ETC PRS Viewer & Editor (Web-Based)

A modern, web-based viewer and editor for ETC Expression .prs personality files. This tool allows you to inspect, modify, and export fixture personalities using an intuitive UI with support for 16-bit channel pairing, drag-and-drop reordering, and local file history.

🚀 Application Functionality

Core Features

Open & View PRS Files
- Load .prs files directly from your system
- Clean visual layout with card or table views
- Accurate parsing based on reverse-engineered binary structure
Edit Personalities
- Modify channel attributes, flags, and home values
- Support for:
  - Independent
  - LTP
  - 16-bit
  - Flipped
- 16-bit channels are represented as a single unified card
16-bit Channel Handling
- Proper pairing based on actual binary flags (no heuristics)
- Editing applies correctly across paired channels
- Home/display values follow ETC’s storage behavior (stored in second channel)
Drag-and-Drop Reordering
- Reorder channels using a dedicated drag handle
- 16-bit pairs move together as a single unit
- Prevents accidental dragging while editing inputs
Export PRS Files
- Export valid .prs files from both:
  - Viewer page
  - Editor page
- Output matches ETC Personality Editor structure

UI Features

Global Menu Bar
- Open PRS File (auto-load on selection)
- Create New PRS File
- Previously Opened Files
- Snapshot Versions
Secondary Control Bar (Contextual)
- Viewer:
  - Switch to Editor
  - Toggle Card/Table view
  - Export PRS
- Editor:
  - Add Channel
  - Save Snapshot
  - Export PRS
  - Exit Editor
  - Toggle Card/Table view
View Modes
- Card-based layout for intuitive editing
- Table view for compact overview

Data Persistence

Uses browser localStorage for: Recently opened files

Snapshot history
No backend required

🛠️ How to Run the Program

Requirements:

Node.js (v18+ recommended)
npm

Setup

Install dependencies

npm install

Run Development Server

npm run dev

Then open your browser to: http://localhost:5173

Build for Production

npm run build
npm run preview

⚠️ Ethical Disclosure

This project includes the use of AI-assisted development and reverse engineering techniques.

AI Usage

Portions of this application—including:

UI implementation
Data handling logic
Iterative refinement of features

were developed with the assistance of an AI system (ChatGPT). All outputs were reviewed, tested, and refined by a human developer before inclusion.

Reverse Engineering

The .prs file format used by ETC Expression lighting consoles is not publicly documented in full detail. To support this application:

The file format was analyzed through:
- Inspection of real .prs files
- Behavioral comparison with ETC’s Personality Editor
- Static analysis of the Personality Editor executable
No proprietary source code was accessed or used.
The reverse engineering was limited to understanding file structure for interoperability.

Intent

This project is intended for:

Educational purposes
Interoperability and tooling
Supporting legacy systems

It is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls).

📌 Notes

All file handling is local to your machine/browser
No data is transmitted externally
The application is designed to faithfully replicate ETC behavior where possible

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