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Intensity file not working


Morgan Hill Lights

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Been challenged this year, many more pixels resulting in delays  and syncing issues. Was recommended I use the Intensity files from the SS. I am using S3 Pro version, version 4.3.24.   I opened an existing sequences in SS and exported the intensity file to my sequence in the SE. At the bottom, as it should, the intensity files appeared. I validated the unit addressing and proper network setup and tried to run the sequence. It runs all lights except for the ones in the intensity file. In opening the channel configuration in the SE, the hardware does not appear, should it? I so, what step(s) did I miss, if not, why aren't the lights on the Mega Tree working?

I ran a previous version of the same sequence without the intensity files and it did run, although with syncing issues, so hardware is working

 

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Thanks Jim !!  Knew it had to be something obvious, did not have Enhanced Mode turned on for that network, appears to work fine now !

 

Happy Lighting !

John

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Jim, hope your opening was a huge success.

I continued to modify existing sequences, replacing the old LOR sequence parts with intensity files. Maybe its just my imagination, but the tree looks better too

I did find another issue. I  have a 5 channel mega star on top of the Mega tree. Some of the sequences in SS have the star as well. When I tried to move the intensity file across, it doesn't look like the star data came with it. The configuration setup looks like the below, where LOR controller 8, channels 1 - 5 are the star. The mega tree controllers (CCB/CCP) start at unit 29.

image.png.4a50188430327780ce4304e154d34072.png

The SE has  this -> but the star isn't workingimage.png.d165942564ac7bc743e5ed95f427802b.png

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Channels that exist in the Intensity file should not exist in the channel config in SE.  Below is one of mine.  The only channel is the default "Empty Channel" - because you can't have zero channels in SE.

Export_to_SE.png

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Yes, figured that out when I ran the verifier, showed up as channel conflict, so deleted those. Same issue, the star on the Mega which is Unit 8, channels 1 - 6 in the intensity file. Shows up when I expand the blue bar and I verified that those 6 channels of that LOR controller are not being used. Verified the network settings again. The other 8 LOR units on the regular network are working fine, as is the Mega tree

I am missing something obvious I am certain

Edited by Morgan Hill Lights
typos
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Jim, I think I figured out what the issue is. Although the Mega Tree now works with the intensity files, the Mega Star, which is controlled by a CCTB16, does not. It probably needs to be on the enhanced network, but CTB16's don't work on the enhanced network setting, correct?

So I think my only options would be either to get a controller that works on  the enhanced network or use SE to control the mega star. If the latter, how can I get the mega star sequence info out of SUP and copy it into SE?

 

-john

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This is a very useful page:

http://www1.lightorama.com/network-speeds/

CTB16 controllers will run on an enhanced network and at 500K speed IF they are Generation 3 (green status LED on the PC board as opposed to a red status LED), and they have new enough firmware.  If they are Gen 1 or 2 boards, they are limited to 115K speed and non-enhanced networks.  You have a couple options.  One would be to replace the older CTB16 with a Gen 3 controller (which is what I did in the 2016 spring sale with my only two controllers that could not run on an enhanced network).  Option two would be to run two networks - one enhanced and one non-enhanced (that what I did until I replaced the two Gen 2 controllers).  In that case, you have two options for how to sequence the star and have it NOT be part of the intensity file data.  One would be to remove the star from your SuperStar configuration and sequence it in Sequence Editor.  Personally I don't like that option as means you have to sequence the star separately from the tree.  The other option I'm going to experiment with so I know it works the way I want before I tell you how.  It involves multiple exports from SperStar.  More later...

 

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Thanks Jim

My CTB 16's all have the green LED, respond via hardware utility showing G3 and are currently V1.06 firmware. Should I upgrade to 1.09? Didn't see what the FW update does on the LOR website

I was running at 57.6K, just upped that to 500K and enhanced network. None of the CTB16's are lighting any of the props in that configuration. My CMB24D, V1.05, on the same network,  responds fine to any of the settings

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OK, I thought this would work, but I wanted to double check it.  What this will end up with is a sequence that was created entirely in SuperStar that has the pixel tree exported as an intensity file and the star exported in legacy format so it can be run on a non-enhanced network.  I was able to test this playing into Visualizer only (not on real lights) because I'm no where my lights and controllers.  You need to do this with a Visualization mode rather than CCR mode so that you can set up the configurations that you need.  Here is the step by step:

In Visualizer, create three Visualizations.  One will have both the tree and star, one will have only the tree, and the third will only have the star.  Easiest is to create the one with both and configure the channel assignments and save it.  Then delete the prop for the star, and save that as the tree only.  Then open the both again, and delete the prop for the tree, and save that as the star only.

In SuperStar, using the visualization that has both, build your sequence.  Once completed, save the file.  Then load the Visualization that has the star only.  Use the Export to Sequence Editor command and export it using Legacy mode.  This will export the star only in legacy mode.  If you open that file in Sequence Editor, you should only see the channels for the star, and your sequencing should be there.  Close the file in Sequence Editor if you opened it.  Then in SuperStar, load the Visualization for the tree only.  Use the Export to Sequence Editor command and export in New Format and select Add Intensity data to existing Sequence.  Select the  name that you used for the first export. 

Now if you open the file in Sequence Editor, you should still see your Star as traditional channels with the channel data present.  You should also see the blue bar for the Intensity file with the channels for the Pixel tree listed.

I see your response a bit ago that your CTB-16 controllers are all Gen-3.  You may need to update the firmware for them to be able to work with Intensity files.  If that's the case, then most of this is moot!

 

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Thanks again Jim

Looks like I will need to use your suggestion. I upgraded the firmware on the one unit, same thing

Happy Lighting !

 

john

 

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Played with this some more and with the help from the LOR help desk, determined it may be the network speed as CTB16's cant run at 500K. I set it to 115K and everything is working fine

 

Not certain why they won't run at 500K, suspecting possibly the USB - RS485 adapter

 

Thanks again for all the help

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15 minutes ago, Morgan Hill Lights said:

Not certain why they won't run at 500K, suspecting possibly the USB - RS485 adapter

If you are running the black adapter, it generally wont do 500K speed.  Get the Red High Speed adapter and it will do 1000K speed.

With pixels, you are going to want the higher speed.

 

Edited by k6ccc
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