How to add audacity timing marks to an existing xseq

[jnealand]

I have existing xseq files from last year.  I now want to edit them and would like to add the audacity timing marks.  How can I do that.  I know how to put the timing in for a new sequence and I know I could type them all in manually, but there must be a better way.  Help.

[JonB256]

Here's the way I've done it.

1. Create a brand new Nutcracker sequence with the same music and import the Audacity timings.
2. Add at least one model and one or more effects, and then save it, but save it with a different name than your "existing XSEQ" file (so it doesn't overwrite it)
3. Exit xLights/Nutrcracker. Open your xLights folder. In it should be your newest XML and XSEQ file plus your old XSEQ file.
4. The XSEQ file that you just created in Step 2 - delete it.
5. Rename (or copy and rename the copy) the new XML file from Step 2 to EXACTLY match the good XSEQ file.
6. Open xLights, go to the Nutcracker tab, and find the XSEQ file. When you open it, it will find the matching XML file with the timings and you will see them in the list.

I've done this several time and it has worked well. Don't skip a step unless you have good backups.

[drlucas]

Thanks!! This will help me as well. I had to manually type in the lines on my first sequence. Fortunately it was just 22 lines...the other 9 songs I don't think I'll be so lucky and I'm importing an HLS sequence and then laying on top RGB effects (yeah, I know HLS can do it, but I like the way xlights works WAY better for this purpose)....HLS does what I need it to do very well don't get me wrong, just don't have time to figure out the rest of it right now.

[jnealand]

We need a wiki for nutcracker this is great info.  As always Jon you are the man.  Thanks.

[twooly]

Here's the way I've done it.

1. Create a brand new Nutcracker sequence with the same music and import the Audacity timings.
2. Add at least one model and one or more effects, and then save it, but save it with a different name than your "existing XSEQ" file (so it doesn't overwrite it)
3. Exit xLights/Nutrcracker. Open your xLights folder. In it should be your newest XML and XSEQ file plus your old XSEQ file.
4. The XSEQ file that you just created in Step 2 - delete it.
5. Rename (or copy and rename the copy) the new XML file from Step 2 to EXACTLY match the good XSEQ file.
6. Open xLights, go to the Nutcracker tab, and find the XSEQ file. When you open it, it will find the matching XML file with the timings and you will see them in the list.

I've done this several time and it has worked well. Don't skip a step unless you have good backups.

Perfect worked great for me.  Took a LSP file, exported to conductor.  Brought it into xlights converting to xseq and then followed your steps adding my mega tree effects.  Thank you very much. 

[JonB256]

Yay!  I've done it several times now. Only messed up once, deleting the wrong file (got in a hurry).

[rrowan]

Back to Jim's Question

Any reason why the Timing Input option can't be added to the xLights Sequence section?

I could be wrong but I don't think that option changes anything to the file just provides the nutcracker effects a place to be added.

Rick R.