Author Topic: Grouping pixels together?  (Read 1664 times)

Offline JasonPortwood

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 38
    • View Profile
Grouping pixels together?
« on: January 08, 2017, 08:15:01 AM »
I have one thing I've had a hard time working out.  For simplicity lets just say I have a string of 10 pixels and I would like pixels 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10 to always be the same color as each in the pair.  Is that possible?

Another example could be like for a singing face where you want a part of it to always have the same color.  Or a model like a spiral with arms that you want each arm to have a single color when you put effects across it instead of multiple colors on each arm.

My controller doesn't have a grouping option so I can't do it there.  That and it would be nice to have the option to do it or not do it in programming on the fly. 

I've talked with people about it and it sounds like it can be done.  I just can't seem to work it out...   

Is there a video that shows this by chance?

Thank you

Jason

Offline Gilrock

  • Supporting Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 6946
    • View Profile
Re: Grouping pixels together?
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2017, 04:01:40 PM »
No I know no way to do that.  You can create submodels where you could stack the pixels in 2 rows and then a right to left effect would hit both pixels at the same time but you would be limited on which effects you could use to do that. 

Offline deplanche

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 187
    • View Profile
Re: Grouping pixels together?
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2017, 05:55:28 PM »
Something you can do it make a fake model for sequencing.  For example. if you had a string of 10 pixels, make a custom model with 2 rows and 5 columns, and lay out like this...

1 3 5 7 9
2 4 6 8 10

If you only apply effects going to the right or left, the pairs of pixels will always light up together.  Ask Gil said, you'll be limited on which effects you can use on that.  Of course with a 10 pixel string, you are limited anyway.

Offline Gilrock

  • Supporting Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 6946
    • View Profile
Re: Grouping pixels together?
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2017, 07:01:34 PM »
Yeah you can do the same thing with a submodel now in the model definition which saves having to create a second dummy model.

Offline JasonPortwood

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 38
    • View Profile
Re: Grouping pixels together?
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2017, 04:28:12 AM »
Thank you both.  I'll check out sub models, haven't tried those yet.

Offline deplanche

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 187
    • View Profile
Re: Grouping pixels together?
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2017, 07:32:58 AM »
Yeah you can do the same thing with a submodel now in the model definition which saves having to create a second dummy model.

Can you show how would you do that in a submodel?  Can't quite wrap my mind around how that would work.

Offline Gilrock

  • Supporting Member
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 6946
    • View Profile
Re: Grouping pixels together?
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2017, 07:51:21 AM »
Yeah you can do the same thing with a submodel now in the model definition which saves having to create a second dummy model.

Can you show how would you do that in a submodel?  Can't quite wrap my mind around how that would work.

I don't have xLights on this computer so I can't show it.  Just create a submodel and on the first row type 1,3,5,7,9.  Then hit Add Row and on the second row type 2,4,6,8,10.  Then you get a submodel with the exact same layout as the custom model you described.

Offline deplanche

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 187
    • View Profile
Re: Grouping pixels together?
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2017, 10:35:00 AM »
I'll have to give that a try tonight.  I'm also at a work computer where I can't play.  :(