LOR II and channel config

[Tim Fischer]

Disclaimer: I have NOT used LOR II much at all yet, so this question is purely out of ignorance:

How does channel config work in LOR II? It's always bugged me a little that you have to import the channel config into every sequence. It really seems like this should be something set on a per-show or per-configuration basis. After all, how many of us really have differnet channel configs for different songs? Most likely, we have one physical configuration of channels out in the yard, and we want our sequences to match that. But for now, if anything changes, I have to go through every sequence and re-import and re-save it...

As I understand it, at least one competing software package does channel config on a more global basis. How does LOR II work?

Consider this a feature request if it still works like LOR I :cool:.

-Tim

[medman2000]

Tim - if I understand what you are saying, the channel config would be saved as a separate file independent of any specific sequence. While for one or two songs it isn't a big deal to import/export/save the config, I can imagine for larger shows that would get annoying.

In LORII, the info is all saved by channel:



but there is a reference to the song file which is obviously not imported into the sequence itself:



Would be cool to see this feature added, I agree!

[Tim Fischer]

medman2000 wrote:

Tim - if I understand what you are saying, the channel config would be saved as a separate file independent of any specific sequence. While for one or two songs it isn't a big deal to import/export/save the config, I can imagine for larger shows that would get annoying.

That's exactly it -- or it could be part of the show. We have something like 7-8 songs, plus 7-8 "bumper spots" that all need to be re-imported and re-saved whenever a change is made.

If someone relied on the "different config per sequence" thing (although I'm not sure how, other than leaving some channels out of some sequences, since that would imply changing the physical network layout), there could still be a per-sequence override...

-Tim

[LightORamaDan]

Tim Fischer wrote:

medman2000 wrote:

Tim - if I understand what you are saying, the channel config would be saved as a separate file independent of any specific sequence. While for one or two songs it isn't a big deal to import/export/save the config, I can imagine for larger shows that would get annoying.

That's exactly it -- or it could be part of the show. We have something like 7-8 songs, plus 7-8 "bumper spots" that all need to be re-imported and re-saved whenever a change is made.

If someone relied on the "different config per sequence" thing (although I'm not sure how, other than leaving some channels out of some sequences, since that would imply changing the physical network layout), there could still be a per-sequence override...

-Tim

Will think about this one.... I have some plans for some configuration database type stuff that would include controllers, channels, aimations ...etc. and would make a lot of this stuff easier.

[Duke]

I noticed this right away and created a "Start" file which is an empty sequence containing my channel config and no timing or music info. It also contains the background image of my house and the light layout i have.... until next year when I add another 32 channels.

[Tim Fischer]

Duke wrote:

I noticed this right away and created a "Start" file which is an empty sequence containing my channel config and no timing or music info. It also contains the background image of my house and the light layout i have.... until next year when I add another 32 channels.

It's not that hard to export then import channel configs, but gets tedious if your show gets to be more than a couple files. And it's error prone if you forget one...

Fortunately channel configs don't change that often. I just wait to enter anything until I have mine finalized for the season, then import them into everything. Unless I have to move things around due to problems it should be set for the season.

-Tim

[cenote]

Totally agree with the need of a global database. I find my self changing location of cord up to the last second, and would be nice to not worry about changing every song. Great Idea, hope they consider it.

Chuck

[pHar]

I agree Tim.

This is a very similar thing to what I was asking about in the "tracks" thread. I want to be able to have a physical database of channel configuration used across all of my sequeences. With the addition of tracks I could then logically arrange the channels however I see fit per sequence. If I change the global database no need to change any sequences because only the definition of mapping channels to main rows is changed.

[michael.farney]

Tim Fischer wrote:

If someone relied on the "different config per sequence" thing (although I'm not sure how, other than leaving some channels out of some sequences, since that would imply changing the physical network layout), there could still be a per-sequence override...

-Tim

Tim, I'll take you up on the challenge because all my sequences have different channel layouts.

There are two cases where this happens in my display:

1. The layout changes but doesn't affect all sequences. For example, if green bush one suddenly moves to a different channel, I don't reimport onto all 25 sequences this year. I only import to the ones that use green bush one. My physical layout changes every year, so every sequence I use has to be reimported for the new layout annually, so I rarely have "config out of sync" issues. I am very particular to not make changes to the channel order near the Holidays unless unavoidable.

2. Much like people put in beat tracks in their sequences, I use the bottom of my LOR sequences as a work space. If I envision a particular element that would be amazing in this sequence but I don't have it in my display, I will still sequence it in the workspace. For example, I have some sequences that have mega tree ideas sequenced, but I don't have a mega tree. I have some with talking heads that sing the songs, but I've never designed or made talking head coro pieces yet. I have some with the complete sync for coro pieces I haven't built (and wasn't planning on having this year.) Truth is, I work on whatever inspires me at the moment. It's great to have some of this done early, because building the pieces later doesn't generate a great amount of work to resequence these new items (if you did the sync last year.) If I make a layout change and a current pattern for mini trees no longer works, I don't necessarily delete it, I'll move the patten down to the work space. In a few years, I might find that pattern will work again or work great on a new element. The end result is, each sequence has a hodge podge of "stuff" at the bottom of it, with each sequence being different. If I really tried to maintain one channel configuration for these "ideas," I'd have something crazy like a 1000 channel config for a 150 channel config display. The solution is to have your saved configuration set to however many channels you have (150), and just add blank channels to the workspace if importing the config is going to start to overwrite the workspace. Importing a 150 channel layout into a 278 channel sequence does not disturb channels 151-278, which may be the workspace on one of the sequences. I made these numbers up for an example, but you get the idea. There is no way I can maintain a channel configuration the way I have developed this "workspace."

Eventually, I'll build the items I have this extra sequencing for. It's a major bonus when you actually build the item and you already have 5 songs done without having to do any sequencing.

[Tim Fischer]

michael.farney wrote:

1. The layout changes but doesn't affect all sequences. For example, if green bush one suddenly moves to a different channel, I don't reimport onto all 25 sequences this year. I only import to the ones that use green bush one. My physical layout changes every year, so every sequence I use has to be reimported for the new layout annually, so I rarely have "config out of sync" issues. I am very particular to not make changes to the channel order near the Holidays unless unavoidable.

I use virtually all elements in every song, so I don't run into this. Even so, you you never have a case where in one sequence, "Unit 1, Channel5" means "green bush 1" and in a second sequence it means "mega tree channel 5". You just have a case where some channels are not used...

In other words, I don't think that your case contradicts my proposed "global" methodology...

-Tim

[michael.farney]

You are correct! The actual "completed" layout will not vary.

You might be able to achieve the anomoly with relays...? Say channel one hooks to a relay that has green lights on path "A" and red lights on path "B". Could you in theory have the relay in position "A" for one song, and position "B" for another? Then channel one could control red bush one and green bush one independently, but not at the same time. That's an interesting thought. Is it possible?

[Joe V]

Tim,

I too would like a "profile" of my channels that would automaticly set things up. When you start a new sequence it asks you for the same thing, why cant there be a profile ,Import button or something there as well, you wouldnt have to do the import as a different step after you start a new sequence. Even if you pull something off of another computer or whatever there would be an option for default settings or profile settings or what have you. that would be nice. But would it be possible?

Joe

[Tim Fischer]

michael.farney wrote:

You might be able to achieve the anomoly with relays...? Say channel one hooks to a relay that has green lights on path "A" and red lights on path "B". Could you in theory have the relay in position "A" for one song, and position "B" for another? Then channel one could control red bush one and green bush one independently, but not at the same time. That's an interesting thought. Is it possible?

In that case, I think the only difference is the channel title.

But just in case, I think maybe leaving the existing import/export config in place, as well as a setting that says "use global config" vs. "use sequence-independent config" would make sure that people aren't losing functionality...

-Tim

[John Paul]

Tim Fischer wrote: medman2000 wrote: Tim - if I understand what you are saying, the channel config would be saved as a separate file independent of any specific sequence. While for one or two songs it isn't a big deal to import/export/save the config, I can imagine for larger shows that would get annoying.

That's exactly it -- or it could be part of the show. We have something like 7-8 songs, plus 7-8 "bumper spots" that all need to be re-imported and re-saved whenever a change is made.

If someone relied on the "different config per sequence" thing (although I'm not sure how, other than leaving some channels out of some sequences, since that would imply changing the physical network layout), there could still be a per-sequence override...

-Tim

Will think about this one.... I have some plans for some configuration database type stuff that would include controllers, channels, aimations ...etc. and would make a lot of this stuff easier.
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I can see the mega tree effects library right now!