Import SuperStar Sequence

[Gilrock]

We don't support importing the textAction effects yet so those warnings are expected.
I've seen the same debug screens and it's usually in the render threads which is outside my area of expertise since I didn't create that part of the program.  My gut feeling is we need to hold off any render threads from starting while the import is pasting thousands of effects but that's just a guess.
For the globe data just think about how things work and figure out a good method knowing the rules are that you can only import onto a single model.  You may need to have a model that contains all those strands to get that done.

[Gilrock]

By the way I did discover a problem with the Morph not doing what I want.  The problem is if you make a Morph with 100% head duration there should not be a tail.  You should be able to make a morph that is nothing but a 1 pixel head moving across the display and that's currently not possible.  I noticed on one of my imports that those type of morphs have a long tail that shrinks down into the head as it hits the other edge and that's not how it should work.  So I'll have to dig into that and the resulting math changes I do could have small effects to any currently defined morphs.

[dwbarnett]

hi gil. Tried anothe sup sequence ladt night.
Followed your steps,imported Ok.

It showed on the sequencer with morphs etc.
I hit save, took around 20 min tosave...then XL4 crashed with the debug screen
Tried the fseq file, still crashes.

This was the holidaysequences 12 ribbon CCR of Go Fish " Joy to the World"

I used 12 on X and 50 on Y for set up. My model is a 24x150 Megatree

I noticed on the sequencer, the morphs etc were showing about 6 layers, underneath my tree model
When I opened strands, no effects showed at all

Same when I opened nodes. When I closed everything up again, Incould see the effects again.

Best,
David

[Gilrock]

Is the tree the only model on the grid when your saving?  Since you start with a new sequence that's really all you need.  I've imported like 4,000 effects and it saves in under 30 seconds.  Your not running on an old laptop with a small amount of memory are you?

[dwbarnett]

hi gil. Yes, my 24x150 is the only model.
i followed your steps to create the setup.

Everything mentioned above occured afterwards.

Will try again, maybe missed a step.

Best,
David

[Gilrock]

So my instructions were if it crashes you reopen the program and select the XML that it saved and try to Save again to generate a good FSEQ file.  When you said "Tried the fseq file" I'm not sure what that means and it didn't sound like the same steps I gave.

[dwbarnett]

Argghhh! I meant the XML Gil. Still same results. XL4 crashing
Best,
David

[dwbarnett]

Hey Gil. I retraced my steps again. This time everything imported fine on the sup file.

version.31. Cool deal man. Thank You again for your hard work.

Best,
David

[dwbarnett]

Well, the Joy to the World worked great.  Still having a hell of a time getting Brian's Rock Ye Merry Gentlemen to work. Looks like crud!   Non of the effects etc resemble the actual sequence.  Some effects only play on half the tree, some only play in the middle of the tree, as I said it looks like crud!

This particular sequence used 12 CCP pixels folded to make a 24x25 tree.

I followed Gils step by step. Everything imported OK. I can see the effects morphs etc.  Just on playback, doesn't look right.

I also noticed, when I first imported everything saved etc. When I cycled the +/- sign on my 24x150 mega tree, the effects were there, but the strands did not show. I then scrolled towards the bottom of my model. The strands were way down towards the bottom of the model.

I cycled the +/- on the model again no change.  I decided to play it anyway. It did play some effects,morphs etc. It wouldn't show up on my model, but was playing on the preview.

I then stopped playback. reset to the beginning again. Tried a re-render. still strands messed up. I then cycled the model +/- button again. This time the strands showed normally.  Playback still looked like crud though.

This particular sequence has an 8 row RGB globe tied in with the 24x25 tree.

I can take that sup export to LOR and delete the globe part, and just resave the LMS as the tree without the globe.

would the LMS still work like the sup conversion. What would I select as my X,Y for the LMS.

In the LOR seq. editor, it shows 12 CCP pixel ribbons with 50 RGB channels per ribbon.

IE folded over to make the 24x25 pixel tree.  Would I still use the same 24x25 x,y values on the LMS files as well?

I might give that a shot. the sup isn't converting properly. IS SS I can't edit the tree and globe. They are too intermixed in SS. In LOR editor, the globe is separate.

I'm about to give up on this song/sequence.  I did get the Joy to the World to convert perfectly.

Thanks for any assistance.
Best,
David

[dwbarnett]

Gil, etal. Disregard all my queries regarding this damn sequence. I'm done.

If anyone has managed to get Brian's 24x25 Pixel tree with the 8 row globe "Rock Ye Merry Gentlemen" to work with the conversion.  PLEASE, tell me how you did it.

I can't understand why the other sup sequences I have, are converting fine.

As I have said a few times. I will donate a copy of this sequence to help troubleshooting. May help with other sequences similar as well. At least you would be able to see how Brian layed the thing out.

It tried editing the LMS I made with no globe. I forgot to delete the macros. Went back and did that.

I run the conversion on the LMS, just like the sup file stuff.  That windows pops up asking were the LMS channels are located.  I selected the box at the top that says map to strands, or something like that.

It then shortens to 24 strands, but still asks for the LMS channels. When I click on the down arrow, there is just an empty blue box, with nothing to select. I really don't have a clue, what I would select anyway.

Bout to give up on this one.

Any insight appreciated.

Best,
David

[Phrog30]

I have had problems as well. What you may try is importing these sequences as a data layer. I've done this for all of Brians sequences and all work great.

If things still look horrible as a data layer then that tells me you have something else wrong.

Do you know how to do a data layer?

James

[Gilrock]

David I'd be glad to help figure that out but I can't work on it till this coming weekend.  I'm putting together some hardware and songs for a show on Wednesday so all the changes I've done this past week were to support that effort.

Dan wrote the LMS import and I haven't had time to try it so I can't give tips for that part other than the X/Y offset stuff was only for SuperStar as far as I know.  In the next release we have moved that import stuff to a menu and you will actually get different dialogs depending on the type of import you are doing.  Or maybe it's already in the latest release.

If you want to help solve the problem the best way is to analyze the XML.  If you import and then save you can open the file in a text editor and look at the imported morphs to see if the values make sense.  If you know how to setup a morph in xLights then you should know about what the values should be after one is converted.  When I need to analyze it I trim the sequence down to just a few morphs so the file is small and easy to view and figure out which morph is which.  The SuperStar files are readable in text form so compare the original values with what got imported and it may be obvious what's wrong.  Look at how the X/Y values are specified in the morph in SuperStar and think about how that maps to your model.

Check whether the sequence is marked as visualization mode = true.  If not then my code assumes 50 pixel height and the X/Y values are ignored.

[dkulp]

Can you try and use your imagination and envision what the effects would look like if the tree is rotated clockwise 90 degrees?   Would that make the effects look more "correct"?

I'm wondering if there is a difference in the starting location of the tree.    xLights puts the starting location in the back (12:00 position) so that the center of the effect is at the center of the tree.   Most of the other sequencers put it at the 9:00 position so that the first X number of strands are the front.    I don't know if that's how Brian has his CCP tree setup or not, but it's certainly something to consider as an potential issue. 

[dwbarnett]

Hi DAn, honestly I'm not sure if that would make a difference.

Hi Gil, would love your help to try and figure this one out if possible.
I start a 3 day trip on Wed, so won't be back till late Fri night
Weekend works for me as well.

Hey James. Will try the data thing, could you walk me through on that one

The other issue I have is trying to split the globe from the tree
I can easily do this in LOR SE but bringing into XL4, I'm not sure what
I need to accomplish.

I was fustrated last night on this one, I shold'nt try doing this late at night
Thanks to everyone for your. Valuable insight
Best
David

[Phrog30]

If you do data layer you don't need to split the globe and tree.

I'm traveling, but will try later on instructions on adding data layer. There might already be something written up already.