problem with show

[fattboy900]

OK so this is my first year. have 3 controllers (wanted 9) but ran short on money. My problem is that I have 4 songs/sequences created for 9 controllers and no controllers. Decided to to just run a static display with my mega tree and the three controllers. Did a quick sequence for 5 minutes, went to simple show builder and went through the process with only 1 sequence, clicked run continously and finshed. The problem I have is the show only runs one and turns off. What am i missing? I have run the show manually and added the loop and it runs fine. Really need to schedule this to come on at a specific time because of my work schedule. Thanks

[chipwdw]

are you using a computer or stand alone (sd card) to run your shows. if using computer make sure you have the start and end times and show correct on the show scheduler. then hit the save button up top. see if that works. you shouldnt need to run continously if its set right. if using stand alone, i cant help.

[fattboy900]

show is set to start at 5:30 and stop at 9:30. Do I need to make another sequence to put with the first one?

[Orville]

Again, are you running from an SD card {MP3 Director} or from the PC? If you're selecting continuously in the SSB, your sequence should repeat constantly from your start time of 5:30pm and end at 9:30pm. If you are using an MP3 Director and running the show from an SD card and using an animation file, loops DO NOT WORK with the MP3 Directors and are ignored. So your sequence may run once through and stop dead, lights out, and do nothing from that point on.

So if using an SD Card, you will need to delete the loops from the sequence, the MP3 Directors absotutely will not use them.

If you're using a PC to run the show, then there may be something set incorrectly in your sequence that is having the lights shut down at the end and not repeating the sequence over again once it reaches the end. Also do you have "turn lights off" at the end of your sequence, if so, you may want to uncheck that so the lights stay on and start again. I don't believe that that would create the problem you're having, but might be probable.

But not knowing how you're actually starting and running the show, SD card {MP3 Director} or from the PC will help us to help you get things going in the right direction.

BTW: even if you have set times set, you still need select the option to run continuously, otherwise your sequence will run once and stop, if using every hour, sequence will only run once and do nothing until an hour later, half hour does the same, sequence will run once and not run again until the 30 minutes have passed. And if you haven't set any additional options like lights on between sequence, all lights will be off, unfortunately the Simple Show Builder is just that, SIMPLE, but it does have a few options to choose from within the Hour or Half Hour options, and one must be chosen when using those, the 3 additional options you can choose are:

Keep The Lights On

Run A Silent Animation

Keep The Lights Off

Only selecting run continuously should run your show from your start time to your end time and SHOULD by all rights repeat the sequence indefinitely during your show run time.

Edited November 26, 2012 by Orville

[GaryM]

If you're running an animation sequence, not a musical sequence, i dont believe you can use the simple show builder, you need to use the regular show editor.

[dknahoolewa]

KEY....what are you using?

SD cards run differently on Mini-director and Showtime-director. Animation sequences can be used on both.

I have two houses this year. One with mini director and the other is showtime director.

Someone here can help but we need more info.

[GaryM]

KEY....what are you using?

SD cards run differently on Mini-director and Showtime-director. Animation sequences can be used on both.

Correct, but not the case if he's trying to run animations in the SSB from a computer.

[fattboy900]

OK newbie mistake. Sorry for the mis-direction. Here is the low down.

Everything is running off of the computer over a cat5 cable to the controllers.

In the sequence the "turn lights off at end" is not checked.

Loop at the end is removed.

I am running the show from the "Simple Show Builder" Program. I checked the Schedule Editor and the show times and proper file are listed from 5:30 to 9:30 for the week. There is no music just simple animation for the mega tree. I am using the #3 controller for some other lights that just stay on all the time (convient for power).

Run continuously is checked

I am only pulling 27 amps from 2 different 20 amp circuits ) about 14 amps per circuit.

Everthing works great if I run it manually from the sequence editor with the loop built in. I have even check running all the lights on for 10 minutes to see if I have any power issues. No problems.

I will be home in about 1 hour to try any ideas that anyone has. Thanks for the help and patience

Edited November 26, 2012 by fattboy900

[GaryM]

Your issue isn't current draw based on what you have described.

If you read the help files, it will tell you that you can't use animation sequences in the SSB when using a computer, and I recall previous versions giving a warning if you tried to do it that way. I just tried setting one up using 3.8, and it seemed to let it go. Did not go as far as to see if anything will run.

Suggestion would be to set it up using the show editor and schedule editor, and then run your animation continuously.

[fattboy900]

Thanks for the help. I will try this later and see if this fixes the issue.

[Orville]

Your issue isn't current draw based on what you have described.

If you read the help files, it will tell you that you can't use animation sequences in the SSB when using a computer, and I recall previous versions giving a warning if you tried to do it that way. I just tried setting one up using 3.8, and it seemed to let it go. Did not go as far as to see if anything will run.

Suggestion would be to set it up using the show editor and schedule editor, and then run your animation continuously.

Actually you can use animation sequences but only if using the Every Hour or Every Half Hour option in the SSB, as it will ask if you 3 things and one is if you want to run a SILENT ANIMATION Sequence, which it will do.

It actually will run animation sequences, but it does appear that it will run only once through and quit, never to run again until the show is ended then restarted. Giving the same results that the OP got when he was trying to get the show to run.

There is a way around this issue, you can create a dummy musical sequence by creating an empty, totally silent MP3 file, I have one that is 19 seconds long I use to run silent animations, this way the SSB sees it as a musical sequence and plays it continuously until the end time is reached. Just tried it and it worked fine.

Folks laugh because I create and use these "silent" MP3 files, but they have helped me avoid the very issues many folks have with attempting some of what they are trying to do here. Especially helpful when using a Mini or Showtime Director to run your shows too.

[GaryM]

Not sure what version you are running, but have yet to see it ask if I want to run a "silent animation" when running from aa computer, which the OP says he is doing.

As far as creating dummy mp3 files, etc., question is..why bother? Just use the normal show editor and scheduler and run your animation and and be done with it, rather than go thru a bunch of needless extra steps.

[fattboy900]

finally got the show to run last night. I did not use SSB like you suggested but I did have to create a loop in the sequence. the sequence stayed on but froze on the last line. created the loop and that fixed the problem. everything else worked great. thanks to everyone for your help.I am sure that I will need more help next year as the show will get much bigger and better.

[GaryM]

Good to hear you got it going. Makes sense you would want the loop of you were simply running animation continuously. Several ways to possibly get around that, but if its working for you than no need to bother with it.

[Orville]

Not sure what version you are running, but have yet to see it ask if I want to run a "silent animation" when running from aa computer, which the OP says he is doing.

As far as creating dummy mp3 files, etc., question is..why bother? Just use the normal show editor and scheduler and run your animation and and be done with it, rather than go thru a bunch of needless extra steps.

I use an SD Card and an DC-MP3 Showtrime Director and it IS the only way to do what I want my display to do, when I want it to do it.

Yes, the SSB certainly will ask you those questions and ask ONLY if you select run "Every Hour" or "Every Half Hour", then that option will show up. If running continuously, you will never see those options and it comes up when I select run show from PC before I add any sequences to the SSB. It will ask those same questions even if selecting use DC-MP3 Director. But you have to select Run Every Hour or Every Half Hour before those options will appear in the SSB. I'm running version 3.8.0 and it gives me those options in the SSB every time I've used it.

But I prefer and use the HWU to set my shows up on my SD card for the DC-MP3 Showtime Director, as I normally do not use a PC ro run my shows, but have thought about using my laptop to do so if, or when I get into the RGB and Pixel stuff.