software choices-time for me to make changes

[typoagain]

I started out using all LOR (controllers and boards). and switching to all DIY stuff. I know LOR software fairly well as long as I stay out of RGB.

But I want to try  some of the new effects and it appears that LOR is always a couple of years behind the curve on software development. So I bought LSP, then LSP2 and all of the updates.
But I could never get LSP2 to run properly. I even had trouble getting the computers to work after my last update. I ended up taking one computer to out-of-box condition and then spent 16 hours on cleaning out the free software you get that I did no need and updating the current system. I biggest gripe was a lack of timely responses to questions from LSP. Now LSP is no longer my first choice. So I am basically back tot he drawing board on software.

I want to keep it as simple as possible. I appreciate the value of the different scheduling programs and the ability to run sequences made in different programs. But the fact is that I really DO NOT like sequencing! is I would prefer to keep it all as simple as possible.

I have some RBG dumb strings, (not a lot), and at this time I have no pixels in use. But I do want to keep pixels as an option. I also want the ability to drive servos in the future.

SO...I question is this: what software do you think I should try and why?

LOR, Vixen, try LSP2 again . . . ?

I do know that I would like to keep the ability to use Nutcracker or other software like it as an option. That program concept is just too cool.

[duane.mosley]

this was my first year and i used vixen 2.1. i was running 192 channels dmx and 1686 channels of pixelnet using the vixen scheduler and everything ran great! i have read a lot about people having problems with the vixen scheduler but it worked great for me. just my thoughts



duane

[jnealand]

vixen works great for me and there is an import tool to be developed to take 2.1 sequences to ver 3 sequences.

[kgustafson]

Try Vixen, HLS, LSP, or xLights.

If you hate sequencing, try using Nutcracker (okay, it is a shameless plug *grin*)  to do your effects without having to touch any grid.  xLights also has an implementation of effects without a piano roll/grid.  Both do a great job of effects without worry about which cell to shade on the grid.  Realize that Nutcracker is not a sequencer per se, but an intermediate program that exports to one of the aforementioned sequencers (as well as LOR).

HLS is shaping up into a very mature and great sequencer as well.  Each day, HLS seems to incorporate yet another feature, and it has been really great watching HLS mature over time.

Kurt

[lonewolf41]

I use Vixen 2.1.  Will look at HLS real seriously this year.  I think it will have many things to make sequencing easier but have yet to fully investigate.  Conductor support must be there first and I think it may be there now.  I hear LSP is powerful , but complicated...as you apparently found out.  HLS or Vixen 3 (if it matures some) would be my choices to try this year.  If all else fails, use Vixen 2.1 as usual.  I'm too cheap to pay for anything.   

Thanks,
-Keith

[taybrynn]

I heard lor is working to make 100k channels perform ok.   My main gripe with it is lack of advanced rgb.   I still think nutcracker and lor is a good choice.   It also was slow to load and save with 5k channels.    But, it's rock solid reliable .   Lsp needs a rock solid show player and then it'll be ready.

[rrowan]

I use Vixen 2.1.  Will look at HLS real seriously this year.  I think it will have many things to make sequencing easier but have yet to fully investigate.  Conductor support must be there first and I think it may be there now.  I hear LSP is powerful , but complicated...as you apparently found out.  HLS or Vixen 3 (if it matures some) would be my choices to try this year.  If all else fails, use Vixen 2.1 as usual.  I'm too cheap to pay for anything.   

Thanks,
-Keith

I am hoping Dave can get xLights to read HLS files and then I might try to switch over to HLS from Vixen 2.1
HLS seems to be the way Vixen 3 should of gone but there is a learning curve (and or de-learn Vixen) to understand HLS.

Without xLights reading HLS files to convert  to conductor files its a no go then.

Rick R.

[Steve Gase]

I use LSP for sequencing and xlights for the scheduling.

I may use conductor for the next show, and I'll use nutcracker as well.

RGB, large channel count, transitions, and support for many controllers are all reasons for my use of LSP.

[Ron]

I'm with Rick. I've been a Vixen 2.1 user but am leaning toward HLS for next year. Like Rick that is contingent on HLS and xLights/Conductor functionality.

[zwiller]

LSP for me.  Love it.  I even ran the scheduler with around 5k channels.  LSP has it's issues, as do all.   To me, there is no perfect software.  You must try them all and decide which one works best FOR YOU.

Hoping the conductor issues get ironed out since I really did enjoy freeing up the PC... 

[Steve Gase]

+1 (there is no perfect software)
 
My ideal solution would allow an object-based solution as its starting point.  I'd like to have effects defined as objects that can be stretched, extended, applied to different lighting elements, etc.  I'd like to have lighting elements as objects that could have config changes, intensities, etc. altered with a right-click menu... and the ability to clone them.  I'd like to create collections of objects and apply changes and effects over them all together.
 
But, I'd also like to be able to have the old grid at my disposal as well.  (sometimes its hard to walk away from the old way of doing things. )

[rrowan]

+1 (there is no perfect software)
 
My ideal solution would allow an object-based solution as its starting point.  I'd like to have effects defined as objects that can be stretched, extended, applied to different lighting elements, etc.  I'd like to have lighting elements as objects that could have config changes, intensities, etc. altered with a right-click menu... and the ability to clone them.  I'd like to create collections of objects and apply changes and effects over them all together.
 
But, I'd also like to be able to have the old grid at my disposal as well.  (sometimes its hard to walk away from the old way of doing things. )

Looks like you have a plan. Time to start writing code 

btw: +1 on there is no perfect software. Everyone has to decided what works for them and how much time and money they plan to put into a program to make their lights dance.

Rick R.

[chrisatpsu]

between vixen 2, rgb helper, and nutcracker, i think i'm set.

[kgustafson]

I use Vixen 2.1.  Will look at HLS real seriously this year.  I think it will have many things to make sequencing easier but have yet to fully investigate.  Conductor support must be there first and I think it may be there now.  I hear LSP is powerful , but complicated...as you apparently found out.  HLS or Vixen 3 (if it matures some) would be my choices to try this year.  If all else fails, use Vixen 2.1 as usual.  I'm too cheap to pay for anything.   

Thanks,
-Keith

I am hoping Dave can get xLights to read HLS files and then I might try to switch over to HLS from Vixen 2.1
HLS seems to be the way Vixen 3 should of gone but there is a learning curve (and or de-learn Vixen) to understand HLS.

Without xLights reading HLS files to convert  to conductor files its a no go then.

Rick R.

HLS' file format is almost identical to Nutcracker's file format.   I could probably bang out an HLS to Vixen converter pretty easily (and xLights already can read Vixen files).  Of course, if Dave can do a direct import, this would be the best way to handle this.

Kurt

[smeighan]

I use Vixen 2.1.  Will look at HLS real seriously this year.  I think it will have many things to make sequencing easier but have yet to fully investigate.  Conductor support must be there first and I think it may be there now.  I hear LSP is powerful , but complicated...as you apparently found out.  HLS or Vixen 3 (if it matures some) would be my choices to try this year.  If all else fails, use Vixen 2.1 as usual.  I'm too cheap to pay for anything.   

Thanks,
-Keith

I am hoping Dave can get xLights to read HLS files and then I might try to switch over to HLS from Vixen 2.1
HLS seems to be the way Vixen 3 should of gone but there is a learning curve (and or de-learn Vixen) to understand HLS.

Without xLights reading HLS files to convert  to conductor files its a no go then.

Rick R.

HLS' file format is almost identical to Nutcracker's file format.   I could probably bang out an HLS to Vixen converter pretty easily (and xLights already can read Vixen files).  Of course, if Dave can do a direct import, this would be the best way to handle this.

Kurt

Just curious , who is Dave. DowdyBrown is Matt Brown, the author of xLights. Maybe his middle name is Dave?

I also agree the HLS file format is one the simplest of all that we create.

Its is identical to teh vir file format of Vixen but does not create one row for each channel, but rather one row for each pixel.

vir format

123 123 123 111
255 255 0 255
255 111 111 255

This would say that channel 1 (RED) has values 123,123,123,111 for the first 4 frames
Channel 2 (GREEN) has values 255,255,0,255
.etc.

In hlsnc format there would be just 1 line instead of 3

8126463 8126319 8061039 7340031

Each number represents the 24bit RGB value of 3 channels.

This is why the hls format is smallest of all out there.