Need some expert help on cutting CCR

[jbzeus]

I'd like to make some CCR circles similar to the standard 5' circles with one CCR. However, the area I would like to put them will be best to have approximately 4' circles. Doing the math I can use three CCRs for four circles using 36 pixels per circle with six pixels left over.
1. Do I need to have four power supplies and four controllers to do this? Seems the three controllers/supplies should work for my four circles. Obviously I would have to split the circles and wire appropriately.
2. Am I causing myself programming problems? Will Superstar program best with full ribbons and if I cut to four from three will this cause me to program full ribbons and remove the lines and cut and past for proper fades etc. to work?

Thanks!
Jeff

[jbzeus]

37 views but no help? Maybe over the weekend? :-)

[k6ccc]

I'm not the CCR expert here, but you have a couple options.

The easiest would be to use 4 CCRs and waste about a third of each one. That would cost an extra CCR however other options would be less expensive.

I can't come up with a good way to use 3 CCRs without cutting them, and it would be up to you to decide if you wish to void the warrantee by doing so. You would end up with circles starting and ending at odd locations so programming it could be more of a challenge.

As far as how SuperStar would handle it, you will have to hear from someone far more of an expert than I am.

[BrianBruderer]

Sorry to take so long to reply. I only monitor the SuperStar forum, someone referred me to this topic.

I agree with the previous posting that the sequencing would be far easier to use four controllers and cut off the end of the ribbon for each controller. The drawback of course is that you have to buy four CCRs.

Also, realize that when making a circle with one CCR you are already pushing the limit of how much the ribbon will bend in the lateral direction. I think the only way to get the CCR into a 4 ft circle would be to have the CCR facing somewhat outward from the circle.

As far as sequencing, you can create a visualization of the circles in the visualizer, import the visualization into SuperStar and the portion of the CCR that you are using will show up as a sequencing row and you would sequence it the same as any other CCR sequence.

If you use 3 CCRs and split them up between 4 circles, it would be nice if SuperStar would split the CCRs into 4 sequencing rows but currently CCRs always start a new sequencing row. Eventually I want to make it so you can organize sequencing rows anyway you want, but can't promise when I will be able to put that in.

[k6ccc]

Here is a thought about the smaller diameter circle. Instead of using Ribbons, how about bulb or pixel strings? With CCBs the bending is no problem at all. You could also do it with two 2 string sets. The other advantage of that is you can space the 50 bulbs evenly around your 4 foot circle and not waste pixels. It would end up having a pixel about every 3 inches.

Last advantage is cost. Two 100 bulb sets costs a lot less than 4 CCR strings.

[jbzeus]

BrianBruderer wrote:

Sorry to take so long to reply. I only monitor the SuperStar forum, someone referred me to this topic. No problem. Thanks for taking a look.

I agree with the previous posting that the sequencing would be far easier to use four controllers and cut off the end of the ribbon for each controller. What would I do with the extra 14 pixels? Wire them together and get another controller? Hate to waste the ribbon.The drawback of course is that you have to buy four CCRs. Hadn't thought of that but I see that would be an option. Of course I was trying to use three ribbons for four circles and just split up the programming to 36 pixels each circle with three controllers. I know I could do this with incandescent (my abilities with programming that is).

Also, realize that when making a circle with one CCR you are already pushing the limit of how much the ribbon will bend in the lateral direction. I think the only way to get the CCR into a 4 ft circle would be to have the CCR facing somewhat outward from the circle. LOR website says 3' diameter in the plane of the ribbon so I am assuming I am OK.

As far as sequencing, you can create a visualization of the circles in the visualizer, import the visualization into SuperStar and the portion of the CCR that you are using will show up as a sequencing row and you would sequence it the same as any other CCR sequence.

If you use 3 CCRs and split them up between 4 circles, it would be nice if SuperStar would split the CCRs into 4 sequencing rows but currently CCRs always start a new sequencing row. Eventually I want to make it so you can organize sequencing rows anyway you want, but can't promise when I will be able to put that in. Could I program "across" circles

My biggest problem not so much is cost (but it is a consideration) but the size. 5' is too big for where I want to put the circles thus the 4' thinking.

[BrianBruderer]

As mentioned in a different post, could you use CCBs? You can space them out evenly and the cost is lower. One drawback is that CCBs are not as bright. But if you are Ok with them not being bright, I would use CCBs.

If you did use 3 CCRs, to make 4 circles, you could "weave" the circles, that is, use the first CCR to make the first circle, then weave it over to do a third of the next circle etc, you probably were already thinking of that.

I have looked at the code and I think there is a good chance that in the next release I can have it distribute pieces of CCRs onto the sequencing rows the way you would want it to in your case.

[BrianBruderer]

In my previous post I forgot to point out that if you "weave" 4 circles from 3 CCRs the way I was trying to describe, then you can make the 4 circles from the 3 CCRs without cutting them. I would have to draw a picture to properly describe it. Hopefully the picture below makes sense. Ignore the underscore characters, I have used them only because the forum editor strips multiple space characters so I had to use another character to get the numbers to be located where I wanted them to be:

___1111_____3333_____1111_____2222___
_1______1_3______3_1______2_2______2_
1________1________1________2________2
_3______3_1______1_3______2_2______2_
___3333_____1111_____3333_____2222___

You would construct it as above, but I would think that in SuperStar you would want the sequencing rows to be laid out so that each row is a circle. Again, currently SuperStar won't do that, but in the next release I should be able to allow it.

[jbzeus]

BrianBruderer wrote:

As mentioned in a different post, could you use CCBs? Not the look I'm after. The CCR's work well for what I'm doingYou can space them out evenly and the cost is lower. One drawback is that CCBs are not as bright. But if you are Ok with them not being bright, I would use CCBs. If you did use 3 CCRs, to make 4 circles, you could "weave" the circles, that is, use the first CCR to make the first circle, then weave it over to do a third of the next circle etc, you probably were already thinking of that.Seems like I would have the same programming problem though as I want the circles independent like your videos. I have looked at the code and I think there is a good chance that in the next release I can have it distribute pieces of CCRs onto the sequencing rows the way you would want it to in your case. That would be cool! Another question. How do the macro effects apply? Do they apply to an entire CCR or the rows above in the sequence editor. Wondering if I could split the rows and have the macros affect only the rows above thus affecting only the first 36 pixels for instance on controller 1. The next group would be pixels 37-50 from controller 1 and 1-22 on controller 2 for the next circle.

[jbzeus]

Hadn't thought of it that way. I 'll put my thinking hat on!