Are you using Nutcracker?

[smeighan]

I get very few questions from users about Nutcracker.

I would like to get an idea about how many people are using Nutcracker this year.

I would also like to know if you tried it, but just cant get it to work.

Thanks

sean

[n_gifford]

Hey Sean, I answered yes because I have used it with HLS and LOR. While I am amazed with what you've accomplished with Nutcracker, I ended up purchasing Superstar because it's easier for me to use.

Some constructive criticism, since I've used both now quite extensively. Obviously you are not trying to re-create any of the other various effect generators out there, so I'm comparing apples to oranges.<--- This is my disclaimer....

A couple things I don't like about Nutcracker: 1. I long for real-time preview of effects. 2. Goes along with 1, I want to be able to tweak effects instead of having to re-create them every time they're not quite right.

I like the extensive list of highly customizable effects that you've created, but I wish there was a way to more easily control the speed of them. For instance, say I create a spiral. I'm anal and a bit OCD with my lights, and I want each spiral to pass by with the beat. This takes quite of bit of work with nutcracker.

I think those are the biggest things holding me back. With that said, thank you for what you've done with Nutcracker! It has undoubtedly helped numerous people create some amazing effects that they would now have been able to do otherwise!

[smeighan]

Hey Sean, I answered yes because I have used it with HLS and LOR. While I am amazed with what you've accomplished with Nutcracker, I ended up purchasing Superstar because it's easier for me to use.

Some constructive criticism, since I've used both now quite extensively. Obviously you are not trying to re-create any of the other various effect generators out there, so I'm comparing apples to oranges.<--- This is my disclaimer....

A couple things I don't like about Nutcracker: 1. I long for real-time preview of effects. 2. Goes along with 1, I want to be able to tweak effects instead of having to re-create them every time they're not quite right.

I like the extensive list of highly customizable effects that you've created, but I wish there was a way to more easily control the speed of them. For instance, say I create a spiral. I'm anal and a bit OCD with my lights, and I want each spiral to pass by with the beat. This takes quite of bit of work with nutcracker.

I think those are the biggest things holding me back. With that said, thank you for what you've done with Nutcracker! It has undoubtedly helped numerous people create some amazing effects that they would now have been able to do otherwise!

I agree with you.

The lack of immediate feedback (you have to press submit to see the effect), the multiple parameters, the slowness to generate an effect.

These are all things i will work to fix next year.

One advantage of a web based tool is that is Windows/Linux agnostic.

If i create a Windows specific tool, i will be able to get much faster graphic feedback.

I would rather have slider bars for all the parameters and as you move them around you immediately see the feedback.

I will focus on getting music phrases, beats and notes for next year. A song can then be marked up once and shared by everyone. Each person puts the effects the want attached to the music meta object.

thanks for the feedback

sean

[n_gifford]

I agree with you.

The lack of immediate feedback (you have to press submit to see the effect), the multiple parameters, the slowness to generate an effect.

These are all things i will work to fix next year.

One advantage of a web based tool is that is Windows/Linux agnostic.

If i create a Windows specific tool, i will be able to get much faster graphic feedback.

I would rather have slider bars for all the parameters and as you move them around you immediately see the feedback.

I will focus on getting music phrases, beats and notes for next year. A song can then be marked up once and shared by everyone. Each person puts the effects the want attached to the music meta object.

thanks for the feedback

sean

I think, with improvements like these, it would be something that I would strongly consider again next year. I like Superstar because it's kind of an "all in one" package, including effect generator and sequence editor.

At the same time, one must take into consideration the price point of something like Nutcracker vs. other effect generators. In the long run, I would actually like the flexibility of being able to use both. Nutcracker to create very specific effects, without having to put a whole lot of thought into how they should be constructed, and Superstar to do everything else. The biggest downfall of Superstar for a few people that I've talked to, is the lack of support for extremely high channel counts. If I make the expansions to the display that I'd like to for next year, Superstar would be obsolete as is.

What ultimately swayed my decision towards Superstar (Despite the high price tag), was a lot of what you've described here. At crunch time, it came down to what works for me now. Like I said, I think Nutcracker has, and will continue to help people tremendously in their sequencing. I'm obviously just sharing my personal opinions.

[WilliamS]

I still need it do to Horizontal matrix. When thats on I will be a daily user. Thanks Sean for the work you put into this.

[Tim Fischer]

I get very few questions from users about Nutcracker.

Heh, and I figured I was driving you nuts with all the issues that I posted alone

I'm using it, along with LOR's "groups" feature to sequence my mega-tree for this season. It's been a great tool and hope it gets even better in the future.

[kennyz06]

I used nutcracker for 7 songs. It was SUPER easy to use, and it made my pixel tree amazing.... Check out my videos on the site in my sig to see how it came out.

[smeighan]

I used nutcracker for 7 songs. It was SUPER easy to use, and it made my pixel tree amazing.... Check out my videos on the site in my sig to see how it came out.

videos look cool!

great job

[Crazydave]

I still need it do to Horizontal matrix. When thats on I will be a daily user. Thanks Sean for the work you put into this.

This would be AWESOME.

I would like to make a grid across my garage door, and this would make it VERY easy.

[Shubb]

I've tried multiple times to use it, but only got errors..

I like to think I'm a pretty smart guy, but after several attempts I got frustrated and quit trying.

Scott

[PKingRoch]

I would love to use this next year. I just stumbled upon this sw recently and I was playing with it lately, but had a host of errors as well as some things that worked. What isn't clear to me is how you intend for people to use the software. Are we supposed to be using it on your hosted site, or are we supposed to be d/ling it and using it locally? I've seen references to local host, so I think you are making this available to us locally, but again, that isn't clear. Also, documentation is sparse, or maybe it just isn't working. I went through the tutorials, and while they are nice, they do not reflect the current state of the software. I do think this is excellent work, and hope you continue. Thank you for doing this.

[smeighan]

I would love to use this next year. I just stumbled upon this sw recently and I was playing with it lately, but had a host of errors as well as some things that worked. What isn't clear to me is how you intend for people to use the software. Are we supposed to be using it on your hosted site, or are we supposed to be d/ling it and using it locally? I've seen references to local host, so I think you are making this available to us locally, but again, that isn't clear. Also, documentation is sparse, or maybe it just isn't working. I went through the tutorials, and while they are nice, they do not reflect the current state of the software. I do think this is excellent work, and hope you continue. Thank you for doing this.

meighan.net/nutcracker is where the original software was released. Currently i have 950 registered users. The problem with a hosted server, it runs out of resources on people with target > than medium targets. Things like 32x84 megatree. We are creating 4 gbytes per day on meighan.net

so second choice is to run the nutcracker software on your windows xp/7/8 machine or your linux box.

Since the software is written in php/mySql you need to get aoache and mysql to run on windows.

if you download the free WAMP (Windows, Apache, Microsoft, PHP) software you can then on your local machine. Now there are no limits to disk space. Download takes about 5 minutes

http://doityourselfc...-of-Nutcracker.

I am looking to move meighan.net/nutcracker to nutcracker123/nutcracker. meighan.net costs $50/month for 50 gigs. nutcracker123 is $5/month for 200 gigs. I still plan on using it on my local machine.

There are about 100 people who are using nutcracker this year in their shows.

Here is a user who has done an excellent job in sequencing.

He uses Nutcracker effects they way i would like to. Changing just color, making effects match beats.

I like how he is conservative with the nutcracker effects. Sometimes he is halfway into his song before he uses the first megatree.

The thread was here: http://diylightanima...p?topic=10792.0

Well, I am ahead of schedule, but I got my videos done for this year already. Thanks to RJ and Sean...this year's show was the best ever. The colors don't come through as well as they do in person, but they aren't too bad.

-- Keith

Next year we will work on making the software easier to use.

sean

Edited December 16, 2012 by smeighan