Strobing Show?

[DisneyMatt10]

Hey all, So I'm running S5, and found an interesting issue... and I have NO idea what is causing it. I'm going to do my best to explain this, and if need be I can record a video of it tomorrow.

So when I do the "simple show builder" to run the show everything works perfectly! However... as soon as I use the show editor, and the scheduler, and enable the show... The entire show runs normally (Like correct patterns on the pixels and such...) However, any pixel that is on strobes at 100% brightness while doing the normal programmed effects... 

We tried unplugging all of the controllers, and restarting the show computer, and the LOR suite... even rebuilt the show in the show editor, and schedule editor... and nothing worked. Thankfully we can run it like normal with the simple show builder... But that's not ideal since it doesn't do any of the "background animations" for the Tune To signs and such.

Any advice on how I can fix this would be GREATLY appreciated! 

Thanks!
~Matt 

[DisneyMatt10]

So I finally got around to getting a short video done of the strobing issue I was talking about. (It is most noticeable towards the end of this video)  - Again, I have no idea what is causing this. When I run the show with the simple show builder this doesn't happen, but if I use the normal show builder and schedule editor... This is the results. Every pixel does the effect it should... It just strobes while doing the effect. Any advice on what could be causing this, or how to fix it?! Thanks!!

 

 

[Richard Hamilton]

Hmmmm, not sure what that is about.  Aside from the flickering, that is a really beautiful clean setup.  Not overbearing and not too little.  Really nice job! Sure would like to see a night video of a song when all is working well.

[Richard Hamilton]

Are you sure this is not a channel overlap issue?

[DisneyMatt10]

2 hours ago, Richard Hamilton said:

Hmmmm, not sure what that is about.  Aside from the flickering, that is a really beautiful clean setup.  Not overbearing and not too little.

Thanks! I work REALLY hard to keep it a nice clean set up. (I also try to keep all the cables and extension cords hidden as best as I possibly can!) - I want the display to be nice, but not "in your face!"  So I'm glad you think it's the right amount! 

2 hours ago, Richard Hamilton said:

Are you sure this is not a channel overlap issue?

I don't think it is a channel overlap issue, because the show runs perfectly fine using the "Simple Show Builder" it just becomes an issue with the normal show editor, and scheduler. 

2 hours ago, Richard Hamilton said:

Sure would like to see a night video of a song when all is working well.

Ask and ye shall receive!

 

 

 

 

Those are the only two videos I have of this years show so far. Looking at getting the other 16 songs recorded at some point this week!

Thanks again for the awesome feedback!
~Matt 

[k6ccc]

This sure looks like conflicting commands.  You said you have background animations.  Do your background animation sequences have all the channels in your show (even though I assume they are not used)?  Can’t have two sequences running at the same time that have any duplicate channels.

 

[DisneyMatt10]

8 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

This sure looks like conflicting commands.  You said you have background animations.  Do your background animation sequences have all the channels in your show (even though I assume they are not used)?  Can’t have two sequences running at the same time that have any duplicate channels.

 

The background animation does have all of the channels in my show even though they are not being used... (I think.) - I just did the normal setup, and only turned on the tune to signs... Everything else just stays turned off. . . 

[Little_b]

1 hour ago, DisneyMatt10 said:

The background animation does have all of the channels in my show even though they are not being used... (I think.) - I just did the normal setup, and only turned on the tune to signs... Everything else just stays turned off. . . 

This is most likely the issue.  I ran into this with a couple channels overlapping.  Create a new sequence and preview display that just has your Tune To Signs and/or other background props.  Delete these props and channels from your regular sequences.  What's happening is that both sequences are telling the lights what to do, one says "do all these effects" while the other is saying "stay off" so it starts to flicker.

Edited December 4, 2018 by Little_b

[Richard Hamilton]

1 hour ago, Little_b said:

This is most likely the issue.  I ran into this with a couple channels overlapping.  Create a new sequence and preview display that just has your Tune To Signs and/or other background props.  Delete these props and channels from your regular sequences.  What's happening is that both sequences are telling the lights what to do, one says "do all these effects" while the other is saying "stay off" so it starts to flicker.

yea, I was thinking the same thing which is why I asked about channel conflict.  I've made this mistake in the past and saw similar flickering.

[DisneyMatt10]

17 hours ago, Little_b said:

This is most likely the issue.  I ran into this with a couple channels overlapping.  Create a new sequence and preview display that just has your Tune To Signs and/or other background props.  Delete these props and channels from your regular sequences.  What's happening is that both sequences are telling the lights what to do, one says "do all these effects" while the other is saying "stay off" so it starts to flicker.

Ahhh, that makes sense! I'll get that adjusted tonight. Then my life will be so much easier. lol

16 hours ago, Richard Hamilton said:

yea, I was thinking the same thing which is why I asked about channel conflict.  I've made this mistake in the past and saw similar flickering.

Ohhhhh, I had no idea that's what "channel conflict" meant. I thought "channel conflict" was like two props on the same channel or something along those lines... (I'm still a bit new to this I guess!)

[k6ccc]

Channel Conflict can really mean several different things.  Two props on the same channel would certainly be a "Channel conflict".  In this case, it means that two sequences that were both playing at the same time (one in Background, and one in Musical in this case) were sending conflicting commands to the same channel.  In your case, the musical sequence was trying to turn lights on, and the background sequence was trying to turn the same channels off.  As you can see, that does not work very well!

It is not a problem to have multiple sequences playing at the same time as long as then don't have ANY of the same channels.  During my landscape lighting, it is quite frequent that I will have two or even three sequences running at the same time.  I can give details on that if desired.