Create a Matrix in SS

[Spud67]

I have three CCP controllers and would like the make a matrix sign out of them to run text across to give in formation to the light show guests.

 

The matrix would be 25 pixels by 12 pixels. The first controller would be on the lower right as it would appear from the front of the matrix.

 

Should I be using SS for this or PE? Which is easier to use and sequence text with?

 

I have worked with both a little success. Most of my sequencing is done right now with SS and I have not used PE at all, just learning. I have watched some of the tutorial views on PE but not all of them, so I am still learning.

 

This is a new prop I want to build and start using next season so there is no rush but I would like to figure it out and get the programming set up in the new year.

 

Please assist in how I need to set this up in SS or PE.

 

Thank you in advance and Merry Christmas.

 

 

[k6ccc]

If I were to do that, I would do it in SuperStar.  My other comment is that 25 pixels wide is REALLY short for a matrix to put words onto, IMHO.  I would be looking at fewer rows and make it longer.  Options would be (to keep within your 300 pixels total):  6 x 50, 7 x 42, 8 x 37, 9 x 33, 10 x 20, or 11 x 27.  Obviously 6 x 50 would be the easiest, but six pixels high might also be quite limiting.  The other options require some variety of zig zagging which is not all that hard in software, but without cutting and extending the distance between pixels might be very hard to accomplish (and voiding the warranty).  You can make any arrangement you want in a visualization and import that into SuperStar.  I think you can in PE as well, but I have not really used PE enough to know...

[BrianBruderer]

Since I am the programmer for SuperStar I'm a bit partial to SuperStar. But I expect the Pixel Editor would do the job as well.

 

For superstar do the following, (you may have already done this)

 

1) Click on the Tools menu and select Layout

2) select CCR Mode

    Nbr Of CCRs = 6

   Light Type = CCR

   Ribbon Oreintation = Horizontal

   Ribbon Shape = Straight

  Ribbon Length = Half

  Location of Ribbon Controllers = Right

3) Click on Ok

 

Note that with the above settings the first string will start on the lower right, go left snake up and reverse going to the right.

The second string will start on the right, go to the left, snake up and reverse going to the right. etc

 

As for doing the text, there are two tutorials on that. Go to the Lightorama main page, click on Support, then click on Tutorials. The superstar tutorials are near the bottom. There is one on Basic text and one on advanced text.

[Spud67]

Thank k6ccc and Brian.

 

The layout I am thinking of for 25 x 12 pixels is to have the pixels at 2 inches apart form each other in a 2 inch by 2 inch matrix. This would give me a matrix approx. 4 feet by 2 feet. My reasoning for this large matrix is because we live in the country just off of a major highway and our driveway is about 1/8 mile long. Most guests drive in the yard to view the show but we do have some that sit on the side of the highway. We would like everyone to be able to see the show and the sign.

 

I also do not want to cut and splice any of the strings to make a matrix. The plan was just like Brian mentioned for the layout, I just was not having any luck with the layout and how it looked when I tried to run a simulation.

 

Thanks again guys. I appreciate your help.

[BrianBruderer]

When you say "you were not having much luck with the layout and how it looked when I tried to run a simulation" can you give some details of how it looked?

 

The "10-12x12 Bold - System" font is the easiest to read. But you can only fit 3 upper case letters on a 25x12 grid.

 

Using the "8-8x8 Thin - System" font you can fit 4 upper case letters on a 25x12 grid

 

If you are scrolling the text you will want to do it slowly to make it readable. The way to slow down the text is to lengthen the effect.

[Spud67]

Thanks Brian.

 

I have been looking at things again and found that I had selected CCB's and not CCR's.

I change my layout to be CCB and I am much happier with the way it looks.

Yes I had to slow it down as well.

 

Once I get the matrix built in the new year I will work with this much more so I can really see what it looks like.

 

Thanks

[BrianBruderer]

If you are using a recent version of the software the 3 options are:

 

CCR in Normal Mode or CCB/CCP in Dual Normal Mode

 

CCB/CCP in Normal Mode

 

Firefli

 

The first two options should not look any different on the computer screen. To do what you are doing the software is expecting for you to use "CCR in Normal Mode or CCB/CCP in Dual Normal Mode"

[indi]

I as well is looking to do a matrix for next year. I will be upgrading to S$ pro after this season, but I plan to use 10 strings of 50 pixels per string and zig zag so I will have 25 pixels per string. I hope this will work. Don't know if I should use  dual normal for the zig zag or not.

[Spud67]

Hi Brian I tried things again and nothing appears to work when I look at it on the simulation with Visualizer.

I can't even read the text on Visualizer, it just looks like garbage. There is text going two different directions.

 

Can I send you the files and you can take a look as see what I have done wrong?

[Spud67]

Hi again Brian.

 

I started all over again with a new visualization, exported that to SS, sequenced some text and exported that to Sequence Editor.

 

I have no idea what I did different from before Christmas but this time around it all worked and looks good in the visualizer when I run the file in SE.

 

Hope your Christmas and New Year celebrations went well. Thanks for your help and thanks for SS. I use it all the time for sequencing my show.

[BrianBruderer]

Glad it is working

[martfee]

I want to build a matrix screen that is 30 pixels long in 30 30 rows giving a total use of 900 pixels. From what I can work out in Superstar ver 3.9 I can only have 24 rows, is there any way of creating the 30 row matrix in Superstar 3.9 ?

 

Thanks and Happy New Year to All

 

Martin

[BrianBruderer]

v3.9 was released on 12/11/2012

 

I actually don't have a record of what the maximum number of rows was in that release.  Make a visualization in the visualizer, import it into superstar and see what it does.

 

I know it will work in a more recent release.

[Ed K]

Hi, Brian,

BTW, SuperStar is my preference, too, but I'm not the heavy-weight you are.  Excellent tool IMHO.

I wanted to test how to develop sequences in which I will have a DMX-based matrix.  Not to get into too much detail, but to just test what it will take, I created a simple 16 X 9 matrix of DMX pixels in Visualizer for, and used the Wizard to assign the 144 pixel string to Universe 1, with the first pixel at bottom right and snaking left then right.  I saved this Visualizer file.  

In SuperStar, I imported the Visualizer file, and the matrix is there -- all good so far.  I opened the Text mode tool, put in some text, scrolled right to left, and clicked on add.  When I run this, the text runs in a mirror image, i.e., what it would look like if I were standing behind the matrix.  And, only the text looks like it would if I were standing behind the matrix.  The text itself does scroll right to left, it's just that it starts at the end of the text string, and the letters are all backwards. 

Any suggestions on what causes this and how to fix it?

Thanks.

Ed

[BrianBruderer]

You should not be seeing a mirror image, it sounds like a bug. What version are you running? Please email your visualization to brian@superstarlights.com and I will take a look at it. The visualization file will end with .lee and should be at;

c:/ (your lightorama folder) / Visualizations / Editor

[Ed K]

Version of SuperStar is 4_CCR Version 4.2.10, and I have Pro version of LOR's software. Attached is my visualization file.  I will be updating to more channels for SuperStar, but for right now I'm piloting DMX to see how to work with DMX in SuperStar. 

 

BTW, the Visualizer has always worked as advertised for me, in terms of my non-RGB LEDs and my CCRs (I import to SuperStar, create sequences, export to SE, open in SE, see the DMX channels at bottom of SE, and run the sequence).  It is only for this attached visualization file, where for the first time I was testing how to control DMX using LOR software, that I ran into the issue.  

I imported the attached .lee into SuperStar, opened the text mode, put in some text string, set right-to-left scroll, then ran it.  That's where I see the backwards facing text.

 

 

MyHouse01 - TEST MY CCRs REAL.lee

[BrianBruderer]

Thank you for sending the visualization file. I took a look at it and as you say, the sequencing grid is reversed which makes the text reversed. It also makes morphs and other effects go backwards.

I looked at the visualization in the visualizer. Double click on "Matrix - DMX Pixels 1" in the Fixtures list. In the Fixture Properties dialog box that comes up, click on the "SuperStar" button. In the dialog box that appears you should find that "Reverse Order in SuperStar" is selected. Unselect "Reverse Order in SuperStar", click on Ok, save the visualization and import to superstar again and it should no longer be reversed.

[Ed K]

Thanks very much, you found I caused this with tat setting.  I changed it in Visualizer, imported into SS, and it works.  

 

One other related question:  It works in SS, but in a 4 second long sequence I inert to test Text mode, the first letter in my sample text string does not appear in the matrix (I'm in SuperStar running the sequence) until about 1.5 seconds.  This also was occurring before I just fixed the error I made in Visualizer).

 

 

[Ed K]

Brian,

I'm not sure whether my reply got posted, but thanks for resolving my issue.  As you uncovered, the cause of my reverse text in SuperStar was that I had checked "Reverse Order in SuperStar" for my fixture in Visualizer.

Ed