Setting up your channels.

[scott43331]

This was my first year doing a light o rama show. My question is. When setting up your channels and you have 6 mini trees with three different colors. Is it easier to group the colors together or the trees ?

I.E. 1 smal tree red

1 small tree green

1 small tree white

Or

1 small tree red

2 small tree red

3 small tree red

[seriouslylosingit]

I like to group colors together. Say you have 4 trees of each color. I would group green 1,2,3,4 and then red 1,2,3,4 and then white 1,2,3,4..if that makes sense.. Then you have groups that are the same fixture and color...my display would be g1, r1, w1, g2, r2, w2, etc...

[Don]

I strongly recommend putting the channels in numerical order. Then create a 2nd track to re-arrange your channel.

 

Learn more about tracks here.

[bhunt240]

i have all of my elements grouped by color as stated above 

example:

window 1 red

window 2 red

door red

window 3 red

window 4 red 

roof red

window 1 green

window 2 green

door green

window 3 green 

window 4 green

roof green

 

i use mine like this to create washes of color across the house and to create chases to change color instead of all switching at the same time and also to use multiple color variations 

[basis21b]

I'd spend more time organizing the channels around the amount of load I'm going to place on them and distance from the elements they control.

 

As far as organizing channels in the sequence editor, I recommend that you look into using the combination of tracks (minimize their numbers) and groups.  Here is a thread where George Simmons provides his thoughts on organizing things.

 

 

 

 

[George Simmons]

My personal preference when working with a multi-color, multi-item display element, like mini trees - is to group by color.  It makes it easier and quicker for my brain to follow color changes during chases or fades, and to chase color A through color B.

 

In the end, you've gotta go with what makes most sense for the way your brain works.

Edited January 7, 2015 by George Simmons

[k6ccc]

Almost everything in my setup is RGB (out of 4537 channels, there only 10 that weren't RGB), so organizing by color would not make sense. For the controllers, I just put channels where there is space and it's convenient. In SE, as others have said, use groups and tracks to organize it whatever ways (note plural) works. Have one group one way and another group sorted different

[Santas Helper]

Group by color as mentioned.

Much easier to sequence.

[seriouslylosingit]

I think that the beauty of this is that there are so many ways to approach it. Trial and error, trial and error...

[Aaeolien]

I have 2 tracks that I setup late in the season for sequencing and I am going to to carry it over into sequences I have to redo for the coming year. The first is a master track where everything is in sequential order from channel 1 to for me now 48. And that is regardless of prop, location, color. 2nd track I called group track where I rearranged stuff and made groups of color, props (mini trees, all windows, roof line.) stuff like that. And that is where I do the bulk of the sequencing now as I have groups put together that make it easy.

[Bassun]

I'm still learning, and haven't spent significant time playing yet; but why not make multiple groups and use which ever one is convenient for what you are doing?

 

If you want to do a chase in red use

Small tree Red group

Tree 1

Tree 2

Tree 3

 

In green...

Small tree Green Group

Tree 1

Tree 2

Tree 3

 

Full on...

Small tree full on group

Tree 1 All 3

Tree 2 All 3

Tree 3 All 3

 

Or whatever your looking for?  I can see for 3 elements this being kind of over kill, but if 3 turns to 8 or 16 I think having multiple options for sequencing events would be the way to go.  Just my thoughts.
 

Edited January 16, 2015 by Bassun

[BryanZ]

I would do it by channel first then create more tracks to group by color and element. For example,

 

Master track:

Mega Tree White 01

Mega Tree Red 01

Mega Tree Green 01

Mega Tree White 02

Mega Tree Red 02

Mega Tree Green 02

 

On a separate track:

 

Mega Tree Red 01

Spiral Tree Red 01

Mega Tree Red 02

Spiral Tree Red 02

Mega Tree Green 01

Spiral Tree Green 01

Mega Tree Green 02

Spiral Tree Green 02

 

You get the idea. It can make it easier to configure sequences based upon chases or if you want all of one color on a specific portion of a song. You can sequence it on a separate track and it will show up on the master track.

[crewdog89]

I have them by color as well.  I just learned a few weeks ago how to organize them into GROUPS--this helps tremendously! 

[oilmoney]

I would do it by channel first then create more tracks to group by color and element. For example,

 

Master track:

Mega Tree White 01

Mega Tree Red 01

Mega Tree Green 01

Mega Tree White 02

Mega Tree Red 02

Mega Tree Green 02

 

On a separate track:

 

Mega Tree Red 01

Spiral Tree Red 01

Mega Tree Red 02

Spiral Tree Red 02

Mega Tree Green 01

Spiral Tree Green 01

Mega Tree Green 02

Spiral Tree Green 02

 

You get the idea. It can make it easier to configure sequences based upon chases or if you want all of one color on a specific portion of a song. You can sequence it on a separate track and it will show up on the master track.

+1