Re-order ribbons

[LarryDrumAZ]

Is there a way to rearrange the order of the ribbons when using a visualization import?  I'm wanting to do morphs across my entire house (all rgb) and it is proving difficult when superstar arranges the ribbons all over the place.  Thanks

[Ron Boyd]

http://www.lightorama.com/help/visualization_sequences.htm#visualizerkeywords

 

Visualizer Keywords

 

You can order it the way you want. It works for the most part.

 

These keywords will only work on a prop, as far as I know. When you're reading it, pay attention to the "reverse", you may well need that one, depending on the shape of your prop

Edited March 13, 2015 by Ron Boyd

[BrianBruderer]

It sounds like you have RGB lights on the eaves and trim of your house etc. Superstar has a hard time knowing how to arrange the lights in that case.

 

Using the "Import Visualization" pair feature can be used to help. Also, realize that superstar will try to keep fixtures together that are all in the same prop.

 

To use the import visualization pair feature you make two visualizations. One is the "real" visualization that is the way your display really looks. The other is a "row" visualization. In the "row" visualization you can move the lights around in rows according to the order in which you want them to appear in the sequencing rows.

 

It can be a challenge to get things the way you want. You can email your visualization to brian@superstarlights.com and I can help. The visualization file will be at;

 

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

 

Also, note that if you want to do a smooth morph across your entire display you can use a "visEffect" morph. At the bottom of the morph dialog box, select "visEffect" and then you can apply a morph directly to your visualization instead of the sequencing grid.

[LarryDrumAZ]

Thanks Brian.  I sent you a copy of my Viz file.

[LarryDrumAZ]

The new files worked like a charm.  Thanks for the help Brian.

[roverdish]

I am having a heck of a time getting my ribbons reordered. I have approx. 96 ac channels all led and several thousand DMX RGB pixels. Trying to add a 16 strand pixel tree this year
question 1:
if the SS grid is vertical,  is row 1 column 1 the top left corner? rows moving horizontally?
 
I have most of my 96 ac channels made up into into various props.
How would I mark up a prop that consist of 5 fixtures to land at row 1 and begin at column 17?
 
I have marked the superstar parameters in the visualizer for the prop. Do I also have to mark the parameters for each fixture or will superstar "keep the prop together"?
 
What effect does the "force superstar" checkbox have? I have tried everything to get this prop to that location.
 
Does every fixture within a prop have to be marked up for it's particular grid location? If so does the "prop" and one of it's fixtures (maybe the first) share a gridspace?
 
 
 
I looked at the 24x25 4globe sample but no reference to ac fixtures within props. I read the help files on how to define the locations you want on the grid. I see different results for "force superstar" and not but never once have I achieved the desired results.
 
I wish to have my 4 of my all white ac props on the same ribbon. Consisting of 16 white mini trees 4 roof stars 1 nested five star with 5 stars in nest and 2 driveway strings. They're so brite I have to turn em down. So I instant sequence those with the same tcm set at 70% intensity.I do often use instant sequencer with a lot of TCM changes. I just can't get the props and fixtures where I want em.
 
Any way to keep everything within 24 rows for tcm assignments during instant sequencing? I noticed anything on more than 24 rows does not get sequenced during instant sequence.
 
I hate to ask these questions cause it's probably something dumb on my part.
running S4 4.034 40ccr

[BrianBruderer]

When you say "ac strings" do you mean they are regular LED light strings (not RGB)?

 

If the SS grid is vertical, then yes, row 1 is at the top, row 2 is second from the top, etc. Column 1 is on the left, column 2 is second from the left, etc.

 

You can define the Row and Column of a Prop, and then everything in that prop is positioned relative to that Row and Column. 

 

Select "Force SuperStar Row/Column" and then you can set the Row to 1 and Column to 17. This is equivalent to using the old "superstar row=01 column=17" keywords.

 

The Row/Column settings were intended to be used as a last resort. If you use Row/Column in one prop, you likely will have to use Row/Column for all the props in order to get them where you want.

 

The intended way to get things into the proper rows is to use the "Import Visualization Pair" feature. To use this feature you create a visualization of your lights that is laid out like your actual display, this is your "real" visualization. You then move things around into rows the way you want them to appear in the the sequencing grid and save this with a different name, this is your "row" visualization.

 

Superstar will use the "row" visualization to determine where things are on the sequencing grid, and it will use the "real" visualization on the screen.

 

The default "max length" of each row on the sequencing grid is 50. To get things to fit into 24 rows it may help to increase the "max length" to something like 100 or larger. The "max length" is set in the "Import Visualization" dialog box. In the "import visualization" dialog box the default setting for "maximum detection lines" is 4. If you have more than 4 rows in your visualization you will want to increase the "maximum detection lines".

 

I will be the first to admit that it can be a pain to get things on the rows you want. I attempted to make it all as automatic as possible, but it doesn't always put things where you want them. If you have trouble, send the visualization that you have to brian@superstarlights.com and I will take a look at it.

[roverdish]

Correct AC means regular led not RGB
 
Perhaps I am confused about row vs ribbon. When assigning one of the 4 TCM's to a specific "ribbons" is that the same as a "row" on the grid or is a ribbon the same as a "column"? 
 
It looks as though the columns actually represent ribbons and I was thinking that a row was a ribbon.
 
I have remade My row visualization and after continuous fine tuning I have everything within 24 columns "ribbons?".
 
Superstar is doing a fine job.
 
 The newly created prop of a 16 strand pixel tree insists on starting at row 1 column one regardless of where it is located in the row viz. That is not an issue for me right now
 

However the 16 strand pixel tree also insists on occupying 16 columns "ribbons"
Grid length is set at 250 so conceiveably 5 strands OF THE 16 STRAND PIXEL TREE could occupy 1 column "ribbon" on the grid.

 

Since I intend to apply the same TCM to the entire pixel tree if it occupied fewer columns I could have a wider spread across the 4 TCM's allowed within instant sequencing.

[BrianBruderer]

The first few years superstar did not support import of a visualization and back then a ribbon was always equal to a row. I think I will change the dialog boxes to say "row" instead of "ribbon" because that is what it really means now.

 

SuperStar always puts the pixel strings at the bottom. This is to make the sequences for the pixel strings more transportable. In other words, if someone else has a pixel tree like yours you can both use the same sequences because they will both be at the bottom.

 

Anything that looks like a matrix of ribbons will be put onto different rows so that sequencing of the matrix will be easier. In the case of your 16 strand pixel tree, manual sequencing will be easier if each strand is on a different row. Instant sequence will also do a better job of sequencing the pixel tree if each strand is on a different row.

 

However, if you want the tree to occupy fewer rows, do the following:

1) launch Visualizer

2) open the visualization

3) double click on the 16 Strand Tree Prop

4) Click on the "superstar" button

5) Set "This prop is a matrix" to "No"

6) save the visualization

7) import the visualization into superstar again

[roverdish]

When I set my grid to vertical my ribbons appear to run up and down (columns?). When I set my grid to horizontal my ribbons run left to right (rows)? I am still wrapping my head around this. I prefer horizontal.

Thanks you have been very helpful so far. I hope to have a sequence (Papa Was A Rolling Stone) soon to share that is a mixture of manual and instant sequencing. Not Christmas but great music IMHO.

[BrianBruderer]

Yes, it can get confusing. A vertical sequencing grid is generally used for trees because then the grid runs the same direction in the actual display as they do in the sequencing grid. A visualization that contains a lot of lights on bushes and on a house generally works best with horizontal ribbons (rows).

 

Originally, superstar only supported a vertical grid. So the row/column terminology in the Props in the visualizer is base on a vertical grid. So if you have a vertical grid with 12 ribbons, then row 1 is at the top, row 2 is second from the top etc. Column 1 is on the left and column 2 is second from the left etc.

 

But if you have a horizontal sequencing grid, then think of it as a vertical grid that got rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise. And I wanted a sequence to play the same regardless of the orientation of the grid, so that means that for a horizontal sequencing grid, Row 1 is on the left, row 2 is second from the left etc. Column 1 is on the bottom and column 2 is second from the bottom etc.