New in S5 for me - File Size, building show files, delay in show, and weird CCRs

[Jay Czerwinski]

1. First and most important, I noticed that in S5 there is a huge delay in my songs first time playing as it builds a sequence file.    My solution was to check a box to build them all before running the show = many minute delay in startup.  (so I just start my scheduler many minutes earlier and the show actually will start on time after building the files instead of in-between shows.)   Is there a better/different way to do this?   My only issue is if I want to update a show/song during showtime, I will have to shut down the show and people sit in the dark for 5 minutes until files are built again.

2. What are the largest file size you have in shows?    I recently used instant sequence in Superstar and ended up with a 141Mb sequence that my computer seems to really struggle with.   Any comments/tips welcome.

3. Still scratching my head on those CCRs not showing right in the preview while using Logical Resolution (LR) set to 1 so I can use the whole strip as a single RGB light.   The preview only lights the first pixel and the actual lights only illuminate the first pixel during showtime - but strangely light the whole strip after the first time playing.

Thanks for continually sharing your thoughts.   #3 I have posed about already and am working on prior tips to try, but I thought I would mention it again.   But I am primarily looking for thoughts on #1 and #2.

Cheers and happy holidays,   Jay

[Mr. P]

It is recommended that you play your files through the first time before the show begins as it does take some time for S5 to compress the files. They should start immediately the next time you play them.

Edited October 28, 2020 by Mr. P

[PhilMassey]

If you should need to update during playback, use the Sequence Compressor to create the playback files.

I used S5 last year and the delays are not an issue once the playback files are created.

[c7williams]

1) Someone can correct me if I’m wrong but there is a option in sequencer to export to LMS/LAS. I think I read somewhere that this will eliminate that delay you are experiencing... but with that said last year was my first year with S5 and what I did was unplugged my cat5 cable from USB adapter and changed the time on my PC to showtime time and let my full show play through which allowed everything to do it’s thing with no lights on outside. Very simple solution as your show should run perfect and on time after this. 
 

2) when is your computer struggling with the file sizes? During sequencing? 
 

3) No idea! But curious as to what you’re gaining by setting the LR to 1 and not just lighting up the whole strand? 

[PhilMassey]

The export to LMS is for folks going back to S4. IT does NOT capture motion effects. Again, the delay is ONLY on the first pass and can be eliminated entirely by either running the show one time before showtime, or as is recommended in the help file, by using the Sequence Compressor. 

[c7williams]

58 minutes ago, PhilMassey said:

The export to LMS is for folks going back to S4. IT does NOT capture motion effects. Again, the delay is ONLY on the first pass and can be eliminated entirely by either running the show one time before showtime, or as is recommended in the help file, by using the Sequence Compressor. 

See I thought the same thing, until I read a post somewhere. It said something along the lines of that show player cannot read .loredit files and that all sequences should be exported to LMS. I just looked. I’m not sure where I saw this post. I’ll keep looking. 

[Mr. P]

Are you sure they were .lms files? S5 uses .loredit and play.lms files.

[PhilMassey]

The loredit file is the primary file used to create the show in S5. The show player plays the hidden lcs and play.lms files. ALL the playback files are created in the lorinternal folder.

However legacy .lms files can be used in the show editor. 

You should NOT export to lms. Pointless.

[MattBrown]

Only 2 reasons for the Export to LMS function:

1) you are giving up on S5 and going back to S4 (but please don't give up!)

2) you are a seller/sharer of sequences and your sequences don't use motion effects. You can use this function to create sequences that can be read by S3, S4, and S5 users.

As @PhilMassey said, don't use it for playback. Contrary to rumor, your show may actually play SLOWER, especially if you are using enhanced networks or DMX.

Matt

[Jay Czerwinski]

3 hours ago, c7williams said:

1) Someone can correct me if I’m wrong but there is a option in sequencer to export to LMS/LAS. I think I read somewhere that this will eliminate that delay you are experiencing... but with that said last year was my first year with S5 and what I did was unplugged my cat5 cable from USB adapter and changed the time on my PC to showtime time and let my full show play through which allowed everything to do it’s thing with no lights on outside. Very simple solution as your show should run perfect and on time after this. 
 

2) when is your computer struggling with the file sizes? During sequencing? 
 

3) No idea! But curious as to what you’re gaining by setting the LR to 1 and not just lighting up the whole strand? 

1. Thank you

2. Yes, during sequencing.  Example:  I made a simple chase on 12 AC channels over 1.2seconds ( 0.1s ON and 0.1s fade down and staggered it  0.1s for each channel) and copy/paste to the end of the sequence and it took several minutes to process that paste.     Also, it took around 7 minutes to save the file to a jump drive.

3. What I gain is only having to put the sequence in one line as opposed to 50.  And sometimes LR is up to 10 and I only have to do up to the first ten lines.     This not only is easy to program and see in sequencer, but I imagine it is less data on the network as I think the controller processes it at the lights.

 

 

[PhilMassey]

I just tried the same kind of thing and it took forever to paste. In fact I shut down the program after 3 or 4 minutes.

I did the same thing with a chase and it was instant.

So after experimenting a bit, the paste is a lot faster if you say Paste Special and specify, say 100 times, rather than past to the end. 

May be a bug in that. Perhaps Matt would take a look. @MattBrown

 

[MattBrown]

1 hour ago, PhilMassey said:

I just tried the same kind of thing and it took forever to paste. In fact I shut down the program after 3 or 4 minutes.

I did the same thing with a chase and it was instant.

So after experimenting a bit, the paste is a lot faster if you say Paste Special and specify, say 100 times, rather than past to the end. 

May be a bug in that. Perhaps Matt would take a look. @MattBrown

 

Sorry, I tried to replicate this several different ways, and the paste was always instantaneous. Could you please provide the exact steps that cause the issue?

Thanks,

Matt

[PhilMassey]

Quick Movie.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z6e6wy55polwyff/paste special movie.mpg?dl=0

[PhilMassey]

Should have added, it took about 3 minutes to paste.

[MattBrown]

27 minutes ago, PhilMassey said:

Quick Movie.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z6e6wy55polwyff/paste special movie.mpg?dl=0

Thanks for the video. Your example is slow only when using freeform timing grids. Fixed timing grids are fast. We will see if we can make it faster when using freeform grids.

Matt

[PhilMassey]

Using Paste Special and specifying a number, such as 100 times,  is instant.

[MattBrown]

The performance of Paste Special with Repeat Horizontally set to "All the way to the end of the sequence" will be much improved in the next release.

Matt

[PhilMassey]

Thank you sir.

[Jay Czerwinski]

22 hours ago, PhilMassey said:

Quick Movie.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z6e6wy55polwyff/paste special movie.mpg?dl=0

EXACTLY my experience.

13 hours ago, MattBrown said:

The performance of Paste Special with Repeat Horizontally set to "All the way to the end of the sequence" will be much improved in the next release.

Matt

Thank you as well.  

[PhilMassey]

On 10/29/2020 at 12:23 AM, MattBrown said:

The performance of Paste Special with Repeat Horizontally set to "All the way to the end of the sequence" will be much improved in the next release.

Matt

Much much faster in.12.

Thanks Matt.