Messages

1

Nutcracker Models / Re: Matrix model group

« on: May 25, 2019, 06:11:54 PM »

So let’s get this straight: if you create a 12x12 matrix with one string composed of 12 strands, it works?  That’s how most of us would set it up and it appears to be working as expected.   

If you’re making an 8x12 matrix and a 4x12 matrix,  you can create a “matrix group” that will include both matrices, but it could be that the effect is being displayed independently.  On patterns, you may not see it, but it will be obviously wrong on a text effect.  We’d have to see your setup and how you’ve “grouped” or applied the effects to the two matrices.

2

Nutcracker Effects / Re: Spiral Effect

« on: March 18, 2019, 09:22:05 PM »

Define “good spiral effect.”  What look are you trying to achieve?

3

Nutcracker Effects / Re: the video effects are Red on my P10 panel

« on: March 18, 2019, 09:19:46 PM »

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ElKdJd87HTc

Courtesy of Gil.  The version has changed, but the basics are the same.

4

Nutcracker Effects / Re: Effects on Snowflake Model

« on: November 24, 2018, 12:03:53 PM »

The first one looks a bit like shockwave with a custom color gradient.  The next looks like sub models with the on/off effects.  And pinwheels, of course.

5

Bugs in xLights/Nutcracker / Error on 2018.2 startup

« on: January 17, 2018, 04:43:03 PM »

Just downloaded and installed 2018.2, 64-bit.  On launch, I get the Xlights splash, but then a dialog box with "xml parsing error: not well-formed (invalid token) at line 3".  A miniature Xlights bar appears on the screen, and expands after right clicking and maximizing.

Also getting a XML error on the new vendor download.  I click the download arrow, define an element space on the screen, and the download dialog box opens.  However, I get a "XML parsing error: "no element found" at line 1825" and cannot proceed further with the download dialog.

ETA: after shutting down and restarting a couple times, I get the vendor download dialog box to populate with Boscoyo's stuff, but when selecting an element I get a "XML parsing error: no element found at line 793".  Vendor download dialog simultaneously goes blank.

6

Xlights Setup / Re: Com port problem

« on: November 27, 2017, 09:39:56 PM »

This is a late response, but figured I'd post it for the benefit of future searchers.  Some Windows 10 devices don of have COM ports installed by default, e.g. Surface Pro.  You can download a virtual com port driver from Silicon Labs.  The one I downloaded was the CP210x series, which is a UART to USB bridge that I needed to program Espixelsticks. 

7

Lights / Re: pixel flicker from short extension wire

« on: March 19, 2017, 07:04:46 PM »

I had a similar problem on a couple strands on my tree.  Feel your extension wire and see if it is warm.  If so, you have a minor short.  After I swapped out cables, the problem was solved.

8

Events/Gatherings / Re: xLights Conference 2017, Las Vegas. May 20,21 at Palace Station Casino

« on: February 18, 2017, 02:09:34 PM »

Is there (or will there be) a cutoff date for registration?

9

Do You Need Help? Post it here / Re: Troubleshooting a tree

« on: January 03, 2017, 07:52:41 PM »

That's probably what was going on.  I thought I had fresh fseqs for each sequences, but I had to make some changes to each file and re-render each sequence before everything worked perfectly.  And combined it with FPP and F16 reboots.

10

Do You Need Help? Post it here / Re: Troubleshooting a tree

« on: January 03, 2017, 10:57:40 AM »

I thought I'd give an update on the saga.  I abandoned the 360-degree plan, and limped through the holidays with a 180-degree tree.  I wanted to have it sorted out before I took it down and packed in away, so I called David Pitts yesterday after rewiring the tree twice, and he ran through it over TeamViewer.  After verifying that the universe/outputs matched across the F16v2, FPP, and Xlights, he didn't see any packets across the controller.  He changed the configuration to Unicast.  Boom.  Xlights started pushing data from small sequence Dave was changing on the fly in Xlights, and I had full 360-degree pixelated gloriousness on the tree.

However, FPP would not run the sequence correctly.  He hypothesized that Xlights hadn't producing a good fseq.  That's probably correct, as I noticed that on several renders Xlights took much longer than usual to produce the fseq.  Dave got into Xlights and uploaded the known-good sequence he'd been playing with to FPP with FPP connect (I did not know such a thing existed).  It worked (finally), so I wiped the FPP playlist and content files, then re-uploaded with FPP connect (actually took me several tries through multiple iterations; I'm posting the short version).  Everything now works, and my wife's description of the tree has changed from "that stupid thing you spent a full month on" to "it's beautiful".

11

Do You Need Help? Post it here / Re: Troubleshooting a tree

« on: December 20, 2016, 02:40:45 PM »

I'll fabricate some power isolation tees and daisy chain the strands.  It can't get any worse, right?

Thanks for the suggestions, Gil.

12

Do You Need Help? Post it here / Re: Troubleshooting a tree

« on: December 20, 2016, 08:53:29 AM »

Shows what I know about my hardware.

Heretofore, I have assumed that the physical outputs from the Falcon must be input into the tree at the point where one set of 4 universes ends and the next one begins.

So are these correct conclusions (a) I can daisy chain all the strands together on a single data line, and (b) I can input the Falcon outputs anywhere along that line and the correct signal will reach the correct pixel at the correct time?  (Of course, power injection needs to occur, but that problem is sorted out already)

For example, Falcon output 2, which controls channels 2049 to 4096/pixels 641-1280, could be physically connected to the data line at a tee located around pixel 1920, but would still send data to pixels 641 to 1280?

13

Do You Need Help? Post it here / Re: Troubleshooting a tree

« on: December 20, 2016, 07:34:52 AM »

Regarding your comment about using the default of 512 channels, I was trying to set it up so that I didn't have universes divided amongst multiple strands, and I could thus avoid having to insert a pigtail for a new data line at odd places on the tree (I wanted them all at the bottom so any strand could be placed at any point on the tree).    For instance, if I went with 510 channels per universe (170 pixels), universe 1 would run to strand 2, pixel 85.  U2 would be strand 2, pixel 86 to strand 4, pixel 65.  U3 would be strand 4, pixel 66 to strand 6, pixel 60.  U4 would be strand 6, pixel 61 to strand 8, pixel 41.  Then I'd have to put a pigtail in halfway up the strand to connect a new output to the controller.

Or am I thinking of a tree the wrong way?

14

Do You Need Help? Post it here / Re: Troubleshooting a tree

« on: December 20, 2016, 07:19:19 AM »

Xlights is set up identically to the controller and FPP.  285 channels per universe.  String 1 (strands 1-4) runs off Falcon output 1, String 2 from Falcon output 2, etc.  There are no Tees between the String sets.

In further testing, the first 14 strands work just fine.  At strand 15, things start going downhill.  I've counted the pixels on the affected strands, and it appears that at strand 15, 20 pixels at the top of strand 15 are lit, and the rest of the string is blank.  Then strand 16 is just the opposite--the top 75 pixels are lit, but the bottom 20 are blank.  That pattern is repeated on the other strands, albeit with differing numbers of lit or blank.

15

Do You Need Help? Post it here / Troubleshooting a tree

« on: December 19, 2016, 09:59:11 PM »

I've been banging my head against this megatree since Saturday.  Although it has been getting incrementally better, I haven't solved the problem yet.

Physical configuration

Tree is set up as 360 degree, 32 physical strands of 95 12v  WS2811 nodes.  Strands (1, 2), (3, 4), (5, 6),…(31, 32) are joined at the top of the tree.  One string of four strands is connected to a single output on the V1 bank on the F16v2.  Power is injected at beginning, middle, and end of string.

The whole tree tests good on all F16v2 test modes.  There are 4 bad pixels on the tree.  3 are at the end of strand 8 (don’t light), and one is in the middle of strand 26 (won’t go all white).  None of the bad pixels appears to affect the tree’s performance.

Falcon F16v2

Software v1.09

The Falcon F16v2 is in 16 string mode.

Each port is assigned 380 pixels (4 physical strands).  Port 1 starts at channel 1 and ends at 1140.  Port 2 starts at 1141 and goes to 2280.  Port 3-16 are numbered in increments of 1120 channels/380 pixels each.  Port 8 ends on channel 9020.

There are 64 universes defined.  Multicast.  Universes 1 through 34 are set for 285 channels each (95 physical pixels) per universe.  35-64 are 510 (nothing is on them)

Zig count is 0

Xlights

Type: Round
Degrees: 360
Rotation: 0
Spiral wraps: 0
Bottom/top ratio: 6
Perspective: 2
# of strings: 8
Nodes/String: 380
Strands/string: 4
Starting Location: bottom left
Start Channel: 1
Node layout matches the physical layout of the tree.

FPP

FPP string output matches the F16v2.  64 universes, multicast, 285 channels per universe

Here's the problem: All test patterns from the F16v2 work flawlessly.  There are no power issues of which I am aware.  I have created a test sequence in Xlights consisting of the tree model with all pixels turned on.  However, instead of all pixels on, I get the pattern shown below.

Any ideas of the cause?  The only thing I haven't done is reformatted the SD card and USB stick for FPP.