Video tutorials... Changing over to xLights... advice?

[RobertB]

Hi Everyone,
Hope everyone's building / sequencing is going well for the upcoming seasons. I want to ask a question that I know has been asked a ton of times. (And has been answered a ton of times as well) I am getting ready to make the jump from using LOR to control my shows to xLights. I am also wanting to start sequencing in xLights.

 I am currently using many RGB controllers via dmx, several SanDevice controllers, a Pixlite16 controller, a Falcon F16v2 with 4 port expansion and various number of LOR controllers.

I am looking for some tutorials to help with me changing sequences over from LOR to xLights. I know a tiny bit about using just the non-editable data change over from LOR to xLights. However I would like to be able to see that data and also be able to edit it.

Also not really sure if the best thing to do is to run everything dmx or to do a split run with the LOR dongle and then the dmx line. I will be running this for now off of a laptop. Maybe later on a FPP but honestly know my limits and am already behind sooo... don't want to completely drown myself. Suggestions? Also  if I run everything dmx, I know about the cross over needed for the LOR controllers... but is there anything else?  Have to also check my current sequences to see what LOR effects I might loose if any.

Last year I did some effects in xLights and then clipboarded them over to LOR. So am a little familar with some of the program. Also did some basic Papagaya stuff as well.

So any tutorial suggestions would be appreciated. I did find this thread; http://nutcracker123.com/forum/index.php?topic=3114.0 Is that still going to be the best place to go?  Between work and family it is very difficult to get much screen or build time. While some of the videos are awesome, I need to be able to get down to the nitty gritty to make notes and move on to the next concept.

Thanks for reading and appreciate your suggestions.
Robert

[Phrog30]

Google is your friend...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyXoiMm5UiE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vgNU052ZPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4ndmU0MQho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDKss_6PeEA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D_0Lm7k2Js

These are just a few that I found.  Again, do a quick search and you will find many.
Also, check out the manual. http://www.xlights.org/xLights_User_Manual.pdf

James

[ClydeL]

Robert,

You are going to have to bit-the-bullet and spend time on this process.  There is no cliff notes version of crossing over your sequences.

Fastest way is the data layer... hands down it will duplicate your exact LOR sequence.  But like you said, the sequencing from the layer can't be changed.   BUT, you can sequence over the parts you don't want to keep.   

John Storms and Andy Harrison have made great videos on this process.

I'm of the mindset that I want to convert and be able to change the data, just like you.  I produced the original two-part video last fall on importing via Channel Mapping.  Have a look at the new ones I made this year.  Specifically this video which shows you how to build a channel map from your existing LOR sequence.  It will only work for that specific channel configuration.  It is time consuming, but worth it in the end.  You can then go through quickly and import all your current sequences that share the same channel configuration.  If you have older sequences in LOR with a DIFFERENT channel config, you can update to your most recent, then import those as well. 

The result, I can change, copy, paste, move, adjust, and improve the existing sequence.  Not only that, it is totally setup for use in Xlights; I'm no longer tied down to any sequences in LOR.   Below is the best mapping video I've made.  Yes it takes time, but you will finally get the result you truly want from the conversion.  Your major investment is TIME. 

Finally, be advised.  Normal Xlights sequences are much "lighter" than the LOR.lms files.  When importing via mapping, there is a side effect to the sequence size.  The imported effects work great, but the actual Xlights.fseq file (used for scheduling in xlights or the FPP) will be larger than normal.  This is due to the shear number of data that the .lms files carry.   There is no problem with the "play" of the sequence, but you will notice a bit longer of a "render" time when viewing the sequence in the preview screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGhjHkyAhe4

If you have time Robert, call me at home.  I'm off today and don't work early tomorrow.

Clyde

[RobertB]

Hey Fellows,
Thanks for your response. Your right. It will take time  to learn all the steps. Pretty much what I want to be able to do is to start watching the videos, instead of TV when trying to unwind for the night. Also I can see my lunch / planning at school starting to watch this stuff.

Ok.... grab ye old notebook and start watching!
Thanks.
ps More questions to come later

[danj]

While there is more learning curve than in the past with xlights, it remains very intuitive to use.   You will be able to get up to speed really quickly by reading, watching vids, etc....    Xlights is the BOMB!!!

[RobertB]

Clyde,
I have my window frames, gutters and roof strips in dumb rgb's last year. This year they are pixels. I am going to want to take some of my sequence info from LOR (the dumb info) and put it into the smart pixels. Such as some parts of the sequence when they go solid on one color... and I possibly want to do that with pixels. Would you suggest importing that info / channels over and then copy paste into the pixel window frames, etc? There was a process when I did that changing over from incans into pixels on my mega tree. Not sure what is the best way to do that here. You know how specific I want to be on timing so that is one reason why I am interested in being able to see that data as to be sure and get the timing exactly on the money.
Best way to do that?

[Ebuechner]

I just switched over from LOR and went through the exact same process. Best thing I can tell you is let go of the LOR stuff such as run everything in DMX it simplifies your setup in xlights and your physical connections (crossover cables are easy) once you have your xlights all set up to run your show you need to make a channel profile in LOR that matches xlights exactly. You can make changes you want to in LOR then import them as a data layer. But even then you would be better off recreating what you want in xlights. I had a few people advised me to just let go of the old stuff and I didn't listen now I know what there talking about. My time would have been better spent recreating my sequence in xlights

[jediknight2]

Just FYI...your import via data layer CAN be changed....you can convert data layers brought in into effects.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

[Gilrock]

Hey you know we had another guy with the same name that's been in this forum since before I became a developer.  We've helped him quite a lot over the years with some of the same questions.  You two should talk.
http://nutcracker123.com/forum/index.php?topic=191.msg1741#msg1741

[Ebuechner]

Not to hijack This Thread but how do you convert a data layer? I haven't had the need to convert a data layer yet but it sounds useful

[RobertB]

Hey you know we had another guy with the same name that's been in this forum since before I became a developer.  We've helped him quite a lot over the years with some of the same questions.  You two should talk.
http://nutcracker123.com/forum/index.php?topic=191.msg1741#msg1741

Too funny ;-)
That be me :-)  Yes I've been looking and tinkering with xLights for sometime. However I really never went into it head first like I should have. I just used it to test with and also later to do the clipboard stuff with pixels. Then just ran it on LOR. However now that more and more of the display is moving to pixels.... xLights just makes sense. I played with the Pixel Editor in LOR.... don't like it. Also didn't like the fact I paid that much for the software and it had bugs that took forever to get fixed. I think you guys have done wonders in xLights and I really need to just move away from LOR. There is more. Just deleted a bunch of stuff that I really will keep to myself ;-)  xLights rock and love what you folks have done.
Thanks