Vixen 3 vs HLS

[mms]

I'm wondering if anyone has experience with both of these sequencers.  What are the pros/cons of each?  Like everyone, I'm phasing more RGB into the show.  I recently saw a video on Vixen 3 and I've seen some videos of HLS.  It seems that some of the "premium" features of LSP are being implemented into these free sequencers which makes them a no-brainer IMHO.

I've used Vixen 2.1.1 for the 2011 and 2012 seasons and it seems like the sequencers are finally catching up with the hardware.

Also, why is there no HLS heading in the software section?  I know early on it supported mostly Renard hardware, but I thought I read somewhere that it now has DMX output. 

Thanks for your input!

Steve

[smeighan]

I have used neither but have watched their videos.

I find HLS hard to use getting started. Its layout seems strange to me. On the plus side, there is no one who is doing 200 releases a year like Joe. He now has animated gifs, movies, papagayno mouth movements, .etc, .etc.
I think it has drivers now for everythign you might use.
I believe its performance and scalability are excellent
Development team is just Joe. He has no plans to ever open source his code.
Has been out to users since feb 2012


Vixen 3 is high level objects being created. It has full nutcracker effects. It can do a whole house wipe across all your objects.
Performance is slightly sluggish (some small pauses). I dont know if it has been tested with 12-20K channels.
Has an active development team of 6 people
Code is open sourced now.
I dont think you can get to a grid of pixels like old vixen
Has been out to users since march.


You should also look at Vixen+ by Macebobo. This is Vixen 2.5 on steroids.
Has full Nutcracker effects
Has grid. Has some device drivers.
Will be released as a beta thsi week.
Since Macebobo got banned from DIYC a few months ago he lives on

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These three are free and i see them as all excellent sequencers. HLS and Vixen 3 i feel you could use this year. Vixen+, maybe

sean

[mms]

Sean-

Do you know if Vixen 3 will use the same VIR format for routines?  Only b/c I wrote my own RGB program last year and don't want to entirely re-invent the wheel if I don't have to.

I've seen videos of both too.  I'm just trying to make any transition as smooth as possible.

Haven't seen you at VI in awhile!  LOL.


Cheers,

Steve

[smeighan]

Sean-

Do you know if Vixen 3 will use the same VIR format for routines?  Only b/c I wrote my own RGB program last year and don't want to entirely re-invent the wheel if I don't have to.

I've seen videos of both too.  I'm just trying to make any transition as smooth as possible.

Haven't seen you at VI in awhile!  LOL.


Cheers,

Steve

I dont know about vir files. I know they finished a program for importing vix.
I hope they allow the vir so people like you and like nutcracker can make files that can be pasted anywhere.


I was at village inn today and yesterday/.

I am completely remodeling my kitchen. this week the sink, stove and and oven come out. I am doing the work myself. this next week will be installing 400 sq feet of 20x20" tile.


thanks
sean

[drlucas]

While I'm slowly getting the hang of HLS as a newby to sequencing I'm continue to struggle with one of the short comings. Stability. I've lost some work a few times and a few features aren't available until you do some initial steps. I truly believe it to be great freeware with respect to features. The stability on the sequencing front is not very good. Not yet anyways. The scheduler might be once you get things built. I am however maybe being too critical. I have tried HLS on a duocore machine with 2g of ram and then on my MacBook with bootcamp running win7. Could be my own worst enemy with how I'm developing this but I have limited options and I'm not touching the wife's PC for the show.

[keitha43]

On the plus side, there is no one who is doing 200 releases a year like Joe.

Sean I think you are on track to reach 200 releases this year  I figure by Halloween you will have Nutcracker reading my mind and even choosing my music for me. All I have to do is assemble the display! Love the program.

[smeighan]

lol

i am getting release 19 ready.
it will have a fix for crash on exit, empty exports, conversion of old files to ver 19 so you dont get annoying error messages.

i want to get to the sharing of sequences, get my goal of 50 songs marked up.

the abilityt o share these with anyone is very powerful.

thanks

[Rogelio]

I have been wondering this myself.  I used Vixen 2.1 last year and probably can still use it this year with the limited amount of pixels I have.  But, going forward I will need to learn a new sequencer.  And since I have to learn a new one from scratch, I don't know which one is easier.  I have played with both lately but not enough to make a determination yet.  I will probably never use more pixels than one mega tree, maybe 5-6 thousand channels.

[smeighan]

i would think, coming from vixen 2.1, that the sequencers that you can use are

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In order of easiest to hardest as far as learning curve.

sean

[rrowan]

Also, why is there no HLS heading in the software section?  I know early on it supported mostly Renard hardware, but I thought I read somewhere that it now has DMX output. 

Thanks for your input!

Steve

RJ doesn't create new sections on a whim. Normally the software or hardware developer would ask RJ. Then RJ will decide to add a new section or not. While Joe has an account he really is not active here. So chances are slim in my opinion. Personally I wish he was more active here because HLS is an interesting program with one major problem. No native output for the conductor. I understand he is hoping for an xLights option there.

just my 2 cents

Rick R.

[mms]

RJ doesn't create new sections on a whim. Normally the software or hardware developer would ask RJ. Then RJ will decide to add a new section or not. While Joe has an account he really is not active here. So chances are slim in my opinion. Personally I wish he was more active here because HLS is an interesting program with one major problem. No native output for the conductor. I understand he is hoping for an xLights option there.

just my 2 cents

Rick R.

Makes sense.  Thanks!

[mms]

Got my answer.  V3 does not support VIR files:

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Steve

[taybrynn]

awesome discussion!

I'm going to continue to follow this closely !!

Does anyone know anything firm about what LOR might be doing this year?  I've heard rumors of changing the underlying format, which was just too bloated and slow to do much more with RGB.  I know thats probably an LOR forum question, sorry.

I've got a lot invested in using LOR but I could just barely get it all working last year with 4k channels.  This year if I move closer to 16k (under that) ... I can't see LOR working very well ... so my quick and dirty plan would be to convert to xlights and then just add RGB stuff via. nutcraker there.  Probably not a great game plan.

THe other is LOR comes out with something good enough that the annual upgrade gets me by for another year.  Maybe use nutcracker to generate RGB and paste in ... that another option.

I've also got LSP 2.5 which I haven't used yet ... with 32k ch license -- tempted to try it, but probably wouldn't use the visualizer.  Seem to have a lot of potential and could use xlights for the scheduler if I had to.

Sorry if this is off topic.  I watched the Vixen 3.0 video and it did look very interesting!

I've also download HLS before ... and while I don't doubt its got serious power -- the interface is very bizzare and non window standard .. so like Sean said, creates a learning curve.  That said, LSP interface is odd also, but mainly just having to deal with all the windows dialogue boxes at times.

I don't think I've done a very good job 'moving on' since LOR ... so thats probably why I keep using it.  BUt the RGB or lack thereof, and the slowness loading into the sequencer ... was just rough.  Plus the config file for RGB is just getting insane to maintain.

[smeighan]

scott; i am very interested to see what macebobo comes out with Vixen+

Vixen 3 approach is like nutcracker, high level objects on a timeline. No grid

Vixen+ has high level objects, it has all nutcracke reffects, but it does have a grid. It is really an extension off from vixen 2.5


It is supposed to go beta this week. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
we will see

This year, i will probably do my entire show just from xLights like i did last year. I can get away with thsi because i only have 32 Lynx Express, the other 20K channels will be RGB

sean

[keitha43]

awesome discussion!

I'm going to continue to follow this closely !!

Does anyone know anything firm about what LOR might be doing this year?  I've heard rumors of changing the underlying format, which was just too bloated and slow to do much more with RGB.  I know thats probably an LOR forum question, sorry.

I've got a lot invested in using LOR but I could just barely get it all working last year with 4k channels.  This year if I move closer to 16k (under that) ... I can't see LOR working very well ... so my quick and dirty plan would be to convert to xlights and then just add RGB stuff via. nutcraker there.  Probably not a great game plan.

THe other is LOR comes out with something good enough that the annual upgrade gets me by for another year.  Maybe use nutcracker to generate RGB and paste in ... that another option.

I've also got LSP 2.5 which I haven't used yet ... with 32k ch license -- tempted to try it, but probably wouldn't use the visualizer.  Seem to have a lot of potential and could use xlights for the scheduler if I had to.

Sorry if this is off topic.  I watched the Vixen 3.0 video and it did look very interesting!

I've also download HLS before ... and while I don't doubt its got serious power -- the interface is very bizzare and non window standard .. so like Sean said, creates a learning curve.  That said, LSP interface is odd also, but mainly just having to deal with all the windows dialogue boxes at times.

I don't think I've done a very good job 'moving on' since LOR ... so thats probably why I keep using it.  BUt the RGB or lack thereof, and the slowness loading into the sequencer ... was just rough.  Plus the config file for RGB is just getting insane to maintain.

My man what you need is to hop on the etherdongle coop right now and when the conductor coop starts get that too. Run your LOR controllers in DMX mode with an adapter ethernet cable and you will experience no slowdowns running your show. Now if you have other proprietary protocols or are using video this won't help you.