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Channel configuration question


alaskastudio

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This is my first year trying to run everything from Superstar (via enhanced networks) now that I am almost purely pixels. When I am in Superstar's configuration setup I have Standard Network set as Unit ID 1-4, and I am trying to set Aux A to Unit ID's 1-12 and it is giving me an error that the unit IDs from the standard network and the aux a network overlap. Why does this matter? They are on separate networks. In the past I had always used Superstar to program then export into the Sequence Editor. This year I am trying the enhanced network approach in order to reduce my network overhead. I know in the sequence editor I have overlapped unit ID's for the past 6 years and never had a problem. Why is it a problem in Superstar? Is there a way around it? 

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This is my first year trying to run everything from Superstar (via enhanced networks) now that I am almost purely pixels. When I am in Superstar's configuration setup I have Standard Network set as Unit ID 1-4, and I am trying to set Aux A to Unit ID's 1-12 and it is giving me an error that the unit IDs from the standard network and the aux a network overlap. Why does this matter? They are on separate networks. In the past I had always used Superstar to program then export into the Sequence Editor. This year I am trying the enhanced network approach in order to reduce my network overhead. I know in the sequence editor I have overlapped unit ID's for the past 6 years and never had a problem. Why is it a problem in Superstar? Is there a way around it?

 

I think the answer may be what is  the definition of "a network" - I use two "networks" on my layout, a highspeed one for a 12 CCR tree and a standard speed LOR network for six other controllers.  I have always uniquely numbered each device - then assign it to the proper "LOR Network" it uses.   I do use a combination of LOR and Superstar work and it all works.  I suspect that a Unit ID should not/cannot occur on multiple networks by overall design.

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You are correct that you can use the same Unit ID on different networks. I just figure it is a good practice to not have duplicate Unit IDs because that way you can change what controllers are on what network and they will never conflict. And the way the superstar dialog box works is that you define the ranges of unit IDs for each network, and then unit IDs that fall in that range get assigned to that network.

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So is there a way to manually tell superstar what Unit ID are for which controller or override the configuration setup? The issue I am running into is all of my controllers are already programmed and installed around my yard, house, eves, etc and I am trying to avoid having to go through and reassign my unit ID's. Also since my sequences from last year or earlier are already programmed to the unit ID's I currently use.

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In CCR mode the unit IDs are assigned from the Configuration dialog box.

 

In Visualization mode you import a visualization of your display and superstar gets all the unit ID information from the visualization.

 

Do you have a visualization of your display?

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I do, but I am trying to incorporate purchased sequences of yours into the rest of my display. I have two CCP trees. Would it work if I create a viz for each one tree, import it into the sequence, export it to a intensity file, then merge all intensity files when done? 

 

Also as a side note it would be really cool to be able to have one network identically clone another network so in cases like this where I have 2 CCP trees on different networks they will always display the identical sequence without the extra programming/processing/network overhead.

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So I tried doing it that way and it worked for the tree, but the star no longer shows up. Is there a special way to create the star in the visualizer so it will directly work with SS files bought from you? Or do you happen to have a visualizer file that only has a 12 strand CCR tree with star that I can modify the channels on?

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Boy, I can answer that one...

 

I have a visualization for my entire display - about 5,000 channels.  I am currently working on Wizards in Winter which I purchased from Brian last year, but did not use.  To complicate it, my star is 1,080 channels instead of the "normal" 6 channels.  My tree is 12 strings of 50 pixels for the "normal" 1,800 channels.

 

With some help from Brian, I built a visualization that is used for the grid in SuperStar that specifies exactly where each string is in the grid.  Each ring of my star is a row in the grid.  I manually went through the entire sequence and moved the 6 channels of the original star to the appropriate one row of my star.  Since the entire star is in scenes, this is pretty easy (but there are a lot of scenes to modify).

 

Now I'm going through the sequence and adding the rest of my yard into that sequence.  Currently working on my 300 CCPs in 6 arches.  The rest of the yard will be easy by comparison to that task.  Hope to have the arches done Monday....

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Yeah that's part of my problem. My whole display is in one viz file, and now I am going through and breaking it apart into different sections. Now that I have switched my Cosmic Color devices over to the new "enhanced" network I am having to reprogram everything. None of my old files that are straight through the SE software want to control the pixels anymore. I'm not sure why they made it so if you run advanced it cant run legacy as well. You would think they would have made it if the software was set to enhanced mode, but it does not find a intensity file it defaults to legacy for that one song. I'm hoping Brian has an easy way or has a viz file of the 12 CCR tree with 6 channel star he can share. I tried to make one, but cant get the star part to work with his SS files.

 

That and I just found out one of our older 4 channel stars is broke beyond repair (at least my repair for the time i have) so I had to order a new one from Brian tonight! I hope it gets here in time! Display is supposed to start day after Thanksgiving. I have a feeling I will be starting it one star short, but on the flip side it is a great excuse to upgrade from a 4 channel to a 6 channel star. I think I am going to add a few CCP globes next year, but I am thinking about hanging them in trees. I haven't seen that one done yet. 

 

 

I'm running:

Regular Network (easy linkers):

4 - CTB16PC's

2 - CMD24D's

 

Aux A (500k Enhanced):

6 - CCP's

4 - CCR's

 

Aux B (500k Enhanced):

4 - CCP's

 

Aux C (500k Enhanced):

6 - CCB's

1 - CMD24D

 

Aux D (500k Enhanced):

3 - CCP's

Edited by alaskastudio
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There are some visualizations in the Samples folder of the visualizer. There are some visualizations for LOR controllers, and some for DMX. But you have already made one, so you may as well use it.

 

You can get the star channels into a star of a visualization. You do it by clicking on the "superstar" button in the Prop containing the star fixtures. After clicking the superstar button select "this prop is a star/topper".  You then do the following:

 

1) launch superstar

2) open the purchased sequence

3) import your visualization

4) save the sequence to a different name

When you import the visualization the effects for the star get applied to the prop marked "this prop is a star/topper"

This conversion only happens once, if you end up needing to use a different visualization you need to open the original sequence and then import the new visualization

 

As for playing to LOR controllers from an intensity data file; in network preferences click on the LOR network and in the dialog box that pops up select "Enhanced". Also you need to have the "Control Panel" running. But it sounds like you may already be doing both of theses.

 

Also, when you have an intensity data file in a "main" sequence you can still control your lights from the main sequence using the legacy format. And you can still add a subsequence that is in legacy format.

 

But realize that the sequence editor only allows one intensity data file from superstar. If you are sequencing more than one piece of your sequence in superstar, in order to use intensity data format you must export each piece and then use the "Merge Intensity Data Files" feature that is in the File menu of superstar

 

If that doesn't answer all your questions, let me know

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So I got the CCP Tree with star loaded in the Viz software and changed the units ID's where I need them to be at. Then I opened the star in props, clicked on Superstar, Selected "This prop is a Star/Topper", everything else is unchecked, and this prop is a matrix is set to "Let Superstar decide". I then loaded the viz file into Superstar and have tried both selections at the bottom "Use row viz" and "use real viz". The tree and star import good, but it doesn't break off the Star as the separate matrix. It adds the 6 channels to the top of the main matrix. This throws the programming off as now the programming thinks the upper 6 pixels on the far left strand are the star.

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It has to put the star channels somewhere. Where do you want them? If you want them at the very top so that it does not disturb the rows you currently have, then move the star to the very top of the Row visualization.

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Is there a way to move or make the imported star channels the way the default star channels (CCR Mode) are in the software (see attached)? I'm not sure I am doing it right, but in the visualizer I hard set the rows and columns to 1 and -13 respectively and it brought the star to the top, but then it made the tree portion of the sequence off by 1 strand. 

 

All of this is quite a bit to do a work around in order to be able to select the networks and units I would like to use if they are repeating unit ID's. Would it be possible in a future release to maybe pop up the warning of overlapping unit id's, but allow the user to ignore the warning?

post-5860-0-66644200-1448237394_thumb.gi

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In visualization mode everything has to be on the sequencing grid. The rows and columns should be positive numbers. When using a horizontal visualization Column 1 is on the bottom, and the columns go up from there. Row 1 is on the left, and increases as you go right. I know it is confusing, think of it as a vertical grid that has been rotated counterclockwise 90 degrees.

 

It would be a good feature to be able to allow same unit IDs on different networks. Sorry this is causing so much work

 

Do you sequence your lights in pieces? Or do you have everything in one big visualization?

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I used to have one big Sequence Editor file, but starting this year I have broken everything out to try to simplify things. Now I sequence in the following groups in superstar then when I am done; I merge intensity files to load into SE which is where is still program my non Cosmic Color devices. 

 

Programming Groups:

1.) House outline, windows, and under eve CCF's

2.) CCP Tree

3.) CCB Tree

4.) CCR Arches 

5.) All non Cosmic Color Devices

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I will say it would be really awesome to be able to load my entire display into superstar, select an element (or prop) of the the display and have it automatically change the grid to that one prop and program that. I would really help if you are trying to "color wash" a band of color across your whole display.

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So did you have to do a visualization of the superstar tree because ribbons on the tree used the same unit ID but different networks?

 

Is the visualization of the tree the only thing in the visualization, or are there other things in with the tree.

 

Indeed, next year I would like to add the ability to have multiple sequencing grids, so each major prop could have its own sequencing grid.

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By the way, I received your payment for a star. Since you are in Alaska it will cost more to ship it there. Did you get my email concerning that?

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Yes I had to do separate visualization for the trees as they use the same unit ID's but are on different networks. 

 

The tree is just the tree and star/topper.

 

One questions that I have is in order for the star/topper that is in SS to be programmed with the tree I am exporting it all as a intensity file. That also means I have to turn on "enhanced network" for that particular network. Since that is only 12 (two CCP tree stars) of my 88 channels on that network will the control panel run both hard programmed information from SE and the intensity file that is on the same network? If so what will happen if I have an intensity file controlling lets say Unit #1 Channels 1-6, but I accidentally have information hard programmed into the sequence via SE?

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