Instant Sequence question

[wbaker4]

I may of read this somewhere here, but does the instant sequence only work with setups that have sets of 50 CC devices, arranged as columns of 50 rather than configurations that have the strings of the CC devices arranged as 2 columns of 25?

I have two CCB controllers (200 total LEDS) arranged as 8 columns of 25 LEDs. Instant sequencing of a spiral 9and other patterns) appears to be scrambled.

My setup for everything else works correctly - the letters/words come out correctly as well as the morphs and any images I put up.

Thanks in advance.

[BrianBruderer]

You say that text is working on you 8 half string columns, so I expect that you have set the Layout dialog box to be:

4 CCRs

Vertical

Straight

Half

Top or Bottom

By selecting half ribbons your 4 CCRs become 8 columns of half strings which are 25 pixels each. Is this what you have done?

If you do Instant Sequence on the half strings it looks the same as when done on full strings. I just tired several different themes and they look the same to me as the patterns done on full length strings.

Does it look scrambled when you play it within the SuperStar program? Or is it only scrambled when you look at the actual CCRs?

[wbaker4]

It looks scrambled when I play it within the Superstar program. i did not try it on my real display since it does not look right in the program.

As I said, everything else (not instant sequence) plays back correctly, both in Superstar and using the Visualizer when I play my entire song, after exporting the Superstar sequence, and cutting/pasting into my main sequence.

In Super Star, I have 8 columns of 25. Bottom controller, straight, half, vertical.

[wbaker4]

Brian,

I have CCBs - should be the same as CCRs?

Thanks again!

[BrianBruderer]

Yes it should work with CCBs, and the fact that text comes out correctly in the visualizer shows it is configured correctly. I would like to see what it is doing. Call me at 972-390-7518 and we can do the thing where I am able to see your screen.

[wbaker4]

Thanks Brian,

I'll call you tonight - the computer I use for sequencing is at home.

Walt

[wbaker4]

Brian,

I spent some more time looking at and playing with the various settings for the instant sequences and decided that it is doing what it is supposed to be doing. The fact that the various effects are tied to the audio file, and for a star, the bulbs should be layed out in a star pattern, the effects selected appear to match what I see.

While watching my lights last night, I did notice an interesting anomaly. Sections in my show that have an image that is shown on the CCB matrix - (in my case a horn or soldier) - that gets scrolled either horizontally or vertically, I see the first one or two row/columns of the image for about a second or two before it gets shifted down or to the right. I rechecked the sequence in Superstar and that anomaly does not show up there, or when using the visualizer. It happens with some morphs too.

[BrianBruderer]

The problem you are seeing with the scrolling sounds like lag, the hardware can't keep up with the software. There are some things you can do to help:

1) Launch the Sequence Editor, click on the Edit menu, select preferences, network preferences. Make sure speed is set to "short range faster". If it isn't changing to short range faster will help a lot.

2) use more than one network. This requires that you have two USB485 adapters. You put half your controllers on each network

3) Scroll more slowly

4) In the case of text, use text of just one color, red works the best

[wbaker4]

Brian,

It is different. It is like the row/column of the image I am about to display gets loaded into the first group of pixels and is turned on about a second before it starts vertical or horizontal scrolling. There is not lag at all. Timing is right on the mark. Just that there are pixels being turned on too soon.

Walt

[BrianBruderer]

Hmmm, haven't seen that before. If you email the .sup file to brian@superstarlights.com I will take a look at it. The .sup file will be at:

c:\ <your lightorama folder> \ SuperStar \ Sequences

Is the image being displayed prematurely only on the CCRs, or do you see it happen on the SuperStar computer screen also?

[wbaker4]

Brian,

I think I may have found the cause of what I was observing on my CCBs.

While I was buying the new G3-MP3 controller, I noticed in the documentation that Lock Step is not supported by the Cosmic devices. I have always been selecting that. I will give it a try and see if not checking that box makes a difference.

Could I be right?

Walt

[BrianBruderer]

I don't know. I looked it up and "lock step" means send the commands to all the controllers and then act on the command after all controllers have received the command. So maybe it could be causing the problem, let me know if unchecking "lock step" helps.

But I do know that many customers have had problems running Cosmic Color Devices using mp3 controllers. Most everyone I have worked with has problems until they connect the CCDs directly to the computer with cat5 cables.

[wbaker4]

Brian,

I created my shows without the lock step box checked and I no longer see the first few rows/columns being displayed.

Everything is working well. No apparent lags, delays or skips! I am using the DC-MP3.

Thanks again!

[BrianBruderer]

I was helping a different fellow that was running 4 CCRs from an mp3 card and he had lag problems. He set the highest data rate there was and it still lagged. By the end of a song the CCRs were 10-20 seconds behind the song.

How old is your DC-MP3? Is there a speed setting that you set that made it faster?

[wbaker4]

My dcmp3 has to be about 6 years old. I set the data rate to 112k. The data goes through seven 16-channel controllers before the first CCb controller. Cable length from the dcmp3 to CCb has to be close to 120 feet.

[BrianBruderer]

Glad you got it working well for you! What sequences are you running? The fellow I was working with was running my "Deck the Halls" sequence for 4 circles. Perhaps it was because the sequence was doing so many fast effects. If you run a sequence with a lot of fast effects on your CCBs you may have problems with lag.