Intensity Data vs Legacy Format

[sasmuse]

Hello,

Am working in S4 and SuperStar and while exporting got the question about Legacy Format or New Format. What are the benefits/pitfalls (if any) of using the new format?  Is there any situation where I would want to use the legacy format?  Please let me know.

 

Thanks,

Sally

[BrianBruderer]

The advantages of the new "intensity data" format are:

1) files are smaller (typically 1/2 to 1/4 the size)

2) More efficient, which means they are less prone to lag

3) They automatically merge with your main file and get played at the same time

 

The disadvantages are:

1) After exporting, when you open up your main sequence, the intensity data shows up as a light blue line at the bottom. You can see the channels used in the intensity data, but you can't look at or modify the actual data.

2) If the intensity data uses the same channels as your main sequence, the two will conflict and the lights will probably just flicker

3) You need to do some extra configuration in the network preferences. LOR unit IDs need to be set to "enhanced" and the DMX universes require some extra settings.

 

In summary:

If the old format is working for you without lag, and it is what you know and love, stick with it.

If you have problems with lag, I would try the new format.

Also, if you have problems combining your exported sequence with your main sequence, you might consider the new format because it automatically gets merged in.

[sasmuse]

Thanks! That was very helpful. I have had some lag so I think I'll give the new format a try.

[plasmadrive]

At what channel count would you suspect we might experience lag? 

 

Is the lag usually caused more by the e1.31 or the LOR networks or both?   ie... I have 16 LOR controllers on the LOR network and about 17k channels of e1.31.  (32 universes)   Not sure yet if I will get any lag, but so far with only some props connected I don't see any lag (most of the time).  Sometimes there is a hiccup first time thru but after that is seems OK.  The e1.31 data is outputting whether or not I have items connected.. I am using unicast which I heard the other day requires an acknowledgement or it resends.  With about 1/2 my e1.31 not being connected, and not having lag issues, I assume when it is all connected the same will be true.

 

Are these fair assumptions? 

 

Craig

[BMurray]

Unfortunately at this time too only one intensity data file can be used at a time. Which hopefully gets fixed in the next iteration os SS / S5. So those with multiple DMX or CCR files are out of luck this time around....

[LOR Staff]

At what channel count would you suspect we might experience lag? 

 

Is the lag usually caused more by the e1.31 or the LOR networks or both?   ie... I have 16 LOR controllers on the LOR network and about 17k channels of e1.31.  (32 universes)   Not sure yet if I will get any lag, but so far with only some props connected I don't see any lag (most of the time).  Sometimes there is a hiccup first time thru but after that is seems OK.  The e1.31 data is outputting whether or not I have items connected.. I am using unicast which I heard the other day requires an acknowledgement or it resends.  With about 1/2 my e1.31 not being connected, and not having lag issues, I assume when it is all connected the same will be true.

 

Are these fair assumptions? 

 

Craig

 

Lag, like the 'What's the max number of channels on a USB adapter' is going to depend on a lot of factors including sequence speed, network speed, number of channels, etc.

 

One of the other benefits of Intensity Data over regular Sequence data comes when a show is actually running.  Regular sequences need to be completely loaded and parsed BEFORE the Show Player can start sending data.  Intensity Data on the other hand is 'Pre-Rendered'- basically as soon as we open the file we can start sending the contents without reading/parsing the whole thing.

 

I do want to correct one thing:  Unicast has nothing to do with if packets require ACKs or not.  That is actually on the 'protocol' layer, not the 'application' layer.  All E1.31 - be it Unicast or Multicast is UDP protocol.  UDP is connection-less and does not get ACKs.

[LOR Staff]

Unfortunately at this time too only one intensity data file can be used at a time. Which hopefully gets fixed in the next iteration os SS / S5. So those with multiple DMX or CCR files are out of luck this time around....

I don't understand what you are saying.   What is a CCR file?

 

Any intensity file can contain up to 16 LOR networks and 999 DMX Universes - The maximums the software can support.

[BrianBruderer]

Concerning the "only play one intensity data file at a time issue", the Sequence Editor will play one intensity data file from SuperStar and one from the Pixel Editor. But the SuperStar file and Pixel Editor file should each control their own channels. That is if they are both trying to control the same lights the lights will flicker. And that is true even if one of them is "blank" that is, even if all it is sending is "full off" commands to the lights, that command will conflict with commands coming from the other intensity data file.

 

However, if you have more than one SuperStar intensity data file, SuperStar allows you to combine those intensity data files into one file so that the Sequence Editor will play the one combined file. To do this, you do the following:

 

1) launch superstar

2) click on the file menu and select "Merge Intensity Data Files"

3) Select the files you want to merge, and the name of the merged file

[BMurray]

Oh...sweet I will try that..good to know By the way any way to delete the intensity file from the LOR file. I can't seem to find how. Thanks

[BrianBruderer]

There is no direct way from within the Sequence Editor to delete the intensity data file, but the way it works is the Intensity Data file has the same name as the main sequence file name except for the end of the name. And when the Sequence Editor loads a sequence it looks for any intensity data files of the same name and puts them in with the main sequence. For example if the main sequence is named:

 

MySequence.lms

 

Then the superstar intensity data file will be named:

 

MySequence.lms.ss.lid

 

Soooo, to delete it you can just use file explorer to find the intensity data file and delete it or rename it and it won't show up at the bottom of the sequence anymore when you open it in the sequence editor.

[BMurray]

Thank you for the info

[BMurray]

However, if you have more than one SuperStar intensity data file, SuperStar allows you to combine those intensity data files into one file so that the Sequence Editor will play the one combined file. To do this, you do the following:

1) launch superstar

2) click on the file menu and select "Merge Intensity Data Files"

3) Select the files you want to merge, and the name of the merged file

I don't see this option in my file menu.

On a side note.. I've done a file search for the svaed Intensity file. But alas...cannot find it. Is there a particular folder it is stored under? PLEASE forgive my learning curve here....

[BrianBruderer]

Sorry I failed to mention that the "Merge Intensity Data Files" option is currently in beta, and will be in the next release.

 

As for the intensity data files, they are stored in the "Sequences" folder in the same place as the .lms files. Realize that the default for Microsoft Windows is to not show the file extension (because they figure it will confuse you), so in file explorer "MySequence.lms" would show up as "MySequence" and "MySequence.lms.ss.lid" would show up as "MySequence.lms.ss"