Motion does not work when I play the lights on the mini director

[jeffhg97]

I have the CCCII controller, Pro level license, and I use the SD card with the mini director.  Lights appear to work in the sequencer then do not work when I play the show.  Lights will work if I manually enter them when I display all the channels on the sequencer.  

[Michelle]

I'm still a newbie, but I believe the answer is that you need an enhanced network of 500k or higher for cosmic colors to work properly.  The mini-director does not allow for enhanced network.  You'll need to upgrade your director or purchase a high speed adapter and run off a computer.

Network info:  http://www1.lightorama.com/network-speeds/

[dibblejr]

On 10/27/2020 at 9:15 AM, jeffhg97 said:

I have the CCCII controller, Pro level license, and I use the SD card with the mini director.  Lights appear to work in the sequencer then do not work when I play the show.  Lights will work if I manually enter them when I display all the channels on the sequencer.  

What mini director are you using? If you are new to this I assume you have the newer mini director the UMmpg3. If so it does support 500K ELOR.

What SD card are you using. If not a Kingston the chance of it working is slim to none with none being the majority. At one time a long time ago PNYs worked great. Another member gave me about 50 PNYs. A couple years later they stopped working. 

JR

[Orville]

15 hours ago, dibblejr said:

What mini director are you using? If you are new to this I assume you have the newer mini director the UMmpg3. If so it does support 500K ELOR.

What SD card are you using. If not a Kingston the chance of it working is slim to none with none being the majority. At one time a long time ago PNYs worked great. Another member gave me about 50 PNYs. A couple years later they stopped working. 

JR

Hmm, wonder if this could be an issue: Note that the mini-Director does not have a powerful on-board computer but will usually handle several hundred control channels depending on your sequencing style.

And another thing I noticed in the examples of connecting controllers to the mini director {uMP3g3} is that one example only shows pixel type controllers and lights, the other example shows only basic AC style controllers.  So since they {LOR} have NO examples of BOTH Pixel Controllers and AC Controllers on the same network on the mini director.  

So I'm thinking maybe the mini director, because of the statement above [copied from the mini director page and made bold} that it probably can't handle both types of Controllers on the same network, since it apparently doesn't have the same powerful on-board computer as the Directors with the built in time clock and displays.   

And also because of that bold statement above, it possibly can't do motion effects, I can't say as I didn't see mention of motion effects anywhere in the documentation, but this could also mean perhaps the uMP3g3 Director needs a firmware update to make motion effects work?  Again, since no mention of this option, can't say if it's due to lack of computing power, a setting in the HU that needs to be set or a firmware update.  

Nor does it cover using both types, Pixel and AC Controllers together in the manual on the mini director, so I could only go by the examples that LOR gave, and like stated, 2 examples and neither example has BOTH types of controllers on the mini director.  Only Pixel Controllers or AC Controllers, not both.  

So someone from LOR is going to have to give us the answer to the different controller capability{if this could possibly be a problem} as well as about the Motion Effects on the newer mini director.

That is, if the OP is using BOTH AC and Pixel Controllers on the mini director.   

So if they need to control both types of controllers, and again, perhaps, motion effects may not work in the mini directors due to their limited computing power, the OP might need to invest in one of the newer N4-G4 4 Network MP3 Directors  since they can handle pretty much everything you need and probably every LOR Controller out there.

Hopefully it's just a setting change or firmware update that needs to be done.   That's all I could get out of reading the manual for the uMP3g3 mini director.

 

 

[dibblejr]

22 minutes ago, Orville said:

Hmm, wonder if this could be an issue: Note that the mini-Director does not have a powerful on-board computer but will usually handle several hundred control channels depending on your sequencing style.

And another thing I noticed in the examples of connecting controllers to the mini director {uMP3g3} is that one example only shows pixel type controllers and lights, the other example shows only basic AC style controllers.  So since they {LOR} have NO examples of BOTH Pixel Controllers and AC Controllers on the same network on the mini director.  

So I'm thinking maybe the mini director, because of the statement above [copied from the mini director page and made bold} that it probably can't handle both types of Controllers on the same network, since it apparently doesn't have the same powerful on-board computer as the Directors with the built in time clock and displays.   

And also because of that bold statement above, it possibly can't do motion effects, I can't say as I didn't see mention of motion effects anywhere in the documentation, but this could also mean perhaps the uMP3g3 Director needs a firmware update to make motion effects work?  Again, since no mention of this option, can't say if it's due to lack of computing power, a setting in the HU that needs to be set or a firmware update.  

Nor does it cover using both types, Pixel and AC Controllers together in the manual on the mini director, so I could only go by the examples that LOR gave, and like stated, 2 examples and neither example has BOTH types of controllers on the mini director.  Only Pixel Controllers or AC Controllers, not both.  

So someone from LOR is going to have to give us the answer to the different controller capability{if this could possibly be a problem} as well as about the Motion Effects on the newer mini director.

That is, if the OP is using BOTH AC and Pixel Controllers on the mini director.   

So if they need to control both types of controllers, and again, perhaps, motion effects may not work in the mini directors due to their limited computing power, the OP might need to invest in one of the newer N4-G4 4 Network MP3 Directors  since they can handle pretty much everything you need and probably every LOR Controller out there.

Hopefully it's just a setting change or firmware update that needs to be done.   That's all I could get out of reading the manual for the uMP3g3 mini director.

 

 

The UMP3g3 handles them all just fine. That is what I control remote matrix/ tune to sign with. (Pixie16) It also handled my ME for Halloween test fine.

I also used it to control more than one pixie and multiple G3 controllers when my computer failed in 2017 for about a week.

Now the original mini director will not control ELOR but will go up to 500K.

But being that the OP is new I am guessing has the UMP3G3.

JR

[Orville]

17 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

The UMP3g3 handles them all just fine. That is what I control remote matrix/ tune to sign with. (Pixie16) It also handled my ME for Halloween test fine.

I also used it to control more than one pixie and multiple G3 controllers when my computer failed in 2017 for about a week.

Now the original mini director will not control ELOR but will go up to 500K.

But being that the OP is new I am guessing has the UMP3G3.

JR

OP might even have the even newer G4 mini director.   Thanks for letting us know.   All I had to go by was the online manual and examples, so I had no way of really knowing the capabilities or lack of capabilities that the mini director could/could not handle.

 

[dibblejr]

22 hours ago, Orville said:

OP might even have the even newer G4 mini director.   Thanks for letting us know.   All I had to go by was the online manual and examples, so I had no way of really knowing the capabilities or lack of capabilities that the mini director could/could not handle.

 

As many do the OP hasn’t replied so at this time no one knows.

My replies were directed at the comment made by Michell about the mini director not supporting 500k enhanced.

All of the new directors do and seeing how the OP is new unless the OP purchased a used one they probably don’t have the “mini director” that you and I know.

FYI- I did get my hands on the new one but to late for Christmas unless I find some time.

I was going to mount it in my golf cart to ride around the NH and give out toys as part of my Santa Clause gig I do every year.

With Covid though that gig will not go on as in the past. Maybe Christmas 2021 depending on the situation.

JR

 

[Orville]

18 hours ago, dibblejr said:

As many do the OP hasn’t replied so at this time no one knows.

My replies were directed at the comment made by Michell about the mini director not supporting 500k enhanced.

All of the new directors do and seeing how the OP is new unless the OP purchased a used one they probably don’t have the “mini director” that you and I know.

FYI- I did get my hands on the new one but to late for Christmas unless I find some time.

I was going to mount it in my golf cart to ride around the NH and give out toys as part of my Santa Clause gig I do every year.

With Covid though that gig will not go on as in the past. Maybe Christmas 2021 depending on the situation.

JR

 

Well I just got a rude awakening on my N4-G4 Director when I went to create my off hours show, frustrated me no end because I had no idea the NEW Directors were limited to only 99 sequences now.   My original LOR DC-MP3 Director had no such limitation, it took me almost 3 hours trying to understand why the sequences would be allowed into the Hub, then when writing the SD Card the Hub would seem to crash and give a pop up about the stripped header in the MP3 couldn't be copied or some such memo.

But what it was is the Director is limited to 99 sequences, so on sequence 100, it crashed and you had to keep hitting okay for every sequence past the 99 it couldn't write to get out of it.  Really frustrated me no end because each bombed out sequence took three pop up windows with different info in them to finally exit out of the mess, and NOT ONCE did it state it was due to the Hub when using a Director is limited to 99 sequences.  

I had to open the drive and watch the SD Card be written before I finally figured out the problem.   So this kills my off hours music during my off hours before my show runs afterward, as I have 222 sequences for that off-hours show, which would work and run fine on the original DC-MP3 Director.

Kind of makes no sense to why the limitation when the G4 uses up to 32 GB SD Card, so it has more capacity than the old DC-MP3 which used a 2GB SD Card, and at one point I had an off hours music show that was 350 sequences, wrote to the 2GB SD Card and ran with no problems at all.

Guess I'm going to have to figure out how I can get all these sequences to run on the G4 Director, but at the moment, I'm not sure how I'm going to get it to work since I used specific times and days for the off hours shows prior to the actual light show.

And I have asked about this in the LOR forums that covers accessories and such.  Hoping one of the LOR folks can answer why they changed this, or if my DC-MP3 Director wasn't supposed to work like it did, guess I might have gotten one that was a mistake and made it out the door.  I don't know, just know the original one did what I wanted it too and wasn't limited to 99 sequences, unlike the G4, which is.   *sigh*

 

[dibblejr]

4 hours ago, Orville said:

Well I just got a rude awakening on my N4-G4 Director when I went to create my off hours show, frustrated me no end because I had no idea the NEW Directors were limited to only 99 sequences now.   My original LOR DC-MP3 Director had no such limitation, it took me almost 3 hours trying to understand why the sequences would be allowed into the Hub, then when writing the SD Card the Hub would seem to crash and give a pop up about the stripped header in the MP3 couldn't be copied or some such memo.

But what it was is the Director is limited to 99 sequences, so on sequence 100, it crashed and you had to keep hitting okay for every sequence past the 99 it couldn't write to get out of it.  Really frustrated me no end because each bombed out sequence took three pop up windows with different info in them to finally exit out of the mess, and NOT ONCE did it state it was due to the Hub when using a Director is limited to 99 sequences.  

I had to open the drive and watch the SD Card be written before I finally figured out the problem.   So this kills my off hours music during my off hours before my show runs afterward, as I have 222 sequences for that off-hours show, which would work and run fine on the original DC-MP3 Director.

Kind of makes no sense to why the limitation when the G4 uses up to 32 GB SD Card, so it has more capacity than the old DC-MP3 which used a 2GB SD Card, and at one point I had an off hours music show that was 350 sequences, wrote to the 2GB SD Card and ran with no problems at all.

Guess I'm going to have to figure out how I can get all these sequences to run on the G4 Director, but at the moment, I'm not sure how I'm going to get it to work since I used specific times and days for the off hours shows prior to the actual light show.

And I have asked about this in the LOR forums that covers accessories and such.  Hoping one of the LOR folks can answer why they changed this, or if my DC-MP3 Director wasn't supposed to work like it did, guess I might have gotten one that was a mistake and made it out the door.  I don't know, just know the original one did what I wanted it too and wasn't limited to 99 sequences, unlike the G4, which is.   *sigh*

 

I helped someone last night that had a  problem which made me think it was a G4 director problem but it turned out to be a firmware problem.

He wrote his show to the old mini director and all worked AC units 1-4 and a pixie16 in the network.

That show played.

Inserted that card in the G4- no play

Created a new show in HU for the G4

AC units 1 & 2 no play but 3,4 and pixie played

Looked at everything and tried dif things. Same results each time.

Tried a HUB show same results.

Finally looked at the fw for the ac controllers.

The first 2 were on fw 1.06 while the others 1.09

Walked him through fw update, all worked great.

Dint understand why the show would work with the mini director and not the G4 , maybe the G4 being new needed to see the newest fw version. At least I am learning about the new director through helping others.

JR

[Orville]

16 hours ago, dibblejr said:

I helped someone last night that had a  problem which made me think it was a G4 director problem but it turned out to be a firmware problem.

He wrote his show to the old mini director and all worked AC units 1-4 and a pixie16 in the network.

That show played.

Inserted that card in the G4- no play

Created a new show in HU for the G4

AC units 1 & 2 no play but 3,4 and pixie played

Looked at everything and tried dif things. Same results each time.

Tried a HUB show same results.

Finally looked at the fw for the ac controllers.

The first 2 were on fw 1.06 while the others 1.09

Walked him through fw update, all worked great.

Dint understand why the show would work with the mini director and not the G4 , maybe the G4 being new needed to see the newest fw version. At least I am learning about the new director through helping others.

JR

Every controller I have, Singing Trees {LOR, Pixie2}, 2 - V2 CTB16PC AC Controllers and the 5 CCB100D {older 5V} RGB Controllers all have had their firmware updated, as well as my N4-G4 Director all have the latest and newest firmware installed.

Which the Director has NOTHING to do with encoding or writing the SHOW to the SD Card, only the Hub and HU handle that.

My issue IS NOT, and I'm almost 100% positive it is a SOFTWARE ISSUE, as the software looks at how many sequences are in the list, then after it reaches 100 it bombs out, no error that it's because the sequence limitation is now set to 99.  Tried it in the latest HU in 4.4.10, and even it won't write the SD Card past 99 sequences, matter of fact the HU won't even allow you to put more than 99 sequences in it's list, but the Hub will, I put all 222 1 channel off hours empty musical sequences in it and it accepted all of them, but it wrote 99 to the SD Card, then bombed out stating it couldn't ad the MP3 file due to the stripped header, nothing about the sequences at all, just the MP3 was the issue.  Tried unchecking that option in the Hub, same results. and I used the HU for the original DC-MP3 Director when I had it, and I had at one time put 350 sequences in a music only 1 channel {empty sequence} off hours show.

So somewhere along the way, the limit to how many sequences can be entered and written was changed in the newer software, including the 4.4.x versions of the HU.   I think this data number needs to be set to at least a limitation of 500 sequences NOT 99, that's just not enough for the number of Christmas tunes I have to add to my off hours show, which is a multitude of various languages, Spanish, English, German, and Cherokee Indian just to name a few.

So I'm 100,000% positive this IS NOT a firmware issue, or even related to firmware, it's just a numerical change that was made within the software to set the sequence limitation to no more than 99, which I do not understand why drop this level down?  Not when the newest G4 Directors use up to a 32GB SD Card, and also have a higher capacity computing power over the older director units.  So I just can't fathom why a 99 sequence limitation is set for them, not when it wasn't there on the original DC-MP3 Director.   Which I had used for many years before it went bad, and was very disappointed in finding out the N4-G4 Director I have is actually quite limited sequence-wise from the original version Director I had used years ago.

 

 

 

Edited November 12, 2020 by Orville