Nutcracker 3.0 Released

[smeighan]

I am now releasing Nutcracker 3.0.

Nutcracker 1.0 was released Feb 2012.
Nutcracker 2.0 was released summer of 2012. It included local installs , more effects and projects.
Nutcracker 3.0 is being released Feb 2013.

Nutcracker 3.0 is the complete rewrite of Nutcracker 2.0 into C++. Nutcracker is now merged with Matt Brown's xLights. Matt Brown took on this conversion project last DEcember. xLights version 2012e merged with Nutcracker. I am calling this new version Nutcracker 3.0.0.

Why the rewrite?
Answer: I wanted Nutcracker to be more interactive and faster. C++ allows the easier implementation of things like movies and other hardware specific features/.

Answer: I wanted to make the installation of Nutcracker easier. With the release of Nutcracker 3.0, you will no longer need XAMPP or WAMP. This will save 1 gbyte of disk space from your local drive.

Answer: I wanted the generation of effects to be quicker. For example old Snowstorm effect generation 400 seconds, new Nutcracker 3.0 time = 10 secs.


What is different?
Answer: The user interface is entirely different. Hopefully you will find it easier to use.
Answer: We dont have projects yet in Nutcracker 3.0.

What is the same?
Answer: All the effects have the same prompts. The concept of create an effect before you pick the sequencer is the name. Exporting for your sequencer is the same.
Answer: Same target models, megatrees, matrixes.

Where is new code?
Answer: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
This web page also shows the current differences between Nutcracker 2 and Nutcracker 3

I will be talking about this new release in this weeks Tutorial, Thursday Feb 28th at 7pm MST. I will create a vimeo video introduction.

For those developers who might want to see the source code, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

thanks
sean

[RJ]

Cool, you guys rule!!!!
this means even dumb old me should be able to use it. (I just never get time to read up on stuff.)

Good job! 

RJ

[rrowan]

Very Cool

I just DL the 3.0.1 version - Install was quick and easy

I guess a option for a desktop icon in a future release would be nice

Thank You

Rick R.

[remoteutah]

running now - looking good!

[rdebolt]

Down loaded and playing!!! 

[JerryPlak]

Sean and Matt merged with into xLights
very Cool !  and thanks

[taybrynn]

Thanks so much for all you do ... This is awesome news !!

[Gary]

Cool, you guys rule!!!!
this means even dumb old me should be able to use it.

Um... I disagree, you're pretty smart too!

[plaberge]

Great work! Not only is the interactive nature of the interface much more intuitive, the layering really expands the effects that can be created. Looking forward to future releases.

[smeighan]

I have written an beginners tutorial on setting up xLights/Nutcracker. This process will get you to an exported file for whatever sequencer you are using

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login


Now the tutorials i made a few months ago would make sense.

xLights and Nutcracker introduction:                                    You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Creating a text effect:                                                        You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Creating two Nuctracker effects and layering between them: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Exporting a xLights/Nutcracker sequence into LOR lms:         You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login


thanks
sean

[SteveMaris]

I just tried it for the first time. Easy to figure out with the tutorial.
In a word: Brilliant.
Thank you Sean. 

[zwiller]

Thank you Sean.  Looks I need to sit down and learn it now.  I admit the previous interface scared me off...  The new one looks great and very user friendly.  Not entirely sure how the export/import will work with LSP but I'm confident it will soon. 

[smeighan]

Thank you Sean.  Looks I need to sit down and learn it now.  I admit the previous interface scared me off...  The new one looks great and very user friendly.  Not entirely sure how the export/import will work with LSP but I'm confident it will soon.

The big thank you is to matt brown who did the entire rewrite on Nutcracker last DEcember (thousands of lines of C++). Now that he has it working, i have been modifying it. I added the *.vir, *.lcb and *.hlsnc output files to the export button this last week.

It should be easier to get LSP msq and asq now that it is in C++. For example, there are direct calls to the 7zip dll available.

LSP msq and asq are the holy grail for output files. I tried last year but it was too complicated and there was no documentation.

I am writing the LSP UserPatterns.xml routine right now. I hope to have it finished by this weekend. This will get the xLights/Nutcracker 3.0 code equal to the capabilities in todays nutcracker.



thanks

[RJ]

LSP msq and asq are the holy grail for output files. I tried last year but it was too complicated and there was no documentation.

I happen to know a couple of people that may be able to help you two with this. Let me see what I can do. I just need to explain the benifit it is to them to help you two. It is likely it is not clear there is a big benifit to them.

RJ

[twooly]

Directly into LSP would be awesome.  For some reason the userpatterns only worked part of the time for me so I gave up with it.

Thanks for your hard work!