Intensity Data Files

[Rod Pauley]

Do the Intensity Data files created in Superstar work in S5 Beta. Have tried them but could not get them to work. Did post this in open beta general comments but no one had an answer.

[ebrown1972]

8 hours ago, Rod Pauley said:

Do the Intensity Data files created in Superstar work in S5 Beta. Have tried them but could not get them to work. Did post this in open beta general comments but no one had an answer.

If I remember reading correctly you cannot use intensity data files in S5

[Dcroc]

Wait.....what?  Are you saying that none of my intensity files will play in S5?

[BrianBruderer]

I have not personally tested it, but my understanding is that S5 does support intensity data files.

Rod Pauley, what happens when you try to use superstar intensity date files in S5? Are able to select them? If so, when you attempt to open them what happens?

[Dcroc]

Does this mean that all the sequences I have with intensity files will not play in S5, or, at least, the intensity files will not play  in SE?

Edited July 26, 2017 by Dcroc

[BrianBruderer]

Intensity data files should play in S5. I am on vacation until July 31 and am not able to verify that they play in S5 until I return on July 31. But they should play.

[k6ccc]

On 7/24/2017 at 6:00 PM, ebrown1972 said:

If I remember reading correctly you cannot use intensity data files in S5

Dcroc,

In response to a different thread, I will be running a test on my landscape lighting this evening or Thursday.  The purpose of the test is to make sure that my S4 sequences will play properly with the S5 show player.  As a response to this thread, I will make sure to include sequences that include intensity files.  Although far smaller than Christmas, my landscape lighting includes two AC and three DC LOR controllers on an enhanced LOR network, two SanDevices E6804 pixel controllers on E1.31, and an InputPup that is extensively used to trigger interactive sequences on a non-enhanced LOR network.  Therefore, I feel my test should be able to test most situations.  I will report my test results.

 

[k6ccc]

OK, gonna be Thursday.  My commuter train was late which did not allow me time to set things up this evening before the show started normally.

 

[Rod Pauley]

I myself just got back from vacation but think when I tried to open it ...... it just opened but there was no data there......... 

[k6ccc]

On 7/26/2017 at 8:03 AM, k6ccc said:

Dcroc,

In response to a different thread, I will be running a test on my landscape lighting this evening or Thursday.  The purpose of the test is to make sure that my S4 sequences will play properly with the S5 show player.  As a response to this thread, I will make sure to include sequences that include intensity files.  Although far smaller than Christmas, my landscape lighting includes two AC and three DC LOR controllers on an enhanced LOR network, two SanDevices E6804 pixel controllers on E1.31, and an InputPup that is extensively used to trigger interactive sequences on a non-enhanced LOR network.  Therefore, I feel my test should be able to test most situations.  I will report my test results.

Well, life and some both planned and unexpected overtime got in the way.  The test will be Sunday evening.

 

[k6ccc]

On 7/26/2017 at 8:03 AM, k6ccc said:

Dcroc,

In response to a different thread, I will be running a test on my landscape lighting this evening or Thursday.  The purpose of the test is to make sure that my S4 sequences will play properly with the S5 show player.  As a response to this thread, I will make sure to include sequences that include intensity files.  Although far smaller than Christmas, my landscape lighting includes two AC and three DC LOR controllers on an enhanced LOR network, two SanDevices E6804 pixel controllers on E1.31, and an InputPup that is extensively used to trigger interactive sequences on a non-enhanced LOR network.  Therefore, I feel my test should be able to test most situations.  I will report my test results.

 

Well, this test is on hold at the moment.  I was all set to run it today using my work Widows 7 laptop and 5.0.2 software.  Of all the stupid failures, the power adapter for the laptop died apparently on Saturday while working overtime and I did not notice it.  Powered it up today to update the LOR software to 5.0.2 and it had about 30 minutes of battery left.  Enough to get everything loaded, but not to run the show.

OK fine, I'll update my LOR Show XP computer to 5.0.2 and move the USB adapters over from the server (which has been running the landscaping show since January).  Powered up the show computer for the first time since March and uninstalled 4.3.18, and then installed 5.0.2.  Fired up the Sequencer and it would not run right because of OpenGL driver was version 1.4 and S5 needs 1.5 or later.  Grumble, try to update the driver and there is no newer driver for the video in that old computer.

Fine, I throw in the towel on using the show computer and uninstall 5.0.2 and re-install 4.3.18  Then shut it down and move the USB cables back to the server and re-enable the show on the server.

I will replace the power adapter for the laptop at work tomorrow, but it will likely be the weekend before I can re-try the test.

More to come...

 

[k6ccc]

At this time my previously planned test is in progress.  The REALLY short answer is:  Everything worked!  A much longer answer after it gets dark.

I did a Show on Demand and as far as I could tell, all the sequences worked.  There were four sequences in the show.  Two .lms files that had been created years ago in S4 Sequence Editor.  One S4 SuperStar Export in intensity file format, and one S5 Sequencer created file that also had the data in an intensity file.  There were also several interactive sequences (created in S4 Sequence Editor years ago) that also appeared to be working correctly.

 

[k6ccc]

OK, it's dark and the show is running.  The short answer is that everything is working.  Here are more details on the show.  Warning, this is one of my novel length posts...

As I type this, I am running my evening landscape lighting show on a Windows 7 laptop that has LOR beta version 5.0.4.

The landscaping show consists of a regular network (56K non-enhanced) with a single InputPup as unit 02, and an AuxA network (115K enhanced) with five controllers:

   11 - CTB-16 that controls five channels.

   12 - CMB-16D that controls three RGB dumb strips (a total of nine channels) - the porch steps (that will be important later).

   13 - CMB-16D that controls three RGB dumb strips and one 10W RGB flood, and one single channel (three small cooling fans).  For Christmas, there is another dumb RGB on this controller, but for the landscaping show, it's only 13 channels.

   14 - CMB-16D that controls three 10W RGB floods, two RGB dumb strips, and one single channel white flood light (fully using all 16 channels).

   15 - CTB-08 that controls one light.

There is also five DMX universes going to two SanDevices E6804 E1.31 controllers.  One E6804 (universe 5) drives a whole whopping 17 RGB channels, and the other E6804 (universes 1 - 4) drives two 94 pixel strips that are not used for the normal landscape show, but do for most of the holiday shows; and two 50 pixel strips that do not even exist yet.

The show has a startup sequence that is a 10 second animation that was created in S4 a couple years ago.  That sequence ramps up most of the lights in the yard.  The startup sequence does nothing with the four strips on the second E682 (universes 1 - 4).  The porch steps RGB strips are left in a very dim state (more on that later).

Once into the main part of the show there are four musical sequences.  Two were created in S4 Sequence Editor, one in S4 SuperStar (as an intensity file), and one in S5 Sequencer (also running an intensity file).  None of these sequences control the porch step lights.  In addition to the musical sequences, there are two interactive groups that trigger a total of four animation sequences based on different inputs on the InputPup.  Three of these sequences ramp up the porch steps RGB strips to a bright level for about 45 seconds, and then return them to the dim state.  The forth interactive sequence ramps up one of the smart RGB strips on universe 3.  Although this strip does not even exist yet, I did hook up one strip for testing a year or so ago for one evening.  The purpose of the test was to determine if the same interactive trigger could trigger two sequences in different Jukebox type interactive groups from the same trigger (it worked).  Note that this test was made in S4 a year or so ago.  I can tell from the LOR status display that it is working correctly in S5 although there are no lights actually controlled on universe 3.

I went outside when it got dark so I could watch the startup, and the first cycle through the four musical sequences.  While the musical sequences were running, I triggered the various interactive sequences and observed that they did work right.

The only issue I had was one of the four show sequences was incorrectly built with the porch steps included in the channel configuration (although they are not used).  This caused the porch steps lights to have conflicting commands (between the interactive sequences and the normal show sequence) resulting in not correct operation.  My error, not the software.

This is VERY encouraging in that it now DOES give me option of running the show computer on S5 which would allow me to add a few PE effects after otherwise completing my sequences in S4 SuperStar.  I don't know if I will do that or not, but I do have the option.