NOOB at xLights but having all kinds of weird issues

[MrSmoofy]

Using the latest production version I've run in to all kinds of weird issues.  Last year I used Vixen and wanted to try xLights this year.

First issue is when I create a New Custom Model and give it a background image should I see the image in the layout display? If so I don't.

Second issue on this new Custom Model which is for Really Big Lights when I create it I find I can not click on it or move it in the layout display but I can select it from the list or drag to select it but still can not move it.

Third thing is I have 2 window models and this custom model and when I save from the layout tab the program freezes saving the fseq file - rendering and the only way to exit is to kill the task.

[Gilrock]

The custom model background image is not for show on Layout its only used to place it behind the cells so you can take a picture of your element and then create a grid over the picture and click the cells where you see the lights on the picture to create the nodes.  You use the slider to dial down the transparency of the background image.  Make the grid bigger when curves or angles need better detail.  Use the auto-number feature to be able to just click, click, click to enter the numbers.

If you created a model as a single pixel then yes the grab point is really small.  Drag select it then use arrow keys to move it.

Not sure about the freeze.  Maybe make sure you create some E1.31 outputs on the Setup page so that we have a channel definition.  I've never seen this kind of problem so it would be nice to figure out what users are doing to cause it because you're not the first to have that happen.

[MrSmoofy]

Thanks I figured it was just something I didn't understand.

So maybe it would be better for me to just make a string of 9 pixels. For my really big lights.

There is 9 of them with 4 pixels each in them but I have my PixLite setup to group by 4 so I assume I just address them as 9 pixels in xlights.

The only reason I was doing a custom model was to have it look like a big blub, oh well. 

I do have E1.31 setup for my two windows and the 9 pixels for the Really Big Lights.  Only seems to hang when I save from the layout tab.

Looks like when I'm on the Layout Tab and save sequence it gets stuck and all the menu options are disabled but I can switch the sequence tab and it finishes saving.

[Gilrock]

Ok not sure why you are trying to do a save sequence on the Layout tab.  Hope you realize that is NOT saving your Layout changes.  To save Layout / Model changes you need to hit the Save button that turns red at the bottom left of the Layout tab or answer Yes when exiting the program.

Perfectly normal to use a custom model for a single node or channel.  You can type in a "1" in all the cells to give that channel some shape.

[MrSmoofy]

Yea I know that but the menu option is available to save the sequence when your on the layout tab and when you do it stays at rendering and all the menu options become disabled until you click on the sequence tab and then it finishes the save. 

I originally ran into this because I was trying to figure out why I couldn't move or select a custom model and tried to exit and it said I hadn't saved my sequence so I say yes to save it and it got stuck because I was on the layout tab.

I just figured out why I couldn't select my model and move it.  If you make the pixel size big say 50 which I was doing for the really big lights which were only 1 pixel you still need to click exactly on the 1 little pixel as if you never made them bigger or you won't be able to select it and you can't move it unless you click on that single pixel.

Same seems to happen with a string of pixels if you make them big you still need to click exactly on the line to select and move.

[Gilrock]

Yeah well now I know what to try.  Like I said its not a step most of us would normally do so that's why we don't catch it if there's problem doing it.

[Gilrock]

Each model has code to determine if its been selected during a click so every model type is different.  Yes some of them could use some improvements.

[MrSmoofy]

Yea so atleast I know what's going on now.

Like I said I originally disovered the save thing when I made a change to the sequence and didn't save then went to the model tab to move something and couldnt because I was not clicking percisly on the single pixel so I tried to exit thinking something was up and it asked to save the seq so I said yes and then it got stuck saving.  It wasn't until several other tries I realized if a save from the model tab is done it hangs until you switch to the sequence tab.