Using these docs with ChatGPT

ChatGPT is the tool most MA programmers reach for first. The catch: out of the box it will confidently invent grandMA3 keywords that don’t exist. The fix is to give it the real manual. Three ways, easiest first.

Ground it, every time

Lighting programmers have been burned by ChatGPT making up syntax like Var / SetVar. Pointing it at grandocs stops that — answers come from a page you can open and verify.

Option 1 — paste a page (zero setup)

Best for a one-off question.

1. Open the grandocs page you need (use search or the /llms.txt index to find it).

2. Click Copy as Markdown in the page header.

3. Paste it into ChatGPT and ask your question — e.g. “Using the manual below, write a macro that…”.

You can also just give ChatGPT the .md URL (e.g. https://grandocs.samcarlton.com/grandma3/2-4/keyword_store.md) and ask it to read it. ChatGPT’s web search will fetch the page; pasting the markdown is more reliable when you want a guaranteed-exact copy.

Option 2 — a grounded Custom GPT (best for repeat use)

Build a reusable “grandMA helper” that always has the manual on hand. Requires a paid ChatGPT plan to create a GPT.

1. Create a GPT → in ChatGPT, Explore GPTs → Create, or chatgpt.com/gpts/editor.

2. Add the manual as Knowledge. In Configure → Knowledge, upload the markdown for the product you work with. The quickest source is a product set:

   • grandMA3: /_llms-txt/grandma3-v24.txt
   • grandMA2: /_llms-txt/grandma2.txt
   • dot2: /_llms-txt/dot2.txt

   Download the file(s) you need and upload them. (A Custom GPT holds up to 20 files; for the whole grandMA3 set, upload that one product file rather than thousands of pages.)

3. Paste these instructions into Configure → Instructions:

   You answer grandMA console questions using ONLY the attached grandocs
   manual. Never invent command syntax or Lua functions — quote the page's
   syntax block verbatim and cite the page title. Default to grandMA3 v2.4,
   but if the user states their console software version, follow that. If the
   manual doesn't cover something, say so and suggest help.malighting.com.

4. Save it (private is fine) and ask away.

Note

Community grandMA3 GPTs already exist (e.g. “GrandMA3 Guru”, “MA3 Plugin Assistant”). They’re handy but only as accurate as the manual you feed them — the steps above keep yours grounded in the current docs.

Option 3 — the MCP connector (live search, advanced)

On ChatGPT Pro / Business / Enterprise, you can add the grandocs MCP server as a connector so ChatGPT searches the docs live instead of relying on a frozen upload.

1. Settings → Connectors (Developer mode may be required for custom MCP servers).

2. Add a custom MCP server with the URL:

   https://grandocs-mcp.samcarlton.com/mcp

3. Enable it in a chat, then ask normally — ChatGPT calls search_docs / command_lookup and cites the page.

See Any MCP client for the full tool list and other clients.

Unofficial mirror

For conformity, electrical, or safety-critical answers, confirm against the official help.malighting.com page that grandocs links on every topic.