LSP & Smart String Controllers

[mitch09]

Anyone know how or the best way to set up a SString controller in LightShow Pro? Should I just create a new one and assign a protocol? Do I need to create a new controller for each SS Controller I use? I notice when I try to create a new controller it asks how many channels. Will this be dependent on each SScontroller I have?

Any help is appreciated.

Ryan

[riri7707]

The logic way will be :

1°) Declare the SString output ( new plugin made by David), not yet available officially...
2°) Create a new RGB controller in the librairy...

I'm not so far from reallity, i think...

[RJ]

LSP 1.9 already has the ss output in it. there are many ways to do it I guess but one way is to load a RGB controller type with the number of channels you need and then setup the ss output plugin to it.

RJ

[gunther]

uh, 1.9?  last release on the LSP is    LightShowPro_v1_8_10326_1055.   Is 1.9 a version in early test/beta?

[mitch09]

I guess I wasn't too clear on what I am trying to figure out. I can add a RGB controller with Pixelnet/SString output, but am not sure about the other options. I have added a few pictures to hopefully help clarify my questions. If I want my Sstrings to behave as one strand of lights that I can change from Red-->White-->Green,  I assume I set it up like it is (see pics). The problem is I am not sure how to change the color within one Track in LSP.

Now if I wanted to use all the nodes individually, I think I've got that figured out.

Thanks in advance,

Ryan

[RJ]

If you program the controller to string mode yes you would only give it 3 channels like that.

Yes I goofed the rev number it is in there at this point.

RJ

[taybrynn]

Great thread.

Just curious, If you were to set the channels to say 128 (instead of 1) ... does that take it from string mode to pixel mode?  And can the SS Controller then be set to 131, so the first 3 are r,g,b (only), then the other 128 are in pixel mode?  (assuming you program the strings for the 131) ...

[mmulvenna]

If you set the number to 128 you would actually have 384 channels. If you set it to 43 you would have 129 rgb channels.
Am I misunderstanding your 128 number?

[mmulvenna]

I guess I wasn't too clear on what I am trying to figure out. I can add a RGB controller with Pixelnet/SString output, but am not sure about the other options. I have added a few pictures to hopefully help clarify my questions. If I want my Sstrings to behave as one strand of lights that I can change from Red-->White-->Green,  I assume I set it up like it is (see pics). The problem is I am not sure how to change the color within one Track in LSP.

Now if I wanted to use all the nodes individually, I think I've got that figured out.

Thanks in advance,

Ryan

Hi Ryan,

That is the correct setup. To get the color you want just put whatever effect in the grid and the color picker will pop up as LSP knows it is an RGB controller. Dont use the RGB tool that is designed for non RGB controllers.

Hope that helps

Mike

[taybrynn]

If you set the number to 128 you would actually have 384 channels. If you set it to 43 you would have 129 rgb channels.
Am I misunderstanding your 128 number?

Thats right, sorry ... I knew it multiplied stuff by 3 for RGB.

So the string mode vs. pixel mode ... thats all set using RJ' SS setup software, right?

So if you set the strings into string mode there, then you set up as 3 channels in LSP, so 3x3=9 RGB channels total.

And if you set the strings up as 128 nodes, then it show up as 128x3 channels in LSP.
Correct?

[mmulvenna]

If you set the number to 128 you would actually have 384 channels. If you set it to 43 you would have 129 rgb channels.
Am I misunderstanding your 128 number?

Thats right, sorry ... I knew it multiplied stuff by 3 for RGB.

So the string mode vs. pixel mode ... thats all set using RJ' SS setup software, right?

Correct

So if you set the strings into string mode there, then you set up as 3 channels in LSP, so 3x3=9 RGB channels total.

You would set it to 1 channel that would be 1x3 or 3 RGB tracks, that would control the entire string.

And if you set the strings up as 128 nodes, then it shows up as 128x3 channels in LSP.
Correct?

You would set the LSP controller up as 128 channels which is 128X3 RGB tracks. But IMHO, that is a lot to handle for the PS, Hub and SSC

[taybrynn]

You would set the LSP controller up as 128 channels which is 128X3 RGB tracks. But IMHO, that is a lot to handle for the PS, Hub and SSC

But correct me I'm wrong, many people are doing 8x128 or 16x80 for a megatree with these, so one string of 128 nodes (x3 channels) does seem like much.  I know to program it all, yeah, PITA ... but thats where LSP comes in, right?

I know you need a good 50A to 70A 12v single rail ATX power supply, but the hub is designed for 16 outputs and daisy chain to more.

[rrowan]

I was wondering how LSP handles the channels for SS (Smart String) Hybrid mode.

Hybrid mode is a combination of String and Node mode so its (# of Nodes * 3) + 3

example: 60 Nodes = 183 Channels (60*3)+3

Cheers

Rick R.

[mmulvenna]

Hi Rick,

 Configure the controller(s) for 61 channels. (183 RGB tracks).

Since the SS uses tracks 1-3 to control the string then the effects in channel 1 (tracks 1-3) would apply to the entire string.

The other channels would then control the individual nodes.


Edit: You could also configure 2 controllers to do the same thing if that were easier to understand

controller 1   1 channel 3 tracks starting with channel 1
controller 2    60 channels 180 tracks starting with channel 2

Make sense?

Edit 2:  The channel numbers above would be adjusted depending on previous sscs and their position in the universe.
 
Mike

[taybrynn]

I think Hybrid mode refers to an ability in the programming of the smart strings, whereby you have the best of both worlds: string mode (i.e. red for all, green for all and blue for all ... all nodes on the string) and pixel mode (rgb for each pixel).  So if you had a 128 pixel S String, in hybrid mode 1-3 would be the string mode operation of R,G,B (for all pixels) so 1=red for all, 2=green for all, 3=blue for all ... and 4-131 would be the RGB for each of the 128 pixels so pixel 1 would be 4,5,6 (4=r,5=g,b=6) and pixel 2 would be 7,8,9 (7=r,8=g,9=b), and so on.

Again, talking about programming the smart strings, then you would see in LSP as 131 channels x3, so 393 total.

That my understanding of Hybrid mode (coudl be a tad off) ... but I about died of excitement when I watched RJ' video on it last night ... and he was showing both modes and the prorgamming, etc.