Preview channels VS sequencer channel help

[Dr_Aplet]

I have only been using LOR for about a year with no other light experience to speak of in the past so my knowledge is limited.  

I just moved to a new house and will need to build my previews all over again. I only have a 16 channel controller and a CMB24 RGB controller.  Do I need to make a Preview for Halloween and and a Christmas because the each are set up different.  What i am finding is that i add the devices from the list and start a new sequence and i have all these channels that i have tried to create populating in the sequence and I cant tell heads from tails. How can i get everything cleaned up again and connect them to my old sequences so that it looks like someone intelligent put it together.  

Why is it adding all these extra fields on the sequence?  what i want is 16 channels AC and 8 channels RGB and it all to be organized so it doesn't look like a monkey with a typewriter made it.

[PhilMassey]

If your setups for Christmas and Halloween are different you need two completely different Previews with different names. Use Halloween for those sequences and Christmas for those. 

When you apply the clean Preview, duplicate chans will be archived, and after you copy any content to the new channel they can be deleted.

That should leave you with just the channels you want.

 

[Dr_Aplet]

so in trying to build a new profile here is the problem i am running into.  if you look at this picture (How does one make it small enough to attach) all my props are stars and floods.  the floods are fine but how do i change the prop into something usable like a string of lights?  i can use the draw string but it creates a new prop.  i would like to make the ones i already have into a string of lights not a string of stars. 

 

[k6ccc]

First of all, as for your upload.  The forum has a very small TOTAL upload limit. The solution is to upload to some website and post a link.

As for the stars (that I gather are supposed to be standard lights).  If you select the prop that has the lights, (don't double click to edit), in the bottom left corner of the Preview Editor is the option to make the shape a bunch of different shapes..

 

[c7williams]

Based on what I have read and see from your screenshot I recommend you take some time and watch the below videos, I think you will then have a better understanding of how the S5 preview works and how all the changes are interlinked with the sequence. 

 

 

[Dr_Aplet]

25 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

As for the stars (that I gather are supposed to be standard lights).  If you select the prop that has the lights, (don't double click to edit), in the bottom left corner of the Preview Editor is the option to make the shape a bunch of different shapes..

There is a section for bulb shape but lines are not an option.  Do i need to draw each prop rename it independently of the whole prop controllers and ultimately delete the controller?

[Dr_Aplet]

13 minutes ago, c7williams said:

Based on what I have read and see from your screenshot I recommend you take some time and watch the below videos, I think you will then have a better understanding of how the S5 preview works and how all the changes are interlinked with the sequence. 

I have watched the Luminous videos pertaining to this but they do not make mention of when you bring in a controller and all the channels how to make the shapes what you want them to be.  ultimately i am trying to clean up my preview and i thought i could simply bring in the 2 pieces of hardware that i have and edit the shapes.  that may not be in the cards.

[dibblejr]

I suggest instead of adding a device/ controller all at once. 

Just add a channel/ circuit one at a time.

For example if you have a 16 channel AC controller with the unit ID of 1. If Channel 1 is for the roof peak

In prop def if you have only a straight line then use a straight line. If you need it to go up and over a peak use the straight line connected with 2 sections. This will allow you to go from one side of the peak and bend it where needed.

Once you have that first channel assigned then move on to the second prop, perhaps peak # 2 if you have more than one peak.

JR 

[Dr_Aplet]

i have been resigning myself to that idea.  i really like to have the naming include the device, channel and what it is.  for example 16CH 03 garage.  this seems to help me keep things organized because i am a rookie and don't have the years to figure out what naturally goes to what channel.  i am trying to keep the 4x4x4x4 rule in mind but that hasnt worked out yet. 

on a side note how do i get get the red light bulb back in the system tray?  i turned on my show computer after a long winters nap and it's gone from the try.  I launched the hub but it did not automatically add it back.

[PhilMassey]

The red light bulb is called Control Panel. Click on that in the Start Menu LOR folder. It should then appear in the system tray, but it might be hidden depending on your Task Bar settings.

In the right click menu of the lightbulb, check the Load With Windows item and never have to worry about it again.

Comm listener will also run, just leave it be, minimized in the taskbar.

[k6ccc]

On 10/2/2021 at 7:13 AM, dibblejr said:

I suggest instead of adding a device/ controller all at once. 

Just add a channel/ circuit one at a time.

About 100 times over, I agree with that one.  I never understood why people think that they need to add a controller at a time.  Props are what matters for sequencing - not controllers.  You can still name the channels with a controller number if you really want (I recommend against it).

 

[dibblejr]

1 hour ago, k6ccc said:

About 100 times over, I agree with that one.  I never understood why people think that they need to add a controller at a time.  Props are what matters for sequencing - not controllers.  You can still name the channels with a controller number if you really want (I recommend against it).

 

Yep, leave the channel numbers out and name the channel for what the prop is.

I could never sequence to the numbers LOL

JR

[Dr_Aplet]

How do you stay organized and know what is where?  if you want to know what it where it goes you have to open the channel details.

[k6ccc]

47 minutes ago, Dr_Aplet said:

How do you stay organized and know what is where?  if you want to know what it where it goes you have to open the channel details.

I have a spreadsheet.

 

[dibblejr]

1 hour ago, Dr_Aplet said:

How do you stay organized and know what is where?  if you want to know what it where it goes you have to open the channel details.

I name mine for what they are L Roof Peak L, L Roof Peak R so on and so forth - not quite like that but was trying to show you. I know what my abbreviations are

Nope, just look at the channel buttons, no need to open

JR

[TheDucks]

What Jim and JR

PLUS, I used my P-Touch and mark the Outside of the controller as to where it gets placed (finally got smart this year after hooking up the wrong controller for the place: My dumb RGB  ones have different amounts of LOR 10W floods connected (dongles) 

They already had a neat LOR nn / CMB24 label  (one box has 3 controllers https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XssqectruJzV7RgB6YgUAjyPWDy9K_IY/view?usp=sharing Labeling can be very important )

[k6ccc]

10 hours ago, TheDucks said:

PLUS, I used my P-Touch and mark the Outside of the controller as to where it gets placed (finally got smart this year after hooking up the wrong controller for the place: My dumb RGB  ones have different amounts of LOR 10W floods connected (dongles) 

Good idea.  Not an issue for me as so much of my stuff is built in year round.  I only add two AC controllers for my singing faces, three original Cosmic Color Pixel controllers for my arches, a very obvious box with a Falcon F16v3 pixel controller for my perimeter string and this year candy canes, and the F16v3 and expansion for my pixel tree (which is bolted to the back of the star).  Not hard to mix them up - other than which AC is which and which CCP controller is which - and those all have the controller number written on them.