Singing Tree faces not working with motion FX enhanced network

[MSB]

This has been a long term problem. We thought the cause was the network cabling. This year we added new CAT6 cable and a new auxiliary network to our show. Yes we have a terminating resistor at the end of the line. We even purchased several YCM RGB plus sequences, We have 3 sets of V1 and 1 set of V2 faces on this network set at 500k enhanced. The cable tests at 5g speeds, so we know the cable is good. We also have several hand written sequences using built-in motion fx and some more using SuperStar to program face movements . After about 30 seconds, the colors no longer follow the sequence and usually revert to white and cyan. At the same time, outlines turn off, eyes and mouths randomly turn on and off not following the programmed sequence. V2's are better than V1's but still not correct. And they often stayed on at the end of the show discussed in 2 prior posts.

Then we updated the firmware in the Pixie2's to 1.10 hoping that would help but it didn't. V2 was better but not 100%. According to the manuals, Pixie2's can run on an enhance network. So today we tried something totally different. We changed the network from 500k enhanced to 500k regular and the display finally started behaving. Unfortunately, all of our existing sequences that use motion fx will need to be re-written to work, otherwise the sequences will not run. Needless to say this is disappointing and will require hours of work to fix.

I'm posting this for help or to alert others that we have not been able to get motion fx rows to work on these props. What are we doing wrong?

Edited November 28 by MSB
spelling & additional info

[k6ccc]

Yes, if you are using Motion Effects, it MUST be on an Enhanced network.  However with your statement that when you switched to a non-enhanced network (effectively killing the Motion Effects), the non-Motion Effects portions started working properly is telling me that your sequencing has conflicts between Motion Effects sequencing and traditional sequencing.  In other words, it sounds like there are Motion Effects sequencing and traditional sequencing effects at the same time on the same channels.  There is a priority for what has priority, but I don't remember what it is since essentially everything I sequence is in SuperStar, so in Sequencer, there is just one ME row with the SuperStar data.

 

[TheDucks]

Don't LOR trees use 2 ports?   (I may be confused here: there was a member that had 8 Trees and 8 arches on a Pixie16. I don't think that was doable)

Also The firmware must match the V# of the tree if you want V2 mouths (but then, you can't have a V1 on the same controller (for those who use a Bigger Pixie than 2)

[Orville]

On 11/28/2024 at 2:55 PM, TheDucks said:

Don't LOR trees use 2 ports?   (I may be confused here: there was a member that had 8 Trees and 8 arches on a Pixie16. I don't think that was doable)

Also The firmware must match the V# of the tree if you want V2 mouths (but then, you can't have a V1 on the same controller (for those who use a Bigger Pixie than 2)

Correct.  The LOR Singing Trees DO use 2 ports, Port 1, 8 RGB channels for a V1 trees.  Port 2 gets absolutely no lighting commands, if you put lighting commands by accident on the 2nd port the tree uses, you might get some very strange lighting effects from the tree.

But if you have 8 LOR singing trees, that would be 16 ports, so a Pixie 16 could do 8 trees, but you are correct, 8 singing LOR trees and 8 arches IS NOT doable on a Pixie 16.  You'd need a Pixie 16 for the 8 trees, and a Pixie 8 for the 8 Arches at a minimum.