Author Topic: Please help me understand  (Read 1053 times)

Offline IndianaChristmas

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Please help me understand
« on: November 03, 2014, »
I want to create a megatree.  It has 24, 120 node strands.
This is easy to model in Nutcracker as you just tell it and it assigns the proper starting channel for each string of nodes.

In the hardware world however, a nice continuous count isn't possible due to the Universes only being 4096 channels.

What happens is this:
I want to start my megatree at channel 321 (to make room for DMX).
The controller for the first string will be assigned to channel 321.
#2 controller = 681 and so forth until you get to #10 controller which has its LAST channel at 3920.  Can't simply put #11 at 3921 as that would span into the second universe.
It has to start at 4097.  Now there is a block of noncontinuous nodes present (3921 through 4096). 

So:
If I'm in Xlights setting up my model and it spans a universe, does this mean I check the "Set individual start channels" option and type in the starting addresses of each string on the tree?

Thanks.

Offline smeighan

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Re: Please help me understand
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2014, »
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I want to create a megatree.  It has 24, 120 node strands.
This is easy to model in Nutcracker as you just tell it and it assigns the proper starting channel for each string of nodes.

In the hardware world however, a nice continuous count isn't possible due to the Universes only being 4096 channels.

What happens is this:
I want to start my megatree at channel 321 (to make room for DMX).
The controller for the first string will be assigned to channel 321.
#2 controller = 681 and so forth until you get to #10 controller which has its LAST channel at 3920.  Can't simply put #11 at 3921 as that would span into the second universe.
It has to start at 4097.  Now there is a block of noncontinuous nodes present (3921 through 4096). 

So:
If I'm in Xlights setting up my model and it spans a universe, does this mean I check the "Set individual start channels" option and type in the starting addresses of each string on the tree?

Thanks.

that is one way to do it.
I have a megatree that is 20x120 = 2400 nodes, 7200 channels.
What i did is had string 10 end exactly at 4096, string 11 start at 4097. In other words i layed out my channels so i had 7200 continuous channels but the break between universes was in the right place
Sean
Littleton, CO
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Offline taybrynn

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Re: Please help me understand
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2014, »
Quote
does this mean I check the "Set individual start channels" option and type in the starting addresses of each string on the tree?

Yes, that is how I did it ... works fine ... and another reason to maybe use the indiv. start channels is having your SSC(s) in hybrid mode, where each the first 3 channels on each SSC is strong mode, so by setting the start channels at basically ch#4 you can make the model all pixel mode with the correct start channels.  And in a different model you can make just the string mode channels for each SSC into one thing (if you want)
Scott - Castle Rock, Colorado   [ 2 homes, 100% RGB in 2016; since 2008; over 32k channels of E1.31 ]
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Offline duane.mosley

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Re: Please help me understand
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2014, »
instead of having dead channels in the middle of your mega tree channel line up, wouldn't it be better to put all the channels at the beginning? start at 497 instead of 321. that way when your sequencing, it is a continuous 8640 channels, no space in between. also, if you want to add another rgb  display element, you would have 176 channels between dmx, and your mega tree. possibly a 58 node tree topper? i have 1600 nodes, 32 strings of 50 nodes. with 4800 channels, i started at 5793 of universe 2 and spanned 2400 channels into universe 3. that way i have a continuous flow in my channels.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2014, by duane.mosley »
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