How to switch channels around

[xlt800]

I am adding 80 channels this year and I want to move channels around without messing up my current sequences. Is there a way to import the new lcc file without screwing up my current sequence. If not what is the easiest way to add the channels? Thanks for the help



Dave

[George Simmons]

Dave,

I'm in much the same boat, so I'll be looking for any of the same shortcuts you might hear of. I do know that the absolutely easiest way to add new channels/tracks is to add them below your existing ones. Then when your updated lcc file basically overlays your old one none of your old/existing channels are affected in any way. That's what I did with the totally new items I'm adding this year.

I use tracks to group and segregate my various items like arches, mini trees, bushes, garage chase, face, etc. But I think this would be the same even if you had only one track. When I'm adding new channels to an existing track (such as more mini trees or arches) any channels in the new lcc that I've moved or that I've inserted anyplace OTHER THAN at the bottom have to be manually added and/or repositioned in the old sequence before importing the new lcc file. Otherwise, there's a lot of cutting and pasting that needs to be done. I've done it both ways and I'd like to know there's a third way that I've missed that's easier or quicker.

The easiest method I've found for adding new channels is using the Channel Property Grid.

I hope some part of that makes sense or helps and that someone else has better advice to add.

George

[GalenInTn]

When I was editing sequences I had downloaded, all I had to do was drag and drop the channel tags into the order that I had set up up. You can also right click on the tag and you'll get a menu w/ a move option.

Hope it helps.

Galen

[melwelch]

I just open a new sequence and add the total number of channels I need... Then cut and past last years sequence to their new location on the new sequence.

Example: If I had 8 mini trees last year and this year I have added 8 more mini's and I want them to be listed together in the sequencer.... So my new sequence has 16 mini's all grouped together. I go to my old sequence and copy last year's timings to the new sequence. Then I copy last years channels to their new location in the new sequence.


Be sure to export the new channels so you can easly import them into your 2009 sequences...

Hope this helps...

[iresq]

Here is my workflow. Probably not the most efficient but it works. I would certainly appreciate any shortcuts.

First, make sure all your channels are in the same order across all your sequences. This is important because LOR views the sequence as a table. The configuration only looks at the first column. If the channels are not in the same order, the timings will stay the same but the configuration for channels could change.

Then add the additional channels below the existing and make the channel assignments in one sequence. Before moving them around, export the configuration.

Open each sequence and import the configuration. You new channels and assignments will be added to bottom of the sequence. Now you can rearrange them. I like to keep my channel placement consistent through all my sequences.

[xlt800]

These are all good ideas. I was hoping for an easy fix. Sounds like this is a feature that LOR should add.

Thanks for the suggestions

Dave

[Randy]

Here's what I have done to "convert" my LOR S2 sequence files from last year's format and layout to what I am calling 2009-ready...Sorry for the long post, but once I started typing I couldn't stop until I had my whole process written down

Let's say last year's config file had channels arranged like this...

Ch1
Ch2
Ch3
Ch4
Ch5
Ch6
Ch7
Ch8
Ch9
Ch10
etc

To start the "conversion process" for this year, I open up any 2008 sequence file with last year's channel layout and save it using a filename such as "2009 Master". Then I go through the file and make all the necessary changes for this year. For the most part, this includes adding new channels, but also changing any controller/channel assignments, titles, colors, etc. The most difficult part of this is nailing down all these details in February and March before much of the work on the display or new decorations is under way. For me, this step requires a lot of day-dreaming(!) Let's say the finished Master 2009 file looks like this as far as new channels goes....

Ch1
Ch2
Ch3
New1
New2
New3
New4
Ch4
Ch5
Ch6
New5
New6
New7
New8
Ch7
Ch8
Ch9
Ch10
etc

The names "New1" and so on are just to illustrate that there are new channels inserted. In reality, those new channels are really named something like:

"Unit 03.12 - Roof Red Star #1"

That way, I know what the decoration is, where it is located, what color it is, what number it is if part of a multi-set, what the controller and channel number are, etc.

So I go through this Master 2009 file and tweak all the channels, titles, colors, etc. just the way I want them to be. I am also liberal with having spare channels spread throughout the file in various places (with no controller or channel assignments tied to them). Spare channels can be "activated" later without disrupting the order within the file if you decide to add a decoration closer to showtime. All you need to do is configure the spare channel with a controller and channel number.

At any rate, I tweak this file and get it just way I think I want it to be for 2009. This process took me 2 weeks in February and I spent a lot of time on it. I have a separate spreadsheet that I use to help assign channel numbers and collect power consumption data and light counts, etc. Once that is done, then I use the layout from that spreadsheet to configure the Master 2009 LOR Sequence file.

I try not to change controller and channel assignments if I can help it, but some things change due to location, ordering, etc. I try to think of everything new that I want to add to the display, add more spare channels, etc. I get it all just right and finally lock it in. It will probably change later in the year a little bit, but it should be 95% complete.

After saving the file, I count the number of channels and export the configuration and save it with a filename that includes the channel count and date. Now I have the configuration saved and I can start to replicate that to my other 2008 sequence files that need to be converted.

You'll notice in my simple example above that I added 4 new channels after Ch3 and 4 new channels after Ch6. I make a list of all of those new channels and where they need to be inserted.

Then I go through each one of my 2008 sequence files, and insert the new channels using LOR. There are only about 15 insertion points where I added channels for 2009, and once you get the hang of it, I go through the 20-30 LOR sequence files for 2008 and duplicate the channel additions for each file. This includes actual songs, as well as announcement sequences.

Once I've added the blank new channels into each sequence and save them, then I go back through each sequence and import the previously exported and saved Master 2009 configuration back into each sequence file. That allows me to easily add back in the new controller and channel assignments, color assignments, titles, etc. This part doesn't take too long for each sequence, but leaves me with fully configured files in the end with all the new settings.

Once that part is done, now I have 2008 sequence files that are updated with the new 2009 configuration. Where the new channels and new decorations are in the LOR file, there is no sequencing yet (obviously). But at least the rows line up and the controller/channel assignments are all complete, etc. Now it's a matter of programming some new songs for 2009 using this new file and going back through all the converted 2008 sequence files I'm reusing and sequencing in the new channels / decorations.

The only part to this process that I found to be a brain-twister is when I used the Tracks feature to move certain channels from the Main track to a new track for different timing, etc. That makes the length of rows in the Main track shorter, and requires some manual intervention to get correct when importing the configuration....

I know this is a long post, but I really wanted to document my workflow for this process and see if there's a better way or if anyone has any suggestions to make it more efficient? It took me a long time to get the files converted, but I have it done and can now move on to other parts of the display, like building all those new decorations for 2009!!!!

Thanks, Randy