Motion Effect Rows with a Regular Non-Enhanced network for older AC controllers.

[mike carlson]

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Network Check
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The following items have motion effects that cannot be played because they are on an LOR network that is not enhanced.
Either disable controlling lights, update the Prop Definition, update Network Preferences, or remove the motion effects.

Group: Inside Tree (1x7) - Regular
Group: Mini_Trees (1x16) - Regular
Group: All_Outside_analog (10x9) - Regular
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OK   
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Hey Guys.. still trying to figure out this New S5, S4 was just so much easier.. I get the above error message when trying to actually play and control the lights. I am using  Motion Effect Rows with Superstar auto sequencer. I am running two separate lines one for the old analog controllers not enhanced 57.6k and one for the  Digital Pixels 115.4K and Enhanced. Dose this mean I can not use Super Star Auto Sequencer with any of my old controllers on a Regular Network??? Any way to make this work?? To add to this, I sequence all my stuff on a separate computer and run the show on another PC. Both PC are setup the same but the inside PC is not connected to any LOR Networks. All plays with no errors on the inside PC, but will not play on the Outside PC that is connected to all the LOR Networks..  Any help to point me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated..

Mike..

[PhilMassey]

Remove the motion effects from the older controllers. Just sequence the old ac channels like you always have, 

[prevue12]

  You don't say what "old" is, so Gen 1s will not be able to work with motion effects.  Newer ones, try updating the firm ware, you might get lucky. 

[k6ccc]

Has to be Gen-3 to be able to run on an Enhanced LOR network (which is required for Motion Effects).

 

[mike carlson]

Thanks for your suggestions guys.. Unfortunately My "OLD" controllers are as follows. 7 x CTB16PC, 5 x CTB16D, all of them running the latest firmware. Replacing these with new controllers just won't happen.  Seems like S5 is a huge step backwards, at least for me. Looks like I might be going back to S4 and frantically converting all my sequences.. Way to go .. Light-0-Rama for abandoning your 15 year loyal user .... Not impressed..  Good news.. All my CCB, CCR, Singing faces, and other dumb/smart pixel controllers work just great !!!!

Isn't this hobby Great !!!

Thanks

Mike.

 

 

[k6ccc]

50 minutes ago, mike carlson said:

Way to go .. Light-0-Rama for abandoning your 15 year loyal user .... Not impressed..

You are in error.  All your older controllers are still completely functional - just as they have been for the past 15 years.  Nothing changed about that with S5.  Your older controller can't handle some of the NEW features that S5 added, but they are still 100% functional both in sequencing and operation.

What you can't do with your old controllers under S5?  Use Motion Effects and Enhanced LOR networks or network speeds above 115K - none of which were even a pipe dream when your 15 year old controllers were built.  Those are all new and added features that you have never had before, so tell me what you lost?  The only thing is that you may need to run a second LOR network - one slower, non-enhanced network for your older controllers, and a faster enhanced network for your newer controllers.  Many of us are in that exact same situation (including me).  In my case, there is exactly one controller on the non-enhanced network - an InputPup because those can't operate on an enhanced network.

 

[prevue12]

I have two networks for this reason.  

 

[stevehoyt]

same with me. I have an old legacy network for all my old stuff. Nothing has changed. I have additional enhanced networks for the new stuff.

[mike carlson]

I too have two separate networks, old analog controllers on one line and CCR's, CCB's, Singing Faces, Mega Tree on the fast enhanced line.. Let Me clarify my position. under S4 I was using Superstar to Instant Sequence my entire display with all my "old" controllers, CCR's, & CCB's, Although with not perfect results but it gave me a starting point and I would adjust accordingly. Saved a huge amount of time over sequencing a song from scratch. Even using superstar in non auto mode on the entire display with the old controllers still gave amazing results. Now under S5 you cant even start superstar with out a Motion Effect Row, and these Motion Effect Rows won't touch the old controllers. If I start Superstar manually I don't get a preview or layout, can't even create one.. That is what I meant with Light-o-Rama abandoning their "old" controllers.  Going back to S4 and unless this feature includes compatibility with old analog controllers I will never move forward.  Sorry about my ranting, but this is causing me a lot aggravation.

Thanks

Mike.

Edited November 24, 2020 by mike carlson

[k6ccc]

You are partially right.  I also sequence almost entirely in SuperStar (and have since 2012 - although almost never using the auto sequence capabilities).  There are work arounds.  You were part way there by opening SuperStar outside of the S5 Sequencer.  Ignore the warning that you did not open it properly through the Sequencer.  Assuming you still have your old .vis file from S4, you can still create new sequences in S5 SuperStar.  Then export to Sequence Editor in Legacy format.  Open that file in Sequencer and go through the upgrade process and you're there.  Then you can add the Motion Effects based effects on your newer controllers.  Not entirely the cleanest way to do it, but it does work (I just tried it to confirm).  What you can't do easily with this method is go back and re-edit the SuperStar parts.

I made a decision when S4 came out to replace my only Gen-2 controller that was being used because I really needed to go to Enhanced networking (in order to use Intensity files from SuperStar because my old show computer could not keep up without intensity files).  Fortunately for me, most of my show has always been DC - either pixels being driven by E1.31 or dumb RGB on CMB16 controllers which handle ELOR with a firmware update.  I had no trouble selling my two Gen-2 controllers.

 

[mike carlson]

Thanks Jim for the feedback.. That's kinda what I'm doing now with S5, Using the Motion Effects row on a group with all my "OLD" stuff to get into Superstar ( no I don't have an old .vis file for my current yard layout as this changes each year) once in superstar I do my thing on the entire group then export Legacy data file to a separate Sequence file, Then manually copy/past Sequence data for each one of my props into another file that has no Motion Effects Row. That is the real file that actually gets put on the Player Computer, Kinda a Royal Pain in the A@@S, to me a huge step backwards??? I have been using Brian's superstar since it was first made public, even before LOR acquired it. I'll stick it out with S5 to complete this year's Xmas, but I might abandon S5 and go back to S4. At least my preview / visualizer will stay current each year.. 

Happy Sequencing and stay safe..

Mike.

[k6ccc]

1 hour ago, mike carlson said:

I have been using Brian's superstar since it was first made public, even before LOR acquired it.

Me too.  My first year was 2012 with just animations on a 12 x 50 pixel tree - sequenced entirely with SuperStar.  Since then, almost everything is sequenced in SuperStar.  Sounds like you found a workaround that works.  A bit of a pain, but at least it's working.  That is somewhat similar to what I had to do years ago when Visualizer could not build a string of pixels with E1.31.  I had to sequence as if it was CCRs and do a copy / paste to another sequence that had the E1.31 configuration (or something like that).

Before giving up on S5 for next year, get ahold of Brian.  He may have some better ways to accomplish what you need.  I can't imagine that you are the only person using SuperStar on older AC controllers.