How can one convert RGB channels to a different set up, such as BRG?

[Orville]

I have 11 CCR's, and they apparently ARE NOT LOR CCR's, since none of them are RGB format.   Every one I tested, when the channels are set as RGB show up as Red=Blue, Green=Red and Blue=Green, BRG format.

Is there any way in S4 in the SE to change the RGB Channel colors around, so they match the CCR BRG setting?   I tried to move the Red channel to the center, Blue to the top, and Green to the bottom, but I get an error message that RGB channels can not be moved {which to me makes no sense why you can't move them around} or something similar to that message pop-up.  But it all boils down to I can't move the channels to fit the BRG settings of the CCR.  I also tried to change the color and label on the Red channel to Blue, successfully changed the color block to Blue, and the label R to B, but the lighting command blocks still remained Red and did not change to the new Blue color along that row.   So that didn't work.   I tried changing the first 11 ports on the Pixie16D V1 Controller to change the RGB channel colors to BRG, but that didn't remain constant in the HU.  As when I exited the HU and reloaded it to make sure the first 11 ports on the Pixie16D were set as BRG, the HU defaulted them back to RGB.  And yes, I got the message that the controller changes were made successfully.  But apparently for some reason did not stay in effect.  I need to make these first 11 ports 1 through 11 on the Pixie16D all BGR, Ports 12-16 need to star as RGB, which they are, and work fine for the other RGB items I have to connect to the Pixie16D.  It is only the first 11 ports I need to change, but I have tried, and looked without success in how to accomplish this.  And is this even possible to have different RGB, BGR settings in the same controller like this?

Any help on getting the Pixie16D Ports 1 through 11 set up correctly for the BRG CCR ribbons and the normal RGB Ports 12-16 {which shouldn't require change} for the items I'll be using with the Pixie16D would be greatly appreciated.

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Orville
conert in subject line changed to convert

[k6ccc]

You DO NOT want to make that change in your sequencing.  You change the color order in the controller setup.  I could not remember if you could set each string separately on the Pixie 16, but taking a quick look at the manual (page 15 & 16) and it shows that you can.

 

[TheDucks]

Yes you can change color order PER PORT on Pixies.

Use the Advanced button on the HU Pixie/Cosmic color configuration screen

Edited September 19, 2021 by TheDucks

[dibblejr]

Orville I’m assuming this is the pixie16 I built for you. If so it’s a V2 board.

I can’t recall if I updated the FW. 1.06 was the most recent at the time.

If it’s not 1.07 update the fw

Also if you are using S4 update to 4.4.16 and S5 update to latest.

JR

Edited September 19, 2021 by dibblejr

[Orville]

4 hours ago, dibblejr said:

Orville I’m assuming this is the pixie16 I built for you. If so it’s a V2 board.

I can’t recall if I updated the FW. 1.06 was the most recent at the time.

If it’s not 1.07 update the fw

Also if you are using S4 update to 4.4.16 and S5 update to latest.

JR

Okay, I thought you had initially told me this was a V1 board.  Glad to know it's a V2.  I'll update my records to reflect that in my LOR notebook.  And it has FW 1.07, I updated it right after I saw there was a newer release for the RGB Controllers.  I am pretty sure I also updated my Pixie2D's for the Singing Trees to FW 1.07 as well.  I am using 4.4.16 Pro on the Win 7 machine and 5.6.4 Pro on the Win 10 machine.   So both machines have the latest version of S4 and S5 respectively at this time.

And that's what I did, went into the HU and configured the Pixie 16D to be BRG for Ports 1-11, but when I  opened the HU to verify the change was still there, it showed RGB for those 11 ports instead of BRG that I had set them to.  I got the confirmation the settings were sent to the controller and updated, but after I exited out of the configuration, then refreshed the controllers connected and checked it, it showed BRG that I had set, clicked cancel since they were set correctly for those ports, but when I exited out of the HU and re-loaded the HU, they all went back to RGB when I checked the configuration area again.  Maybe I missed a step somewhere?  I'll try it again and see what happens.

Now, once I have those ports set up correctly, and they stay at BRG{hopefully}, will that automatically change the RGB channels on the Pixie16 port in the sequence, or am I going to have to delete those channels and set them up manually all over again for the BRG set up to take effect, or will the channels automatically convert to the new BRG settings in the sequence?  I hope the change takes effect automatically since I spent a long time just getting those 11 ports set up properly for the number of nodes on the CCR's.  26 channels per CCR x 3 nodes per channel {78 nodes total}.   May have to reduce some of the CCR's down to a different channel count as some have nodes in sections that don't light up at all on any color on some ribbons.  So may have to do some surgery and resoldering on some of them to have a full working strip.  Not looking forward to that part of repairing them, so the entire strip lights up without dark sections.

Thanks for the help folks. 

Will attempt re-configuring those ports again in the HU when I can, it's raining right now, and it's outside running the 6 HC 10W Smart RGB Floodlights on my ramp and in my outdoor garden area in the back off my N4-G4 Director.  So might not be able to do anything until Monday morning after things dry out a little but, if it weren't raining, I'd just run a Cat5 cable from the HS adapter to the Pixie16D and reconfigure it again.  Hopefully, this time it'll stay configured as I need it to be.

 

 

[dibblejr]

One thing, i have always recommended not using the HU to test.

In S5 you can also set the color order in the prop definition. 
 

so what I would do is 1- set the HU to how you want them. Exit out without looking back.

Build a test sequence just lights in and off Red, Green and Blue  to check.

If that does not work, in S5 go to the prop for that port and select the color order on the left side of the page.

You wilL have to do that individually but it should work.

In S4 the only option would be through the sequence, painstakingly difficult. 
 

Let me Know how my first recommendation works.

Prior to 4.4.14 or S5 there were no options other than 1 color order for the entire controller.

Leaps and bounds since then.

JR

 

[Orville]

8 hours ago, dibblejr said:

One thing, i have always recommended not using the HU to test.

In S5 you can also set the color order in the prop definition. 
 

so what I would do is 1- set the HU to how you want them. Exit out without looking back.

Build a test sequence just lights in and off Red, Green and Blue  to check.

If that does not work, in S5 go to the prop for that port and select the color order on the left side of the page.

You wilL have to do that individually but it should work.

In S4 the only option would be through the sequence, painstakingly difficult. 
 

Let me Know how my first recommendation works.

Prior to 4.4.14 or S5 there were no options other than 1 color order for the entire controller.

Leaps and bounds since then.

JR

 

I'll be setting this up for S4 for this year's Christmas show in 2021.  Still not familiar with S5 enough to go that route for this year.  Hopefully by this time next year{2022} I'll have S5 under my belt, and have migrated fully over to it.  

I don't test the Pixie16 in the HU, only in a sequence, since that's what I had read in the manual for testing all the effects for it.  Especially since some options aren't available for testing, like shimmer and twinkles except in a sequence to see if they work or not.  So I have a test sequence {animation} created specifically for testing the Pixie16.  So no problem there, just the color options are incorrect for the CCR's I have.  Other than that, Pixie16 works perfectly for everything else {12V lights only} I've attached to it.  

And since the Pixie16 has XConnect aka EasyPlug3 HC Connectors, and I know the 5V CMB100D RGB 5V lights won't attach to those connectors directly on the Pixie16, and the CCR's all have the adapter cables to convert them to fit the 12V CCR ribbons, and those will always stay attached only to the CCR's, never the 5V RGB lights, that way I know which lights go to which controller that control them, and won't be accidentally connecting them to the Pixie16.  Don't need the magic smoke coming out of any 5V RGB strands!

 

[Orville]

Well JR, I must have done something wrong the first few times through, I changed the 1-11 ports to BRG, and they stayed this time, with one odd exception, Port 11 and Port 12 kept interchanging their settings.  Don't quite understand that, I'd set 1-11 to BRG and click OK, then test the CCR using the CCR test sequence, still didn't work as I had hoped.  So came back in to the HU after I exited the SE, loaded HU and Port 11 came back as RGB, but Port 12, which had been RGB was now BRG.  So reset Port 12 back to RGB and left Port 11 as RGB.  Exited the HU, loaded HU, refreshed to find Pixie16 controller, and both Ports 11 and 12 were still RGB, ports 1-10 were still set as BRG.  So I tried to change Port 11 to BRG again, Port 11 would revert to RGB, but Port 12, which I did not touch, was now changed from RGB and set as BRG.   Weird.  I checked the dangles and each dangle is labeled correctly 1-16 all light correctly when turned on in the HU {ON test only} or when running the CCR test sequence.  So I just reverted everything back to RGB and noted that those 11 Ports on the Pixie16 are CCR's and that the sequence shows RGB, but the actual colors are BRG.  So I will have to remember that when I set them up in my display and just have to remember that if I want a specific color, I'll have to remember where each color is to make the right color I want.  Pain in the backside, but seems to be the best workaround for the problem with the CCR's not being RGB format.

Just wanted to let you know.

P.S.  After I had reset the Pixie to the BRG format and changed the colors in the channel config area to BRG, couldn't do it at the channel button, wouldn't let me change colors or rename {R} to {B} in the description area, it would in the Channel Config area, but the colors of the buttons never changed and neither did the color in those rows that I did change.  So I just put it all back as RGB and wrote it down in my notebook that ports 1-11 are actually in the format of BRG.   I thought there would be a way to change this in the SE, but if there is, I sure didn't find it.  So I've opted not to bother with it at this point.

[dibblejr]

2 hours ago, Orville said:

Well JR, I must have done something wrong the first few times through, I changed the 1-11 ports to BRG, and they stayed this time, with one odd exception, Port 11 and Port 12 kept interchanging their settings.  Don't quite understand that, I'd set 1-11 to BRG and click OK, then test the CCR using the CCR test sequence, still didn't work as I had hoped.  So came back in to the HU after I exited the SE, loaded HU and Port 11 came back as RGB, but Port 12, which had been RGB was now BRG.  So reset Port 12 back to RGB and left Port 11 as RGB.  Exited the HU, loaded HU, refreshed to find Pixie16 controller, and both Ports 11 and 12 were still RGB, ports 1-10 were still set as BRG.  So I tried to change Port 11 to BRG again, Port 11 would revert to RGB, but Port 12, which I did not touch, was now changed from RGB and set as BRG.   Weird.  I checked the dangles and each dangle is labeled correctly 1-16 all light correctly when turned on in the HU {ON test only} or when running the CCR test sequence.  So I just reverted everything back to RGB and noted that those 11 Ports on the Pixie16 are CCR's and that the sequence shows RGB, but the actual colors are BRG.  So I will have to remember that when I set them up in my display and just have to remember that if I want a specific color, I'll have to remember where each color is to make the right color I want.  Pain in the backside, but seems to be the best workaround for the problem with the CCR's not being RGB format.

Just wanted to let you know.

P.S.  After I had reset the Pixie to the BRG format and changed the colors in the channel config area to BRG, couldn't do it at the channel button, wouldn't let me change colors or rename {R} to {B} in the description area, it would in the Channel Config area, but the colors of the buttons never changed and neither did the color in those rows that I did change.  So I just put it all back as RGB and wrote it down in my notebook that ports 1-11 are actually in the format of BRG.   I thought there would be a way to change this in the SE, but if there is, I sure didn't find it.  So I've opted not to bother with it at this point.

You should open a HD ticket on the settings in HU. They are not supporting S4 any more but they may have a solution.

A video would help a bunch. If you get a hold of a screen video software and capture a video, that may help me or the HD with this issue.

It’s odd behavior.

JR

Edited September 21, 2021 by dibblejr

[Orville]

Update on the missing segments of the CCR I was testing, haven't retested it yet, but they may not be bad at all.  When I started double-checking my channels, on Port 1, I had inadvertently clicked the wrong controller ID and put the Controller ID in the circuit ID, did the same thing with the other non-working segment.  Channel 4 and Channel 7 were both incorrect, no wonder nothing was lighting up.  So the CCR may be perfectly good, my screw-up on that one {darn vision issues I have} when I was checking the first time through, I missed it.  Checked the other channels I've completed and found a similar issue in one other channel.

 

Would have been so much easier doing this if S4 had had a way to populate all the channels settings for each succeeding channel with the Controller Type, Controller Network, Controller Unit ID and then populated all the circuits for ALL RGB channels in that particular group, once the first got 1 and automatically put in 2 and 3, would have been nice if all succeeding channels had been able to populate the rest with 4,5,6,.......16,17,18....76,77,78 until the last circuit ID for that group of channels was complete.   Having to do this for over 400 {x3 =1,200 RGB} channels is a real time killer.  Sure would have saved a ton of time to do this automatically!  But I know S4 is no longer supported, so we won't see any changes for it now.  But got to get all this done BEFORE I even consider migrating my sequences to S5.  Of course,77 I only need to do this twice, one for the Musical sequences and once for the Animation sequences, since I used tracks in my Musical sequences I need to create a separate Channel Config file for each sequence type in S4.  Especially since S4 doesn't allow Animation Files to be placed into tracks, older versions did, as my older sequences the animation files are broken down into tracks, but the S4.4.16 wouldn't allow it, and when I tried to import an older animation sequence {S3}, it was a total mess, had to undo that.

 

[Orville]

On 9/21/2021 at 1:38 AM, dibblejr said:

You should open a HD ticket on the settings in HU. They are not supporting S4 any more but they may have a solution.

A video would help a bunch. If you get a hold of a screen video software and capture a video, that may help me or the HD with this issue.

It’s odd behavior.

JR

Any suggestions on a FREE Video screen capture program?  I have a screen capture program, but it only does stills, the one that came with Windows.   I'm not even sure how to use a video recording screen capture program.   I tried using my wife's cell phone, but it won't upload the video to my e-mail or OneDrive account, and her phone won't attach to the computer to upload it either.   The old phone I did have that would have, it got broken and destroyed.   Give me a digital camera with an SD Card ANY DAY over these lousy cell phones, smartphone my backside.  Her phone, as far as I'm concerned, is as dumb as a brick!

[k6ccc]

9 minutes ago, Orville said:

Would have been so much easier doing this if S4 had had a way to populate all the channels settings for each succeeding channel with the Controller Type, Controller Network, Controller Unit ID and then populated all the circuits for ALL RGB channels in that particular group, once the first got 1 and automatically put in 2 and 3, would have been nice if all succeeding channels had been able to populate the rest with 4,5,6,.......16,17,18....76,77,78 until the last circuit ID for that group of channels was complete.

I'm not understanding your problem.  That is very fast and easy in S5.  As an example, I could build or change the channel assignments on my P5 panel (over 36,000 channels) in about 15 seconds.

 

[dibblejr]

17 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

I'm not understanding your problem.  That is very fast and easy in S5.  As an example, I could build or change the channel assignments on my P5 panel (over 36,000 channels) in about 15 seconds.

 

Orvilles using S4 this year for the show, I think. 
 

JR

[dibblejr]

30 minutes ago, Orville said:

Any suggestions on a FREE Video screen capture program?  I have a screen capture program, but it only does stills, the one that came with Windows.   I'm not even sure how to use a video recording screen capture program.   I tried using my wife's cell phone, but it won't upload the video to my e-mail or OneDrive account, and her phone won't attach to the computer to upload it either.   The old phone I did have that would have, it got broken and destroyed.   Give me a digital camera with an SD Card ANY DAY over these lousy cell phones, smartphone my backside.  Her phone, as far as I'm concerned, is as dumb as a brick!

I believe Camtasia offers a free trial or a limited feature test version.

Zoom may also work on the free version but Camtasia is great

Alan- Default pointed me to Camtasia. He makes some great videos with it.

JR

 

Edited September 22, 2021 by dibblejr

[k6ccc]

3 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

Orvilles using S4 this year for the show, I think. 

I mis-understood the question.  I thought he was saying he could do it in S4, but not S5.  I don't remember it being an issue in S4 either, but it's been several years since I have looked at S4.

 

[TheDucks]

1 hour ago, Orville said:

Update on the missing segments of the CCR I was testing, haven't retested it yet, but they may not be bad at all.  When I started double-checking my channels, on Port 1, I had inadvertently clicked the wrong controller ID and put the Controller ID in the circuit ID, did the same thing with the other non-working segment.  Channel 4 and Channel 7 were both incorrect, no wonder nothing was lighting up.  So the CCR may be perfectly good, my screw-up on that one {darn vision issues I have} when I was checking the first time through, I missed it.  Checked the other channels I've completed and found a similar issue in one other channel.

 

Would have been so much easier doing this if S4 had had a way to populate all the channels settings for each succeeding channel with the Controller Type, Controller Network, Controller Unit ID and then populated all the circuits for ALL RGB channels in that particular group, once the first got 1 and automatically put in 2 and 3, would have been nice if all succeeding channels had been able to populate the rest with 4,5,6,.......16,17,18....76,77,78 until the last circuit ID for that group of channels was complete.   Having to do this for over 400 {x3 =1,200 RGB} channels is a real time killer.  Sure would have saved a ton of time to do this automatically!  

 

S4 DOES, but only when you add a controller in SE. It takes a bit of drill down as it is context (what device). But If you add a Pixie it asks what model, then you get to set # nodes (applies to all ports, so pick the highest). The CMB now has 24 (or 8 RGB) setting.  The issue is there is no 'Add more (and how many starting at...)' for changes of plan

[Orville]

6 hours ago, TheDucks said:

S4 DOES, but only when you add a controller in SE. It takes a bit of drill down as it is context (what device). But If you add a Pixie it asks what model, then you get to set # nodes (applies to all ports, so pick the highest). The CMB now has 24 (or 8 RGB) setting.  The issue is there is no 'Add more (and how many starting at...)' for changes of plan

Problem was Ports 1-11 had 100 nodes, I needed those ports to only be 26 Channels, so I deleted those groups from the Pixie 16D group and then re-added the 26 Channels I needed for the CCR's for those 11 ports and then as I added each port back, regrouped them to Port 1, Port 2, Port 3, etc.  Ports 12-15 are still set at 100 nodes, but channel 16 was also done the same way as Ports 1-11, as I only needed 6 RGB channels for the 6 new HC Smart RGB Floodlights I added, and didn't want all the extra channels I wouldn't be using in these areas.

So, I think once I did that, I was locked into adding everything to each channel manually.  Either way I would have had to delete and redo every channel in each Ports line up because they wouldn't be correct.  And I thought it'd just be easier to delete those ports and then re-add the channels and regroup them to their correct Port.  Either way, I'd have a ton of clean up and changes to make.   Just no easy way out of this mess I made. LOL

And yep, using S4 4.4.16 pro for this year{2021}, hopefully by this time next year{2022} I'll have migrated everything to S5, but got a lot of changes, additions and work to do on my channel line up, controllers and props put in the visualizer before I can move my S4 sequences into S5.  Otherwise, I'll have a ton of work to do in S5, instead of, hopefully, some minor clean up.

[TheDucks]

11 hours ago, Orville said:

Problem was Ports 1-11 had 100 nodes, I needed those ports to only be 26 Channels, so I deleted those groups from the Pixie 16D group and then re-added the 26 Channels I needed for the CCR's for those 11 ports and then as I added each port back, regrouped them to Port 1, Port 2, Port 3, etc.  Ports 12-15 are still set at 100 nodes, but channel 16 was also done the same way as Ports 1-11, as I only needed 6 RGB channels for the 6 new HC Smart RGB Floodlights I added, and didn't want all the extra channels I wouldn't be using in these areas.

So, I think once I did that, I was locked into adding everything to each channel manually.  Either way I would have had to delete and redo every channel in each Ports line up because they wouldn't be correct.  And I thought it'd just be easier to delete those ports and then re-add the channels and regroup them to their correct Port.  Either way, I'd have a ton of clean up and changes to make.   Just no easy way out of this mess I made. LOL

And yep, using S4 4.4.16 pro for this year{2021}, hopefully by this time next year{2022} I'll have migrated everything to S5, but got a lot of changes, additions and work to do on my channel line up, controllers and props put in the visualizer before I can move my S4 sequences into S5.  Otherwise, I'll have a ton of work to do in S5, instead of, hopefully, some minor clean up.

Extra is no problem in S4.

Group the extra (only) then delete the group (NOT Ungroup) (or not (Just leave the single 'group' collapsed).

Again, Extra  (unused) nodes on a port are not a problem, just don't use them.

[Orville]

11 hours ago, TheDucks said:

Extra is no problem in S4.

Group the extra (only) then delete the group (NOT Ungroup) (or not (Just leave the single 'group' collapsed).

Again, Extra  (unused) nodes on a port are not a problem, just don't use them.

Yes, I know that.  But I'm just anal when it comes to a bunch of channels I wouldn't be using.  Mainly because it's easier for me to sequence when there are only the channels I need in there, and no extras taking up real estate space on the screen.   But that's just the way I prefer to do it.