Since I started from scratch this year I looked a couple three programs (poked at Vixen 3 from the forums asking questions) as well and settled on LSP. I just loved the visualizer function and seeing my own house with lights where I put them and to the scales I needed them to be.
On my nutcracker wish list would be the same ability with the preview, to put your house as the background and more functionality in scaling the models in preview.
LSP with the macro's and transitions appealed to me as well, someday they will clean up the little timing mark gremlins, which I've learned after 5 sequences to work through or completely around. The layers are powerful in there, but some basic items like a chase are exceptionally challenging compared to update grid.
xlights/Nutcracker has pushed all of them to move forwaard and I think some adaption is planned from a number of the software products out there.
Vixen 3 didn't hit my radar after I heard it could not export the shows and I had planned to use the conductor, but ended up never flashing the etherdongle over. Used the xlights schedular for a few nights and had issues, switched over to LSP's scheduler and it was rock solid for the last 8 days.
If support for Vixen 3 is half as good as Sean's nutcracker support it should take off, I miss that level on LSP as there just is not enough volume on the LSP forum to get a fast answer. Got some good answers over here on diyla for some items.
Alan
