Rotating multiple songs to play on the hour?

[ShowProKevin]

How do I set up my show to start playing every song consecutively on the top of the hour and then have all the lights be on for a "break" after all of the songs finish and then have the songs start again at the top of the next hour. FOR EXAMPLE...

6:00 pm - show starts, X number of musical sequences play back to back
6:25 pm - last song ends
6:26 pm - all lights on ("break")

7:00 pm - show starts again, X number of musical sequences play back to back
7:25 pm - last song ends
7:26 pm - all lights on ("break")

I have tried combining all of the sequences into one and adding enough silence at the end to make it exactly one hour... this works, but it is very umm... impractical. If I did it this way and wanted to add or remove a song, imagine redoing the whole 1 hour sequence. THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY!! (am i missing something here?)

Kevin

[Richard Hamilton]

Have you spent any time looking at the scheduler?

You could put the show name into each 1/2 hour block of the scheduler. This would take a little time to do it, but not nearly as much time as the approach you are attempting.

Also, create a sequence for the end of your show and call it something like "Standby Lighting". Make is several minutes long.

I don't use the approach I jsut described above, but it will work. I just have the show repeat after a short break to clear out the crowd. I don't try to time it to the hour or half hour.

I'd suggest having a low light period where the lights are dim. I think I mentioned this elsewhere. The crowd never seems to leave if the lights stay on, it uses more energy, and it gives away the effects of the show and where everything is located. I subscribe to the fact that it should be a surprise during the show. Then again, I am set in my ways. We have been doing this for 16 years.

[Brian Mitchell]

I would do it by creating two shows. One show for the animated songs and one for static. I do something similar but more complicated.
I rotate 8 different animated shows that play every quarter hour and have static lights between the shows that plays different music between each show.

I have 20 different static shows programmed

One thing to remember is to schedule your animated show just a little shorter than what it times out to so that it will kick off into the static show and not start to repeat.

[ShowProKevin]

The problem is that sequences loop over and over until the show is scheduled to end. I dont want that. I want the sequences to play once at the start of the show. The only way to do that is to add up the length of all the sequences and then set the scheduler to end the show at exactly that time. BUT if i am one second off, and another song starts toward the end of the show, the show will not shut down until the sequence has finished.

AFTER I solve that problem, I still have to figure out how to have all the lights be on as long as a musical sequence is not running.

AFTER I solve THAT problem, I want to have the sequences run ONLY on the hour (7pm, 8pm, 9pm, etc.)

There needs to be a major update for the scheduler and show editor to make this easier.

[Shubb]

Richard Hamilton wrote:

I'd suggest having a low light period where the lights are dim. I think I mentioned this elsewhere. The crowd never seems to leave if the lights stay on, it uses more energy, and it gives away the effects of the show and where everything is located. I subscribe to the fact that it should be a surprise during the show. Then again, I am set in my ways. We have been doing this for 16 years.

I agree with Richard. My sequences start of with a small number of displays/colors and then light up more and more displays to build up a climax. After the show is over I shut off ALL the lights, and turn on security lights. Even after the display goes dark, some people will still stay for 5-10 minutes.

If there is a break in the show, but the lights stay on nobody will know the show is over.

Scott

[Tim]

Brian Mitchell wrote:

One thing to remember is to schedule your animated show just a little shorter than what it times out to so that it will kick off into the static show and not start to repeat.

If your sequenced songs last 15 min. and you start your show at 6pm then have the show end at 6:10 (or some amount of time shorter than 15min). Then have your static lights start at 6:16pm until 6:59pm and then start your sequences all over with the same timing increments. Hope this helps.

[Steven]

To keep from looping back to the first song, do timings like this:

Make an animation sequence called "All Lights On". Make it 5 minutes long.

Make a show that plays your musical sequences, then plays "All Lights On" 6 times. Make sure you put the "All Lights On" animation sequence in the Musical tab, not the Animation tab.

Make a second show called "Break" that has a single background sequence with all the lights on. Don't have any Animation or Musical sequences.

Now sequence the first show to start on the hour, and end 45 minutes later. Have the "Break" show start at the 45 minute mark and play until the hour mark.

Now you can safely add or remove sequences in your first show and the schedule will still work. The lights will turn off briefly every 5 minutes, but you can make this look like it's on purpose by fading down the last 3 seconds and fading up the first 3 seconds.

[Guest wbottomley]

As soon as my show comes on, it loops over and over until it ends. Some people stay five minutes, other 50 minutes.

[rstephenrrtx]

ShowProKevin wrote:

There needs to be a major update for the scheduler and show editor to make this easier.

With all of the talk here, and my own experience trying to do what you want (and FAILED!), I agree an updated scheduler would be nice.

rns

[taybrynn]

I'd suggest having a low light period where the lights are dim.

I like that idea.

So can't you just create a sequence with no lights (or dim lights) and maybe X10-on some coach lights ... and have it last (x) minutes ... and attached to the sequence that is normally the 'end of show' sequence ?

I created an end-of-show voiceover, so its clear that the show is over. The only problem is that for all the folks that arrived half-way through it ... they will probably wait and watch till they see the same thing again, right?

Maybe I'm missing something, but I'd like to be able to watch (along) in the animation window as a show plays ... but you can't do that, right?

[Guest wbottomley]

Now the director card has that feature now. But it's all on or all off.

[Richard Hamilton]

taybrynn wrote:

I'd suggest having a low light period where the lights are dim.

I like that idea.

So can't you just create a sequence with no lights (or dim lights) and maybe X10-on some coach lights ... and have it last (x) minutes ... and attached to the sequence that is normally the 'end of show' sequence ?

I created an end-of-show voiceover, so its clear that the show is over. The only problem is that for all the folks that arrived half-way through it ... they will probably wait and watch till they see the same thing again, right?

Maybe I'm missing something, but I'd like to be able to watch (along) in the animation window as a show plays ... but you can't do that, right?

Right, that is precisely what I do... I have a "low lights" sequence between shows and have a couple announcements in their to mention the next show start time and some other items. Depending on how far apart your shows are, visitors may or may not wait. My shows restart after about 5 minutes.

[bob]

The problem is that sequences loop over and over until the show is scheduled to end. I dont want that. I want the sequences to play once at the start of the show. The only way to do that is to add up the length of all the sequences and then set the scheduler to end the show at exactly that time. BUT if i am one second off, and another song starts toward the end of the show, the show will not shut down until the sequence has finished.

If I understand what you want, an easier way to do this would be to forget about the show's Musical Section, and put all of your songs into the Startup Section instead.

AFTER I solve that problem, I still have to figure out how to have all the lights be on as long as a musical sequence is not running.

Put your animations into the Animation Section. As long as your songs are all in the Startup Section (rather than the Musical Section), the sequences in your Animation Section won't start until after your songs have finished.

AFTER I solve THAT problem, I want to have the sequences run ONLY on the hour (7pm, 8pm, 9pm, etc.)

Schedule multiple instances of your show, once per hour on the hour.

EXAMPLE:

Let's say you have three songs, in musical sequences MySong1.lms, MySong2.lms, and MySong3.lms. You want them all to play, once each, in order, at 7:00 PM. When they finish, you want your lights to all come on and stay on until 8:00 PM, at which time you want to start the whole shebang over.

Then, first, create an animation sequence that turns all of your lights on. It doesn't have to be long, because any sequence in your show's Animation Section will automatically loop at its end (as long as you have "Play concurrently" set). So make it, say, ten seconds long (be careful making sequences this short if you use X10, though, as it's a really, really slow protocol). Call this sequence, let's say, "AllLightsOn.las".

Next, create your show:

Background Section: (nothing)
Startup Section: MySong1.lms, MySong2.lms, MySong3.lms
Animation Section: AllLightsOn.las, select option "Play concurrently"
Musical Section: (nothing)
Shutdown Section: (nothing)

Finally, schedule that show to start at 7:00 PM and run for one hour, and again at 8:00 PM and run for one hour.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if I misunderstood what you're trying to do, or if you have any questions about what I wrote.

(edited to explicitly mention "Play concurrently")

[ShowProKevin]

Thanks everybody--especially Bob! That is the answer I have been looking for. Looking at your example of how the show editor is set up, it totally makes sense putting my musical sequences in the startup section. Thanks again!

[rwertz]

bob wrote:

Hope this helps.

This helps a lot. Thanks Bob.