Sean Meighan

Software => Nutcracker Models => Topic started by: michaelc on June 15, 2015, 09:10:11 PM

Title: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: michaelc on June 15, 2015, 09:10:11 PM
Here are 4 models I created for the monsters  They are 8 channels each.
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: jnealand on June 16, 2015, 08:37:28 AM
What are these good for.  By editing the xml I see they are custom models, but are they designed for a matrix or some of the commercial coro faces or what?
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: michaelc on June 16, 2015, 09:45:43 AM
I created these with XL4.  They are for the commercially purchased Holiday Coro Singing Monsters that many DIY'ers have in their arsenal.  They are set up as an 8 node model such that you can control the motions with the Papagayo code and XL4.

To use, just copy/paste the code into your RGBEffects.XML file in the model section.  Then update the channel assignment to your setup in XL.
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: therealbigjim on August 17, 2015, 11:49:59 AM
when I open the document it is blank. Tried to drop it in and it does not seem to be there.
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: michaelc on August 17, 2015, 12:29:36 PM
Open with Notepad or some other editor.  You should be able to see the HTML.  Then you copy paste into the rgbeffects file.  I just re-downloaded and verified the files are still good.
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: therealbigjim on August 18, 2015, 11:20:41 AM
ok thx
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: therealbigjim on August 18, 2015, 12:28:00 PM
I was able to open both the monsters.xml and my rgbeffects file on notepad. I pasted the monsters into my file and saved it. I opened up XL4 and the faces are not in the models when I open the layout area. I checked my rgbeffects and the monsters are there. Am I missing a step or am I just making this way harder then it should be.
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: Gilrock on August 18, 2015, 12:40:54 PM
Hard to say cause there are so many ways to go wrong.  Assuming you pasted in the right spot and then reopened xLights to that show directory the only other thing I can imagine is you are using model groups and have limited your Layout view to specific groups and since they aren't in those groups they wouldn't show up.  Make sure you've deselected all model groups to force everything to show up.
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: therealbigjim on August 18, 2015, 01:32:11 PM
I de-selected the groups and all of " MY " models are there but none of the monsters models show up. They are in the rgbeffects file at the bottom of the file but do not show up when XL4 is running. I did a back up and closed and restarted still no monster models.  :P
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: Gilrock on August 18, 2015, 01:36:44 PM
I hope you meant you pasted them at the bottom of the <models> section and not the bottom of the file.  When you opened up the xlight_rgbeffects don't you see where all your other models are?  Paste them there right after you last existing model which will be the line before the </models> end tag.
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: therealbigjim on August 18, 2015, 02:34:10 PM
I guess I am getting past my skill level. The only programming I ever did was on some punch cards about 34 years ago. I really can't tell what I am looking at. I see many of my models names and I spent the last half hour attempting to drop in the monster file in the right place. Still don't see the faces in models area with everything unchecked. I have about 15 models and the file appears quite large and I fear at this point I will really mess this up. So I will start to draw them out myself. I have spent enough time trying to get his file to work I could have created my own. Maybe during the next off season the programmers could add a way to package and add models for the limited skill set like myself. Thank you for the assistance .
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: RoboMello on August 18, 2015, 02:44:25 PM
I just tried to import and worked great, I just need to see how I can use that on my matrix :-)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: Gilrock on August 18, 2015, 04:10:08 PM
This isn't programming it's a text file.  You got any teenagers around they will show you how to edit it.
Are you trying to use Notepad?  If so that's your problem.  You need an editor that works well with XML.  Download Notepad++ for free.  You should see something like below and where I put the line "Insert new models here" is where you should have pasted them.

Code: [Select]
<xrgb>
  <models>
    <model name="Big Arch 1" DisplayAs="Arches" StringType="RGB Nodes" parm1="1" parm2="60" parm3="1" StartChannel="6304" StartSide="B" Dir="L" Antialias="0" PixelSize="2" Transparency="0" ModelBrightness="0" MyDisplay="1" offsetXpct="0.2753" offsetYpct="0.3527" PreviewScale="0.0750" PreviewRotation="0" versionNumber="1"/>
    <model DisplayAs="Arches" StringType="RGB Nodes" parm1="1" parm2="50" parm3="1" StartChannel="6484" StartSide="B" Dir="L" Antialias="0" PixelSize="2" Transparency="0" ModelBrightness="0" MyDisplay="1" name="Med Arch 1" offsetXpct="0.2747" offsetYpct="0.3473" PreviewScale="0.0550" PreviewRotation="0" versionNumber="1"/>

***********  Insert new models here   ******************

  </models>
  <effects version="0004"/>
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: therealbigjim on August 18, 2015, 06:53:18 PM
now that I am at home on the larger monitor I opened it and I see what you are talking about. I have no teenagers here , I ran all them young wipper snappers off years ago...My son is 30....I was trying to do it on my break on a laptop and got frustrated.
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: Gilrock on August 18, 2015, 07:01:31 PM
Using the right viewer/editor is the main thing.  I thought maybe you were using standard Notepad and that's really hard because it doesn't display the line endings correctly.
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: therealbigjim on August 18, 2015, 07:44:59 PM
you were correct I was just using note pad. I downloaded notepad ++ and opened my file and found the break     </models>   and  pasted the monsters file above it and saved the file.  I opened XL4 and  all of my models that  I could see on the note pad are there, but not the monsters models I pasted in.  I am calling it a night and will try again tomorrow. Thank you again.
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: Gilrock on August 18, 2015, 08:36:24 PM
Ok here's the mistake you likely made cause it happened to me the first time I tried to do this just to make sure it works.  If you click in front of the </models> end tag and then paste you gotta hit return and put it back in its original position from the edge.  If you leave that end tag at the end of the last monster it won't work.  Make it look like this screenshot below and it will work.

(http://www.threebuttes.com/Extras/Monsters.png)
Title: Re: Halloween Monster Models
Post by: therealbigjim on August 20, 2015, 07:23:35 PM
Gilrock, thank you for the screen shot. After some trial and error I now have the monsters in my models.