Random effect generator

[gerry]

Hello,

I am very new to xlights and started a few weeks ago with a 3.x release

Am using release 4.0.29 - is there the equivalent of the random effect generator that 3.x had ?

Regards

[kevinp]

Not yet.  I believe it is on the list of things to do.

[gerry]

Thank you .

Am amazed (as compared to LSP) , at the speed and ease of use of the effects , but the sheer number of options and possibilities that are selectable are a double edged sword for a newbee...

[dkulp]

If you click in an Empty "cell" on the grid, you can hit "R" (capital R, or shift-r) and it will put a random effect in there.  Not nearly what we had in v3, but it's something.

[flyinverted]

Random was good when there were few effects, few layers and few settings.

If random was enabled in 4.0, the output would look absolutely horrible. Part of sequencing is telling a story with light that is choreographed to music. Random does not achieve that.

The single (R)andom effect is good for discovering combos that you did not realize look Ok together.

Will random ever get 4 perfectly aligned merging morphs to come together to the center of your model with 4 colors and no sparkles? No. But YOU could create that effect and blow your audience away.

[Gilrock]

SuperStar had what I would call a semi-random effect generator that I've used to produce some decent content.  Basically you could define a small set of one or more effects and click on which ribbons the effects were allowed to fall on.  You could also map the frequency spectrum to the ribbons.  Then when you created the random effects it would analyze the music and place the effects based on your constraints.  So I was able to do things like have my outside 2 ribbons on each side of my tree have morphs shooting upwards when the bass beats happened and then the inside of the tree had downward morphs that were triggered by the other frequencies.  It never really looked that great though as compared to anything I hand crafted.

[danj]

I have used random in xl3 to verify my timing marks; worked really well.   I watched the randomly generated combos do their thing and would verify the timing marks.  Then I would go back in and tell my "story", so to speak...

[flyinverted]

It never really looked that great though as compared to anything I hand crafted.

Spot on! I think of it as more of a parlour trick vs something practical.

[jnealand]

I'm glad you guys are good musicians and sequencers, but for those of us that are not the random generator was a godsend.  Gave me some sequences I never would have completed and the audience liked them and that is the bottom line.  It gets very tiring here you guys talk about emotion of music and telling a story.  I think you do great work, but not everyone has the same talent and that is no reason for you to degrade those of us who do use things like random effects.  That may not be your intent, but that is the way it comes off.

end of rant

[neil]

+1 on your opinion jnealand.


the random effects were good to test out some effects that I would not have thought about creating and to get something working quickly. I did end up doing one song last year using all random effects and then going through to replace the ones that didn't quite work well.


There does however need to be more control over the effects that random will generate as some of them are very specific to certain models and will not work generally on everything.

[Gilrock]

Where are we talking about emotion of music and telling a story?  I've only seen the HLS guys talking about that on DIYC when they are arguing that you can't accomplish that in xLights.

[JonB256]

... the HLS guys talking about that on DIYC when they are arguing that you can't accomplish that in xLights.

and the only "true programming" is done in assembly language.
and the only "true DMX" is done with DIN plugs and theater grade wiring
and the only "true ......" is blah blah blah - you've heard it all before.

If I worked for Disney full time, I'd be more worried about the emotion.
end of snark

[gerry]

+1 re jnealand.

Again - being new to xlights , I used the random generator on a 'test seq for the same song', sat back and noted the effects that looked good (that never in my life would I have thought off) .

Repeated this a few times.

Then opened the real sequence and added them as required

I think that the use of 'R' mentioned above would do for me. I believe I have watched all Seans videos of 4.x on vimeo, but I did not see the use of alphabets to get effects done  described  could be done.(I saw one where a Ramp up , down , On).

[Gilrock]

Nothing is stopping you guys from using the random effects generator in the old version and then importing the file.

[rando1957]

May have to do that Gil. I, like Jim, used the random effects generator to start a sequence, edit the effect to what I want, totally delete the effect or put in the exact effect I am looking for. I will say the random effects generator provided me with some effects I would have never thought of doing.  It was a good start to a sequence that you used or not.  Here's hoping we do get that functionality that was in the prior version - whether one uses it or not.