Recommendation for large output count relative addressing

[deonb]

So this year I'll have 22x E682 controllers up, and spanning them with ~130 Universes - thus 130 xLights Outputs.

xLights 'bit' me a bit last year with 60-ish universes because I used straight xLights 0 based channel numbering (i.e. Offset from 'None'). So when I had to add one more flood light to the end of a string at the top of the list, it shifted down all my channels numbers for all other outputs, and all my sequences stopped working.

Not going to do that again... 


So this year I'd like to switch to use some sort of relative addressing.

Ideally it would be relative to something I can specify myself on an Output (and can swap around) - like the 'Description' field, but there isn't an option to bind a Model to an Output Description.

My options are:

* Relative to output #:
 -> Not crazy about this, since it means I can't ever delete an output - it will change the output numbers for everything below it.

* Relative to universe:
  -> This is really IP Address + Universe. It's not unworkable, but it means using a separate excel spreadsheet to keep track of my controllers. No way I can't remember 130 Universes by number.

* Start/End of Model:
 -> Trying to get my head around how this would work. It seems if I can create fake elements to exactly track the controllers it would work? Going back and forth on whether that is actually useful.


Any best practice here that someone can recommend?

[Gilrock]

I don't think any method is really better than another.  All because I prefer one way doesn't make it best practice.  I'd say a good practice is to leave some spare room on each controller so when you buy that new flood light it can be inserted no problem regardless of the method you pick.

[keithsw1111]

I use a combination of universe/offset and end of model. I don't need to keep a spreadsheet as I use the description fields to track things.

[deonb]

I use a combination of universe/offset and end of model. I don't need to keep a spreadsheet as I use the description fields to track things.

That would require you to constantly page back between Layout and Setup to look up Universes, no? Or is there a way to see the Output's description inside layout?

[dkulp]

I use a combination of Output based offsets and then model chaining.  I really don't use universes at all (I don't use e1.31 at show time) so I don't care about the universes.  They are just used for minor testing.

I have 8 "outputs" defined, two are unused/filler.   One is the tuneto sign.  The other 5 are the 5 controllers in various parts of the yard.   "Front Garden", "Side Bushes", "Roof/Peek", etc...    When I add a model, its in the model chain for the area where it's going to be put.   If I have to change the output, it's just adjusting the first model in each chain, not every model.

When I go setup the display in the yard, I go to each controller's output and copy the starting channel/num pixels to that appropriate model (hove over in Layout panel tree, I WOULD like an easer way to see these).