New S2 Release: Version 2.1.2

[Donald Puryear]

It's like an early Christmas Gift. Thanks Dan and all the LIGHT O RAMA Team!

[iresq]

Cool. Very cool.

[Jeff 1S.A.H.D.]

does the update have the 10x USB feature ?

Jeff

[taybrynn]

I'm really happy about the RDS addition.

Personally, I'm surprised with the timing ... as it seems like
a huge (potential) risk to introduce a new version in December.
I know it'll probably be fine, but experience tells me not to update
till after my 2008 show is over.

I know its only an upgrade -- and upgrades are usually minimal,
so in that sense this is an amazing upgrade.

But -- I'd really like to see big hitter enhancements in the future.
None of these enhancements gets me particularly excited.
Not to dampen the fact that they are probably good and necessary,
this software still had lots of room to make the job of sequencing faster
and easier to a majority of users as opposed to obscure features
that only benefit a small % of end users.

I'd like to see big improvements in the usability of the software -- things
like dynamic tagging, filtering, grouping, mega tree wizards, leaping arch wizards,
improved shared configuration files, mass channel deletes, animator improvements, sequence migration utilities, etc. ...

I know the trigger stuff is cool, esp. for advanced users ... but I question how many
people really need that kind of stuff. Even the percentage of users with RDS on
their transmitters must be well under 1% of the user base.

I'd like to see more stuff that helps 80% (or more) and less stuff that helps very few. Maybe those big items will be 'for sale' ... in 2009 ... ??

I guess I'm asking too much of a free upgrade, right?

Now if Dan would just hire me ...

[kevin]

Thanks for the Update. This should allow me to run my X10s the way I wanted to, and also allow me to turn on the security after the show.



Will firmware chip updates for the CTB-08 be available?

[bob]

Will firmware chip updates for the CTB-08 be available?

The latest firmware is distributed with the installer. In the Hardware Utility, you can go to the "Firmware" screen and click "Open"; the latest versions of the various types of firmware should be among the files listed (although note that the latest ones may not be the only firmware files listed).

[kevin]

If I remember correctly the CTB-08 are Chip replacement only. The original 8ch cards, not the D version. Those cards didn't have the ability to upgrade the firmware via writing to the chip.

I know I had to manually replace the chips to be able to use LEDs.

[bob]

Oh, I'm sorry, I don't know, then. I don't really know much about the hardware - just some vague things along the lines of "the firmware is in the Firmware directory".

[garyfunk]

I downloaded the new file just moments after it was posted and installed it on my notebook. I am very happy with the new features and fixes. In fact, I now expect more from the future releases.

As for features such as RDS, well, if you build it, they will come. I think you will find the number of people using RDS will jump to about 50% real soon.

And don't even get me started about the triggers.

[Texan78]

Yea I agree, now that RDS is supported so to speak, more people will start to use it or atleast try it.

Same can probably be said with Video, now that S2 supports video which is not really new so to speak but new for this season. I think more will use it. I have some ideas I would like to see with video like being able to loop video for animation sequences so you can loop a video during a break between shows so you could like post your Display name with display info. etc along those lines. I have this video loop I made and kind of disappointed I can't use it. I know you can just make a musical sequence but it would be easier on resources and to make to loop it with an animation since animations end at a set time where musical ones will play out. Even with Musical sequences you can't even loop video.

I am still have no clue what triggers do or how they work, but I am interested. I read the help file but I guess it is over my head. What I understand is you can put buttons out that people can push to operate certain parts of the display?

Was this an idea that spawned from Dan's original work with the jukebox looking thing people could push to select a song and control the lights? I think I remembered that correctly?

[Push Eject]

Wow. Awesome update, guys. Thank you!

[hbomb341]

I read the help file last night for the new features – I am very glad you guys spend a good amount of time documenting your work and making it easy for people who spend the time reading. But I had a question about the licensing – It appears to register with an LOR server over the internet when you “activate” the product (Online & Offline). Will there be a way to deactivate a license? I didn’t see this covered in the manual.

I only ask because ITunes had a problem in the start where your system was registered but couldn’t deactivate it when you upgraded computers.

Also once registered does it have to dial home periodically to stay active? As due to get it registered then pull the box offline to run the show for the season.



Harrison

[bhays]

So how are you guys specifically using the Windows Shell function for RDS? The encoder I was going to use just uses a text file... are you using the Shell function to write a text file.. .are there values that can be passed using tokens in the Shell function... how are you doing it?

[Richard Hamilton]

Tim Fischer wrote:

Cool stuff! Thanks!

And thanks for doing "RDS" as a "Shell command", that will really open up some new options! I would love to program my BetaBrite to show the name of the current sequence...

-Tim

Tim, that is a great idea. I did not think of that (programming the BetaBrite). I might try that after Christmas.

It's nice to see a new update, but honestly speaking, LOR must have a lot of guts and confidence to post this 2 weeks before Christmas. I wouldn't do it if it were my software. Users won't be able to resist using the latest thing, and you know there are going to be tons's of postings where people get themselves in trouble and get frantic.

As for me... I stick with the ole MArk Twain adage... "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I'm waiting until after Christmas to put it on my show computer.

[hbomb341]

bhays wrote:

So how are you guys specifically using the Windows Shell function for RDS? The encoder I was going to use just uses a text file... are you using the Shell function to write a text file.. .are there values that can be passed using tokens in the Shell function... how are you doing it?

I had 2 ways come to mind when this was anounced:

1. Copy a txt file every time IE: XCOPY /y "C:RDSMagic.txt" "C:RDSLIVE_RDS.txt"
2. Use a command to write to a txt file everytime IE: ECHO Song:Magic 2 > C:RDSLIVE_RDS.txt"

Another idea is you can have LOR update your website so you can show what seq. is currently running.

I personally think best practice would be have each seq. call a batch file so you can do multiple steps like update website info, update RDS, update LED sign, send you an email .... the posabilitys are endless.

Harrison

[Richard Hamilton]

LightORamaDan wrote:

RickMosher wrote:

I'm getting the following error when running the installer:


Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version: 5.1.2600
Service Pack: 2.0

That error indicates that the download was not complete. We see that pretty often (more than I think we should!) with files stored on Yahoo.

re-download the installer file.

Dan

Dan, you probably know this, but others may not. Often this issue is also because people get too impatient. Folks, even if you see the download complete message, Windows is still copying the file from a temporary cached area to the location you asked it to be stored (like the desktop). As the file is bigger, the process takes longer. The best hint that this process has not completed is if you don't see the application's icon (in this case, it is the LOR light bulb). With a 25 megabyte file, this can take up to 15 seconds on some computers, depending on what else is going on, and on the speed of the computer.

Also, on Win XP, if you try to open the file while it is still being copied from the cached area, the copying will not complete and you get a corrupt file even though the download was a good one. This is not a problem on Vista.

If after a minute, you still can't open the file, then you got a bad download as Dan mentions.

[Texan78]

hbomb341 wrote:

bhays wrote:

So how are you guys specifically using the Windows Shell function for RDS? The encoder I was going to use just uses a text file... are you using the Shell function to write a text file.. .are there values that can be passed using tokens in the Shell function... how are you doing it?

I had 2 ways come to mind when this was anounced:

1. Copy a txt file every time IE: XCOPY /y "C:RDSMagic.txt" "C:RDSLIVE_RDS.txt"
2. Use a command to write to a txt file everytime IE: ECHO Song:Magic 2 > C:RDSLIVE_RDS.txt"

Another idea is you can have LOR update your website so you can show what seq. is currently running.

I personally think best practice would be have each seq. call a batch file so you can do multiple steps like update website info, update RDS, update LED sign, send you an email .... the posabilitys are endless.

Harrison

This was started to be discussed on how to use it in this thread....

http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum72/18080.html

About sending the information to the web, I thought of the same thing and was going to do something like that. But LOR doesn't have FTP for as far as I know so you would need your FTP client to be updating probably ever 2 mins. I don't know about you, but I don't feel all that safe leaving my FTP connected like that. Once the text file is sent FTP, it wouldn't be hard to have a php script parse it and display it on the web. My lighting detection sofware for my lighting dector sends a txt file via FTP from inside the software. Then it is parsed to display varies information on the screen or map. So it is definately not something that is hard to do. It would help though if LOR was able to FTP from inside of S2....

I doubt that is something we will ever see because as cool as it might sound, honestly who is going to care what is playing at the display at the current time if they are not there.

[hbomb341]

Texan78 wrote:

hbomb341 wrote:

bhays wrote:

So how are you guys specifically using the Windows Shell function for RDS? The encoder I was going to use just uses a text file... are you using the Shell function to write a text file.. .are there values that can be passed using tokens in the Shell function... how are you doing it?

I had 2 ways come to mind when this was anounced:

1. Copy a txt file every time IE: XCOPY /y "C:RDSMagic.txt" "C:RDSLIVE_RDS.txt"
2. Use a command to write to a txt file everytime IE: ECHO Song:Magic 2 > C:RDSLIVE_RDS.txt"

Another idea is you can have LOR update your website so you can show what seq. is currently running.

I personally think best practice would be have each seq. call a batch file so you can do multiple steps like update website info, update RDS, update LED sign, send you an email .... the posabilitys are endless.

Harrison

This was started to be discussed on how to use it in this thread....

http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum72/18080.html

About sending the information to the web, I thought of the same thing and was going to do something like that. But LOR doesn't have FTP for as far as I know so you would need your FTP client to be updating probably ever 2 mins. I don't know about you, but I don't feel all that safe leaving my FTP connected like that. Once the text file is sent FTP, it wouldn't be hard to have a php script parse it and display it on the web. My lighting detection sofware for my lighting dector sends a txt file via FTP from inside the software. Then it is parsed to display varies information on the screen or map. So it is definately not something that is hard to do. It would help though if LOR was able to FTP from inside of S2....

I doubt that is something we will ever see because as cool as it might sound, honestly who is going to care what is playing at the display at the current time if they are not there.

Hints write a batch file - DOS has an FTP client you can script.

http://www.demon.net/helpdesk/technicallibrary/sdu/ftp/dosftp.html

My webserver I host out of my house for me it is a local copy - so no need even for FTP.

It is more of a gimmick but a good troubleshooting thing when not home.

Harrison

[Texan78]

That might work for you, but not everyone hosts there own server. So it doesn't really help the majority nor does it fall under the K.I.S.S. method. In your case when the file is local and you don't have to FTP them, using DOS to do it for you is still using a 3rd party solution to send the files so you are still having to have it connect to your web server. That is a sure fire way of getting your data compromised. If they were going to go that route you might has well go with a free FTP software or one that cost like $20 and is point and click on a scheduled events so they don't have to use shell commands.

[Steven]

bhays wrote:

So how are you guys specifically using the Windows Shell function for RDS? The encoder I was going to use just uses a text file... are you using the Shell function to write a text file.. .are there values that can be passed using tokens in the Shell function... how are you doing it?

My shell command is this:

rds.bat Wizards in Winter - Trans Siberian Orchestra

And I created the following rds.bat file that I put in the Program FilesLight-O-Rama directory:

echo off
echo %* > "%HOMEPATH%My DocumentsLight-O-RamaNow Playing.txt"

My RDS software (Magic RDS from Pira.cz) is configured to monitor the "Now Playing.txt" file.

So now I have questions for the RDS users out there: What do you send? Do you separate the song from the artist (like I did, with a dash)? Do you include the album? (I think that's too much info for an 8-character window.) Do you use RT (Radio Text)? (Not displayed on all radios.)