Spiral Tree or Animate Pixels into Spirals?

[whyintheworld]

So next year, I want to add a spiral tree to our display.  I've been reading about how to construct one and also how people sometimes mix straight mega strands along with wrapping either CW or sometimes both CW and CCW.  At that point, wouldn't it be easier and feasible to just do straight mega strands in pixels and animate the pixels in the spiral effect?  Or would it lose the "spiral" part of the tree too much? 

If it is necessary to keep the spiral strands using pixels, is it still a good idea to wrap both CW and CCW if you want to spiral up either direction?  So much to read... so little time!  This is my first year and it was all AC controllers, but next year I'm going to venture into RGB and try and add the spiral and firesticks/starbursts.  I figure I might as well do those both in RGB since I don't see AC as the long term plan...

Thanks!

[B.Y.R.G.]

I too am going to add a 360° tree next year and will be going pixels with straight lines.  Here is a clip from the GCLF this year showing a few pixel trees about what I'm talking about.  I feel the spiral effect will be just as good if not better since you have so many color combinations vs. traditional 4 color spiral tree.  I could be wrong since I've never seen it perform in person but they look good (pixel mega trees) in the videos I've seen.

 

[OzAz]

If building a "MegaTree" (180, 270 or 360 degrees) straight smart pixel strips, or bullets/nodes, is the way to go these days. LOR are even selling kits now (not a personal recommendation, for example only)

Not only can the software emulate spirals but you can do a whole lot more exhibit A

for small spirals trees, a single 5m/16ft smart pixel strip wrapped around a tomato plant trainer is ideal, eg: small spiral trees

Majority of trees you see with multiple strands wrapped in spirals aren't using smart pixels and that was the only way to do "effects" in the past.

 

IMHO