SuperStar use across multiple networks / features

[Davidt]

Brian,

I’m interested in SuperStar but need to confirm if it can do a few things before I purchase a 24 CCR version.



My display this year will comprise 2 large features comprising CCBs (when they are released). The first is a 12 CCB Mega Tree (across 3 networks) and the second feature is setup as 10 CCBs (across another 3 networks) as driveway arches for people to walk under. From what I can see, SS is limited to a maximum of 4 networks which would limit my ability to have 2 features configured at the same time.



My first question is whether I can set up 2 SS configurations, one for each feature?



My second question relates to exporting SS sequences and importing them into the LOR SE. I already have a template setup for my sequences in the LOR SE, based on Unit ID, followed by Channel ID for each of the CCB features. I generally use a fixed cell width of 0.05s, which from what I can see matches SS. If I import the SS file into LOR SE can I simply copy / paste the cell data across from the imported SS rows into my existing CCB/CCR SE cells, then remove the SS rows?

I hope this makes sense and thanks in advance,

davidt

[WilliamS]

Davidt wrote:

Brian,

I’m interested in SuperStar but need to confirm if it can do a few things before I purchase a 24 CCR version.



My display this year will comprise 2 large features comprising CCBs (when they are released). The first is a 12 CCB Mega Tree (across 3 networks) and the second feature is setup as 10 CCBs (across another 3 networks) as driveway arches for people to walk under. From what I can see, SS is limited to a maximum of 4 networks which would limit my ability to have 2 features configured at the same time.



My first question is whether I can set up 2 SS configurations, one for each feature?



My second question relates to exporting SS sequences and importing them into the LOR SE. I already have a template setup for my sequences in the LOR SE, based on Unit ID, followed by Channel ID for each of the CCB features. I generally use a fixed cell width of 0.05s, which from what I can see matches SS. If I import the SS file into LOR SE can I simply copy / paste the cell data across from the imported SS rows into my existing CCB/CCR SE cells, then remove the SS rows?

I hope this makes sense and thanks in advance,

davidt

Heres a few assumptions on my part. You can setup a few more visualizers to keep in that 4 network realm. So your CCR tree you would sequence, then the CCBs in thier own imported visualizer, and so on. Then once you export them all, combine them into 1 sequence. This would be 1 way to do it. You can infact copy and paste using SE from SuperStar exported files, I do it nightly.

As well with them toying with 1.31 they will have to do something as soon a virtual unlimited amount of universes will soon be avaialble. Im sure Brian is already at work on this.

[Davidt]

Thanks for the suggestions William (and also thanks to Brandon offline). I'm now making some progress.

Originally I had tried importing a large visualisation of the house, with all of the features, but it kept crashing SS.

Once I made several smaller visualisations that only had a single CCR/CCB feature, eg Visualisation 1 for a Mega Tree, Visualisation 2 for the Driveway Arches and Visualisation 3 for some circles it all came together.

Thanks,

davidt

[WilliamS]

Im not certain on the prop limit for Superstar but I have over 3000 channels of crap on mine right now and only issue Ive had so far is how long it takes to play the sequence. Thats my computer Im certain of that. Remember though with SuperStar you can like I said just make a visualizer thats just your Mega Tree, one that is your CCB's, and the rest for your house then import them make the sequence then Export to SE. Few steps but make it happen. Your show is going to be rediculous.

[BrianBruderer]

Davidt wrote:

Brian,

I’m interested in SuperStar but need to confirm if it can do a few things before I purchase a 24 CCR version.



My display this year will comprise 2 large features comprising CCBs (when they are released).  The first is a 12 CCB Mega Tree (across 3 networks) and the second feature is setup as 10 CCBs (across another 3 networks) as driveway arches for people to walk under.  From what I can see, SS is limited to a maximum of 4 networks which would limit my ability to have 2 features configured at the same time.



My first question is whether I can set up 2 SS configurations, one for each feature? 



My second question relates to exporting SS sequences and importing them into the LOR SE.  I already have a template setup for my sequences in the LOR SE, based on Unit ID, followed by Channel ID for each of the CCB features.  I generally use a fixed cell width of 0.05s, which from what I can see matches SS.  If I import the SS file into LOR SE can I simply copy / paste the cell data across from the imported SS rows into my existing CCB/CCR SE cells, then remove the SS rows?

I hope this makes sense and thanks in advance,

davidt

Sorry to take so long to reply to this, I hadn't looked at the forum for a while.

Currently, SuperStar supports up to 24 sequencing rows. If you are CCR/CCB mode then each sequencing row is a CCR or a CCB. You could sequence your 12 CCB tree separately, export it, and then copy/paste what you exported into your main sequence. You could do the same with your other 10 CCBs. When you copy/paste, you are only copying the channel commands, and so the 4 network limit does not come into play because you will be assigning the Unit IDs and network assignments in your main sequence, and then when you paste in the sequence, the sequence takes on whatever Unit IDs and network assignements you have in your main sequence.

However, I realize that doing a sequence piece meal like that is a pain. That is the reason I introduced the visualization mode last year. You could make a visualization that has your 12 CCB tree and 10 other CCBs and your other lights. However, currently, because there is a limit of 24 sequencing rows, your CCBs would take up 22 sequencing rows and you would be left with 2 rows for your other lights. 2 sequencing rows will support 100 channels if each channel is assinged to an isolated light. If you have light strings where they are in groups of 4, (such as red, green, blue, and white) then 2 sequencing rows will support 400 channels. But I expect that you have a large display such that you will need more than 2 sequencing rows to do your other lights. So for this year I would like to double the number of sequencing rows, and I should support the full 16 networks that the Sequence Editor supports.

The other issue is that even if SuperStar supported enough sequencing rows for a visualization of all of your lights, you probably already have sequences for your other lights, so you probably just want to sequence the CCBs in SuperStar and then export them and copy/paste them into your main sequence.

The only time you would probably consider using a visualization to sequence all of your lights is for creating a completely new sequence, or for doing an Instant Sequence on all of your lights.

Hope this helps.

[Davidt]

BrianBruderer wrote:

Sorry to take so long to reply to this, I hadn't looked at the forum for a while.

No problems Brian, it looks like you've been busy in the background. I've managed to get over most of the hurdles by separating the various features and it is now working quite well.

One thing I've noticed is that when working in SS is that it uses a 0.05 second timing grid, but as soon as I try to open it in SE (either through SS Export or directly opening the SUP file in LOR SE 3.2.0 or 3.1.4) the timing grid changes to 0.1 second. I then need to manually change the fixed timing grid of the imported file back to 0.05 second before I can copy / paste into my existing 0.05 second sequences. Is this normal? I have SE configured to use 0.05 second fixed timing grids for both LAS and LMS.

Cheers,

davidt

[BrianBruderer]

Davidt wrote:

BrianBruderer wrote:

Sorry to take so long to reply to this, I hadn't looked at the forum for a while.

No problems Brian, it looks like you've been busy in the background.  I've managed to get over most of the hurdles by separating the various features and it is now working quite well.

One thing I've noticed is that when working in SS is that it uses a 0.05 second timing grid, but as soon as I try to open it in SE (either through SS Export or directly opening the SUP file in LOR SE 3.2.0 or 3.1.4) the timing grid changes to 0.1 second.  I then need to manually change the fixed timing grid of the imported file back to 0.05 second before I can copy / paste into my existing 0.05 second sequences.  Is this normal?  I have SE configured to use 0.05 second fixed timing grids for both LAS and LMS.

Cheers,

davidt

It would be easy to change the exported timing grid to 0.05 seconds. I have had other people comment on that also. However, when doing copy/paste, the timing grid does not get copied so you should not have to change it before doing the copy/paste.

[Davidt]

BrianBruderer wrote:

It would be easy to change the exported timing grid to 0.05 seconds. I have had other people comment on that also. However, when doing copy/paste, the timing grid does not get copied so you should not have to change it before doing the copy/paste.

Hi Brian,

Sorry, we have deviated away from the original topic. The timing grid from a SS sequence does impact here when I try to copy / paste it into a SE LMS sequence.

Example:

I create a 1 second sequence in SS and it displays it in a 0.05 second timing grid (eg 20 cells).

When I export the sequence from SS (or open the SUP in SE) it displays the same 1 second in a 0.1 second fixed timing grid (eg 10 cells).

I then copy / paste these 10 cells into an existing SE LMS sequence, that has been set with 0.05 second fixed timing grid, and it pastes it into 10 cells of the LMS timing grid (eg: 0.5 second), or half the length that it should be. It does not display the imported sequence across the full 1 second (eg 20 cells).

I think this could possibly be rectified if the user could define the timing grid (used for both sequencing and export) in SS. I'm not sure how this goes with timing grids other than fixed timing grids as I don't tend to use them.

Hope that makes sense and helps.

Regards,

davidt

[BrianBruderer]

Davidt wrote:

BrianBruderer wrote:

It would be easy to change the exported timing grid to 0.05 seconds. I have had other people comment on that also. However, when doing copy/paste, the timing grid does not get copied so you should not have to change it before doing the copy/paste.

Hi Brian,

Sorry, we have deviated away from the original topic.  The timing grid from a SS sequence does impact here when I try to copy / paste it into a SE LMS sequence.

Example:

I create a 1 second sequence in SS and it displays it in a 0.05 second timing grid (eg 20 cells).

When I export the sequence from SS (or open the SUP in SE) it displays the same 1 second in a 0.1 second fixed timing grid (eg 10 cells).

I then copy / paste these 10 cells into an existing SE LMS sequence, that has been set with 0.05 second fixed timing grid, and it pastes it into 10 cells of the LMS timing grid (eg: 0.5 second), or half the length that it should be. It does not display the imported sequence across the full 1 second (eg 20 cells).

I think this could possibly be rectified if the user could define the timing grid (used for both sequencing and export) in SS.  I'm not sure how this goes with timing grids other than fixed timing grids as I don't tend to use them.

Hope that makes sense and helps.

Regards,

davidt

Good point. I am still learning also. Turns out that how things get copy/pasted has several modes. In the panel that pops out from the left, there is a clipboards subpanel, and in that subpanel are four paste modes
1) Paste by cell
2) Paste by time
3) Stretch to fit
4) Repeat to fit
If you select "Past by time" then it will ignore the timing grid when you do the paste and will make the effects span across the same period of time as they did when you copied them.

As for having control of the timing grid within SuperStar, I realize that would be a desirable feature, but to be honest I don't think I will get to it this year. I have a prioritized list of things to do and I don't think I will make it far enough down the list to make it so you can define the grid within SuperStar. Defining the grid upon export is easy, I have already changed it to be 0.05 seconds on export.

[Davidt]

BrianBruderer wrote:

If you select "Past by time" then it will ignore the timing grid when you do the paste and will make the effects span across the same period of time as they did when you copied them.

My bad Brian... I didn't even realise there was a Paste by Time option. Thanks for pointing that out as once I clicked it my problem disappeared straight away

Cheers,

davidt