Have some free time on my hands, dipping my toe into SSS.

[Klayfish]

So I'm sitting here at home beginning my recovery from hip surgery yesterday.  Since it was my right hip, I'm not "allowed" to drive for 6 weeks, so I'll be working from home instead of the office.  That is going to give a lot more free time than I normally would have.  I read about using SS to create sequences for those of us who just have standard light strings (icans or LEDs).  I tried to toy around with it for a few minutes, but was confused by what I got.  Hoping someone can help me.

 

I put my visualizer file into it and followed instructions to create an instant sequence.  However, when I played it, it didn't seem to recognize my arches...in other words instead of making the arches leap or something like that, it just randomly turned on and off the sleeves.  Also, in my display I had a row of 8 mini trees.  In my own S3 produces sequences, I would have the row do features such as chase.  In SS, again it was more just random blinking.

 

Do I need to change how I do something in SS, or is my visualizer file set up wrong? 

 

I'm going to have 48 channels for 2014, had 32 for 2013.  From what I've read, people with regular strings use SS instant sequence, then tweak it to fit.  I'd like to do that too, but in the one time I played with SS, my results weren't good enough where I could just tweak.  Help??

Edited January 18, 2014 by Klayfish

[Djmc2002]

I'm interested in what wisdom comes your way on this too. I'm trying to learn ss and am some what flummoxed by it right now myself

[jerry72]

I have watched most of Brians tutorials on youtube, if you have not seen them go to youtube and type in Superstar Sequence. he has about 15 videos. If i remember correctly, any kid of chase sequence has to be done with RGB settings. The standard controllers will only make to lights come on and off, flicker, twinkle, fade, the only controller that can make lights chase are the RGB or CCR controllers.

[roverdish]

So I'm sitting here at home beginning my recovery from hip surgery yesterday.  Since it was my right hip, I'm not "allowed" to drive for 6 weeks, so I'll be working from home instead of the office.  That is going to give a lot more free time than I normally would have.  I read about using SS to create sequences for those of us who just have standard light strings (icans or LEDs).  I tried to toy around with it for a few minutes, but was confused by what I got.  Hoping someone can help me.

 

I put my visualizer file into it and followed instructions to create an instant sequence.  However, when I played it, it didn't seem to recognize my arches...in other words instead of making the arches leap or something like that, it just randomly turned on and off the sleeves.  Also, in my display I had a row of 8 mini trees.  In my own S3 produces sequences, I would have the row do features such as chase.  In SS, again it was more just random blinking.

 

Do I need to change how I do something in SS, or is my visualizer file set up wrong? 

 

I'm going to have 48 channels for 2014, had 32 for 2013.  From what I've read, people with regular strings use SS instant sequence, then tweak it to fit.  I'd like to do that too, but in the one time I played with SS, my results weren't good enough where I could just tweak.  Help??

I have spent a lot of time with SS and it is great. However it only knows what you tell it.

Most important is how you have configured your visualizer file. Chases can be accomplished with the TCM settings after. 

 

Your arches and mini trees need to be configured as props in your visualization and the order in which you place the fixtures within that prop is also important. Configure any other fixtures you want to work together as props in the proper order.

 

I have among others a 32 channel mega tree and 16 mini trees. I had them configured as props but my order was incorrect and I was having similar issues that you describe until I corrected them.

Chases are accomplished by using one of the "morph" TCM settings in the ss Instant Sequence dialog to the prop where you wish the chase effect to be utilized.

If you study your SS sequencer with your properly configured visualization you can determine which TCM (1,2,3 or 4) affects the various props within your display. The dual visualization mod is SS is helpful if you have fixture within a prop that are physically far apart in your display.

Further manipulation of the Timing Map can also alter results. SS is a great piece of software and I learn new things outside the tutorials all the time.

 

Here is a link to a 96 channel display with multiple props including the 32 channel mega tree, 16 channel mini trees, (made more complicated by using 2 different controllers), a 5 nested star prop over the garage. I also made the red vertical lights into a prop and the 4 stars (1 hidden) across the roof. 

Made entirely with superstar I was pleased for my 2nd year and limited budget.

 

https://vimeo.com/83274368

 

and this one was a hybrid of shared sequences and superstar.

 

https://vimeo.com/83306877

 

email me at roverdish at aol dot com if I can help with my little bit of knowledge

 

Chip

[scubado]

I have spent a lot of time with SS and it is great. However it only knows what you tell it.

Most important is how you have configured your visualizer file. Chases can be accomplished with the TCM settings after. 

 

Your arches and mini trees need to be configured as props in your visualization and the order in which you place the fixtures within that prop is also important. Configure any other fixtures you want to work together as props in the proper order.

 

I have among others a 32 channel mega tree and 16 mini trees. I had them configured as props but my order was incorrect and I was having similar issues that you describe until I corrected them.

Chases are accomplished by using one of the "morph" TCM settings in the ss Instant Sequence dialog to the prop where you wish the chase effect to be utilized.

If you study your SS sequencer with your properly configured visualization you can determine which TCM (1,2,3 or 4) affects the various props within your display. The dual visualization mod is SS is helpful if you have fixture within a prop that are physically far apart in your display.

Further manipulation of the Timing Map can also alter results. SS is a great piece of software and I learn new things outside the tutorials all the time.

 

Here is a link to a 96 channel display with multiple props including the 32 channel mega tree, 16 channel mini trees, (made more complicated by using 2 different controllers), a 5 nested star prop over the garage. I also made the red vertical lights into a prop and the 4 stars (1 hidden) across the roof. 

Made entirely with superstar I was pleased for my 2nd year and limited budget.

 

https://vimeo.com/83274368

 

and this one was a hybrid of shared sequences and superstar.

 

https://vimeo.com/83306877

 

email me at roverdish at aol dot com if I can help with my little bit of knowledge

 

Chip

Thanks for the tips, I'll have to explore more with it.  I've only used it on my ball tree with limited success. 

BTW, I like the rope lights in the trees, gives me something new to think about.  My Birch tree is too delicate to wrap,  and way too expensive to wrap my Maples.

[BrianBruderer]

As others have mentioned, you want to get your arches so they are all mapped to the same sequencing row, then it becomes easier to do a morph across all of them and Instant Sequence will do a better job of placing effects across all of them.

When SuperStar maps the light fixtures to the sequencing rows it attempts to find rows of lights and places them onto rows in the sequencing grid.

There is also a feature in SuperStar that allows you to import a visualization pair. When importing a visualization pair you create a "Row" visualization and a "Real" visualization. In the Row visualization you move the light fixtures around to be in rows the way you want them to get mapped to the sequencing grid. For example, you would move things around so the arches are in a row all by themselves so they get mapped to their own row.

The "Real" visualization should have things positioned as they really are.

To use the feature, click on the File menu and select "Import Visualization Pair"

This feature is documented in the help files. Do the following:

1) Launch SuperStar

2) Click on the Help menu and select "Contents"

3) Expand "SuperStar Sequencer"

4) Click on "Visualization Sequences

5) on the right side, click on "Import Visualization Pair"

[Klayfish]

OK, I'm still really struggling with this, could use a bit more help.  I've been watching the video tutorials on instant sequencing and how to work from a visualization file.  Am I correct in that SuperStar is working off of colors in your display?  The dancing part of my display doesn't have a ton of color bundles.  It's a fairly even mix of white and multi color (i.e. the ones you buy from Wal-Mart, not individual colors wrapped together).  Only a very small number of red or green strands.  Could this be creating an issue when trying to use instant sequence?

 

Also, my display has a grid of lights (white C9 LEDs) which are going to lay on the grass under the rest of the display.  So in the visualization file, there's a grid laying "on top" of the rest of the display.  Could this be causing issues?

 

When I try to do an instant sequence, I'm still getting something that might give someone a seizure.  Very fast blinky blink that doesn't have much rythym to it.  I know instant sequence is never as good as "home cooking", but I know a lot of you use it with good results.  I'd be happy to share my visualization file if it would help.

Edited January 28, 2014 by Klayfish

[BrianBruderer]

You are correct, instant sequences tend to be too "blinky." I am working on that right now actually, but it will be a while before I have something to release.

Until then, email your visualization to brian@superstarlights.com and I will take a look at it. The visualization file will be at:

c:/ (your lightorama folder) / Visualizations / Editor

Also, it will help to email your audio file to me.

[roverdish]

Brian

 

I am eagerly awaiting the "less blinky" superstar.

 

Thanks

Chip

[Grinch]

Less Blinky is high on my want list as well.

 

Thanks

Grinch

[Klayfish]

Thanks Brian, I'll send you the visualization file.  I was expecting it to be blinky, you (I'm guessing that was you) had mentioned that it would be in the tutorial.  But at least to my untrained eye, it looks even more blinky than what you showed in the video.  It looked downright spasmodic.