Just Starting Out

[CShuler]

So I have been bitten by the bug this year, and am focused to get something set up for 2012! Since I don't have much spare time, getting started now is the best thing to do. First of all, I downloaded the demo version of S3, just to see if I can make sense of it before spending too much on this new hobby. I haven't had a chance to get through the 300 page PDF on the program yet, but am hoping it will give enough info on how to set up this rather complex looking program. Other than that, is there any other help manual, or do you have any suggestions that will help me get through the learning curve on this program? However, since I don't have any of the hardware yet (waiting to see if there will be any sales in March), I can't really test anything out. Thanks

[Donny M. Carter]

Welcome! One good thing to check out is Bob's videos. http://forums.lightorama.com/forum95/28633.html

Everything has a learning curve, this hobby and LOR software is no different. The best thing you can do now is read! It will save you plenty of headaches!

Donny

[Surfing4Dough]

Some good pdfs and videos here too (older version of the software, but the basics are the same):

http://www.lightorama.com/Documentation.html#Training_Presentations

[Surfing4Dough]

Also might want to include your location in your profile since advice can be different based on your region/weather. Plus others nearby might be able to provided additional support.

[CShuler]

Thanks y'all! Will be checking out those videos!

[scubado]

Welcome aboard! Looks like we'll have quite a few newbies sticking around the forum this year. This should be an exciting year, a lot of interest in RGB this year and the arrival of CCBs and CCFs and whatever else LOR has up it's sleeve. Hopefully all the supplier issues are a thing of the past.

[huskerhoule]

I am a first year sequencer myself. I am HOOKED! I spent all last winter, spring, and summer prepairing for this years display. I am even preparing now for next years! My advice...download the free demo version of the software and begin playing around with it. Once you start getting the hang of the options of the program, the creativity gets fun. There are a lot of free sequences out there that you can down load and see how they were made. That is what I did. From there, I was able to create some of my own that are pretty cool. I started with 32 channels. This is a good range to start in to be able to really vary the different patterns you want your lights to move in. Another cool feature with the sofware is that you can download a pic of your house and then begin designing where you want your different channel of lights to go. You can then begin telling the computer which channels run which sets of lights. Then, import your song and begin sequencing your light movements to the music. Goodluck!

[Guest guest]

scubado wrote:

Hopefully all the supplier issues are a thing of the past.

Let's just hope "supplier quality" improves! Seems a lot of GEN3 Controllers had far too many Triac failures that folks got this year (2011) from what I've been reading on the forums here. So, yes parts are coming in, but seems the quality of those parts have diminshed a bit much this time around.

I have a Gen2 controller bought in 2010 that lost a triac this year, channel stays on 40-75% depending on what the triac feels like doing. But it won't go completely off.

So before I take the plunge for a new controller (G3) or the CCB's when they finally become available, I'm gonna let all the die hard folks get them and run them through their paces and see how they hold up for a while before I buy any. So far, I'm not too keen on buying a new G3 controller due to the triac failures issue at hand.