How do you add the Cosmic Color Ribbon to existing sequences?

[Rafter Bar R]

I'm not going to mess with the individual pixels until the RGB tool become available. I'm going to play with the macro settings until then.

[rickharp]

For me, it seems best to create my 4 chasing arches, with two CCR's by adding 150 channels (two 75 channel sets) and have the freedom to match the beats of the music, and have the arches bounce and dance in perfect sync. At this point, this method works fine and the last 8 channels are not in my present Christmas plan.

I've added the channels via the Channel Property Grid. I've attached a screen shot of my first experimental sequence.

Channel 13 is my null channel, as it will be in the grass.

Thoughts, ideas, shortcuts, would be very welcome. Thanks



Attached files

[melwelch]

Thanks Rick...

This is what I was hopping for the exchange of ideas...

My biggest problem is no way to see the results. My USB adapter is being used for my Halloween show... I only have a few hours on Sat and Sunday to try it out... I wish we could get some details from LOR on the software progress... I have no problem doing what I can till the software is done.... The lack of communications with us and LOR is kinda nerve racking....

I know I would love to know what to expect when the software is done... Will we have a true RGB software by that I mean will we be able to have 50 channels and if we select pink the CCR will produce pink? Or are we going to have to have 150 channels and we have to set each R G and B value to acheive a color?? These and other questions would be good to know... Will LOR software speak RGB or do I need to pin all my hopes on Light Show Pro? Will there be a visulizer in the software that will show the RGB colors as they are blended?

Thanks
Mel

[ItsMeBobO]

Right there with you anticipating what it will do. This is a monumental programming effort the way I see it. There are so many parts to it and a lot of new concepts to incorporate into existing methods without breaking anything. A tough job for sure and high pressure to be bug free since show season is starting. I expect there will be several later upgrades after the first release. While I want it asap...I also want to give them the slack they need to get it right and release a good product which has had sufficient QA review.


Talking totally as a musing programmer and not connected with LOR in any way....

The Macro effects are firmware inside the CCR controller. So it seems unlikely we will be able to see the macro effect in the animation. To do that the firmware commands would have to be duplicated inside SE and I suspect the CCR firmware version would have to be known to SE. If they can deliver that they are miracle workers!

However I am hopeful we can see the mixed RGB color for each of the 50 pixels that are manually programmed, have a RGB combo channel defined, and are placed in the animation.

[melwelch]

ItsMeBobO wrote:

Right there with you anticipating what it will do. This is a monumental programming effort the way I see it. There are so many parts to it and a lot of new concepts to incorporate into existing methods without breaking anything. A tough job for sure and high pressure to be bug free since show season is starting. I expect there will be several later upgrades after the first release. While I want it asap...I also want to give them the slack they need to get it right and release a good product which has had sufficient QA review.


Talking totally as a musing programmer and not connected with LOR in any way....

The Macro effects are firmware inside the CCR controller. So it seems unlikely we will be able to see the macro effect in the animation. To do that the firmware commands would have to be duplicated inside SE and I suspect the CCR firmware version would have to be known to SE. If they can deliver that they are miracle workers!

However I am hopeful we can see the mixed RGB color for each of the 50 pixels that are manually programmed, have a RGB combo channel defined, and are placed in the animation.

I agree with you.... And I know all of us waiting, is like when we were/are kids waiting on Christmas. I do not mean to sound like LOR needs to rush the software. Just let us know... Example: Current version is it till after the first of the year... That’s cool.. I know to take the time and make do with what I have and plan on next Christmas to really show off the CCR. Or There will be several updates to get to where LOR sees the software needs to be.... All these examples are OK... I just would like an update from time to time.... Communicate.... What does LOR have in mind for the RGB software... ALL of our fears may be unwarranted.... But I just do not know.... We come here and start speculating and piecing together what little we know trying to fill in the holes. Then the next thing LOR sees the thread is out of control...

So for me I guess the question is: What can we expect from the software down the road? We all know there will be features that for what ever the reason is not going to make it to the final release.... I am sure LOR feels damn if we do and damn if we don't.... But do not forget "We Love you LOR".....

[PMC]

I been using the sample macro's that were supplied by LORJohn in this thread and I modified them to fit what I want them to do in my sequences, and I have to say I am impressed with CCR.

An example is I took the Sample Arch supplied by John and made it sweep faster by changing the grid and doubling up the sweep, and then I changed it again and changed the colors. saving all changes and inserting them in the sequences as desired. for me this makes CCR one of the easiest adaptations so far.

Of course I had to change the CCR hardware from legacy mode

[JeffBlan]

I agree with Mel. It would be great if all the RGB support is there but if it won't be available, it will affect how I will approach this Christmas season.

I'm okay with any answer. I just want an answer. At this point I just have to assume what we have is what we have to work with this season and I'm going to move forward under that assumption.

[LightORamaJohn]

PMC wrote:

An example is I took the Sample Arch supplied by John and made it sweep faster by changing the grid and doubling up the sweep, and then I changed it again and changed the colors. saving all changes and inserting them in the sequences as desired. for me this makes CCR one of the easiest adaptations so far.

It looks like I have not done a very good job in the manual for this product or I am misunderstanding. It's not necessary to change the grid to get the effect to sweep faster. The fade on the macro effect channel controls the rate at which the pattern impressed on the ribbon is exposed. If, during that two second example, you did a half second fade up, half sec fade down, half up & half down -- the sweep would wipe back and forth in a second.

[rickharp]

PMC wrote:

An example is I took the Sample Arch supplied by John and made it sweep faster by changing the grid and doubling up the sweep, and then I changed it again and changed the colors. saving all changes and inserting them in the sequences as desired. for me this makes CCR one of the easiest adaptations so far.

If anyone has done some chases using the macros, in a demo like sequence, I'd love to view them. The one blue demo is still hard for me to grasp.

Like i'd like to have a 3 pixel wide blue chase left, then right, but have more than one across the strand. Seeing this would help me figure the programming.

[jwilling]

LightORamaJohn wrote:

It looks like I have not done a very good job in the manual for this product or I am misunderstanding. It's not necessary to change the grig to get the effect to sweep faster. The fade on the macro effect channel controls the rate at which the pattern impressed on the ribbon is exposed. If, during that two second example, you did a half second fade up, half sec fade down, half up & half down -- the sweep would wipe back and forth in a second.

Perhaps not so much the quality of the writing, but the introduction of a number of new concepts (macros, control registers, etc...) that may be foreign to a number of people.

You must admit, it is a rather dramatic departure from the mode in which the LOR products have operated previously.

This combined with the lack of direct support in the software for these new functionalities and their associated complexities is likely to set a number of heads into a spin.

...and a dearth of specific examples (demos if you will) of the various macros/functions/etc. that people could load and view, then tweak to see the changes... (hint, hint...)

Trying to learn, let alone master a device like this with the ever ticking clock at your back can un-nerve the best of us... I'm frantic'ing bad enough trying to get ready for Christmas. Don't even want to think about the people trying to get their Halloween shows going!

[PMC]

LightORamaJohn wrote:

PMC wrote:

An example is I took the Sample Arch supplied by John and made it sweep faster by changing the grid and doubling up the sweep, and then I changed it again and changed the colors. saving all changes and inserting them in the sequences as desired. for me this makes CCR one of the easiest adaptations so far.

It looks like I have not done a very good job in the manual for this product or I am misunderstanding. It's not necessary to change the grig to get the effect to sweep faster. The fade on the macro effect channel controls the rate at which the pattern impressed on the ribbon is exposed. If, during that two second example, you did a half second fade up, half sec fade down, half up & half down -- the sweep would wipe back and forth in a second.

Thanks I tried it and like that way also, and yes with a grid at .3 I can sweep back across the CCR ribbon in 1/2 second, full second complete sweep. this works well for me.

And I, like others are trying to get this ribbon on-line as quickly as possible then learn its matrix later


maybe I'm putting to much thought in it

-Paul

[rickharp]

John, what setting adds another or second sweep to the chase. two instead of one... ??

[LightORamaJohn]

rickharp wrote:

John, what setting adds another or second sweep to the chase. two instead of one... ??

I'm not sure I understand the question. If you asking how you use the blue arch example to sweep multiple times, it's just a matter of fading the macro effect channel. When the intensity of this channel is at 0, the arch is off. As the intensity of the channel increases more and more of the arch pixels come on until at 99% all are on. If you then fade down from 99% the arch pixels will go off in reverse order. Quick fade to sweep quickly, slow fade to sweep slowly.

If you are asking to have two sweeps occuring, one from the end and one from the center to fill in two smaller arches, I have not done a macro effect for this. You would have to drive the RGB channels to do that. If you are going to do that, it's probably a lot easier at this point to lower the resolution to 17 and have two 8 pixel arches with a dead pixel in the center. It would be cruder, but a lot less programming that two 25 pixel arches.

[rickharp]

Thanks John, I decided to go with 25 pixels. lots of work, but i think i will be happy with the results. 17 was a close consideration. This gives me the ability to view the work on the viewer. I have two ccr's. Took awhile to draw the arches in the veiwer. Off and running now.

[LightORamaJohn]

Here's the sequence from the arch demo video for unit ID mode normal

Attached files

CR150D Demo.las

[LightORamaJohn]

It may be useful to play with the ribbon in the Hardware Utility. If you refresh to find it, select it, click the Console button and select Extended Circuit Ids, you can see how the different macro effects affect the ribbon.


Slide the Select Channel Group slider to reach channel 151 (resolution) and set the intensity to 1. Now the entire ribbon will be controlled by the first three RGB channels. Slide the slider back and use circuits 1, 2 & 3 to mix colors. When you have a color you like, go back to the macro channels.

E.g. set 152 to 5 (chase away from controller) set 153 to 23 (2 pixels on, 3 off) slide 154 to change the speed.... You can try each macro effect this way.

You can do the same for color effects.

[JeffBlan]

John, thanks for the tips on the Hardware control. I didn't realize you could do all of that. I'll have to play around with that tonight.

Rick, when you have something to show, would you mind sharing your sequence? I would like to see how you added it to the animation window and would like to see the details for the arches in the sequence editor. I know you posted a screenshot which was very helpful but a sequence would be great!

PS I decided to order an additional RS485 adapter so I could work on my CCR while my Halloween lights are running.

[rickharp]

JeffBlan wrote:

Rick, when you have something to show, would you mind sharing your sequence? I would like to see how you added it to the animation window and would like to see the details for the arches in the sequence editor. I know you posted a screenshot which was very helpful but a sequence would be great!

Here is a very early experimental version of the sequence using 25 pixel resolution for two CCR's. The animation is there: btw, i use a RGB LED rope light on my eaves and around the garage door, which I am very pleased with. Also, the mega tree in the animation is just the bottom circle of the tree.

I am not 100% sure this is the right way versus using the macros, but for me, it's cut and dry, and much more work.


Attached files walkdontrun64ccr1.lms

[ItsMeBobO]

LightORamaJohn wrote:

Slide the Select Channel Group slider to reach channel 151 (resolution) and set the intensity to 1. Now the entire ribbon will be controlled by the first three RGB channels. Slide the slider back and use circuits 1, 2 & 3 to mix colors. When you have a color you like, go back to the macro channels.

E.g. set 152 to 5 (chase away from controller) set 153 to 23 (2 pixels on, 3 off) slide 154 to change the speed.... You can try each macro effect this way.

Very helpful Thanks John! I tried using the console last night on my own but goofed up somewhere. Got console working now. For me.. the console comes up set to unit id 01 but my ribbon found by HU is 0A. I did click it to attempt to select it but the console didnt pick it up. Anyway.. this is great way to survey the settings.

I have an upside down arch hanging in my workroom. CCR is cable tied to 3/4 PVC bowed into an arch and hanging from ceiling on hooks.

[LightORamaJohn]

ItsMeBobO wrote:

Very helpful Thanks John! I tried using the console last night on my own but goofed up somewhere. Got console working now. For me.. the console comes up set to unit id 01 but my ribbon found by HU is 0A. I did click it to attempt to select it but the console didnt pick it up. Anyway.. this is great way to survey the settings.

My bad. I forgot that you need to set the unit ID on the console screen.