Sequence Editor Intermittently Freezing Up (resolved)

[Guest guest]

I built most of my songs under the demo-version. I just loaded the Licensed version.

Now, when I play the sequence editor, intermittently through out the song, the screen freezes for a good two to three seconds, then moves on. During the time it freezes, the lights will not keep in time, but yet the songs play like there is no problem....

The Specs part:

PC - Dell Optiplex, Intell Pentium III Processor

598 MHz

768MB RAM

OS - Windows XP Professional Version 2002, Service Pack 2

This PC has no other apps running on it. Just LOR and Windows Media Player.
The PC is strictly just used for the LOR software.

[Guest guest]

Your machine is more than capable of running the shows, via the control panel. You should not see any problems when you actually get around to running the shows.

However, for sequencing, I would expect to see some lag with your configuration. I've got an AMD (something) with 2GB of RAM. Even I see some delays now and then.

Dan has said this is corrected in LOR2.

[Guest guest]

I'm seeing this on our laptop (1.5GHz I believe) more than ever this year. In the past I was able to get around it by turning down the HW accelleration in the video settings, but not this year.

It's really frustrating, as the further through the sequence you get, the more it freezes up -- sometimes for as much as 10-15 seconds while viewing the animation window. Which of course means you miss much of what you're trying to watch.

Minimizing the LOR sequence window doesn't help either.

Any advice would be appreciated...

-Tim

[Guest guest]

Click on the play button at the top and un-check "Move Grid with Play". This helps out a bunch.

The more action your sequence has and the animation screen has, the more it bogs down the processor. If you stop the movement of the grid, it's less work on the processor moving the grid and playing the animation screen at the same time.

P.S. Doing this helped out a bunch on this problem.

Tom

[Guest guest]

I really appreciate all the quick responses.

I don't think it has anything to do with the Animation Director. I'm not using it.

When the screen freezes, it actually freezes the synchronization of the lights as well.

Although the song itself continues to play like nothing is happening.

Huge problem, I cannot have that screen freeze up, when it does, the lights will freeze as well.

[Guest guest]

John Pidliskey wrote:

I really appreciate all the quick responses.

I don't think it has anything to do with the Animation Director. I'm not using it.

When the screen freezes, it actually freezes the synchronization of the lights as well.

Although the song itself continues to play like nothing is happening.

Huge problem, I cannot have that screen freeze up, when it does, the lights will freeze as well.

I'm a tad lost ...

If you are not using the sequence editor, when what are you using?

What screen, then, is freezing if you are not using the sequence editor?

Long time LOR user here, and I know of no screen that shows you the status of your lights while playing the lights via a SHOW, scheduled through the SCHEDULE editor, and being played via the "ENABLE SHOWS" in the LOR CONTROL PANEL.

[Guest guest]

Don,

I am using the Sequence editor. I didn't even get started with the Show editor or the Schedule editor.

I just wanted to run the songs again using the Sequence editor and since I just installed the licensed version, the screens are locking up.

I have to take my son to Football practice, if you want send me an email with your phone number, as soon as I get back, I can call you. It would be around 7:30PM est.



I don't think this is something to keep sending info back and forth, will take much more time to resolve.

[Guest guest]

Don wrote:

What screen, then, is freezing if you are not using the sequence editor?

I think John is using the sequence editor screen to see his work in motion which would be the problem if there is lots of action. Don, I'm kinda like you. I've never seen it happen when a "Show" is actually playing.

John, if you click on the play button and uncheck the move grid option, I'm sure that will take care of the problem.

Tom

[Guest guest]

From a Computer Tech Point of view.

Try lowering your screen resolution IE From 1024x768 to 800x600.

AND/OR Try lowering the number of colours being shown, from 32 bit to 16 bit.

AND/OR change the refresh rate in your video card settings.

AND/OR Check to see if you have the most recent video card drivers for your Video card.

Or maybe if you want to throw a bit of money at it try Changing your video card.

Just my 2 bits worth. good luck

[Guest guest]

NWSanta wrote:

From a Computer Tech Point of view.

Try lowering your screen resolution IE From 1024x768 to 800x600.

AND/OR Try lowering the number of colours being shown, from 32 bit to 16 bit.

AND/OR change the refresh rate in your video card settings.

AND/OR Check to see if you have the most recent video card drivers for your Video card.

Or maybe if you want to throw a bit of money at it try Changing your video card.

Just my 2 bits worth. good luck

My issues on a laptop, so some of the above doesn't apply. I don't want to lower the resolution, as I need to see as much as possible when I'm sequencing...

Appreciate the tips, though...

-Tim

[Guest guest]

Tim, I use a laptop too and don't have any problems when disabling the grid movement. I have around 200 channels and viewing it on the animation screen. If I don't diable the grid movement, then yes, it stalls here are there.

Tom

[Guest guest]

tfischer wrote:

NWSanta wrote:

From a Computer Tech Point of view.

Try lowering your screen resolution IE From 1024x768 to 800x600.

AND/OR Try lowering the number of colours being shown, from 32 bit to 16 bit.

AND/OR change the refresh rate in your video card settings.

AND/OR Check to see if you have the most recent video card drivers for your Video card.

Or maybe if you want to throw a bit of money at it try Changing your video card.

Just my 2 bits worth. good luck

My issues on a laptop, so some of the above doesn't apply. I don't want to lower the resolution, as I need to see as much as possible when I'm sequencing...

Appreciate the tips, though...

-Tim

Hey Tim,

Just for fun try changing the Refresh rate from 60 to 75 Hz. You shouldn't see any noticeable difference but, it may help the computer with the refreshing....
Happy Hunting.

Also, when was the last time you rebuilt your PC? IE Reloaded windows? Sometimes windows get's full of temp files and other things. Perhaps it's time to rebuild your laptop. Or at least clean out your temporary files.

One other thing, maybe run a disk defrag on your Laptop.
Cheers
Evan

[Guest guest]

NWSanta wrote:

Also, when was the last time you rebuilt your PC? IE Reloaded windows? Sometimes windows get's full of temp files and other things. Perhaps it's time to rebuild your laptop. Or at least clean out your temporary files.

Grrrr, this is why I hate Windows! Anyone else wishing for LOR II for MacOS X? :dude:

Thanks again, I'll try to do some cleanup and see what happens (unforunately I don't have the luxury of the full day or two it would take for a full format-and-reload, though...)

-Tim

[Guest guest]

tfischer wrote:

NWSanta wrote:

Also, when was the last time you rebuilt your PC? IE Reloaded windows? Sometimes windows get's full of temp files and other things. Perhaps it's time to rebuild your laptop. Or at least clean out your temporary files.

Grrrr, this is why I hate Windows! Anyone else wishing for LOR II for MacOS X? :dude:

Thanks again, I'll try to do some cleanup and see what happens (unforunately I don't have the luxury of the full day or two it would take for a full format-and-reload, though...)

-Tim

Yeah I know what you mean. I hate reloading. However, the Glory of XP is that it is easier than it used to be.

[Guest guest]

OK, I'm back, My wife took over the football duties.

I can assure you it has noting to do with the PC or it's software, or temp files.

Reason is, I just completly reloaded this PC specifically for LOR. Reformatted drive, etc.

Guess I will need to bug Dan on this tomorrow. If I take and copy the software to my Personal computer(the song sequence), It runs well under the "demo" version.

This just hapened when I installed the Licensed software.....

[Guest guest]

John Pidliskey wrote:

Reason is, I just completly reloaded this PC specifically for LOR. Reformatted drive, etc.

John,

Just to let you know, my laptop is only 4 months old (with a 1mg processor) and is dedicated to the light show only. I don't use it for any other purpose and it will still freeze up if I try to run the grid movement along with the animation screen.

Just wanted to let you know.

Tom

[Guest guest]

Tom,

If you read the posts, not to sound like a jerk, but I am not using the animation director.

I was using the demo version of the music sequnce editor only. All was well untill for some reason I loaded the licenced version of the software.

Maybe I need to reload the software. Heck, I'm willing to take the damn thing to Dan myself, since I live about two hours from him.

[Guest guest]

Grrrr,  this is why I hate Windows!  Anyone else wishing for LOR II for MacOS X? 

(Raising Hand) Meee!

Starting with a freshly configured 1.66 Mac Mini just to get this %$&^@ running.

-Doug

[Guest guest]

Try changing the fade from 'As Colors' to 'As Ramps'. This speeds up scrolling when I use the scroll bar - it may have an effect on what you are experiencing.

Maybe the gradient color calculations take a little time that is multiplied by each visible cell assigned as a fade.

Dan

[Guest guest]

Tried it, it wont work.....

I really appreciate all the help....Gotta go for now, before I throw this F'n PC across the room.

I'm really pissed. I will try to call Dan tomorrow.

Really, thanks for the help.

:devil: