DiyLightAnimation
Software => xlights => Topic started by: thebaronn on March 23, 2013,
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Hello,
I am a current LSP user with scheduler issues. I am tossing up a small Easter show and was wondering if any Xlights users could point me where to start? I was hoping my sequence would be small; enough for the scheduler to works, but that does not appear to be the case and I really do not feel like doing the partial export and using the LOR scheduler...
I installed xlights version E.
I have 147 LOR channels on COM3 (96 are 2 firefli units in legacy mode, the others are spread accross 4 16ch controllers)
I also have 5 E682 Boards spanning 25 DMX universes.
I set up my networks and honestly I have no idea if it is correct.
When I did the inital converstion from LSP, I recieved a notice that only the 5 E682 controllers would be exported. I used LightElf for the conversion and there are problems. When LightElf converst I get and error and the file cannot write a log file.
Now I am just sitting here staring at the computer with a dumb look on my face because I have no clue.
Please lend me you expertise!!
Thank you
Eric
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I don't know much about the LOR setup, but here are a few of the hints I do know.
In xlights, the order on the setup page is critical. The column to the far right shows you the channel numbers in LSP or vixen.
If your LOR controllers are the first channels, that entry has to be at the top of the list.
E1.31 universes are 512 channels. I'm not sure what effect setting them to 510 has...
Different versions of LSP have different channel number limits. The version I have stops at channel 8192. Channels 8193 and above will not be transmitted or exported. I think there is a version that only does 512 channels, and another version that is unlimited.
There are a number of LOR users on this list, so give it some time for them to chime in.
Good luck!
RM
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Apparenly, this is also showing my lack of knowledge with my current sequencer...
How do I know the number of the LOR controllers in LSP? Whan all the layers are showing, is it just from top to bottom?
In LSP, on the E682 boards I only use 510 channels per DMX universe. 511 and 512 do not exist in the sequence. And every DMX universe that ends in 5 is the last of the board, only 264 DMX channels used.
My LSP has a 32767 channel limit (but I guess controlling them without lag is a whole different story, lol)
Thank you
Eric
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Eric, First in LSP if you close all of your layers you can count your controllers on the main grid page. I labeled all of my controllers 1-32 so I knew how many and which one I was working with. Are you driving the LORs with an LOR dongle or e131?
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Eric, First in LSP if you close all of your layers you can count your controllers on the main grid page. I labeled all of my controllers 1-32 so I knew how many and which one I was working with. Are you driving the LORs with an LOR dongle or e131?
Okay I changed everything around like you did (I think) and put the controllers in acsending order from top to bottom finishing off with the 5 E682 boards.
I am using a LOR dongle to control the LOR controllers and the 2 fireli in lagacy mode.
What is the best way to get the msq over to xlights? Use the LSP exporter or use LightElf?
Thank you
Eric
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LSP does not export to Xlights. You have to use light elf, but I am not familiar with the error that you are getting. light elf has worked great for me. I would post a question about your error on the Light Elf section. I don't know how much Frank is following this time of year, but you will get more help with it there.
Just checked and Frank (person who wrote Light Elf) was online today so he might be able to help you there.
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In LSP are your LOR controllers really set for channels 11521 to 11667? So your matrix starts at 1?
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Eric,
From what I could see it looks like your antivirus software (Bethoven) is blocking python from running. You either need to have your antivirus software allow Python to run OR turn of your antivirus software till after Light Elf is done.
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Rdbolt: I thought that LSP could export to a conductor sequence, then xlights could take it from there? Regarding channels: that was my initial setup. I have since changed it so the 147 LOR channels are first.
Caretaker: Beethoven virus is the name of the sequence. It is a portion of the Pathetique Sonata. I do not run antivirus on my show/sequencing computer. (That made my day though!)
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Rdbolt: I thought that LSP could export to a conductor sequence, then xlights could take it from there?
Xlights cannot do anything with the conductor (seq) file. Only conductor can run those files. Xlights can create seq from almost any file except LSP (asq, msq).
That is where light Elf is a must for LSP to Xlights. When you convert and msq file in Light Elf it will create both an xseq file for Xlights and a .seq file for the conductor! You need the xseq file for Xlights to run any LSP sequence.
I have tried in the past to export from LSP to LOR from LSP, but LSP does something with the LOR file that keeps it from running in Xlights.
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Ok, I thought that that LSP could export a conductor sequence to use.
So I must get lightelf to work.
I'm old hat at LSP to LOR. Export, shange sequence timing from 0 to real time (in centiseconds) open in LOR (it will have no RGB channels though). Maybe I will try the LOR sequence with xlights on Tuesday.
The show is running through LOR right now, but it takes 5-8hours to convert one of my songs from LSP to LOR. Eventually LOR won't be in the equation and I would prefer to get this option up and running.
Thank you
Eric
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LSP can export a conductor sequence but only the conductor uses that format just for clarification. Xlights also can create conductor format. But the scheduler itself only runs LOR or its own format. Make sense?
Sent from my Thunderbolt using Tapatalk 2.
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I don't know about the current version, but the old version of LSP will output a LOR file, which xlights can use directly, but it works better if you use xlights to convert the LOR file to a native xseq file.
I've never used light elf, but I have used LSP and xlights.
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The files is huge and wWhen I export the whole files at once (from LSP to LOR) the machine hangs. I let it sit there overnight and nothing.
I reduce the sequence to only 768 RGB DMX channels (I have a matrix with 5 panels, 3840RGB channels) and it takes about an hour per panel.
Could I combine all of mini sequences to one big one in xlights?
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Pay no attention to that last one. I am making it harder than it is.
I posted an question in the lightelf area.
If I can get the import sorted, I will be good to go!
Thank you again,
Eric
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Okay! I finally was able to get LightElf to export the file successfully (it was throwing a memory error! luckily that was old hat!)
I tried using xlights to convert a LOR sequence to xseq and I used LightElf to convert the same sequence from LSP to xseq....
Both had terrible results.....
First! The network setup: This happens with both output files from each sequencer. My firefli will not recognize the xlights setup test page. Everything else on the LOR COM3 network looks great! And actually runs perfectly! But no firefli..... The E1.31 numbers are perfect. I went through I shimmered the first pixel in each DMX universe and each of them lit up appropriately.
second: When I use the xlights convert tab to change over a LOR sequence to xseq, I received a lot off errors. 2/3s of my DMX channel unmapped. What can I do to correct that? The E1.31 were off by a color. Green was blue....
Third: when I used LightElf to convert the same sequence (but in LSP form) it created a HUGE log file. And all the DMX channels were off..
forth: I have no clue what to do now.
Thank you for your help.
Eric
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Can you post your xlights net config?
Also, can you explain how you are doing channel numbering in LSP.
I noticed you are using zones in LSP and I need to know why? Are all your controllers running over e1.31?
Frank
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I am not at home, but here is an old network config picture. The only difference is that the LOR Com was moved to the first postion after rdebolt mentioned to switch it around.
Here is a picture of the channel config in LSP. Is this my problem? Should I go through and change all LOR controllers?
In LSP (for this sequence) I use 2 zones. A LOR Com3 szone for all my LOR controllers and an E1.31 zone for the 5 E682 noards.
Are my firefli compatible with xlights? Cause they are the only thing that doesn't work on the testing tab.
But maybe if I re-number everything we will be okay.
Thank you
Eric
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Eric in LSP you will have to use zones to use different protocols ie lor and e131. What protocol are you driving your fireflis with? They will run with xlights we just need to get you network configured now and i am not the expert in this as I am all e131 and have never used LOR with Xlights.
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My firefli are run in Legacy mode on the LOR network.
I still cannot get the test tab in xlights to turn them on.
Does the firefli controller number matter at all? The number is way up there compared to my other controllers.
Thank you
Eric
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Not familiar with "Legacy" mode, but I would think that the controller number would matter. I just don't know how to help you here. We need some better experts than me to chime in!
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:egacy mode were the original settings for the firefli so LOR could handle them. Each firefli has 3 sequential controller numbers with 16 channels on each(Red, Green Bleue). If xlights doesnt like it then I guess it is time to update (LSP doesn't like them either). D-Light isn't exactly in the game anymore...
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I think some people are using them, I just am not myself. I know this does not help....sorry... but I was hoping that others would reply. This is a really slow time of year here so responses can be pretty slow. My set up is pretty simple all e1.31. I would think that Firefli would be using some universal protocol, just figuring out what it is. Maybe ask over in the LOR forum.
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I have Firefli controllers and strings, but have converted them all to the Open/DMX protocol.
I used to use xLights to test them in Legacy mode but that was many xLight revisions ago.
In the new version (3.0.3) it still appears to be supported, though.
In the Add USB popup for USB Setup, D-Light is a choice. You must have a D-Light RS485 dongle connected and visible to xLights.
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OMG!!! Did I read that correctly? So xlights will not see/control the firefli on a regular LOR dongle? So I would have to add the firefli as their own network and use the d-light dongle? yikes!
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Sorry, it should control just fine. But, you might have trouble with configuring the Firefli without the Dlight config software and dongle. Once setup, it will accept LOR commands.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
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I have Firefli controllers and strings, but have converted them all to the Open/DMX protocol.
You must have a D-Light RS485 dongle connected and visible to xLights.
Jon if they are in Open dmx format why would you need a Dlight dongle. Would not any dmx open dongle drive them. I don't have any just asking.
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So right now with my firefli in legacy mode (controllers 17, 18 & 19) on the LOR network xlights should control them, correct?
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I have Firefli controllers and strings, but have converted them all to the Open/DMX protocol.
You must have a D-Light RS485 dongle connected and visible to xLights.
Jon if they are in Open dmx format why would you need a Dlight dongle. Would not any dmx open dongle drive them. I don't have any just asking.
Since there aren't many people on this forum using the Open Firefli in DMX mode, I didn't get very specific.
The Firefli controller, in DMX mode, accepts DMX commands from any DMX dongle.
BUT, it is configured using a tool we (on the D-Light forum) call Dewey-Config. It was written by "Dewey"
Dewey-Config was written to find a single D-Light V3 USB Dongle. If there are other dongles, it gets confused.
Once configured (start channel, Unit ID, linearity adjustment, grouping), you won't need that dongle again.
While I suppose "Dewey" could re-write it to be more universal, nobody has pressured him since we all have D-Light dongles from initial purchase.
I use 5 Firefli strings on 5 PVC arches, run by 2 controllers. One controller has 3 strings (48 pixels), the other has 2 strings (32 pixels). Once controller can handle 5 end to end strings, but you must configure it first so that it knows. That limit is a controller Power limit more than a software limit. They are getting rather old now but still work reliably. Just for old-times-sake, I'll probably use them until they die a natural death.
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Since there aren't many people on this forum using the Open Firefli in DMX mode, I didn't get very specific.
The Firefli controller, in DMX mode, accepts DMX commands from any DMX dongle.
BUT, it is configured using a tool we (on the D-Light forum) call Dewey-Config. It was written by "Dewey"
Dewey-Config was written to find a single D-Light V3 USB Dongle. If there are other dongles, it gets confused.
Once configured (start channel, Unit ID, linearity adjustment, grouping), you won't need that dongle again.
While I suppose "Dewey" could re-write it to be more universal, nobody has pressured him since we all have D-Light dongles from initial purchase.
I use 5 Firefli strings on 5 PVC arches, run by 2 controllers. One controller has 3 strings (48 pixels), the other has 2 strings (32 pixels). Once controller can handle 5 end to end strings, but you must configure it first so that it knows. That limit is a controller Power limit more than a software limit. They are getting rather old now but still work reliably. Just for old-times-sake, I'll probably use them until they die a natural death.
Thanks Jon That makes sense now just did not know that you are using the Dongle to program the Firefli (as I said I don't own any).
RD
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So right now with my firefli in legacy mode (controllers 17, 18 & 19) on the LOR network xlights should control them, correct?
So with what Jon is saying (Correct me if I am wrong) NO you cannot run Firefli without first programming them to work in DMX open.
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So right now with my firefli in legacy mode (controllers 17, 18 & 19) on the LOR network xlights should control them, correct?
So with what Jon is saying (Correct me if I am wrong) NO you cannot run Firefli without first programming them to work in DMX open.
Well then once again, I hit the wall......
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It is not hard to convert any of D-Lights controllers to Open DMX. I did that with my ACx8's by buying new PIC's for the controllers (I didn't have to but I have my original PIC's that can be stuck back in if needed) and programmed them with my PICkit3 including start addresses. Just read the info on the D-Light forums for a how to.
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It is not hard to convert any of D-Lights controllers to Open DMX. I did that with my ACx8's by buying new PIC's for the controllers (I didn't have to but I have my original PIC's that can be stuck back in if needed) and programmed them with my PICkit3 including start addresses. Just read the info on the D-Light forums for a how to.
What dongle will I need?
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For my Open D-Light boards, I used a Pickit 2 or 3 to program the new chips. No different than DLA for that part.
Once the PIC chip is installed, it must be configured so that it knows its Start Channel. Again, same as many DLA boards.
I have only used a D-Light USB/RS485 dongle for that job, using the DeweyConfig software.
DeweyConfig will only talk to USB/RS485 dongles. It is sending the Open DMX protocol, not LOR protocol.
It might work with an LOR USB/RS485 dongle because it can also send Open DMX.
It might work with an ENTTEC Open DMX dongle.
DeweyConfig will NOT work with a Lynx USB Dongle because it is not Open DMX.
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To run the Fireflies after there conversion to DMX - The Lynx Etherdongle or USB dongle will work fine.
To program the start channel using Dewey Config - Either the D-Light or LOR USB to 486 dongle OR a open DMX dongle (Lynx Etd or USB dongles won't work as JonB said)
It is not hard to convert any of D-Lights controllers to Open DMX. I did that with my ACx8's by buying new PIC's for the controllers (I didn't have to but I have my original PIC's that can be stuck back in if needed) and programmed them with my PICkit3 including start addresses. Just read the info on the D-Light forums for a how to.
What dongle will I need?