E1.31 and Superstar?

[chrisuk]

Hi,

I'm totally confused right now, I've got a E682 controller which I've been playing around with xlights.

Ideally I want to use my strips on superstar, however have no idea where to start and what to do? When I'm creating a visualisation do I select CCR's?

Any help would be great.

Thanks

[Ron Boyd]

It all depends on what you're wanting to do. Before I can determine how to help you, I need some additional info. 

 

What are the elements you're wanting to do?

How many pixels?

What's going to be the configuration and how many on each element? ie. arches, pixel tree, windows, house outline?

 

If choosing CCRs for your Superstar visualization, the program exports a CCR  if you complete a S3 visualization with DMX pixels, you can import it into Superstar and it will export the way you have it set up.

Edited October 4, 2014 by Ron Boyd

[chrisuk]

Thanks for the reply, in total in using 8 strips (150 each).

At the moment I will be using the outline of the house and also frames around the windows.

I'd like to be able to use superstar and use the effects like morphing.

[sax]

Setting up visualizer should be your first step.

Assuming that your strips are smart strips not made by LOR then you have the painful task of making one of the strips by hand. Yup, 50 pixels created on your own that you will assign the dmx universe to and each channel. Be sure to put channel one on the correct side.

Once you complete one then you can copy and paste. Then rename each pixel. This is how I made my elements. 2 strips and 2 trees with 90 pixels each. Time consuming. But in the end it works nicely.

Others have tried to import as CCR and try commands to rename it as a dmx device. Those commands do exist but also have limitations...like being able to see the playback in superstar.

Some have made each strip as a CCR. Then export the sequence. Then copy from the CCR created to your own template of channels thus making it work. To view in visualizer you have to have the elements as CCR. This will not allow testing to your actual dmx pixels since they were never made.

By manually entering each pixel I have made sure my visualizer works as dmx and is set up per my display. Importing to superstar allows it to be identical to my sequence editor setup. Export is the correct channels for each element which speeds up the whole from ss to se experience.

Yeah, it is tedious and time consuming. But IMHO it is the best way.

Good luck,

Sax

[Ron Boyd]

chrisuk,

 

To make this a bit easier, once you get all 50 done, don't put in the channel info yet. When you get the first 50 done, create a prop. You can have up to 64 fixtures/pixels in 1 prop. Once you have a prop completed, run the rename wizard and name it something like String 1. Then run the channel wizard and select RGB, DMX Universe #, and then the start channel of the string. There are a couple more boxes in there, but these are what you will change, the rest will be defaults.

 

Once you finish the first prop, copy and paste it again, Run the rename wizard and name it String 2 and then run the channel wizard again. you'll copy and paste 7 times.

 

Sax,

 

if you use the rename wizard, the program will rename the pixels. Using the example above, each pixel will be named String 1 # 1, String 1 # 2, etc. it's a lot easier than naming each one.

[saxon]

chrisuk-

 

This is my first year and I am doing pixels strips, too. I also am doing the outline and windows and am using a sandevice. Ron has helped me a great deal.  Personally, I drew my outline in visualizer using the CCR draw wizard and used 'keywords' to address them and to manipulate the sequencing grid to the way I wanted it. You only need to address the beginning of each prop one time. Since the outline is all we have, use Superstar as the visualizer.

There is thread from this time last year: " Superstar and DMX? " Brian explains exactly how to do it

 

~Matt

[k6ccc]

For those that are daring, it's not all that difficult to manually edit the XML file.  Unless you really understand the file format, I don't recommend manually adding pixels that way as you really do have to get it right, but the one thing you can do fairly easily is cleanup the placement of the pixels.  When you create each pixel in Visualizer as Sax described in post #4, it is fairly hard to place the position accurately enough that a straight line really ends up straight (for example).  It's fairly easy to clean it up by manually editing the XML file.  Obviously save your manually edited version under a new filename so you can always go back if you mess it up.  If you poke around a bit it's fairly easy to find the display placement for your pixels and with a little playing around you can figure out how to clean it up so it looks clean.  Rather tedious, but the results make it look a lot better...

 

BTW, if you are a geek and think that manually coding web pages is fun, you can add large numbers of pixels by manually editing the XML file faster than doing it in Visualizer.  However that is really only for geeks.

[chrisuk]

Thanks for the reply's everyone.

 

My Strips are ' 5m DC5V WS2812B led pixel srip, 30pcs WS2812B/M with 30pixels' 

 

Would this then show as 450 channels? As 1 LED would be 3 channels red/green/blue?

 

Thanks

[sax]

Yeah, rename function saves time.  I'm not going to lie and say I have never used it.  But, after you use it be sure that it worked proper. 

 

Take the time now as you create your props and elements and make sure they are named, numbered and set up proper.  These will be with you for the life of your element.

 

There is nothing worse than thinking that everything is perfect.  Sequenced in SS and exported and then finding out during showtime that one pixel is missing...or swapped...or the colors are wrong. 

 

This visualizer file will be used for all your sequence editor needs...all your superstar needs and be your quality assurance tool as you preview your sequences before showtime.  At least that is what I do before using a sequence in a show.  It is important to verify it is setup right the first time.  Otherwise you could spend hours trying to correct.

 

And since we are on this subject about element setup and creation....please take the time to properly size the element on your visualizer screen.  It is best to actually measure on your house and then place the element in the proper location on your screen but at least use some known measured sizes so that the element is as close as possible to being the correct size.  Super important.

 

OK.  Sorry for the soap box.  But to reward you for listening to my rant here is a 50 pixel DMX strip prop file setup for universe 2 channels 1-150.  Channel 1 is on the left.  You can of course flip the element which will flip the channels in visualizer or you can make the straight line a slant as required. And....the straight line may not be so straight. I made this prop freehand.

 

Anyway, good luck and I hope you find use for the prop file.

 

Sax