Planning for 2013 Nutcracker

[smeighan]

Well it is time for 2013 planning for Nutcracker

I am open to any suggestions you would like to see.

This is my current short list
1) Explore making Nutcracker C++. This will give real time feedback while creating effects. Still to be worked out as how these standalone programs can talk to a central database so that we still get the gallery. If Nutcracker can talk to a remote database this will reduce the Nutcracker foot print from 1 gigbyte to < 20mbytes. Today Mysql+Apache=970mbytes + 10mbytes of php Nutcracker code. Future could be just 20mbytes of C++ code. The code would be C++ plus wxWidgets. There would be a Windows, Linux and Mac version available.

This option would eliminate the need for wamp or xampp to be installed on your machine.

2) I want, in the future , new effects that can be easily shared by other sequencers. For example the new fireworks effects (with physics, particles fall), should just be able to be dropped into xLights. I want to see if Vixen 3 and HLS could use effect generation modules in their sequencers.
3) New expansion of Music phrases. Beat tracks, Notes, individual instruments. Once a song has been marked up, everyone could use it. Each person would decide what effects to attach to the new meta data.
4) Speaking of #3, enhance current effects to be beat aware. Example: While a spiral is turning, have beat track effects that can highlight that effect. Maybe flash white on spiral on down beat of each beat.
5) Be able to play movies in nutcracker. Start with avi files.
6) Use avi files to create layers open top of your existing effects or have them be effects by themselves
7) Expand targets
   a) all targets can start at the left,right,top,bottom corners.
   b) Horizontal matrix
   c) Marty Fans
   d) Spinners
   e) Snowflakes. You will be able to design how many arms
   f) Stars. 5 point, 6 point, n point. Have effects specific to stars
   g) Each string in your target can be given a starting channel #.
Create a msq, asq file export for LSP
9) Expand single strand effects. Model arches, eaves better.
10) Write software that can locate every rgb pixel in your display by capturing a video of your show and mapping each rgb node to x,y,z space. Think cover a tree with strings and then map all the pixels. Now the tree is a "matrix" that we can project all our effects on to. This is a big , fun target
11) Increase effect classes
   a) plasma balls
   b) fireworks
   c) process a mp3 and great equalizer effects
   d) general sound to effects
   e) general video to effects


So what would you all like to see this year?

[Steve Gase]

Great list of items, sean!


One thought:  it would be nice to have a "project" level view objects to allow you to separately define your trees,  marty fans, coroflakes, and arches -- and join them together in one all-encompassing project. 

[MrChristmas2000]

Those are a great list of possible options.

If they all get implemented then maybe a sequence like this could be easily developed:

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

[smeighan]

two more areas i am going to add to Nutcracke rin 2013.

1) Documentation. A wiki page, a pdf document, vimeo tutorials. I hate to use software that is not documented. I hate software that is not intuitive and takes too much of your time to learn. Unfortunately easy, intuitive and good documentation takes a lot of time. Time is the most precious commodity for myself and for all of the developers. This is not an excuse, i am just saying that i do recognize the need for this and will work to get it better in 2013.

2) Stability and performance. Nutcracker is still too complicated. Wamp, xampp, create a songs worth of effects in 20 minutes. Many things here i want to improve.

So i will be working on these two items no matter what the vote above.

thanks

[Steve Gase]

Those are a great list of possible options.

If they all get implemented then maybe a sequence like this could be easily developed:

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

+1    -- nice video!

[smeighan]

Those are a great list of possible options.

If they all get implemented then maybe a sequence like this could be easily developed:

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

yep some of those effects will be available this year. specifically i want to look into allowing you to draw a shape on the screen using your mouse and then you give that drawing a vector (direction and speed) and it gets animated.

[kgustafson]

You mean I gotta learn wxWidgets?!  LOL.  Always the slave driver....

[taybrynn]

Sounds great as usual.

I love the open model you have created here ... but it would be worth it to me, if LOR offered an add-on (paid) which would allow me to apply nutcracker effects to my sequence from within the sequencer itself.  My vision would be to purchase the add-on, and then you supply your personal nutcracker123 account info and then could apply effects from your library to the currect sequence and the model would merely be the range of cells selected in the sequencer itself.  So If I selected say "meteors123" and then painted a range of cells ... it could apply that effect inline, so to speak.

Again, thats not really an enhancement per se ... and may very well NOT fit your model or goals ... but I'd like to see sequencers consider provide enhanced nutcracker compatibility which could perhaps give you some compensation, while allowing you to stay with your current model, which is very open and free.

[smeighan]

Sounds great as usual.

I love the open model you have created here ... but it would be worth it to me, if LOR offered an add-on (paid) which would allow me to apply nutcracker effects to my sequence from within the sequencer itself.  My vision would be to purchase the add-on, and then you supply your personal nutcracker123 account info and then could apply effects from your library to the currect sequence and the model would merely be the range of cells selected in the sequencer itself.  So If I selected say "meteors123" and then painted a range of cells ... it could apply that effect inline, so to speak.

Again, thats not really an enhancement per se ... and may very well NOT fit your model or goals ... but I'd like to see sequencers consider provide enhanced nutcracker compatibility which could perhaps give you some compensation, while allowing you to stay with your current model, which is very open and free.

I would love to come up with a way that the effects that i create can be used in LOR and LSP. Of course also in Vixen 3 and HLS and xLights.

[taybrynn]

Thats awesome.   

[smeighan]

Here are some the new stars that will be available as targets soon

[smeighan]

Fasteddy posted in lsp forum
"To be able to do 3D objects and elements is the next step in this crazy hobby."

My answer
If there is enough demand i will create the effects like you see here

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

16x16x16 = 4096 pixels. Using $0.80 a pixel (this will come down) it would cost around $3200.

To be effective in a yard, i was thinking of putting each led in a ping pong ball and spacing them 5" (20cm) apart would give us a 6 1/2" cube.

yeah, 3d would be fun.

[Steve Gase]

we discussed this before
I am planning to build one of these with a conductor to drive it. 
11x11x11x3channels=3993 total channels -- under the 4096 in a single hub.

[MrChristmas2000]

Minelon already has an RGB element in a little plastic ball (already weatherproof) that would adapt to that type of square very well.

Having that as a possible display element would be excellent.

[Steve Gase]

Here is yet another idea for an element...  an infinity mirror.
 
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
 
Going beyond what is in the video, imagine the actual circle of lights being a line (circle) of smart string pixels.  The kalaidescope effect would be fun, breaking the lights into quadrants ( 4 ), or sections of 8... or more/less.
 
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login