Running multiple shows at one time?

[Guest guest]

I have a question that I don't see addressed anywhere (I may have missed it.) I have not yet received my first LOR boards, but am working on next years display. I have some ideas about what I want to do outside, but now I am thinking about inside the house.

I curious as to whether I can run two different shows, with different animations, at one time on one pc. Obviously I would need seperate sequences etc. I am thinking something along the lines of a show with FM broadcast for the front yard, and a light show (no music) for the living room. Something that would only run the week before Christmas, but would be great fun for the grandkids, especially the youngest who just loves light displays.

Can this be done or will I have to use 2 PC's? I have the PC's, but it would be easier and cleaner to only have to run one. Any ideas?

[Guest guest]

You'd do it by running only one physical show at a time, but using separate sequences.

Show #1 (animation/static lights only) would contain all your animation sequences in the Animation tab of the show. Nothing would be in the Musical Sequence tab.

Show #2 (Musical Sequences & animation) would contain all the "back yard" animation sequences in the animation section (these can be some of the same sequences as in show #1), and the "front yard" musical sequences in the Musical Sequence tab. The musical sequences would be set up to only use channels placed in the front yard.

Then you just schedule show #1 for when you don't want music, and Show #2 for when you do.

Does that make sense? If not, I can try to clarify.

-Tim

[Guest guest]

Tim,

It makes sense, but brings up another question. Can the sequences be scheduled to run at the same time, especially if the lengths are different? I would assume that my front yard show will run continuously over several hours per night. The inside show would not necessarily start or stop at the same time as the outside show, and I wouldn't want to stop the outside show just to run the inside display. If that's the case, I'll just tie up 2 PC's. I own about 15 PC's, I just didn't want to take up the space of setting up 2 side by side to run two shows if I didn't have to.

Thanks

Doug

[Guest guest]

If you are running animation only in the house, you wouldn't need to leave the controller connected to a computer. If you run in standalone the show would start when you apply power. Simply put the LOR controller on a timer, and your good to go.

[Guest guest]

dougwills wrote:

Tim,

It makes sense, but brings up another question. Can the sequences be scheduled to run at the same time, especially if the lengths are different? I would assume that my front yard show will run continuously over several hours per night. The inside show would not necessarily start or stop at the same time as the outside show, and I wouldn't want to stop the outside show just to run the inside display. If that's the case, I'll just tie up 2 PC's. I own about 15 PC's, I just didn't want to take up the space of setting up 2 side by side to run two shows if I didn't have to.

You can schedule the shows to run back to back. When show #1 ends show #2 starts. It shouldn't cause more than a quick flicker of the lights, and if you're using animations it probably won't be noticible.

LOR never stops a musical sequence in the middle of a song, so the transition will be smooth.

-Tim

[Guest guest]

Just tossing this out ... inside you probably wouldn't have anything synchronized to music because it would compete with TV, etc. So couldn't this actually run as a BACKGROUND sequence which would cycle repeatedly.

And simultaneously you could run your exterior "show" in the more traditional sense.

I *think* that would work.

[Guest guest]

I think I know what you want to do. You want to run both shows SIMULTANEOUSLY.

Try this. With your musical show, just add the channels and assignments for the interior show onto the musical sequence, and cut n paste the interior show into the musical outside show.

This way, you would be quote "running two shows at the same time" unquote even though the software thinks it's all one show.



Example (Envision this as the sequence editor)

Music Sequence Controller 1 Channel 1

Music Sequence Controller 1 Channel 2

Music Sequence Controller 1 Channel 3

Music Sequence Controller 1 Channel 4...

Indoor Sequence Controller 8 Channel 1

Indoor Sequence Controller 8 Channel 2

Indoor Sequence Controller 8 Channel 3

Indoor Sequence Controller 8 Channel 4...



Since the sequence editor can address up to 240 LOR units, this should be no problem.

I hope what I said makes sense. I'm very certain it would work just fine.

[Guest guest]

DanLW wrote:

I think I know what you want to do. You want to run both shows SIMULTANEOUSLY.

Try this. With your musical show, just add the channels and assignments for the interior show onto the musical sequence, and cut n paste the interior show into the musical outside show.

You could do that, but like I said above, you can run an animation sequence (or sequences) at the same time as a musical sequence in the same show. You just can't run two shows at the same time. But I'm pretty sure he can accomplish what he wants by just creating the shows properly and scheduling them back to back.

-Tim

[Guest guest]

Thanks guys. Yes, Simultaneously would have been the better word to use. I will try both suggestions and see which I like best. Thanks

Doug