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making a channel template


mikey

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I'm not in front of my lor machine, but I remember an "Export Configuration" menu item... in the Edit menu, I think.

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right, there is import and export, however the file that it takes you to is empty, as are all the others I look in.

I pulled a new animation and only configed the channel labels I saved it and then tried to export channels..no go, then I tried to import...no go.

There is no cut and paste for multiple channels, so that is where I am.



Mikey

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If you already have a sequence you've done in S2, open that one and export the configuration. Then, when you start a new file, import that configuration. Just make sure you import the configuration before you begin sequencing the new file.

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Thanks for asking this question. I was wondering how to make a new sequence and not have to go through all the channels again.

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Just be careful when you export the channels from a sequence that is already done and has tracks.

What I have just learned and found out is when you export your channels from a sequence that has tracks it will export those tracks with it. So when you import your channels to a new sequence, it will import those tracks too so you will have to delete those tracks from that new sequence before you start sequencing.

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Texan78 wrote:

What I have just learned and found out is when you export your channels from a sequence that has tracks it will export those tracks with it. So when you import your channels to a new sequence, it will import those tracks too so you will have to delete those tracks from that new sequence before you start sequencing.


Good point. Which makes it even more important that you decide first how you want the yard to look and then take the time to import a picture of your yard and then draw in the lights where you want them. Personally, I use tracks because they allow me to group things together in ways that make sense to my poor sick mind. Saving that configuration and then importing it into new sequences is tremendously time-saving. Just keep in mind that when you import a configuration it will over-write whatever you may already have had in that sequence.

George
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I didn't really understand why it would import tracks until just recently since you can group certain things together in separate tracks. So in those regards it is nice. But if you have a few tracks that have all the channels and you important them then you have 5 tracks of the same channels and timing that you don't need, which that can be a pain having to delete those tracks from a new sequence before starting.

So this is what I have done. If you don't want to import tracks but what to add on channels you can try this. Just open a new animation sequence then import those channels. Add your new channels then export. I have found doing that keeps from tracks getting imported from one sequence to the other.

I don't use tracks in the same manner as others except for a few things, so importing and exporting tracks can become a hassle for me with certain sequences.

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Keep in mind that you always have at least one track. That's what holds the channels. When you create a new sequence, S2 allows you to have as many channels as you want, but it is all one track. Then, you can either work with the channels as is, or separate some out into their own individual track, or duplicate all the channels into a separate track.

No matter how you choose to work with all your channels, after you get them labeled and arranged the way you want them, unless you want to go through all that setup with each sequence you create, you need to save your configuration. Then when you create a new sequence and import the configuration you saved, you're good to go.

What works best for me is using tracks to separate out different elemments of the display, such as face, poles, arches, driveway trees, etc. This allows me to do things at different speeds, or at different timings for different display elements. I've tried working with only one track, but for my display and the way my brain sorts things, it just doesn't work for me.

More food for thought...

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Here is how I am currently handling channel configs on a large show...

I have one sequence file, that is not a sequence. It is just the working file for the channel definitions, and the animation window. It only has one track with all the channels in it... When I add channels, they only get added at the bottom. When I update channels, I export the channel config again...

When I start a sequence, I start with a copy of this base sequence file, changing the name, media file, and length. Then we duplicate the first track. We do all our work in tracks 2+, never moving any channels in track 1..

This way, we have been able to work in multiple tracks, with different authors having different track layouts, but still be able to import channel configurations off of that base file without experiencing any impacts to date...

- Kevin

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