Thanks for the excellent write up Dan! Will have to check it out.
With regard to strings per tree, I did alot of estimations and research and found 12 to be a good starting point for a mid sized mega. Of course, there is alot off personal preference and there is no substitute for seeing it for yourself... I agree that 3-4" spacing is preferred. Also keep to keep in mind how your mega fits into the overall display. Truthfully, I think a mega more as an accent and not a focal point, so I am scaling back accordingly. IE not getting really intense with text or images with it. With Zeus in mind I am now thinking more about doing 16 strings but I plan to do some serious testing before committing. I have however decided on a 10' string length with 3" spacing (40 nodes).
On the subject of SS megas I am working with Ray to produce a new node that I think will work well for my design. Basically it will be a smart version of these: You are not allowed to view links.
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Login I plan to use strips of ply or abs and hot glue these on the strips. No drilling, burning holes, zip ties, etc. I also plan to use these on other elements like 2d minis with a SSC in grouped mode. I have tested these well and I really like them (dumb versions).