Can not get S4 Visualizer (4.4.16) to display RGB lights

[Darrell]

I had to replace the PC I use to create/edit my sequences on.  I use an older PC in the garage to actually run the run.  The editing PC was updated from S4.3 to S4.4.16.  I have updated a couple of sequences with the music files, the LEE file for the Visualizer and I think the network preferences utility.  I have attached the USB adapter and plugged in 1 regular controller.  The Hardware Utility seems to show every thing works.  However, when I run the Squence Editor to display in the Visualizer, none of the RGB fixtures light up.  All of the standard strings light properly as the sequence plays.  I have checked the Visualizer Preferences in SE and they are set to 127.0.0.1 port 30303. With the Network Preferences, I have 7 DMX universes set to Local 127.0.0.1 port 30303.  What am I missing on setting up the Visualizer to show the RGB lights?  I seem to remember something about the Comm Listener but don't see how to start/check that.  I do start Control Panel first but don't see any log entries about the comm listener.  Thanks

[k6ccc]

1 hour ago, Darrell said:

With the Network Preferences, I have 7 DMX universes set to Local 127.0.0.1 port 30303. 

For starters, that is wrong.  Since you are specifying an IP address, I assume you are running those 7 universes via E1.31 and not over RS-485 with each universe having a separateUSB-RS-485 adapter.  And that you are using "Specify" (which really means Unicast).  That IP address should be the IP address of the E1.31 controller, and the port should be left as the "Standard E1.31 port (5568)".  The Network Preferences settings have everything to do with communications to your controllers and absolutely NOTHING to do with communications with Visualizer.

It's been years since I have run S4, and I don't remember if the Comm Listener needs to be running in order to control Visualizer.  It is in order to control the actual lights, and I sort of think it does for the Sequence Editor to control Visualizer as well.  It's been long enough that I am going to leave that for someone who runs S4 for anything beyond what I have told you.

 

[Darrell]

Jim - How can I tell if the Comm listener is running?  I thought I remember seeing a log entry last year when I started Control Panel.  I don't see any entries about the comm listener now.

 

[k6ccc]

It will start up when the Control panel starts.  There should be something that looks like this (if the image does not show, there is a link to it):

http://www.newburghlights.org/images/Comm_Listener-3.png

 

If you click on the Comm Listener, you will get something like this (OK, mine is pretty busy):

http://www.newburghlights.org/images/Comm_Listener-2.png

 

There are a bunch of universes opened (there are more than is shows in this screen capture), and about 2/3 of the way down you can see COM4 opened as AuxA and COM5 opened as AuxB.   Near the bottom, you can see the connection opened to the Show Player.

 

[Darrell]

Ok, my comm listener was not starting.  I did a full shutdown and cold start.  Now when I start Control Panel, the CL window opens.  When I then open Sequence Editor and Visualizer, the connection seems to work.  However, when I play the sequence thru SE its runs VERY slowly and the lights/music are not in sync.  The RGB lights in the visualizer are now working but everything is so slow as to be worthless.  I am running on a fast PC (Dell i7 desktop less than a year old w 64GB RAM).  Any thoughts on why playback is so slow or something else wrong in my setup.

[PhilMassey]

From what I remember of the S4 Vis, and it has been four years, there were settings for either hardware or software rendering or something like that, in there somewhere.

[Orville]

6 hours ago, PhilMassey said:

From what I remember of the S4 Vis, and it has been four years, there were settings for either hardware or software rendering or something like that, in there somewhere.

Yes there is, Click on "File" in the top tool bar, then click on Options in the drop-down, when the Options window opens click on the 6 Com/Ref button.  When that opens, go to the bottom of the window under Advance Rendering Engine, if the box IS NOT checked, click on the square box and Enable this option.  If checked, and you're having issues with playback, then UNCHECK this box and try that.   This mainly depends on your graphics cards ability.  You may need to update your Graphics Card Drivers.