PAnorthpole Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Been sequencing for over a year now and have tooled around in the visualizer tutorial.I could be missing some thing here, but it seems very time consuming with little benefits.Seems I am content with the visions I have in my mind and the end results. Again I could be missing a great tool, but I tend to steer clear of this option.I ask the seasoned programmers HERE, if I am missing a opportunity with benefits as a widely used tool? Thanks for any input on this subjectPAnorthpole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EARLE W. TALLEY Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Yes, you are missing an opportunity to see you display perform as close as real as I think you can with out actually putting up the lights. I have used the Visualizer from day one, yes it takes some effort to get it working, but the time is well worth it. Most of the common props have already been done and all you have to do is bring them in resize, place where you want them, assign your channels and go. I no this sounds simple (there is a little more to it than this) but I think you will like the results. One thing that can make it easier, take a picture of your house in the day time with your current props, import it and use that as a guide. This works if you don't do major changes to you display.Earle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james campbell Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 the visualizer is far faster than the animation screen.don't give up on it yet,you will be amazed at the end result Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De Trommelslager Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Not only does the Visualizer show you a representation of your sequence, but it is also a great tool to find those random flashes of light that (I) manage to get added when accidentally clicking a cell with a "loaded" effect. The Visualizer is used a great deal when I am sequencing. Well worth the time to learn and set up IMHO.Oh, and +1 on the picture! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubado Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 The visualizer is like having a friend with benefits Pic? What pic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOR Staff Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 It's the best thing since Sliced Bread met Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato.I may be a bit biased.....Great. 10:20 at night and now I want a BLT. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubado Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 You're the one who brought up food, I had something else in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisquit476 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 now I want a BLT.Great, 2:48AM, Thanks Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmais68569 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I have tried it a few times but can not get the picture of my house to fit. It is to small & everything looks stacked on top of each other. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph D Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 well good morning everybody, I don't want to say I'm an old guy on the boards, but I have been here quite a long time. I'm not a big guy on posting all that much but I like to read a lot in here what everyone is talking about. I am definitely old school when it comes my Christmas display. Since the new visualizer has been released I have not been tempted to try it and always said to myself my viewer was fine. I've watched a ton of videos of other people who have posted their displays using the new visualizer and even know i thought all of them are always great I never really saw the need for me to switch. And let me say this it is not easy to switch over, number one taking the photo is not easy. Even though I have a rather small yard it's still too big to get in one picture. So with the help of Dave Mike and a few others I learned how to take my picture and do stages. It's like having three canvases, I have a stage left, the stage right and center. Three different photos I was able to simply edit into one jpeg. I used a simple program called Photoshop elements but I'm sure there's lots of other programs out there that can do this. Now just to prove the point of my procrastination I took the photo shortly after the visualizer was released learned how to make one prop and did nothing with it until two days ago. I don't know what made me want to wander or decide to try the visualizer again when I was dead set against it but I did. I watched a bunch of Bob's videos, read a lot before I touched anything so I had an idea of what was going on. Then I started, and again I tell you it is not easy but the end result is more than wow. Adding multiple color light strings my roof was simple. I did my windows upstairs and downstairs, I was able to do my multicolored borders around my yard without any issues whatsoever. I popped out my leaping arches which now I have six of them and made all six in less than 15 min. The hardest thing I came across to was adding my mega tree. I have a three color 12 channel per color mega tree so it was quite tricky and took me all day to figure it out. Again thanks to dev Mike, without his help I would've through my computer screen out the window. But you have to remember my problem was once I got started I didn't want to stop and the more I could not figure out the step I was missing the more frustrated I became. If I would've followed the steps properly and thought about it or maybe even walked away from it for a minute to think about it,it probably would've hit me. it was a very simple thought/step I missed. What took me all day I fixed in 20 min. now my visualizers not done yet, my next step is to learn how to make props. But I want to say this to everyone, I had no intentions of using the new visualizer. And I couldn't have been more wrong for thinking that way. For what little I have done so far I have never seen my display in computer operated animation this way. I even showed my wife and my children and they could not believe the difference. it's is beyond remarkable. so now I'm like a kid in a candy store. so for anybody not using the visualizer you should it makes a world of difference. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstorms Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Some people learn better doing vs. reading, some people do sequencing different ways too. For me the visualizer has been a very useful tool. The new S3 visualizer gives a good feel for what the end display is going to look like. With that tool I can tell if I'm stepping on myself. Like if I have the bushes behind the trees going at the same time they drown each other out, it's good for that. However; the new visualizer needs a decent computer to function well. Even then the shimmers are kinda off.So I also still use the S2 visualizer most of the time because it is easier to get to and because I feel like I get a better feel for the timings (esp when they are quick).I know some people will sequence with the controllers hooked up to strings of lights indoors that represent the layout of their place. Some sequence just sitting in front of their display with a computer. For me I like the s2 visualizer, then use s3 to make sure the overall feel is right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Rise Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 When I first saw the visualizer, I was overwhelmed. But once I started it got easier. I started with the simple strings on the roof and in the trees. Then moved on to the harder stuff, like the CCR arches, Spiral trees, etc....I don't know how you can even program a sequence without visually seeing what each channel is doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlarson Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Are there any training videos of how to use this feature? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gc75067 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 i just got my first LOR controller yesterday. downloaded the software, took a picture of my house and started playing with the visualizer. its pretty cool. im probably doing more work than i have to but im learning.. if anyone can help with a spiral tree i would be very greatful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1983ss454 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Go under the visualizer section on the forum, the first sticky at the top of the page has several spiral trees to choose from Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAnorthpole Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 Thanks everyone!.... for the input on the visualizer. This has been a discussion that brings a new meaning and promises into the venture of the LOR software.Thanks so muchPAnorthpole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_moody Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I will offer another KUDOS to the Visualizer... although I use it for different reasons ...Since delving into the world of pixels, the formerly overwhelming task of programming 180 LOR channels today just doesnt seem that big of a deal... Now we are talking thousands of channels ... We are adding 8 Coro CandyCanes this year (2013) and each has 16 RGB pixels. This element alone is 384 channels. ARRRGH In comes Visualizer and SuperStar. I can create the 8 canes in visualizer, import into SuperStar, perform some awsome effects, then export the Sequencer file and cut and paste it into a working sequence with the rest of my elements... This of course is one example .. there are many ...It doesnt have to be a "replacement" for the SE animator.. it can be a stand alone intermediate tool as well ... It is WORTH the effort no matter what you use it for... Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iresq Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I tried it, didn't much care for it. Didn't really need it. However, like Bob, I'm jumping into pixels this year and will look to the visualizer to work with ss to help with sequencing. Hmm, can't edit from phone - but to answer the question, yes - a great tool. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkDr Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Being relatively new to the whole LOR thing & jumping straight in w/ S3, I haven't figured out how to use props yet so I'm probably making life harder than it needs to be at times while using Visualizer. I do agree that it shows up those oops things when pasting very well. So far, so good for me. The only limiting factor has been the guy running the mouse & staring at the monitor for hours on end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMaris Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 (edited) I am having issues with the visualizer lagging and being way off with the sequence.I have tried all the tips in the sticky thread. ( turn off all extra's, remove photo, etc...)I have about 400 channels drawn out so far, and the more I add, the worse it gets.I don't have the best computer in the world but it isn't ancient either. I am running it with the sequence editor up only. Control panel unloaded. Any one else having issues like this? I still have a universe of pixels to add in as well. Am I missing something here? Edited February 23, 2013 by SteveMaris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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