Author Topic: XLights and LOR S3 Visualizer  (Read 2056 times)

Offline Timon

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XLights and LOR S3 Visualizer
« on: June 14, 2012, »
This may be an off the wall idea but I think it would be great to be able to have xlights talk to LORs S3 Visualizer. I think they've done a good job on their Visualizer and it's a stand alone program that received it's commands via the network. Port address are known, and changeable, so I was wondering what it would take so that XLights could optionally send out a stream to the Visualizer? It would be nice to display on another computer what's going happening on the show computer.

As I said it's just an off the wall idea.

Offline jem5136

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Re: XLights and LOR S3 Visualizer
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2012, »
I like this idea as well. LOR has already done it, I believe, where the visualizer can be shown during a show if you'd like. I've never used it, but I've read about it.

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Offline taybrynn

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Re: XLights and LOR S3 Visualizer
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2012, »
Its a neat idea. 

I doubt I'd use it because during the show ... watching the real thing is some much more useful to me.

I think one thing that keeps xlights good is its focus on doing a core function very very well well.  I love that concept.

This to me feels like an add-on that 'might' distract (in the UI) from primary focus of xights ... but I do think it would be cool indeed.
It might also degrade performance potentially, not sure.

But its a cool idea, don't get me wrong.
Scott - Castle Rock, Colorado   [ 2 homes, 100% RGB in 2016; since 2008; over 32k channels of E1.31 ]
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Offline Steve Gase

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Re: XLights and LOR S3 Visualizer
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2012, »
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Its a neat idea. 

I doubt I'd use it because during the show ... watching the real thing is some much more useful to me.

I think one thing that keeps xlights good is its focus on doing a core function very very well well.  I love that concept.

This to me feels like an add-on that 'might' distract (in the UI) from primary focus of xights ... but I do think it would be cool indeed.
It might also degrade performance potentially, not sure.

But its a cool idea, don't get me wrong.
My take...

I'd rather see the visualizer look more like hardware... even to the point of having USB drivers to simulate 485b dongles, or DMX dongles, or even ethernet-connected devices.  With that approach it is independent of the sequencer and even hardware.

With this approach xLights doesn't change, it talks to the COMx ports and the network and executes like it did before.
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Offline jem5136

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Re: XLights and LOR S3 Visualizer
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2012, »
I think the ability to have the visualizer run when the show is running is more of a troubleshooting tool rather than a luxury tool, for me. In the past, I have been working on getting my controllers hooked up and getting all the last cords plugged in and everything, and I have ran the show in xLights to see if the sequences look good, and I always thought "Man, something looks off, I wish I had my visualizer playing to compare it too."
So I don't think the visualizer would necessarily be used during a nightly show, but rather during set up for troubleshooting; at least it would for me anyway.
2011 Plans:
   - Second year for dimmable animation
   - 184 Channels of Blinky Flashy :D
   - 8 RGB Flood Lights
It's gonna be fun!! :D

Offline taybrynn

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XLights and LOR S3 Visualizer
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2012, »
Visualizers leave a lot to be desired, ESP. With custom display items and rgb ... And The bigger your show gets.  Take a laptop out in a car parked out front and you have a perfect visualizer.  It always takes me 3-4 days to works out the problems but I've never found a visualizer helpful in debugging those issues.  I guess  it just shows how different we all are.  We ll have different ways.

Xlights doesn't need fluff or tie ins to one visualizer like lor only ... I agree a more generic way would be best.  Plus in the future I see the big displays running on conductor hardware because the sequences are going to be lagging otherwise, so then xlights is just a stop along the way.

Don't get me wrong ... I Love xlights!
« Last Edit: June 15, 2012, by taybrynn »
Scott - Castle Rock, Colorado   [ 2 homes, 100% RGB in 2016; since 2008; over 32k channels of E1.31 ]
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