Pixel Editor and Inensity files

[wt1924]

I have some questions about intensity files.

1-where is LOR documentation about intensity files?

2-If you do anything in pixel editor, does it only output intensity file? Can it output regular LOR file?

3-My concern is, I have a mix of controllers. Some D-Light, some older LOR, and some newer LOR. I am quite sure D-Light and old LOR AC controllers will not be able work with intensity files? Or am I wrong?

I will use PE periodically and I needed to know if I could use PE with the constraints I have. I run a regular LOR network (10 AC controllers) and an E1.31 network (2 multi universe controllers, 3 single universe controllers and 1 dumb controller). I would want to use PE for my house outline and my matrix. So if I use PE does that convert the entire file to an intensity? I couldn't find the answer to these questions anywhere.

 

Thanks for anyone's Help

 

[SPaschall]

The Intensity Data file attaches to the .lms file. It will work with older controllers but I am not sure about the D-Light controllers. Maybe someone can chime in on that one.

SPaschall

[k6ccc]

A correction to the above post.  Intensity files require using enhanced LOR protocol which only works on Generation 3 controllers.  That does include 16 and 24 channel DC controllers, and Cosmic Color devices (all of those require recent firmware however).  Gen1 & 2 controllers do not support ELOR protocol.  Intensity files DO work fine for E1.31.  Since intensity files work with E1.31 (which is DMX over ethernet), I would ASSUME that it would work with DMX over RS-485, which might be an option for someone who has a bunch of older controllers that they don't want (or can't) replace.  Someone would have to test that however.

 

[SPaschall]

1 hour ago, k6ccc said:

A correction to the above post.  Intensity files require using enhanced LOR protocol which only works on Generation 3 controllers.  That does include 16 and 24 channel DC controllers, and Cosmic Color devices (all of those require recent firmware however).  Gen1 & 2 controllers do not support ELOR protocol.  Intensity files DO work fine for E1.31.  Since intensity files work with E1.31 (which is DMX over ethernet), I would ASSUME that it would work with DMX over RS-485, which might be an option for someone who has a bunch of older controllers that they don't want (or can't) replace.  Someone would have to test that however.

 

Brain Fart I knew that, thanks for clearing that up k6ccc. 

SPaschall

Edited March 21, 2016 by SPaschall

[wt1924]

So anything PE outputs is an intensity file? So if I sequence in SE then import into PE for some effects then go back to SE, that would make the file an intensity file?

Running all controllers in DMX is an interesting idea. I am going to look into that. Thanks

Still questions unanswered in my original post. Thanks to the two who responded.

[SPaschall]

PE creates an Intensity Data File that attaches to the existing SE .lms file the best practice is to do all of your programming in SE then open it in PE then complete your programming.

SPaschall  

[bobschm]

What happened to the stuff I did in SS? Seems like as soon as an intensity file attached, SS eefects went away.

I had strings programmed with SS. (The SS data was cut and pasted into SE.) After adding effects in PE, I notice PE effects are all that appear, even in portions of the sequence where no PE effects were placed. Shouldn't SS effects start playing there?

Or is this a PE visualizer issue. That is, SS effects won't play at all in PE visualizer once you overwrite that area, even if you later erase the effect.

How do I see the entire show, SS and PE effects alternating, when SE runs?

[k6ccc]

You can't have the same channel in more than one - SE, SS, or PE. Is that your cause?

[bobschm]

19 hours ago, k6ccc said:

You can't have the same channel in more than one - SE, SS, or PE. Is that your cause?

I guess so. But I don't understand it. What good is having all these options if only one will play in a sequence?

I assumed that when PE wasn't sending data, SE or SS could flash the lights. I was hoping for a hierarchy of some kind, rather than a one and ONLY one situation.

[Dennis Laff]

All three will play in a sequence at the same time but each channel can only be in one at a time .

[bobschm]

16 hours ago, Dennis Laff said:

All three will play in a sequence at the same time but each channel can only be in one at a time .

So if Universe 4 Channel 12 has a PE effect at time 2:03 - 2:12, it cannot play an SS effect at time 2:41? Is that what you're saying?

I can work around that, but that's a bit of a crimp in the programming.

I figured you couldn't have an SS and a PE effect trying to talk to the same channel at the same time, but this is more drastic. The programmers can fix that in SE with a priority setting, something like if there's a conflict, SE only sends the PE commands.

[Dennis Laff]

Yes that's right if you use that channel in pe that's the only time you can use it in that sequence

[k6ccc]

I don't know what wins if there are intensity files both from SS and PE, and "normal" channels in SE.  For 2015, the three songs that were new used an intensity file from SuperStar for everything that was on enhanced LOR and E1.31 networks.  There were only a handful of channels on a couple of old controllers on a non-enhanced LOR network.  Those channels were not in the visualization imported into SuperStar, but instead were sequenced in SE.  All my older songs were using the original output from SuperStar (now called Legacy format), or SE.

For 2016, I am replacing those two old controllers and the plan is that EVERYTHING will be sequenced in SuperStar.  There is a possibility that I will add a matrix which will most likely be sequenced in PE.  Each channel will be sequenced either in PE, or SS, but never both.

 

 

[bobschm]

On 3/27/2016 at 11:51 AM, Dennis Laff said:

Yes that's right if you use that channel in pe that's the only time you can use it in that sequence

Yeah, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this.

I guess I have to decide, up front, if a particular prop will be programmed in SS or PE. If I change my mind half way through sequencing, I'll kill all the work I did on the other choice.

That also means I'll need multiple configurations, depending on if a prop is being sequenced in PE or SS. For example, my house front vertical elements might be sequenced in SS for "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", but sequenced in PE for "White Christmas". Those two songs will need different channel configurations. Lot of room for showtime disaster there.

I suspect that if this doesn't change, then SuperStar and Pixel Editor will be competing programs, which does not bode well for one of them.

I have yet to hook hardware up to my computer, and I'm beginning to dread what I'll see.

[k6ccc]

1 hour ago, bobschm said:

I suspect that if this doesn't change, then SuperStar and Pixel Editor will be competing programs, which does not bode well for one of them.

Could be.  I think there are purposes to both.

1 hour ago, bobschm said:

I guess I have to decide, up front, if a particular prop will be programmed in SS or PE. If I change my mind half way through sequencing, I'll kill all the work I did on the other choice.

In my case I'm doing everything in SuperStar.  I MAY add a matrix that will only be used for song announcements, reminders of the FM station to tune etc.  If I do, it will be sequenced in PE - in part because I can do it completely separate from the rest of the show.

 

[SPaschall]

1 hour ago, bobschm said:

That also means I'll need multiple configurations, depending on if a prop is being sequenced in PE or SS. For example, my house front vertical elements might be sequenced in SS for "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", but sequenced in PE for "White Christmas". Those two songs will need different channel configurations. Lot of room for showtime disaster there.

Why would you need different channel configs just because of the software you are using?

SPaschall

[k6ccc]

I think he is talking about the Visualizations that are used to input channel configuration into SuperStar or Pixel Editor.  For example if you have four props (called A, B, C, & D), and in song one, props A, B, & C are sequenced in SS and prop D is sequenced in PE, you need one visualization that has props A, B, & C, and another that only has prop D.  For song 2, if props A, C, & D are sequenced in SuperStar and prop B is sequenced in Pixel Editor, you need two more visualizations - one with props A, C, & D and another with prop B.  You would also need another visualization that has all four props so you could watch the finished product all together.  The number of permutations could get high very quickly.

I'm simplifying if at least this year (and last year too) where I do everything in SS so I only need one visualization.  I MIGHT add a matrix that will be sequenced in PE and that would mean a visualization to import into PE and another that has everything.

 

[k6ccc]

I'll follow up that last with a note that yes, at least in SuperStar, you could input the configuration that has everything and then delete the props that are not being sequenced with SS for that song.  I don't know if PE has that capability or not.

 

[Dennis Laff]

if you import your visulation into pe to sequence you simply say if the prop is sequenced in pixel editor or se 

[wt1924]

On 3/21/2016 at 11:05 AM, k6ccc said:

A correction to the above post.  Intensity files require using enhanced LOR protocol which only works on Generation 3 controllers.  That does include 16 and 24 channel DC controllers, and Cosmic Color devices (all of those require recent firmware however).  Gen1 & 2 controllers do not support ELOR protocol.  Intensity files DO work fine for E1.31.  Since intensity files work with E1.31 (which is DMX over ethernet), I would ASSUME that it would work with DMX over RS-485, which might be an option for someone who has a bunch of older controllers that they don't want (or can't) replace.  Someone would have to test that however.

 

So if I sequence my AC controllers in SE (a regular LOR network) and do my house outline, etc., E1.31 network in PE it will all play nice when the entire sequence is played? I was hoping the PE visualizer would show the entire display even though only a few elements of the display will be sequenced in PE. To be clear, what kind of file would be produced if I sequenced non generation 3 controllers (Non enhanced network) in SE and E1.31 network in PE? I am just trying to make sure it will work.