Sean Meighan

Software => Bugs in xLights/Nutcracker => Topic started by: algerdes on July 01, 2018, 08:22:43 PM

Title: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: algerdes on July 01, 2018, 08:22:43 PM

2018.19 64 Bit.
Simple setup.
Create a vertical matrix, 80 columns wide and 42 rows high.  In the layout screen it is as I need it.

In the Model Preview, and the House Preview, and on the matrix itself, I get a very small square in the middle of the area where the 80 x 42 matrix is supposed to be.  I've done this 8 times tonight, so I guess you could say it is reproducable.  No idea as to what is causing it.

Any pointers/ideas would be most appreciated.

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: algerdes on July 01, 2018, 09:53:44 PM

Update:  After about 30 minutes of "sitting", magically the matrix came back up to size and allowed me to add content (effects, pictures, etc.) to it.  No activity was accomplished on it immediately before it came to life.

I did this on two different computers, each not too shabby in makeup (I5 with 16 Gig ram and a I7 with 24 Gig RAM).  The I5 was just "refreshed" back to square one with the latest version of Windows 10.

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: algerdes on July 02, 2018, 02:21:49 PM

After 1 success, the program has failed multiple times.  Always the same thing - a large matrix is shown in previews and in actual as a very small area in the middle of the prop.  It has done this now on three different show directories (3 different setups).  Each time it is a matrix that messes up.

After the installation of 2018.20, I can go into test mode (from xlights) and everything works.  There is no output from xLights to the props in "normal" mode (yes - the "light" is on).  Not sure if the two are related.

I am including a zip of the backup of the second show directory.  Perhaps that will help. 

I'm at a loss as to what is going on, but I do know it is a show stopper at this time.

ALG

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: dkulp on July 02, 2018, 02:46:23 PM

You have "Zoom" on the RotoZoom panel set to 0.  Thus, it's at 0% scale which, for some reason, is a single pixel.  Reset it to 1.0

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: algerdes on July 02, 2018, 02:53:01 PM

Interesting as I have never used RotoZoom.  Ever.

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: algerdes on July 02, 2018, 03:00:58 PM

That did the trick!  Simple, yet puzzling.  I haven't ever used RotoZoom.  I have been playing with placements of effects using Buffer.  I wonder if there was an accidental setting, after all there have been some very long sequencing nights of late.  :|

Thanks Again.

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: algerdes on July 03, 2018, 06:16:44 AM

Followup:
This is being reported from quite a few different folks on the forums (including Facebook).  Is there something in the initial settings that could have snuck in during one of the updates?

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: Gilrock on July 03, 2018, 08:18:48 AM

Looks like they checked in a fix.  There was some cleanup to the buffer panel code a week ago that I believe caused it.

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: JonB256 on July 03, 2018, 10:36:00 AM

This one got me on a totally new folder/setup. Big matrix showed as just a tiny dot.

In layer settings, the Zoom was 0.0.   Slide it to 1.0 and all is good.

Back to previous setup folders and Zoom was at 1.0 already. Had me scratching my head for awhile.

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: Gilrock on July 03, 2018, 11:26:16 AM

The bug is in the code that resets the buffer panel to defaults so anything you do that triggers it to set default  values will cause this.

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: algerdes on July 03, 2018, 05:31:36 PM

Thanks for taking a look at this. 
At least we (I) now know what to look for when it happens.

Al

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: keithsw1111 on July 04, 2018, 03:05:07 AM

This has been fixed in .21 which went out today.

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: JonB256 on July 04, 2018, 06:20:43 AM

Quote from: algerdes on July 02, 2018, 03:00:58 PM

That did the trick!  Simple, yet puzzling.  I haven't ever used RotoZoom.  I have been playing with placements of effects using Buffer.  I wonder if there was an accidental setting, after all there have been some very long sequencing nights of late.  :|

Thanks Again.

That fix will be greatly appreciated! Thanks

but Slightly off topic - Algerdes mentioned positioning using Buffer rather than Roto-Zoom. Which method of positioning might be "better" from a quality or speed standpoint?

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: JonB256 on July 04, 2018, 06:27:21 AM

And, yes, release 2018.21 did fix this

https://xlights.org/downloads/xLights64_2018_21.exe (https://xlights.org/downloads/xLights64_2018_21.exe)  64bit

https://xlights.org/downloads/xLights32_2018_21.exe (https://xlights.org/downloads/xLights32_2018_21.exe)  32bit

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: keithsw1111 on July 04, 2018, 06:37:54 AM

Quote from: JonB256 on July 04, 2018, 06:20:43 AM

Quote from: algerdes on July 02, 2018, 03:00:58 PM

That did the trick!  Simple, yet puzzling.  I haven't ever used RotoZoom.  I have been playing with placements of effects using Buffer.  I wonder if there was an accidental setting, after all there have been some very long sequencing nights of late.  :|

Thanks Again.

That fix will be greatly appreciated! Thanks

but Slightly off topic - Algerdes mentioned positioning using Buffer rather than Roto-Zoom. Which method of positioning might be "better" from a quality or speed standpoint?

I don’t know what you are trying to achieve.


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Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: JonB256 on July 04, 2018, 06:58:59 AM

Just wondering if there is a preferred method to position elements and effects, particularly on a matrix or large group.

You can use the Buffers and you can use Roto-Zoom. Both work, and many effects allow X and Y positioning within them.

From a Rendering standpoint, is there a "best method" or should I pick whichever is easiest? I realize that once rendered and in an FSEQ file, it makes no difference, but Render times can get long.

Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: keithsw1111 on July 04, 2018, 12:10:09 PM

RotoZoom is one of the slowest transformations you can do so if there is a way to achieve the same outcome without using rotozoom. Go for it.


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Title: Re: Large Matrix showing as very small square
Post by: JonB256 on July 05, 2018, 03:20:14 PM

Quote from: keithsw1111 on July 04, 2018, 12:10:09 PM

RotoZoom is one of the slowest transformations you can do so if there is a way to achieve the same outcome without using rotozoom. Go for it.

Thanks, Keith. That is the kind of usage tip I was curious about.