Newbie needing help with S5 basics

[SoIllinois]

I just got my system and learning how to use it. I need basic help.

I have two 16 channel LOR controllers, S5 and a half dozen sequences from different sources. One controller is for lights and the other is for singing faces.

I need to move channels around because some sequences are different from others. For example "Eyes" are in channel 5 and I need them in channel 19. What's the easiest way? 

I want to change the channel labels (left column) to be the same in each sequence. Is it possible to set a default for my 32 channels without going through and relabeling each sequence? What would be the easiest way to get every sequence the same?

 

 

 

[Dennis Laff]

You need to make a master channel layout of your channels , save this layout and every time you start a new sequence you use this layout ,when you buy a sequence or get one for free you copy and paste that sequence to your master channel layout so all sequences will always be the same layout

[k6ccc]

2 hours ago, SoIllinois said:

I need to move channels around because some sequences are different from others. For example "Eyes" are in channel 5 and I need them in channel 19.

Um, no.  LOR 16 channel controllers don't have a channel 19.  I assume you really mean that it's going to be unit 02, channel 3.  Don't get into a habit of calling your channels something else.  Exclusively refer to them by the actual Unit ID and Channel assignment (or Network, Unit ID, & Channel if you are using more than one network).  Although referring to them as channels 1 - 32 may seem easy now, when you have lots more controllers, it will make it very hard to keep track of.  I also suggest starting a listing (I use an Excel spreadsheet) for your channel assignments.  Again, not that much of a requirement now, but as you grow, it will be.  Here are a couple screen captures from mine.

This is my LOR controllers (includes a couple futures):

And here is a capture of just a small part of the detail channel listing:

I also have one for my E1.31 universes:

And a detail of one E1.31 controller:

In case you are wondering, I have E1.31 controllers that operate at 5 volts, some at 12 volts, and two are split voltage.  Hence the reason for the voltage notes.  For example, the E1.31 controller below operates at split voltage.  Getting it wrong would cause major problems!

BTW, if you (or anyone else reading this) would like a copy of my spreadsheet to use as a reference to start you own, feel free to ask...

 

[SoIllinois]

You are correct, unit 2 channel 3. I have been labeling them 1-1.....1-16, and 2-1 ....2-16 and adding what lights they control so I can keep them straight.

I'm just using my old led light strings this year, no pixels. Wanting to keep it simple to get up and running this year.

How do I make a master channel layout of channels? 

[MattBrown]

2 hours ago, SoIllinois said:

How do I make a master channel layout of channels? 

The master list of channels is kept in the preview.

http://www1.lightorama.com/downloads/5.2.0/help/concept_sequences.htm

Pay attention to the information on Grid Views. More here:

http://www1.lightorama.com/downloads/5.2.0/help/concept_grid_views.htm

Note on that page you can import and export them. That is how you move grid views you create from one sequence to another. But you may not need to do that we just 32 channels -- the "Show All Items" grid view ought to suffice.

Matt

[SoIllinois]

Help! When I modify a sequence with S5 and save it, it saves as LOREDIT file and not as LMS file. I think I read somewhere that is the new file format.

When I open the HUB to arrange songs it only shows LMS files. My sequences folder has both LOREDIT and LMS but the HUB doesn't find the LOREDIT files.

How do I get LOREDIT files on my SD card?

[stevehoyt]

I don't know anything about getting the necessary files onto the SD card and I am sure someone will chime in....but

In S5 you need to create the play files before you can run your show. Open your sequence in the editor and look under the file menu for

"Create playback files"

I would guess this is the file to copy to your SD card.

[MattBrown]

@stevehoyt is correct. You need to create the playback files and then write those files to the SD card. See the S5 flowchart here:

http://www1.lightorama.com/downloads/5.2.0/help/concept_sequences.htm

Matt

[SoIllinois]

Thanks.  However when I created a playback file it is only 2 KB and the original LMS file is 379 KB. That doesn't seem right to me.

I tried to use the hub to put the .play.lms file on the SD card and that fails.

[SoIllinois]

"S5 sequence files (LOREDIT extension) cannot be written to an MP3 Director's SD card" I see this now.

How do I get the little 2 KB playback file (if that is correct) on the MP3 Director's SD card? I tried HUB on two different playback files and get error messages. I tried a hardware utility and it fails also.

[k6ccc]

57 minutes ago, SoIllinois said:

Thanks.  However when I created a playback file it is only 2 KB and the original LMS file is 379 KB. That doesn't seem right to me.

I tried to use the hub to put the .play.lms file on the SD card and that fails.

The play.lms is small because there is very little in it, but there is also the .lid file (which contains the intensity file).  HOWEVER, you show that you are running a basic plus software level and intensity files are not available with that level, so not sure what’s going on...  Matt???

 

[MattBrown]

9 hours ago, SoIllinois said:

I tried a hardware utility and it fails also.

How does it fail? What error message do you get?

Matt

[SoIllinois]

Hi Matt, I have a niece in The Woodlands and daughter down at League City,

Tell me what I'm doing wrong, I have used the HUB to successfully put LMS files on an SD card and move them around on the card for the MP3 Director.

I can successfully modify the sequences using S5 and save them to my LOR Sequences folder on my computer. I've saved them both as LOREDIT and play.lms.

When I try using the HUB to put the play.lms file on the SD card I get this:

Error with Sequence, Your SD Card was not created due to errors with one or more sequences. There do not appear to be any channels that can be created on the SD card with your License level. Your sequence has channels, however those channels do not have any commands to turn on/off/etc. Please check the sequence in the sequence editor.

I've had this same sequence on the SD card as a LMS file, removed it and only changed some timings with S5 and now can't get it back on the SD card except as LMS.

When I try the hardware utility to make LOR mp3 I get this message:

Warning: The sequence has no LOR controller events, or there were no events on the regular LOR network. If you are creating a card for a generation 3 or later director, have at lease the advanced version of the software, and are using one or more DMX universes, this is ok. Otherwise, you should open this file in the sequence editor and ensure you have correctly set up you channels.

 

 

[SoIllinois]

I just tried something. I opened a LMS file in S5, did not touch or edit anything, and saved it as LOREDIT and play.lms. Tried to load play.lms on SD card using HUB and got the same error message as before.

[MattBrown]

2 hours ago, SoIllinois said:

I just tried something. I opened a LMS file in S5, did not touch or edit anything, and saved it as LOREDIT and play.lms. Tried to load play.lms on SD card using HUB and got the same error message as before.

PM sent.

[lanopie]

7 hours ago, SoIllinois said:

Warning: The sequence has no LOR controller events, or there were no events on the regular LOR network. If you are creating a card for a generation 3 or later director, have at lease the advanced version of the software, and are using one or more DMX universes, this is ok. Otherwise, you should open this file in the sequence editor and ensure you have correctly set up you channels.

I'm getting the same message when I create my SD card but it still works.

[SoIllinois]

Thanks Matt for showing me what my final sequence should look like that works! I'm working on learning the steps I was missing.

Is there an easy way to turn on all lights to check them without making a test SD card for the mini director with everything turned on?

[MattBrown]

2 hours ago, SoIllinois said:

Is there an easy way to turn on all lights to check them without making a test SD card for the mini director with everything turned on?

I would create a test sequence, save that to a separate SD card, and label the card. That way you'll always have it if you need it.

Matt

[SoIllinois]

Thanks everyone! I think I've got the basics down and have it under control for this Christmas season. I added all my props, added songs and sequences, modified timing, added channels, put it all on SD cards.