New to Pixels - How to Add to Existing Sequence?

[HappyMommy]

So, after years of doing a show with just our standard 16-channel LOR controllers and "dumb" RGBs running on a pair of CMB24D controllers, I decided to add Cosmic Color Bulbs to the mix this year. I've got a Pixie16 and, as far as the hardware side is concerned, I've got all that figured out (how to configure the lights, how to tell the Pixel Editor how I have them set, etc.). The thing I can't figure out, despite watching about 7 videos in the last 2 hours, and spending about 30 minutes with all types of different Google searches is... now what? I have my show built already in the S4 Sequence Editor. I can see how I can build a "show" for my tree in the Pixel Editor but... how do I bring them together? Is there no way to essentially program my tree along with the show (i.e. see the effects I used on everything else so I can synchronize the tree I've built along with it)? Does the pixel sequence truly have to be built as a completely different sequence and if so, how do I then bring them together? Note, until this year I was working with a much much older version of the software and just recently upgraded to S4 Pro so I have a lot more tools that I haven't ever touched before (i.e. the visualizer) as well so, it is almost like starting over again from the newbie perspective. I know the SE inside and out at this point but, adding pixels has proved to be a lot more confusing than I expected (with less than a month until our show is supposed to go live).

HUGE thanks in advance!

Edited November 4, 2019 by HappyMommy

[TheDucks]

23 minutes ago, HappyMommy said:

So, after years of doing a show with just our standard 16-channel LOR controllers and "dumb" RGBs running on a pair of CMB24D controllers, I decided to add Cosmic Color Bulbs to the mix this year. I've got a Pixie16 and, as far as the hardware side is concerned, I've got all that figured out (how to configure the lights, how to tell the Pixel Editor how I have them set, etc.). The thing I can't figure out, despite watching about 7 videos in the last 2 hours, and spending about 30 minutes with all types of different Google searches is... now what? I have my show built already in the S4 Sequence Editor. I can see how I can build a "show" for my tree in the Pixel Editor but... how do I bring them together? Is there no way to essentially program my tree along with the show (i.e. see the effects I used on everything else so I can synchronize the tree I've built along with it)? Does the pixel sequence truly have to be built as a completely different sequence and if so, how do I then bring them together? Note, until this year I was working with a much much older version of the software and just recently upgraded to S4 Pro so I have a lot more tools that I haven't ever touched before (i.e. the visualizer) as well so, it is almost like starting over again from the newbie perspective. I know the SE inside and out at this point but, adding pixels has proved to be a lot more confusing than I expected (with less than a month until our show is supposed to go live).

HUGE thanks in advance!

in the SE: GO TO THE Last channel (treat an RGB as a Group): right click: Add Device BELOW: Pixie 2/4/8/16 : Pixie 16: <answer all the other questions you can... saves a LOT of adjustments)

[HappyMommy]

17 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

in the SE: GO TO THE Last channel (treat an RGB as a Group): right click: Add Device BELOW: Pixie 2/4/8/16 : Pixie 16: <answer all the other questions you can... saves a LOT of adjustments)

Sorry, that’s not what I’m asking. I know how to add the device in SE but doing so only allows me to use basic RGB effects. If I’m doing that, there’s no point in using pixels. I am trying to figure out how to essentially bring the features of the Pixel Editor and Sequence Editor together or, at the very least, understand how I get a sequence I’ve built in SE into PE to add pixel effects or how I take a new sequence built in PE and bring it together with the show in SE. There’s gotta be something I’m missing. 

[Dennis Laff]

If you have and old sequence you want to add pixels to open the old sequence in the pixel editor and now add all the new effects to the sequence and save it . That will combine the new effects with the old sequence.

[HappyMommy]

7 minutes ago, Dennis Laff said:

If you have and old sequence you want to add pixels to open the old sequence in the pixel editor and now add all the new effects to the sequence and save it . That will combine the new effects with the old sequence.

Thanks for that. Since the PE doesn’t show the rest of the sequence when I do that, is there then a way I can see a visualization of them all together?

[Dennis Laff]

In order to see all the props in the old sequence you have to add them to the pixel editor preview and select sequenced in sequence editor  the props your doing in pixel editor select sequenced in pixel editor .

[HappyMommy]

8 hours ago, Dennis Laff said:

In order to see all the props in the old sequence you have to add them to the pixel editor preview and select sequenced in sequence editor  the props your doing in pixel editor select sequenced in pixel editor .

Thank you so much! I will work on this today. Sincerest appreciation!

[HappyMommy]

13 hours ago, Dennis Laff said:

In order to see all the props in the old sequence you have to add them to the pixel editor preview and select sequenced in sequence editor  the props your doing in pixel editor select sequenced in pixel editor .

Is there any way to essentially import from what was already built in SE or do I really have to manually, one by one, build each light into the PE that I have in the SE? We're talking 48 channels of standard LOR controller strings/lights 16 RGB channels (16 individual RBG strings). If it is literally building it all one by one, I don't know that it's worth it.

[k6ccc]

DO NOT FOLLOW WHAT I AM ABOUT TO TELL YOU UNTIL AFTER YOUR 2019 SHOW IS COMPLETED FOR THE SEASON!!!

After you are completed with your 2019 show, plan on moving up to S5.  S5 far better integrates Sequence Editor and Pixel Editor together.  There is a substantial learning curve with that switch - the reason I told you NOT to upgrade to S5 now.  However once you are moved to S5 and figured it out, you wont want to go back.  S5 also allows the ability to sequence props using a combination of Pixel Editor, Sequence Editor, and SuperStar (SuperStar license required for the last part).  This is unlike S4 where a given prop can only be sequenced with one of those for a given song (OK, there are a couple exceptions to that).  In S5 it is easy to sequence a prop with all three in a single song - even at the same time within that song.

DO NOT FOLLOW WHAT I JUST TOLD YOU UNTIL AFTER YOUR 2019 SHOW IS COMPLETED FOR THE SEASON!!!

33 minutes ago, HappyMommy said:

Is there any way to essentially import from what was already built in SE or do I really have to manually, one by one, build each light into the PE that I have in the SE? We're talking 48 channels of standard LOR controller strings/lights 16 RGB channels (16 individual RBG strings). If it is literally building it all one by one, I don't know that it's worth it.

I never used Pixel Editor in S4, so I am NOT the expert on using that, but yes you should be able to build your dumb channels in bulk and then copy / paste to get from one to the other (all at once).  There may be a better way, but as I said, I never used PE in S4.

 

[HappyMommy]

19 hours ago, k6ccc said:

I never used Pixel Editor in S4, so I am NOT the expert on using that, but yes you should be able to build your dumb channels in bulk and then copy / paste to get from one to the other (all at once).  There may be a better way, but as I said, I never used PE in S4.

Unfortunately I can't seem to find a way to copy/paste the channels at all.

If anyone can confirm/deny if this is possible that'd be great.

[TheDucks]

1 hour ago, HappyMommy said:

Unfortunately I can't seem to find a way to copy/paste the channels at all.

If anyone can confirm/deny if this is possible that'd be great.

You can only paste into Existing channels (assume empty, but not required). That was why you add the DEVICE so you have a target.

RIGHT CLICK (context) menus are your friend. Select Row, Select column.. Some work  FROM the Channel column, others from a CELL.  Take some time to learn what is available in each context.

Select Row: Copy. Go to the START point for where you want that clip: Paste  (insufficient space will results in the rest hitting the bit bucket. Bye-Bye)

 

[Dennis Laff]

Happy Mommy      if you built your props for SE in the Visualizer you can import those into the pixel editor  However you will eventually  have to setup all your props in the pixel editor to use S4 or S5

[HappyMommy]

2 hours ago, TheDucks said:

You can only paste into Existing channels (assume empty, but not required). That was why you add the DEVICE so you have a target.

RIGHT CLICK (context) menus are your friend. Select Row, Select column.. Some work  FROM the Channel column, others from a CELL.  Take some time to learn what is available in each context.

Select Row: Copy. Go to the START point for where you want that clip: Paste  (insufficient space will results in the rest hitting the bit bucket. Bye-Bye)

 

While I appreciate that you are once again trying to help... this isn't the answer to what I am asking. You are talking about copying and pasting within Sequence Editor. I am versed in that and have done so many times. This is about getting the show that has been built in Sequence Editor into Pixel Editor so that I can add effects to my pixels while at the same time seeing what I did at each timing for the non-pixel hardware. Adding the pixel DEVICE into SE does not accomplish this. Doing so only allows me to use the SE effects features on the pixels. I cannot copy/paste pixel effects from PE to SE either so again, adding the device in SE is not the solution. Again, I appreciate the attempt but this is not what I'm trying to accomplish.

[HappyMommy]

1 hour ago, Dennis Laff said:

Happy Mommy      if you built your props for SE in the Visualizer you can import those into the pixel editor  However you will eventually  have to setup all your props in the pixel editor to use S4 or S5

Thanks again Dennis. I did read that I can import from Visualizer but alas, I have not built anything there to import. Up until this point, I have strictly used SE's "View - Animation" option to get a visual of how the show will appear.

It sounds like I really have three options...

1. Build every prop from scratch in PE (we're talking a lot of channels and thus a lot of time spent to do this) and then import the show from SE
2. Build everything in Visualizer and import to PE (essentially no different than #1)
3. Put SE and PE side by side on my monitor, open the sequence in each, go timing by timing and try my best to line up the pixel effects with what I'm doing on the RGB and standard LOR controllers, save the sequence in PE and then cross my fingers and say a prayer that when I plug everything in, it works

I think #3 may be the best option, unfortunately. I've reached out to LOR support directly to see if there are any other options that we haven't considered but, as the show date looms closer, rebuilding everything one by one (we're talking 64 non-pixel channels/props) is likely not an efficient use of my time (when I still have to build the pixel part of the show to begin with). 

[Dennis Laff]

It's really not that hard to add props to the pixel editor I assume you have some in pixel editor already ? When you say you have 64  non-pixel channels do you mean you have. 64 props ? How many props do you have now in SE not channels actual props .

[HappyMommy]

18 minutes ago, Dennis Laff said:

It's really not that hard to add props to the pixel editor I assume you have some in pixel editor already ? When you say you have 64  non-pixel channels do you mean you have. 64 props ? How many props do you have now in SE not channels actual props .

Actually it's 66.

I have 16 individually controlled RGB strands, 2 arches (made of 7 legacy/standard LED bulb strings each), and then 34 individual spots, strings, light up standees, etc. So yeah, unfortunately, even if you consider each arch 1 prop, despite the fact that they are literally 14 individually plugged in lights, that's still 52 "props." Really, if I count the total channels, given that the 16 RGB are 3 channels each, it's 96 channels.

EDIT: The only thing in PE now is the new tree I am adding this year because up until now, I've never had need to use PE as everything was either dumb-RGB or standard incandescent/LED.

Edited November 6, 2019 by HappyMommy

[Dennis Laff]

The easy way in pixel editor   You have 16 rgb strands make 1 then make 15 copy's then change IDs on the next 15  same for the floods make 1 then 34 copy's it when the pixel editor has all your props it will make sequencing much easier  

[HappyMommy]

20 minutes ago, Dennis Laff said:

The easy way in pixel editor   You have 16 rgb strands make 1 then make 15 copy's then change IDs on the next 15  same for the floods make 1 then 34 copy's it when the pixel editor has all your props it will make sequencing much easier  

Ok I see what you mean, that is fairly easy. Once I do that, how do I then associate what has been built in SE to those? I don't see a way beyond the drop down to say they are sequenced in SE to say where (what channel in SE). 

EDIT: I think I may have found where that's done. I'll be playing and see what happens.

Edited November 6, 2019 by HappyMommy

[HappyMommy]

@Dennis Laff Ok so - as a test, I opened my sequence in the PE and added about 10 of my props. I made sure I set them up to use "Sequence Editor" in the drop down for where they are sequenced and made sure their associated channels and unit ID were the same. It added them but, I don't see anything either on the timeline or in the preview.

EDIT: I do see them in the preview but is there a way to see the sequence effects in the timeline at the bottom? Like - where I have turned a prop on/off?

Edited November 6, 2019 by HappyMommy

[Dennis Laff]

No I don't think you will see the effects on the time line in S4   In S5 you will