner and a dmx controller (more expensive mind you than lekos) Beyond that, lighting is as indepth or not indepth as you make it....there is a way to do everything you can think of, just need to decide exactly what you want to do, then find the best way to do it. Let me know, because i am sure this will raise more questions, but that is what i am here for. Ask away :-D

Hi JW,

Yes, we are both on the same page now...and thankfully didn't look like a total bonehead asking.....LOL

My initial approach would to be to have two units and the lighting (in my mind) would be from the time (a wedding for example) to have one unit be displaying the names the wall, the other in a slow scan type of mode or just off for dinner and stuff like that, when the dances are over and the dance floor opens, both units would move into "club" mode.

Can the controller assign a "slot" for the name gobo and "ignore" the name slot and run the rest when in club mode?

The thing is, it wouldn't be main light show of the system since these are going to be used to compliment my older but still much effect lighting system already in place.

So knowing this, can you point (links) me (and I REALLY hate saying this) the most cost effect product in your line that can do this? While also possibly showing me the "next step" up from that one and then maybe the granddaddy of them all? I would be looking for an LED type of system since I know my system under the worst case can trip a 20 amp breaker. I've learned over years how much lighting I can run at any given time and an led solution is best.

When I look through your product pages, I'm just not educated enough to know what is right for my needs...or the terminology for the gobo options I need...I'm sure if someone points it out and says "hey look here".....I can figure out the baseline and go from there.

Thanks for you time and detailed answer. It seems like I'll be ready to buy something once I know what the something is!

Regards,
Chris

Well, you didnt look like a bonehead for asking :-D Im glad you did, so i can hopefully help point you in the right direction.

Controller: Yes and No, the controller CAN do exactly that, but is if you program it to do that. Would take some work, but it can be done. The controllers dont tell it to "ignore" anything, they simply tell the light to go to this value of DMX, then to go to that value of DMX, etc etc etc...you would just program it to not ever go to the value dmx of the non desired gobo. Depending on your controler, the process of programming this could be a major undertaking. Just your heads up on that.
for what you are asking, your looking at starting with something like the Vizi Spot LED... http://www.americandj.com/Prod...Intelligent_Lighting
small, compact, and you can change the gobos on it. Very bright LEDs would complement your current system very nicely.
Another idea would be our new InnoScanLED... http://www.americandj.com/Prod...nId=2&Category=L.E.D.

From there, your looking at more expensive movers up into the ElationLighting world where we have some amazing production lines

What kind of controller are you using for your show??

For the overhead I'm using a A-410 by lite-puter to run 3 4 bank flood type bulbs in a 1x12 array which has a mirrorball and strobe attached to it and sits atop two ultimate support tripods.

http://medias.audiofanzine.com...puter-a410-40616.jpg

For the side lighting I built dual custom cabinets that each have a black light surrounded by mirrors, a SAS404 (I think.....its old!)...to drive them with sound chase with matching lights to overhead in a 1x4 array, and within that each has a helicopter pin beam with reflecting mirrors.

So what I'm looking to do is put new intelligent lighting on top of the speaker stacks to compliment it.