Sean Meighan
Software => Nutcracker Effects => Topic started by: bigstott on August 31, 2014, 11:06:49 AM
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Ok. So I got my Matrix sign built but I am having an issue. When I set it up to scroll text on a Vertical matrix it skips and kind of does this funky backtrack. See the video... http://youtu.be/VHSh7JSs4Yw
See how it skips a row and goes back on the T?? Now I just switch it to a horizontal matrix and it works fine...http://youtu.be/m0E8bZTjQ-s
What do you think?? Sean any advice?
It will also do this in other effects like bars. It will skip a row of lights
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can u paste your xlights_rgbeffects.xml file so i can see what the model looks like?
for the first case, does the preview look correct?
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Yes either way I configure it the preview looks ok. With some tweaking I got the text to look ok but then all the other effects get screwed up... it is really weird.
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Here's what I see.
Text is supposed to move from column 1>2>3>4>5>6 etc.
The video shows the text going from 1>2>4>3>5>6 etc.
Are you absolutely sure you've got the leds plugged in the right columns?
I had a similar recently with mega-tree legs. Legs 3 and 4 were reversed physically and I had to move them and it all looked great after that.
If you plugged the LEDs into the wrong holes, the preview will still look ok.
Just my guess based on what I can see and my experience.
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Yeah it is all one string and its all correct and in the correct holes in the matrix.
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Looking at your XML setup for your Tune To sign, it says Horizontal Matrix, 162 pixels, 18 strands.
First, it should be a Vertical Matrix (based on your video), because your matrix is 9x18 and, starting from the Bottom Left, that means you go UP from the bottom left corner, then over and down, then over and up ... making 18 vertical strings.
If you started at bottom left but went across the bottom, then it would be over, then up. Still 162 pixels but 9 strands.
So, which way did you actually wire it?
<model name="Tune To Matrix" offsetXpct="0.1563" offsetYpct="0.3010" PreviewScale="0.1100" PreviewRotation="0" DisplayAs="Horiz Matrix" StringType="RGB Nodes" parm1="1" parm2="162" parm3="18" StartChannel="1" StartSide="B" Dir="L" Antialias="0" ModelBrightness="-44" MyDisplay="1"/>
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bottom left going up 9 then reverse, so on so forth.
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That is a vertical matrix.
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bottom left going up 9 then reverse, so on so forth.
if strings up and down, that is a vertical matrix.
Have you clicked "Node Layout" while in the Model screen? That will show you how the nodes are being layed out for any model
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Yes and the node layout is correct with the vertical matrix. But again I get the skipping of a row as you see in the video..... I just don't get it.
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Your XML data also shows a Start Channel of 1
Is it possible that you have "old data" or "conflicting data" in the XSEQ file that is disrupting the output?
Can you try creating a brand new 20 second or so sequence with nothing but scrolling text on the Tune To sign and ONLY the Tune To sign as a model?
If you have another model that overlaps/conflicts with an address between 1 and 486, you can get weird artifacts. (I didn't look at all your models, just the Tune To)
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ok well I redid the nodes and switched it to a horizontal matrix and that didn't help. I deleted and re created the model again an no change. I tried every config with the software and hardware and started getting even weirder things happening.....
I final built a custom model in x lights.. again exactly how it is built.... and it works.... FINALLY.... I am not sure what the root of the problem was but it has to do with the matrix model. As soon as I crated a custom model and set everything back up the original way I had it, it began to work fine. http://youtu.be/_VgEdk7SPyY
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can you paste the custom model that works. i want to compare it to the model you had. it must be a vert matrix, bottom left corner.
I have you tried going to the TEST tab and turning on one channel at a time
channel 1 is RED on bottom left strand
channel 28 is RED on top of second strand and so on.
no one else has seen this issue, but not many people use one strand for their matrix. I want to understand what is different with your vertical matrix model and your custom mode. you can have two models, and easily switch between them. multiple models can have the same start channel
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this was your horiz matrix model changed to vert matrix.
<model name="Tune To Matrix" offsetXpct="0.1563" offsetYpct="0.3010" PreviewScale="0.1100" PreviewRotation="0" ModelBrightness="-44" DisplayAs="Vert Matrix" StringType="RGB Nodes" parm1="1" parm2="162" parm3="18" StartChannel="1" StartSide="B" Dir="L" Antialias="0" MyDisplay="1"/>
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custom model with 18 Height 9
Node layout:
145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162
127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144
109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126
91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108
73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Remember I switched the physical layouts of the nodes from going up and down to left and right. I did this before building the custom model and had all sorts of problems with it too. Again once I built the custom model... it works great.
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seeing that layout shows that you were not wrapping the strings up and down. you go one row and then start over for the next row.
If you do that you would need a model like this
<model name="Tune To Matrix" offsetXpct="0.1563" offsetYpct="0.3010" PreviewScale="0.1100" PreviewRotation="0" ModelBrightness="-44" DisplayAs="Horiz Matrix" StringType="RGB Nodes" parm1="9" parm2="18" parm3="1" StartChannel="1" StartSide="B" Dir="L" Antialias="0" MyDisplay="1"/>
in order to get each row to start again at the left side you need to enter that you have 9 strings of 18 instead of 1 string of 162.
This layout should give you the same nodes as your custom model.
(http://nutcracker123.com/nutcracker/images/bigstott.PNG)
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A picture of the back side of your panels would be useful.
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Hey Hey Hey now, this is a family friendly forum.
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Ok let me clarify a few things. First when I originally posted the matrix was wrapped vertical meaning 9 up 9 down across the matrix for 18 vertical lines. That's when I was having the original problems and you can see the results in the first post in the two videos. After I had tried almost everything I could think of, like switching it froma vertical to horizontal matrix, which scrolled correctly but turned 90 degrees, I pulled all of the nodes off the matrix and set it up as a horoztial matrix. So 18 across 9 up. I started getting even weirder results almost as if the matrix was split in the middle and going from the middle out..... after tweaking every setting there I finally created the custom matrix and it worked fine.
As far as doing it this way I will try it in a duplicate matrix and see.
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Ok I am working on a matrix project. MY pixlite 16 board is asking my for a universe for the start of my matrix. I know the my channels start at 9555ix x lights but how do I know what universe to set it to?
From an earlier post - I have never worked with a Pixlite 16 board or seen its configuration screens.
After re-reading this whole thread and what you've done, I'm getting suspicious about that controller and how you have it configured. Can you describe that board setup? (and I'll go look at HolidayCoro since I think they sell the Pixlite).
JonB
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Its a pretty easy setup.
Set the universe: 11
Set start channel 1
Number of nodes 162
Null pixel 0
zigzag 18
Reverse no
So I had it set to zigzag every 9 pixels when it was vertical. Other than that setting being changed everything else stayed the same. So when I physically changed the layout to zigzag every 18 pixels I changed it on the controller.
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Do you have just one string of 162 plugged into your pix lite-16? If yes, do not tell the pixlite that you are folding the string, do not tell it you have a matrix. Just setup one string of 162. Let xlights handle the wrapping. It sounds like you may have the pix lite trying to help. Again, one string of 162 nodes on the pix lite. Some software cannot handle lights that are wrapped various ways. Xlights will do all the mapping for you.
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A check that it is configured correctly is go to the TEST tab and turn on channel 1 and channel 29. First node should be red, 10th node should be green. If that doesn't work I would to the pixlite setup
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zigzag 18
I just looked in the PixLite 16 manual and saw ZigZag as an option and thought you had probably configured it that way.
The PixLite will then try to "undo" the ZigZag that xLights/Nutcracker does with the "# of Strands" option. You could use one or the other, but using BOTH will not work well.
(ps, I think Sean beat me to it, but I had to answer.)
Do you have just one string of 162 plugged into your pix lite-16? If yes, do not tell the pixlite that you are folding the string, do not tell it you have a matrix. Just setup one string of 162. Let xlights handle the wrapping. It sounds like you may have the pix lite trying to help. Again, one string of 162 nodes on the pix lite. Some software cannot handle lights that are wrapped various ways. Xlights will do all the mapping for you.