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LOR S3 update?


Alan Hanson

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  I've searched to forum briefly for an answer and have popped back quite regularly to check on Dan's regular (sic) updates on http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/31584-light-o-rama-software-development-updates/ . With the prospect of regular updates from Dan and the news that Matt Brown of xlights fame is on the job I've held off from sequencing the extra few thousand channels I've added this year or from jumping ship to LSP or Vixen 3. I'm likely to use my copy of LSP just after I have both my eyes poked out and have my fingers removed. Vixen however looked like it had come a long way from it's earlier horrendousness when I saw it demoed a few months ago. Whilst I have been procrastinating over the last few days I have had a play with Vixen 3. Some of the stuff it does it brilliant. A whole hell of a lot I think "why couldn't that be done as easy as lor".

  Anyway to the crux of the question which I expect will be dodged by the people could actually answer it. Is LOR coming out with an upgrade to S3 anytime real soon and if so how soon?

  I really don't want to change the most important part of my ACL signature file.

sig.jpg

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It is coming out but I'm like everyone else, I don't know what date or how drastic the changes will be. From the descriptions that have been coming out, it'll be a significant upgrade. However, at this time of the year for us to do the final changes to our shows and get ready to put out the props and start putting up lights, its coming way too late to chance altering our shows this season.  Don't get me wrong, I know software pretty well and what they are doing is complex beyond what most people can imagine and we LOR users are a discriminating bunch in that we want it to work right the first time. I think they've been pretty clear in that it'll be ready, when its ready and even then, I'm guessing it'll be in a "beta" version for initial testing.

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None of the forum, developer or beta gurus know enough to share or has there been a gag order so those who to know about an upgrade are left in the dark.

I really hate some of the stuff that Vixen 3 does but unless LOR comes to the party in the next couple of weeks I'll have to drop it after about 8 years :(

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What it comes down to is being left in the dark.  That is after Dan has said he would come out with weekly updates.  It started off strong...for 2...maybe 3 weeks, then silence.  This is totally common with LOR over the last 8 years.  If they stick to their usual release schedules, they will come out with an update, but it will probably be in the late November/December timeframe...at which time it'll be too late for this year.  I was hoping they would change their communication and planning, but that just hasn't happened...

 

But, instead of the addressing the main problem, let's talk about our Summer Sale!  Yaaa!!  Now they spent more time on getting hardware products into their store, but the software to drive those products is really...really falling behind the times and can't keep up with RGB design. 

 

Combine all of these and you get many considering leaving LOR software behind and moving on to another product that is available now and performs RGB much more efficiently.

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Are people allowed to write plugins for LOR?

 

I'm a little worried than once the update does come out, it won't have what I'm hoping it'll have in it.

If it's possible, I'm a little tempted to dust off my programming hat..... how do all these other places make their software LOR compatible?

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  All the other tools that I have seen work on the xml files that LOR uses or the clipboard files. Any development that you're willing to do would be great and as it seems we are never going to hear what is happening with Dans weekly updates. I keep living in hope and checking back here every day or so. LOR has been historically so much easier to use than LSP, HLS or Vixen but it seems that this year LOR is determined to drive people away through completely ignoring the fact that within a month most people will either be fully sequenced or will be so entrenched in sequencing that they won't want to risk having a crash and burn that close to Christmas.

  I am completely and utterly disgusted that not 1 person form the ranks of LOR has deigned to let the rank and file LOR users know what is going on.

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I use to write software, till I retired, for use on spacecraft testing. Mine was very, very complex and I wasn't allowed to have any mistakes within. It had to be perfect. Each time I was set to release an update to it, I had to go through extremes to test the code and insure it worked flawlessly, then had to do lots of simulations, meetings, approvals and etc...before it was actually put into place for real use. I'm not saying the LOR software is as complex as mine was as it probably isn't. BUT, they have a lot of discriminating users out here with multiple different types of computers, hardware, OS's, memory, video cards, sound cards, 32 bit, 64 bit machines....and so much more. Their software has to work for everyone on everyone's machines and lets say someone downloads its before its ready and it doesn't work....their show is suddenly stopped or doesn't work right and they are more than slightly upset. If that person also saved a sequence in the new version, they probably cannot go backwards either, so their show could get trashed before it even starts. From the sounds of it, this coming update is more than complex and a large change. Please accept my word for it that you'd rather have them doing it right the first time than chance not having it work.

 

People would be howling up a storm if it wasn't near perfect or better. For those with larger displays, most will probably not update this year, at this point, now that we're ready to put up the displays and we're down to the final sequencing efforts.

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Now I know who to blame for Nasa getting cut..... it's all your fault dgrant!!!!! If you had put animated lights on the sides of the shuttle..... it'd still be flying!!!!

LOL!!!!

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LOL...I wish! As fun as that would have been, we all know all too well, that Congress cutting back NASA was a huge mistake for all of the people on this planet. Our future is in space, so that at a minimum, we can at least look down at those fantastic Christmas displays! There was a Christmas movie on and something about being able to be seen from space. Don't remember the name of the movie but it was cute.

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LOL...I wish! As fun as that would have been, we all know all too well, that Congress cutting back NASA was a huge mistake for all of the people on this planet. Our future is in space, so that at a minimum, we can at least look down at those fantastic Christmas displays! There was a Christmas movie on and something about being able to be seen from space. Don't remember the name of the movie but it was cute.

Deck the halls with Danny decito I believe

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Well this is one person that will not jump ship. I will continue to use LOR until it doesn't work for me, if that time ever comes.

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+1 on Ron

(Dan - your loyal subjects Ron & myself should now be first in line for the S4 auto sequencing upgrade we know you are working on. )

- Daniel

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I have no intention of "Jumpig Ship."  For what LOR does or for what I do, there is nothing better for the price. Patience.

 

Thanks Dan!  Keep up the good work.

Edited by Alien407
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LOL...I wish! As fun as that would have been, we all know all too well, that Congress cutting back NASA was a huge mistake for all of the people on this planet. Our future is in space, so that at a minimum, we can at least look down at those fantastic Christmas displays! There was a Christmas movie on and something about being able to be seen from space. Don't remember the name of the movie but it was cute.

 

 believe the movie was "Deck the Halls" :)

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I think with the addition of the xLights code base and bringing on Matt Brown it's safe in my mind that this year is out for anything but laying the foundation for next year. 

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