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Handling Channel Configuration


Amie

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I haven't read anything about how the channel configuration is being handled, but PLEASE tell me it will be different than it has been. That is the most frustrating part every year for me. I spent 80% of my time dealing with channel manipulating from year to year on sequences.

If I make one change to a channel, I have to upload every sequence and inport the new channel configuration file and resave.

I have found that if I am working with animations, there is a bug in the program and something is not getting transferred, so I have to change all the channel by hand in each animation anyway. So please tell me this has been fixed.

Also, how to you become a Beta tester? I am really good at breaking things. ;-)

If the channel configuration hasn't been changed, is there someone out there that has written something that manipulates the xml outside of LOR? I am about ready to write my own code, but hopefully someone else has started something or would be willing to work with me on it.
Thanks,
Amie

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Jeff, I think what you are telling me...is great news. Is the Visualizer a way to edit the configuration file outside of a sequence, but have it affect sequences without having to re-import it into each separate sequence? If so, that would be perfect.


I don't know what it is about tracks, but some people love them and some don't. My brother helps me every year create new sequences. His IQ is off the charts and he doesn't 'get' the tracks. I can't sequence without them, I have to separate the parts of the song out. But the configuration file is not designed well to handle tracks. It should be designed based off of the names of each feature, but it is set up based on the order of what is in Track 1..that is crazy, if you ask me. I have never had a year that I didn't have serious issues because of this, even when tracks didn't exist.

I can't wait to start playing with S3, I hope it solves this issue.

Amie

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Amie wrote:

If I make one change to a channel, I have to upload every sequence and inport the new channel configuration file and resave.

This is how it's supposed to work. You edit your channels and export to a LCC (Light-O-Rama Channel Configuration) file.

Then you open the sequences that need the new configuration, and import the LCC to each sequence.

If one change to a LCC were to automatically change all sequences, it would greatly impact those who sequence for others. For example, if I edited my house and exported it to a new LCC and the software automatically applied that to all sequences on the PC, then I would have a real problem. All of my customer sequences would be affected.

Step 1 - Create a new animation sequence.
(For this example, we have 64 channels)
Step 2 - Insert the 64 channels into your track.
Step 3 - Name the channels. At this point they are still in Unit/Channel order. DO NOT MOVE ANY CHANNELS!!!
Step 4 - Duplicate Track
Step 5 - Rename Track1 to "MASTER TRACK" - Rename Track2 to "WORKING TRACK"

You are now free to move channels around in your Working track. If you decide in later years you do not need a channel from the WORKING track, you would simply REMOVE it from the track (NOT DELETE!)

For more on tracks .. See this.

In the new version of software there is an option to 'Lock' a track. This will prevent you from making changes, even in other tracks, that would affect the locked track. For example, you can't DELETE a channel from your Working track if your Master track is locked. You can remove the channel from the track, but not delete it.

The key to remember with tracks is that channels are stored in (what I call) computer readable form, versus human readable. You don't even see the "computer readable" format when looking at the sequence.
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Don wrote:

Amie wrote:
If I make one change to a channel, I have to upload every sequence and inport the new channel configuration file and resave.

This is how it's supposed to work. You edit your channels and export to a LCC (Light-O-Rama Channel Configuration) file.


If one change to a LCC were to automatically change all sequences, it would greatly impact those who sequence for others. For example, if I edited my house and exported it to a new LCC and the software automatically applied that to all sequences on the PC, then I would have a real problem. All of my customer sequences would be affected.



I am going to have to politely disagree with you. It may be how it is designed, but I believe it is a poor design. Why would changing the LCC change ALL sequences on your entire computer, that would be a strange design implementation as well. It would be nice if it worked just like a typical programming language did. Something like html, if you are familiar with that. I think of the LCC as the styles.css of the entire program. For each sequence, you indicate that you want to include that particular styles.css (or LCC file) You can also make changes within the sequence editor that would override what was in the LCC file, if you wanted to. So, the global information stored in the LCC would work for all of your sequences, but there could be changes on the individual sequence level, if needed.

If you are working on several different projects, for different people, you would have their sequences in different folders. So you would also have a different LCC file for that particular project. If you changed an LCC file in one area, it would not affect another area, just the sequences that were linked to that particular file.

In my opinion, the time saved by not having to edit each sequence and reimport the new configuration file could be huge.

If S3 does not fix this issue, I will write code to do this myself. Five years of dealing with this and I'm tired of it. It wastes way too much of my time every year.
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Amie wrote:

If S3 does not fix this issue, I will write code to do this myself. Five years of dealing with this and I'm tired of it. It wastes way too much of my time every year.

Go ahead and start writing the code. I've seen nothing in S3 that would do as you describe.

(And, it would be nice to see a way to tie a sequence to an LCC. Update the LCC, and the sequence would be updated. Wouldn't help me, though, as I change LCC files each year.)
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Amie wrote:

That's what I needed to know...thanks.

Welcome.

For the record, I firmly believe that using Tracks in a sequence, correctly, will resolve many, if not all of your issues.

Besides, you have to open the sequence to program the new elements. The time being added is 5 clicks of the mouse to select the LCC file.
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Is there any lag between the two? On my current computer, the visualizer misses some of what is supposed to be happening even when you turn off Move Grid With Play. I use dual screen, not dual computers.

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Don wrote:

Amie wrote:
That's what I needed to know...thanks.

Welcome.

For the record, I firmly believe that using Tracks in a sequence, correctly, will resolve many, if not all of your issues.

Besides, you have to open the sequence to program the new elements. The time being added is 5 clicks of the mouse to select the LCC file.


I agree with Don, and use his described Master/Working track method.

Works great. You just have to remember to not do anything to alter your master track. Which is what the lock feature will help.
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We obviously have different issues to deal with. Mine being that I don't have ANY control of how my husband lays out the lights every year or where he plugs things in. I program all of the sequences, he puts up the lights. It doesn't matter how detailed I am with him about where to plugs things in, it never happens that way. So I always have to go back and change the unit and circuit numbers at the last minute, before the show starts. And it never fails, something will be wrong or he will move something around, and I will have to change things again.

I understand that you probably do the sequencing and plug everything in yourself, that would make things a lot simpler, but I am stuck with the situation I have. With that said, every year, I end up spending more time going through every sequence, one at a time, importing another changed configuration file, because I had to make a last minute change. I am determined not to do that this year.

I have already started working on the code. It seems simple enough. I think it will just be a matter of creating a batch job that opens a list of sequences and ensures that the correct unit and circuit are assigned to each name.

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Amie wrote:

We obviously have different issues to deal with. Mine being that I don't have ANY control of how my husband lays out the lights every year or where he plugs things in.

WOW!! I can't even IMAGINE trying to sequence that way!!! How do you do it?

You must have the patience of a saint!!!! :P

Obviously you do, with your stage production nightmare!!
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Amie wrote:

Mine being that I don't have ANY control of how my husband lays out the lights every year or where he plugs things in. I program all of the sequences, he puts up the lights. It doesn't matter how detailed I am with him about where to plugs things in, it never happens that way.


Wouldn't that be an easier problem to fix? Like Jim said, I can't imagine not having every channel planned out prior to any sequencing, etc...and, for those of us who are still primarily incadescent-driven, its critical from a power consumption standpoint also.

Seems like handing him one of the quartz hill controller workbooks, or even something done in visio or smartdraw, would make it easier all the way around.

You're a software engineer, and think with an engineering mind..just curious..is he also from an engineering background, or..not?
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Well I have been doing this hobby for about 5 years now and every year I have been in the same boat as Amie.
No matter how hard I plan it seems like 2 days before the show starts I either have a channel that goes bad or something happens and I have to do a new channel config.
So I make the new config, export the config and then have to open all 60 - 80 sequences and import the new config. It has happened to me every year. Sometimes a channel will go out mid season and you have to open every sequence up and make the change, when you have as many sequences as I do you are talking easily over an hours worth of opening, importing, and then saving.
I like your explanation of how a web site works using styles. If we had a master config, make the change and then all the sequences would point to it.

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Amie wrote:

We obviously have different issues to deal with. Mine being that I don't have ANY control of how my husband lays out the lights every year or where he plugs things in. I program all of the sequences, he puts up the lights. It doesn't matter how detailed I am with him about where to plugs things in, it never happens that way. So I always have to go back and change the unit and circuit numbers at the last minute, before the show starts. And it never fails, something will be wrong or he will move something around, and I will have to change things again.

I understand that you probably do the sequencing and plug everything in yourself, that would make things a lot simpler, but I am stuck with the situation I have. With that said, every year, I end up spending more time going through every sequence, one at a time, importing another changed configuration file, because I had to make a last minute change. I am determined not to do that this year.

I have already started working on the code. It seems simple enough. I think it will just be a matter of creating a batch job that opens a list of sequences and ensures that the correct unit and circuit are assigned to each name.

Maybe I am missing something...

Amie wouldn't it be easier to move extension cords?

If you code each cord then you could easily make the change.

If he mounting the controllers in the wrong spot then just change the controller ID.
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PaulXmas wrote:


Maybe I am missing something...

Amie wouldn't it be easier to move extension cords?

that's what I was thinking....

or even easier yet...

don't let your husband set things up... :P
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jimswinder wrote:

PaulXmas wrote:

Maybe I am missing something...

Amie wouldn't it be easier to move extension cords?

that's what I was thinking....

or even easier yet...

don't let your husband set things up...  :P


Or.... New husband
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Jeff. inoticed on your wireless laptop vimeo video; you have icicle lights on the eaves.

when I talked to Dan at the Christmas expo , he said no icicle lights in the visualizer. have they been added?...awesome if so.

If not, could you tell me how you created the icicles.

Thank You.
best,
David

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  • 3 weeks later...

Don wrote:

Amie wrote:
If I make one change to a channel, I have to upload every sequence and inport the new channel configuration file and resave.

This is how it's supposed to work. You edit your channels and export to a LCC (Light-O-Rama Channel Configuration) file.

Then you open the sequences that need the new configuration, and import the LCC to each sequence.

If one change to a LCC were to automatically change all sequences, it would greatly impact those who sequence for others. For example, if I edited my house and exported it to a new LCC and the software automatically applied that to all sequences on the PC, then I would have a real problem. All of my customer sequences would be affected.

Step 1 - Create a new animation sequence.
(For this example, we have 64 channels)
Step 2 - Insert the 64 channels into your track.
Step 3 - Name the channels. At this point they are still in Unit/Channel order. DO NOT MOVE ANY CHANNELS!!!
Step 4 - Duplicate Track
Step 5 - Rename Track1 to "MASTER TRACK" - Rename Track2 to "WORKING TRACK"

You are now free to move channels around in your Working track. If you decide in later years you do not need a channel from the WORKING track, you would simply REMOVE it from the track (NOT DELETE!)

For more on tracks .. See this.

In the new version of software there is an option to 'Lock' a track. This will prevent you from making changes, even in other tracks, that would affect the locked track. For example, you can't DELETE a channel from your Working track if your Master track is locked. You can remove the channel from the track, but not delete it.

The key to remember with tracks is that channels are stored in (what I call) computer readable form, versus human readable. You don't even see the "computer readable" format when looking at the sequence.
I am trying desperately to understand tracks..on the "see this" link it talks about going from 32 to 48 channels and starting a new animation sequence. You already have a master or default track, and then u also have a working track which you have manipulated to get the channels where you want them. It states add 16 channels on the bottom of your default track. Then you will have to right click, copy to the other or working track each of those 16 channels that you just added. So am i reading this as after you add the new channels to your default track, you have to name them, and then go to the working track and add 16 channels there and thats where the copy comes in ??

When you add new channels, it doesn't recognize it as a new controller, so why when starting the new sequence, didn't we just put in 48 channels instead of 32 instead of adding them at the bottom...this is confusing the hell out of me and i don't like it! I have read and read and read, and its just not sinking in. Any help would be appreciated
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