DiyLightAnimation
Software => Vixen => Topic started by: duane.mosley on October 16, 2012,
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do i just go into my profile and add the neccessary channels to accomodate my pixel net channels? is each pixel net channel set up as 1. red 2. blue 3. green 4. red 5. blue 6. green etc? or should i say 512. red 513 blue 514 green etc.? i already have 4 songs sequenced without rgb and with time creeping up on us fast, i need to start focusing on getting my pixel nodes into this years show. your help is greatly appreciated!
thanks in advance,
duane
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If you're using the ether dongle you will want to make sure that you add enough channels to total 4096 channels. If you're using the USB dongle flashed for Pixelnet I don't think the channel count matters.
Assuming the SSC is flashed for what you're using (string, flex strip, square, etc) then the channel order will be 1 red, 2 green, 3 blue for each node. I'm using hybrid mode because it gives you more flexibility in sequencing.
I'm in the same boat as far as converting last year's sequences to RGB.
Have fun and good luck!
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If you're using the ether dongle you will want to make sure that you add enough channels to total 4096 channels. If you're using the USB dongle flashed for Pixelnet I don't think the channel count matters.
Assuming the SSC is flashed for what you're using (string, flex strip, square, etc) then the channel order will be 1 red, 2 green, 3 blue for each node. I'm using hybrid mode because it gives you more flexibility in sequencing.
I'm in the same boat as far as converting last year's sequences to RGB.
Have fun and good luck!
at this time, i am using a usb dongle to run and test what i have been working on, i am waiting for my ether dongle from the last coop. once i am up and running live, i will be using ether dongle, active hub, 17 le's. approximately 1200 smart string nodes. ssc's are already flashed for smart strings.
do i have to put each pixel node channel into my vixen sequence? example, i use 10 nodes, 3 channels each, do i use 30 channels in vixen? 10 red, 10 blue, 10 green? or do i use one of the effects builders like nutcracker? as i post this i will be digging into the forum archives and doing as much reading as i can. this is my first year doing diy animation of any kind. i had mr christmas last year so let's just say i jumped in both feet! i wasn't sure if i was going to be able to do the smart strings so i haven't been sequencing for smart strings. thanks to the wife for buying my strings for my birthday!!! gotta love her! i know have the issue of learning how to use them and insert them into my sequence. once again, thanks in advance for any and all assistance.
duane
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for 10 nodes you need 30 channels in Vixen.
for 1200 nodes you need 3600 channels
assuming that your SSCs are set for pixel mode and not hybrid or string
Rick R.
ps. If you don't want to create 3600 channels in vixen it might be wise to check out VSB in the wiki software section.
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for 10 nodes you need 30 channels in Vixen.
for 1200 nodes you need 3600 channels
assuming that your SSCs are set for pixel mode and not hybrid or string
Rick R.
ps. If you don't want to create 3600 channels in vixen it might be wise to check out VSB in the wiki software section.
thanks rick, i was just reading the post on vsb. your latest post was about working out a nasty bug. i guess the updated version in wiki has the kinks worked out? i will get into the wiki and start reading and figuring it out.
duane
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so i open vsb. how do i enter my ssc and node values when i will be using 14 ssc's and 14 strings, but each string will have different node counts? i am using rgb around my windows and doors and outlining my house and my string count is going to vary.
thanks
duane
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Just do each SSC one at a time if they are all different number of nodes.
Set Node count, mode (pixel, hybrid, string), Object name, set sec qty = 1, start channel (i.e.: 513)
Click Create
Now update any fields you want from above (like object name) and then click create again
repeat for all of the SSCs
The program will update the start channel
hope that makes sense
Rick R.
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so what your saying is go ahead and create each individual ssc? for example. ssc 1 window right 1, start channel 513 with 75 nodes, save. start over with ssc 2 window right 2, start channel 737(512+225 pixel channels), 75 nodes, ssc 3 window left 1, start channel 962....etc? i am assuming this is what your saying? and i should save each ssc set up?
thanks
duane
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ok so i was able to figure out how to get all the ssc's named and node amount assigned. when i go into vixen to try and find it, it's not there
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did you save the file into the vixen sequence folder?
Rick R.
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I don't want to speak out of turn but if you aren't already tied to Vixen 2.1 and have a couple of hours to play and compare you might want to give HLS with a dash of Nutcracker a spin since it doesn't look like Vixen 3.0 will be ready for primetime this year. I tried messing with RGB in 2.1 and it was a headache just getting the channels in there. Nothing is perfect but I'm finding HLS about 1/3 the pain in the butt to sequence my 613 pixels as being more recent RGB was accounted for in its development.
If not at least make sure and grab the several different RGB helper plugins for Vixen
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ok, so i have got the vsb sequence saved in the vixen folder. i have figured out how to import the channel names but it doesn't bring in the channel colors. when i import the channels list with the original colors for my 350 channels of dmx, it knocks out the rgb channel info. how do you get my channel line up from my profile, mixed in with the rgb info?
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I don't want to speak out of turn but if you aren't already tied to Vixen 2.1 and have a couple of hours to play and compare you might want to give HLS with a dash of Nutcracker a spin since it doesn't look like Vixen 3.0 will be ready for primetime this year. I tried messing with RGB in 2.1 and it was a headache just getting the channels in there. Nothing is perfect but I'm finding HLS about 1/3 the pain in the butt to sequence my 613 pixels as being more recent RGB was accounted for in its development.
If not at least make sure and grab the several different RGB helper plugins for Vixen
i would say i have myself tied to vixen at the moment. i have about 200 hours of sequencing already done with vixen. i am used to how it works and with show time only 5 weeks away, i don't know if it would be a good time to switch. unless of course, all of my vixen sequences will switch over with no problems.this is my first year and i have gotten used to vixen but not to say that i wouldn't switch if it's an easy transition.
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There is an import from Vixen, but with your investment probably best to stay with what you know at this stage. I was just starting earlier this year and Vixen 2.1 was what I was going to be using starting from scratch, now I just use it for it's MIDI input mapping and then export that out.
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ok, so i have got the vsb sequence saved in the vixen folder. i have figured out how to import the channel names but it doesn't bring in the channel colors. when i import the channels list with the original colors for my 350 channels of dmx, it knocks out the rgb channel info. how do you get my channel line up from my profile, mixed in with the rgb info?
I would import your sequence into VSB (with the dmx channels) first and then add the rgb channels. Save the new file to your sequence folder and then load that new sequence file into vixen and then create a new profile from the sequence.
Rick R.
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ok, i was able to bring in my channel lineup from my vixen sequence into the vsb. when i go to open it in vixen, the channel line up is there but not colors. i was able to copy the channel colors and event data, but when i do, it loses the colors for the rgb channels. the info is there and the channel names are there, but there are no colors.
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i see, because the sequence i am coping from doesn't have colors below 192, that is what i am coping. i am really mad at my self for not saving stuff in stages with dates. another lesson learned. sure would be a good time to be able to remove multiple channels from vixen profiles. you can add thousands at a time, but you can only remove one at a time!. ouch. now i need t o weigh up whats going to be faster. erasing 3500 channels, or going into the new profile and rename and recolor the first 192. probably the latter of the two.
any way to make the adjustable preview bigger? right now i am using default settings in vixen with a resolution of 10 pixels. 58x43. it's kind of hard trying to enter all of my displays. how do i draw in pixel channels? 1 block in vixen is 1 channel in pixel node?
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You can make the adjustable preview as big as you want it. The problem I have had is that once you build it in a certain size there is no way to automatically make it bigger or smaller and appropriately adjust the channel images to the new size. So create a new profile with some channels and then play with the adjustable preview window size until you get to the size you want to see. Note that size and make you real preview that size. If you are using a picture of your house be sure the picture of the house is big enough to show what you want, because the picture will not resize.
Once you figure out the size of window you want then adjust the pixel size up or down to get the fine control that you want. What I did for RGB last year was to use a small pixel size and define each color pixel adjacent to the other. You can also define the channels on top of each other, i.e, same pixel, and the colors kind of blend together. When I was using 3 colored strings around my windows I wanted to be able to tell when I had both two colors on because I like turning two colors on together. For instance. my non-rgb windows look good with blue and green lights on or red and white and I wanted to be able to see that difference in the preview and a blended color was not what I wanted.
Attached is my 2011 preview. I do not try to draw everything exact I only need a representation of things to let me see how things are going to be. The vertical bars are actually minitrees, the bottom right is my representation of my megatree and the 3d star in the middle of it. I the middle of the tree is rotating then the star is rotating, If only the red pixels are on then the tree is red. etc. Crude, but works for me.
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Ya 1 block is 1 channel. There are some plugins to help with more preview tools and such at http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?49-Plug-In-Development
As for your other issue I found several times it was faster to go in and manually edit things in the vixen files if the program didn't let me do what I wanted on the profile side of things. Most of it is just XML files so any text editor will let you view them. Always save a backup before messing with them though.
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ok, so i have figured out how to make my picture larger in preview. i also figured out how to adjust my pixel size. how do you draw 128 nodes into a picture that won't hold them all? i plan on outlining my roof and the picture won't hold all 128 nodes in preview. if i drop the pixel size i can hardly see them in preview to be able to count them all.
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Last year I gave on trying to do every RGB pixel. Too much work for very little benefit. I do have the strings on my preview, but they only show up when I am using hybrid mode and turning them all one color.
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ok, so i have figured out how to make my picture larger in preview. i also figured out how to adjust my pixel size. how do you draw 128 nodes into a picture that won't hold them all? i plan on outlining my roof and the picture won't hold all 128 nodes in preview. if i drop the pixel size i can hardly see them in preview to be able to count them all.
Hello,
I have found that you can place 3 pixels on the same dot for the RGB channels and they also will show the color mix as well (ie red and blue = purple) but it's still hard to fit in the whole strand. I usually do 1/2 or 1/4 just to get a feel for the effect.
Ted