TexasLights

make sure you expand any rows below them. One thing I run into periodically when I have multiple effect rows rows is that I copy effects and end up with effects on rows I didn't intend. So if you have a row that is all one color below something that does another effect, than that one overrides. I run into that when I copy paste into an effect rows and not realize I have affected more than one row. So when not expanded, you only see the first one, which when you open it shows a working effect but when you play it, the other rows take precedence.

The way I copy an existing image is 1) select it in the list to view it, 2) click add at the top of the dialog under the image names. 3)This will add it as a new image id but with the same name, 4) change the name and click modify 5) change that image as required and click modify again. repeat for each image you want,

same comments as above, i find that most songs that much over 2 minutes causes people to lose interest unless its really good. But it does get a bit tricky if you have already sequenced it. You need to pay attention to where every part you cut out is. As noted above, you will be really lucky if is at one minute. I try to make it less obvious where the cuts are so that means its varies. If editing an existing one, if you cut from the beginning you have the easiest since you keep sliding things left as mentioned in the previous. You might find you need to adjust a little so ctrl-z to undo and then try to insert at the next frame. Also, i always paste by time for best results. this is a great example, I can't even tell myself where the cuts were

in my opinion for what its worth, the more controllers just mean you have a lot more lights to consider. Obvious I guess. But the real question is how do you want to expand. For example, if you had a back and a front or left and right, you might want to duplicate effects on them. In my case, i have a large yard and I repeat a lot of the effects on the trees in 3 different places (most of the time). Copy/paste is your best tool for expanding to new props. Select a row or rows and press the R key and it will select the whole row, then Ctrl-C; then select the first row you want to paste in on your new props, and press R again (to make sure the paste is identical) and then CTRL-V to paste and you have duplicated those rows. You can also set multiple controllers to the same ID if you just want them to be exact copies. For the pixie, its a different style of programming and consider that your 8 controllers is just 128 decisions to make (on/off or dimmed) but with pixels, you can choose from any color, make patterns, pictures or just about anything. It was quite a shock to me the first year i did it because i way underestimated the time. Although, S5 and motion effects are the key here to get up and going quicker.

striping can vary although with LOR, the stripe is typically negative where on some others it is positive. The best thing to do is to go all the start back at your pixie and using a volt (ohm) meter match it up to what is listed there. As long as positive goes to positive it doesn't matter whether striped or not. (be sure to unplug the connector first before testing) I find it kind of odd it would blow the fuse even if backwards so you might check for other factors too.

some suggestions on the process I use for these changes (sure someone will note some optimizations but it works for me) Before changing a preview (2021 preview), using the preview pull out on the right hand side, select it and then click on Copy Preview to make a copy (2021 preview - copy) Change existing channels and add props to your existing preview and save it. When you open a sequence it will advise you that your preview has changed and confirm you want to add items to this sequence. At this point, the channel changes are automatic but new props won't automatically add to existing grid view(s) you have created (except when viewing all items). Similarly to copying the preview, you can select "save view as" from the view menu and create a new view from your existing one (should you want to go back to it) To add new props and groups to this view, you have 2 choices - select "append items to view" in the view menu at the top in which case they are added at the bottom of the grid - select where you want them to appear in the grid and then select "insert preview props or groups" either above or below that spot When you get it how you like it, select Grid configuration / Export from the view menu and export your current grid settings, Once happy with everything save this sequence (or better yet Save as to make a copy of it so you can open the old sequence for reference. Now open you next sequence, repeat accepting the preview change but rather than add the changes to the grid, just select Grid Configuration / Import and select the one you exported above Advanced topic : You may also find that you motion effects rows don't show up for new props you add this way. You can make them appear by selecting Add/Modify motion effect rows and then on the Merge Defaults icon. Another hint: I create a new group at the top of the grid called "new items" and I also put new stuff in there too. That way, if ever in doubt of what changes are in this version, i can see them all together quickly.

Matt suggested there might be a missing codec. I installed the one he suggested and I still get the error but I have the wmv files so those work now that I set FPS to 20. I use a site called cloudconvert to convert them (for free with limits per day).

Right that is the key point, your sequences should still use the full range of brightness and then change the dimming curve for the prop itself. That way, it is easy to adjust later. My first year, I made the same song sequences with previews with different intensities and played them back to back and stood outside with the family and we decided which looked best. As mentioned in another post, the thing that surprised me originally was how bright everything was when I played it back originally and like others here tuned it way back to about 40% in my case for the tree, but each prop is slightly different.

for fading out an existing effect motion or otherwise, you can also select the area you want the fade to occur on and do a CTRL-D

The intensity plays a part. When I first got into pixels, the original setup was all at 100% and I had to tone everything down. Then once I discovered I could reduce the pixel intensity (in my case in preview using Dimming curve), it made it so much better. But I found there was a point where it went the other way where too dim didn't show enough of the colors I wanted. In your case, since its a flood, the point was a flood on blank background will give different colors of a flood on a white background (and everything in between).

schedule 40 I think the threaded fittings will be more prone to failure but you can try. Like i said, you can reinforce them by just putting a short piece of conduit there (with a screw or rubber bands to stop from sliding into the pipe). If i understand you light attachment, it might work but I would be worried of adding too much weight. the red duct tape was easy to do and makes them look better in the day. I do have the occasional day time drive by so my display is intended to look good all of the time. But it will fade if outside.

I tried the 20 FPS for the wmv and that smoothed it back out. I don't have a lot so that's option for me. I will also update a trouble ticket. When I try avi, I always get the error "unable to read frames from this file" which is why I went with wmv.

These arches are just wrapped with LED lights (7 total channels). I change them up each year a bit. If you watch last year's video, the swag are synched with the multi-colors rather than the red/greens. Wrapping them is actually the longest part but I like the effect and people walk through them and see from both sides. They are three 10 foot lengths so 30 feet total. Using a standard glue union works to hold them but it creates a weak point. So as they break, I started adding the conduit and putting a bolt through at the joints so they can actually come apart if I want although I have room to store them so they stay together all year. A funny story about these is that I was in Zurich one year just before Christmas and they had streets where covered with stings of lights and I went "I want that". But I came back and found out that even though I had trees, they weren't placed at points I could do anything. At the same time, my daughter was dating a guy with a lifted truck (this is Texas you know) and so they had to be high enough he could get in the driveway and these arches were born.

I had a sequence that was working fine and now when I play it, the movie is "choppy" (perhaps not really descriptive but its the best i can come up with). Its on a 24 X 50 pixel tree. The computer and setup is pretty similar and while I have added a few things to the preview but not a lot. Others motion effects including pictures don't have this. I have upgraded the sequencer a couple of times recently and can't say for sure if it was after this that it started. I rebooted the computer and all of the typical stuff. I don't have the tree setup yet so I can't say for sure if its just the preview. Just looking for any ideas.

i don't see it mentioned, but for connecting AC light strings in various place, look up SPT1 wire and vampire plugs. Gives you a lot of flexibility to connect the strings together you want to act as one. I have close to a mile of wire connecting things together.