Pixel Editor or Sequence Editor

[Dave76]

This topic is similar to others, but I didn't find a good answer (nor may I).  Anyways, brand new to RGB Smart Pixels.  I am starting basically from scratch on my sequences and have been using the Pixel Editor.  I have played around with it and know it's great for making effects on props.  However, before I get too deep in and need to back track I want to make sure I am doing this the best way possible. 

My question is, I see a lot of people setting up smart pixels in Sequence Editor, I assume this is fine, but is it true that it could be more work to sequence roof-lines and window borders this way?  Should I instead be doing this in Pixel Editor by creating connected lines?

I do not have SuperStar, as Pixel Editor effects will suffice (at least for this year).  I want to be able to perform whole house washes, light chases, alternate colors, etc,etc.

Any guidance or suggestions?  Do I do simple single string roof lines in Sequence Editor or PE and create them each as a prop??

 

Thanks!!!!

[Vince4xmas]

I now do everything, except my singing face using Pixel Editor (PE). I use sequence editor (SE) for my face and import into PE.

I have regular controllers (6), dumb RGB controllers (3) and (1) smart pixel controller (Pixcon16).

[dougd]

In S5 the pixel editor and sequence editor are merged into 1 program so with it you can go either way.

[Dave76]

2 hours ago, Vince4xmas said:

I now do everything, except my singing face using Pixel Editor (PE). I use sequence editor (SE) for my face and import into PE.

I have regular controllers (6), dumb RGB controllers (3) and (1) smart pixel controller (Pixcon16).

Awesome.  That is what I'm planning on doing.  Just using SE for my 110 LOR controllers.  Hopefully it goes well.  You are able to have full functionality and control with no problem and able to perform the sequence types I described?  Do you have an example PE sequence you could show me?  Thanks.

[Dave76]

1 hour ago, dougd said:

In S5 the pixel editor and sequence editor are merged into 1 program so with it you can go either way.

I did here there.  I am currently on S4, was waiting till S5 comes out of beta.  TY

[Vince4xmas]

I am planning on waiting for S5 for next years show as I have most all of mine done for this year in S4 and PE.

Remember that once you convert from SE into PE you cannot make ANY changes to your SE programming! So make sure it is correct!

I will email you a PE sequence if you will provide me your email.

 

[Dave76]

24 minutes ago, Vince4xmas said:

I am planning on waiting for S5 for next years show as I have most all of mine done for this year in S4 and PE.

Remember that once you convert from SE into PE you cannot make ANY changes to your SE programming! So make sure it is correct!

I will email you a PE sequence if you will provide me your email.

 

Ok.  thanks!  sh00ter76@yahoo.com

 

So I am moving EVERYTHING from slandered LED/INCAN to smart pixels.  They only thing I am WISHING to do is be able to use and take advantage of all the timing grids, beats, etc from the old sequences.  I spent a lot of time figuring that out.  What is your advice on this?

As for the new Dumb RGB and old (but new sequenced) LED's for singing faces, I still have to use SE for those.  SO how I understand, I do my sequencing in PE (again hope to use the timing marks I have already established), for the smart pixels and once I have that set, I save and then open that in SE and it appears below the SE pieces for the dumb RGB and LED's. 

Is that Correct?  Advise/Advice?

Thank you!

[Vince4xmas]

Do ALL your sequencing in SE first, then in PE. The SE channels can be imported to PE and show up along with the new props in PE.

Once PE is complete select "Save Intensity Data". The PE props then show up in SE as a new track with just cross hatching to depict the intensity files did transfer.

 

[Dave76]

4 hours ago, Vince4xmas said:

Do ALL your sequencing in SE first, then in PE. The SE channels can be imported to PE and show up along with the new props in PE.

Once PE is complete select "Save Intensity Data". The PE props then show up in SE as a new track with just cross hatching to depict the intensity files did transfer.

 

Ok understood. (Kind of)

I know I do all of my RGB and LOR 110 controllers in SE, so say I sequence my flood lights and singing faces there. Then I bring that over to PE and program my smart pixels.  And I understand the export "save intensity file".

questions:

1) channels aside going from SE to PE, say I had a dummy channel from my old sequences which identified the beats, and music tone spots, can I open that in PE to see where my editing marks are for sequencing? I spent a LOT of time last season figuring out best marks. Would hate to have to start over.

 

2) is the saved intensity file once created in PE then opened in SE and that is the file used in the show?  

Thanks

[Vince4xmas]

Yes - the dummy channels will convert over when imported from SE to PE.

Yes - this is the file used for the show.

 

[Dave76]

Thanks Vince, Had some time to work on this.

I'm going to do all the Smart Pixel E1.31 smart RGB sequencing in PE.

I tried to open my old SE sequence in PE, but there was nothing there.  I even tried saving is in SE as a .las and then opening in PE and still nothing.

Would be so much easier if one could cut and paste from SE to PE. 

Any suggestion what I'm doing wrong or why it's not working?  ANYONE out there.

THANK YOU.

[Vince4xmas]

You need to import your SE sequences into PE.

Please look at LOR help/tutorials that show you how to do this. 

No need to re-create any SE sequences. All timings and selected props come over once you do an import.

 

 

[Vince4xmas]

Use "migration tools" tab in PE.

 

[Dave76]

1 hour ago, Vince4xmas said:

Use "migration tools" tab in PE.

 

Hi Yes, I have tried this a few days ago.  My thing is, all I had last year were the LOR 110 devices that turn lights on and off.  I"m trying to be able to copy and past those beats I established into PE.  Under migration tools, I only see my new Props I made in PE, none from SE I used last year.  I read that the SE channels will only be imported is their physical settings (network, unit, universe etc) match that of the PE.  Well that is not possible as I mentioned these sequences are from 110 LOR traditional sequencing.  So would I really have to go in and edit each channel to map to the new prop?  If that is the case, that may not work for me...

 

Thanks for the pointers.  Please let me know if you think I am going about this all wrong.

[Dave76]

This should be an easy question....

In PE, I have made progress.  I'm having some issues with colors.  When I turn on pixels with effects generator the colors work just fine.  However, if I want to change them after the fact, (or from copying from my old sequences), it is not recognized in the preview when I play it.  It shows the color when inside the Effects Generator, but when I go back and click play, it will not show them on my house preview.  Again, if I make them from scratch it will.  But if I cut and paste or if I want to change an existing color, I am not able to do it.  Well I am but it doesn't show up.

Ideas?

Thanks

[alchrisr01]

On 8/25/2017 at 5:51 PM, Vince4xmas said:

I am planning on waiting for S5 for next years show as I have most all of mine done for this year in S4 and PE.

Remember that once you convert from SE into PE you cannot make ANY changes to your SE programming! So make sure it is correct!

I will email you a PE sequence if you will provide me your email.

 

Why can't changes be made to SE? What exactly are the consequences?  I have somehow not read enough on this.  I did notice that when I import into PE and then make changes to the same prop in SE that the effect is a little off.  As an example, I used PE to add some of the generated effects to the pixels and then went back in SE and used some clipboard files to add other effects (chases, fades etc) where there are no PE created effect on the timeline.  What I see in the visualizer are a couple pixels firing out of time sequence from the copied clipboard.  Will the sequence still run or am I doomed to re-sequence this?  If I add all my clipboard effects first and then import into PE to add the generated effects will that work?  It is too late to switch to S5 beta I think, so I need to make this work.  I am updating some of my old S4 sequences with the new RGB prop I added this year.

 

Thanks

Chris

[Dave76]

I have not tried. But I question it also. What if I do all my smart RGB in PE then go back and add/change non rgb areas?  Is that still bad and will mess things up?  For example, was planning on going back to PE to add my tune to sign.  Any thoughts anyone?  Thanks

[alchrisr01]

No answers on this all week and I am stuck as to what the consequences are.  Can you sequence the RGB prop in SE then import the complete sequence into PE to finish and all is good?  Other than a few out of time pixels are there any issues with using PE first then editing in SE?  Are other elements affected by a post PE edit?  I don't know what is included in the "intensity data file" save so I am not sure on what happens.  Logically, If you make changes in SE after PE and re-import the sequence into PE and re-save, the new file should replace the old file and all should be good, but I am not even close to a code guy.  I hope that Matt Brown will pick up on this and shed some light on the subject.

 

chris

[alchrisr01]

I just did an experiment on a sequence, so I can answer one of the questions.  If you create a sequence in SE (pixel props) and then import it into PE and add PE effects to your prop, when saved you will not be happy with the results.  The PE effects work fine but the sequencing you did in SE gets completely screwed.  Again, I only changed places on the timeline with no SE programing.

 

Chris

[alchrisr01]

Experiment #2:

Download S5.  Open sequence created in S4 that had mis-firing (used combo of SE and PE to create) pixels and run in S5.  All seems to work as originally intended in S4, no mis-firing pixels.  I used the preview I had created for the prop in PE to watch in the new "visualizer" for S5.  I have imported my old visualizer file of the complete display as well but see that I have some tweaking to do before I can use it.  I never noticed that a few of my lights (elements/props) were not represented in the file!  It also appears that it is no longer necessary to create a "pixel fake-out" in order to view non-LOR pixels in the visualizer.  This may have been addressed in earlier versions of SE by turning on the LOR control panel while running the visualizer as that is what I had to do to get the new lumi-can prop to be able to be seen there.  I will work on this later.  I have lights to get put up!  This is week #4 for me and I have 2 more to go before full scale testing.

 

Chris