XL4 newbie really confused about channel number and Universe setups

[logandc99]

Sorry for this very basic question - I have tried to find the answer but can't find it- - I must be looking in the wrong places.
I have used LSP for the last 2 years and am looking to use Xlights4 this year but I am really confused about how I assign the channel numbers to the models (which I see are the equivalent of the elements or controllers in LSP).
In LSP I tell the program that, for example, I have my first universe of 512 channels set for my DMX elements (which include my dumb RGB elements, spots, single colour minitrees etc). Those items use less than 150 channels of that first universe and the rest are unused. My next element is my megatree made of 12 strips of
50 pixels each (150 channels per strip). I made each strip one Universe each (it seemed the easiest for my simple mind when starting out in pixels) so the megatree occupies universes 2 to 13, each of those universes only 150pixels each (yes a waste I know) and each strip occupying one output each of my P12s controller (again a waste I know but was the easiest way to do it at the time as I wasn't into power injection). The first megatree strip I assigned to start at channel 1000 and they ran sequentially from there. The next 4 spiral tree  elements (each 318 pixels) I started at Channel 3000 and they occupy universes 14-17. I was then able to tell my controllers which Universes they were controlling, number of pixels etc and all was good.
Now I have started setting up Xlights 4 and I setup my megatree and my spiral trees as models but don't know how to tell XL4 that I want the megatree to occupy universes 2-13, my spiral trees 14-17 etc and leave universe one for my DMX stuff the way all my controllers are setup.
From the XL4 setup and test pages it looks like my megatree, which I made as the first model, occupies channels 1-1799 by default and therefore will occupy the first 3.5 universes with some single strips occupying parts of two universes.
What am I missing here? Do all the channels have to run sequentially in XL4 and will I have to change all the settings in all my controllers now to match XL4. How do I make some strips of my megatree NOT span two universes. How do you leave channel numbers unused or this that not possible (i.e I want to reserve the first universe for my DMX stuff and use only 150 channels of each the next 12 universes to match how my controllers are setup for my megatree).
My display currently consists of 30 universes and I have about 12 controllers so didn't really want to have to change the settings in all of them
Hope the above makes sense and sorry for the long post. If this has been covered elsewhere, my apologies and could you direct me to where this has been explained.

[nzlongfellow]

Hi logandc69
Start by watching this recent video from Sean. https://vimeo.com/130035888
I will post some more things that may help shortly.

[logandc99]

Will do. Thanks

[nzlongfellow]

Here is my Excel spread sheet and the Setup page.
I start with the Excel Spread sheet, as Sean does, then get the "flow" of how the models are being connected and layout the spread sheet in that order.
Create your models AND setup the Setup page by setting the number of channels you want on each universe.
I do not use DMX direct, I run off the Pixlite so Universe 1 is all my DMX stuff but you could easily have changed it to a USB rather than an E1:31.
Thrust this helps and keep asking if you are not sure as we all started somewhere.

[logandc99]

That's brilliant thank you. Will definitely make use of the spread sheet. I watched the video and it helped a lot.
The more I find out about XL4 the more amazing I find it. Some very clever stuff done and the model concept is such a clever idea. Also..... I can run it on my Mac!!!! 

[nzlongfellow]

That's brilliant thank you. Will definitely make use of the spread sheet. I watched the video and it helped a lot.
The more I find out about XL4 the more amazing I find it. Some very clever stuff done and the model concept is such a clever idea. Also..... I can run it on my Mac!!!! 

hey like every one else, just glad to help.

[nzlongfellow]

Just remember that your mega tree is 150 pixels per strand, so 450 channels per output, but the P12s can now do 340 pixels (1040 channels) with the new firmware so you could free up some real-estate.

[logandc99]

Yes I need to update the firmware and better utilise the outputs. My usage of the outputs is worse than you think. My megatree is actually only 50 pixels per strand (it's the 10 pixel per meter strip) so only 150 pixels per output which is a terrible waste but I plan to change that this year now that I am much more comfortable with power injection.
Im currently making use of that excel spreadsheet you posted,thanks - something I should have done a long time ago

[jnealand]

Don't think of your unused channels as waste, but as spares or potential for expansion.  I have had lots of spare in my show setup  and this year I will not only be using a lot of them, but also having to add another pixelnet universe or two (4096 channels each) and may not use any of my 512 DMX channel reserved block except for my nativity and tune to sign, LOL.

Edit - I have always used a spreadsheet to figure out my channels and could not live without it.  I created my 2015 channel layout spreadsheet last Dec by copying the 2014 version and started my planning then.  Now I am on ver 2 of the 2015 layout.

[gerry]

Hi Logan,

I see that others have replied. Was where u are just a few weeks ago and it is quite simple to transition.
What I did was map what I had in LSP , one for one in the xl setup tab.
I also filled in all the gaps with dummy universes , which may not have been required.
So if I had in LSP universe 2 going from say channel 500 to 700 and the next universe 3 started from channel 800 , wha I did was defined channel 71 to fill Chanel 701 to 799 etc. So all my 70 and 80 series universes are dummy and the rest of the chanels and universes in xl match LSP exactly and are contiguous.

Maybe overkill, but worked a treat. I tested with a few props connected and they aligned perfectly , so I was most happy.

[logandc99]

Thanks all for the replies. I think I'm getting my head around it and it is good that it has forced me to do a spreadsheet which I have been putting off. I think Im ok with the E1.31 controllers as that is really Universe number dependant and not channel number dependant on the hardware side. My biggest problem was working out my LOR DMX stuff s they are quite channel number dependent but I think I'm ok if I make up some dummy models that fill in the channels not being used. The reason I have to do that is because i got some Ray Wu floods preset using channels 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12 and so my first LOR board has to start at channel sixteen so I presume I can just make a dummy model that I never use that occupies channels 13-16 to fill the gap.

[gerry]

Thanks all for the replies. I think I'm getting my head around it and it is good that it has forced me to do a spreadsheet which I have been putting off. I think Im ok with the E1.31 controllers as that is really Universe number dependant and not channel number dependant on the hardware side. My biggest problem was working out my LOR DMX stuff s they are quite channel number dependent but I think I'm ok if I make up some dummy models that fill in the channels not being used. The reason I have to do that is because i got some Ray Wu floods preset using channels 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12 and so my first LOR board has to start at channel sixteen so I presume I can just make a dummy model that I never use that occupies channels 13-16 to fill the gap.

That is exactly what I did. Also u mean 13-15 above  as a filler.

[logandc99]

oops my mistake. I meant to say my first LOR controller will start at channel 17 so the filler is 13-16.

[dkulp]

You don't need a dummy model for anything.   Since you are always setting a start channel for each model, just set the  start channel for the thing you stick on the first LOR channel to 17.   

[gerry]

You don't need a dummy model for anything.   Since you are always setting a start channel for each model, just set the  start channel for the thing you stick on the first LOR channel to 17.

Thanks - I think that this may be a left over from previous; There was a video that Ben (aussiechristmas) did for LSP folks wanting to run on FPP via xl (previous convert option) that advised filling up the gaps, so that is what I did . Plus it helped me to see that everything aligned carefully  ie I cross checked my LSP set up to the XL setup tab and then cross checked each xl model to the xl set up tab when starting out.