Need help with programming

[Greg.Ca]

Last year had a tree topper star that had 5 sides each with 56 pixels. In addition, this physical star had 4 'levels'. Each of these 'levels' were assigned as a unique element. Star1 inner, star2, star3 and star4outer. When I programmed effects in nutcracker, usually I had these 4 'stars' all doing the same thing simultaneously making for a very bright effect. Because of the programming effects of nutcracker and some effects having 'direction change' I was able to have some of the stars going backwards while others were going forward. Very cool.

It is important to know that when I configured my tree topper star last year, I configured each of the four stars as four unique 5 sided stars (elements) with 56 pixels per side.

This year I am going for a  bigger star with 84 pixels each of the five sides and 8 'levels' or 8 unique stars. Because each of the eight stars is a unique element, I can have every one of the eight stars doing something different. What I would like to do is create exploding effects where the same effect happens where the middle of the star shoots outward as if an explosion is happening.


I'm not sure exactly how to do this but I am going to start with having the most 'inner' star burst out from the center shooting colorful pixels outward, after a certain time delay (maybe 25-50 milliseconds ) I would have the 2nd inner star do the same effect, then stagger each star with the same effect only delayed so that it appears that all these pixels are coming out from the center. This time delay would continue until the last (outer) star is triggered to 'explode'.  Every one of the stars would 'fire' 25-50 milliseconds after it's predecessor until the last outer star is triggered to fire.


The trouble with this is that pixels will not appear to move from star to star. These pixels will be moving from the center of EACH star to the ENDS of EACH star. That is very easy to do and I am well versed in it.  I am not sure how to make these pixels appear to travel from star to star or from element to element. Is there a easy way to do this where pixels can travel from element to element?

In other words, I am moving this effect horizontally but not vertically. How do I get an effect to travel outward not through itself but to travel into the next 'element'.

Do I reconfigure my 8 level star as a matrix?? Very confusing then?? Not sure how to do this. --Greg--

[nzlongfellow]

Can you make another model of all the stars as one instead of 8 and treat it that way. A bit like a WHM. Then just sequence it in where you want it. Then something like a pinwheel effect might work for you.

[Greg.Ca]

I have not used whole house model yet. Sounds like I might need to. What are the positive features of whole house model? What do I gain from it?--Greg---

[flyinverted]

Greg

With your individual star models, just stagger the ON effect to each star with the timing offset to your own taste.
That would turn the entire star on instead of moving pixels outward which looks very cool too.

[sean]

Greg; I think you are the only person I know who has said they are not going to sequence in xLights 4 for 2015. You stated you will wait for 2016.

You need to preface any questions with "I am using xLights 3.6" so people know which tool you need help.
If it is still true you will only use xlights 3.6, you will probably not get much input. Most people (including the developers) are testing, developing and deploying xl 4.

In answer to your question you can
1) (XL 3 & XL 4) define the 5 stars using the model for stars. Type the numbers of each star separated by commas
2) (XL 3 & XL4) Create a custom model and place every pixel exactly
3) (XL 4) Create 5 models for each star and then create a model group . STAR is made up of the 5 models. You can drop effects on thsi model group and you will get exploding effects from the center. Try pinwheel