using smartstrings for arches?

[dandyman]

Hi, Sean...

I've had a 'Marty'fan for a couple of years... looks great... just used white and green minis on it... no RGB...

Its called a 'Marty' fan because Marty Slack came up with the and built the first one :-)

thanks for all the work you've done on Nutcracker... hopefully LSP can use/import the effects eventually :-)

thanks...

Dan

[chrisatpsu]

Sean, a lot of display elements have a name attached to them from the guy that started using them...  marty fans, hokdman stars, feast eddy's coro canes....  etc...

[smeighan]

Sean, a lot of display elements have a name attached to them from the guy that started using them...  marty fans, hokdman stars, feast eddy's coro canes....  etc...

so i get to be the sean butterfly effect?

*smile*

[taybrynn]

And some called the spiral megatree the weber tree because it was the first well documented and executed spiral, even though a few had been done previously.

[taybrynn]

There were also some who have done bellagio style fountain effects using strait up PVC with lights on them.

[MrChristmas2000]

Sean, I think the addition of arches and marty fans to nutcracker would be very very useful !!

I think the arches would be the most utilized of the two.

I think the marty fan would be cool in rgb because you possibly do text on it () and its a smaller
type RGB item than doing a megatree ... and rather easy to construct.

I just know your going to be getting a call (at somepoint) from LOR or LSP to make nutcracker a plugin or add-on at
some point.  I love what you have done with nutcracker and how you have made it open to all of us to us.

Amazing!!

Thanks!

Does anyone know why it is called a Marty Fan? Just curious.
Here is a picture of a marty fan with a nativity scene in front of it. I like the composition.
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It was named after Marty Slack who was the first to design and use the element.

[chrisatpsu]

this thread should be named History 101

[smeighan]

Hi, Sean...

I've had a 'Marty'fan for a couple of years... looks great... just used white and green minis on it... no RGB...

Its called a 'Marty' fan because Marty Slack came up with the and built the first one :-)

thanks for all the work you've done on Nutcracker... hopefully LSP can use/import the effects eventually :-)

thanks...

Dan

I found Marty slack's display in Utah. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Wow, pretty impressive.

This last Christmas was his last show. He will not put anything up in 2012. I think his hobby just grew and grew and he was exhausted. I dont think he is doing it again because he has sold most everything he has. He was giving half of it away.
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One intersting thing he did was make giant faces on his trees. He has some effects and displays i have not seen on any other home.

He does have some good documentation.
Here is a how to for coro
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sorry to see him leave...

[mms]

Once you get into PEX ... your talking a lot of $$$ ... to me, the problem isn't worth an expensive solution.

If your a perfectionist, maybe ... but otherwise no way.  The strips look great upside down and in the elements ... mounted onto cheapo $1.49 per 10'  ... 1/2" conduit ... I'm sure in thinwall pvc might be a little better and cleaner ... but at some point you have to say 'good enough'.  Its a personal choice of how sweet is sweet enough.

To me, all this fits into the same category with .... did you hang all your lights perfectly straight?  Sure, it looks better ... but I also dont' have time or bandwidth to make em all perfectly straight. 

Most people won't know the difference, so thats why its up to you to decide when you've done enough to satisfy your own standards.

At full brightness it looks more like a neon tube - it's a slick look IMHO, especially for the $3 a 10 foot length of 1" PVC costs.  We've been playing with the effects on it (hopefully more video this weekend.)  If I remember I'll take pictures/video of the jig too.  Maybe I can talk PK into making another arch so we can document it.

After working with the Smart Strings for only a couple of weeks in Vixen 2.1, I will gladly help test any tools that are developed.  I hear Vixen 3.0 may have some promising features that will make smart string sequencing easier.  However, the amount of copying and pasting to make a 6-color chase on 90 nodes (270 channels) is cumbersome.

As for the faces in the trees... I'm hoping that Nutcracker will have video capabilities at some point...  Mini smart trees will have more purposes than just Christmas.   

[tallan]

Hey Everyone,

I posted up some info back in December about my arches, let me just say they were fantastic! I also did a type of angel tail (it was supposed to be a star but time limitations got in the way).

Anyway I have a pic and a short video from behind the arch so you can see they really through out the light. I guess I need to get my videos posted so you can see them in action.

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Enjoy!
Ted

[tallan]

Well I got one video up for those interested to see how they do.

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and

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Ted

[MrChristmas2000]

Are your smaller arches traditional incans?

[taybrynn]

Looks great ... Are the big arches flex strips then? 

[tallan]

Hey Mr. Christmas,

Yep just white Icans.

Yep Taybrynn they are actually 2 full length flex strips and the ends meet at the top. Kudos to RJ for thinking ahead and allowing us some nice flexibility in programing them, it made it easier to do when you control where node 1 is.   


Ted

[Nightowlz1966]

Once you get into PEX ... your talking a lot of $$$ ... to me, the problem isn't worth an expensive solution.

If your a perfectionist, maybe ... but otherwise no way.  The strips look great upside down and in the elements ... mounted onto cheapo $1.49 per 10'  ... 1/2" conduit ... I'm sure in thinwall pvc might be a little better and cleaner ... but at some point you have to say 'good enough'.  Its a personal choice of how sweet is sweet enough.

To me, all this fits into the same category with .... did you hang all your lights perfectly straight?  Sure, it looks better ... but I also dont' have time or bandwidth to make em all perfectly straight. 

Most people won't know the difference, so thats why its up to you to decide when you've done enough to satisfy your own standards.

We are talking about pixel strands Cost ?? LOL
versus $60 for a 100ft spool of 1" PEX pipe
where is the main cost LOL