Possible Problems with later than 4.0.35 versions on grouping

[kentd]

I am posting a situation that I don't know is a problem or not, it appears to be a problem with grouping in later versions of Xlights.
I have 4 Dalek mini trees like what JonB256 had posted, in fact I took the files he posted and modified them for my trees by just changing the starting channels and adding the globes the trees will go in between.
The trees start at channel 1 for 50 pixels (end channel 150) and star at channel 151 for 10 pixels (end channel 180) and so forth for a total of 240 Pixels for the mini trees and 20 pixels for candy striped poles with globes on top 4 pixels in each globe for 20 pixels. The trees chain together with data and ground going clear through and 12 volt + and ground being fed to each tree for power and then onto the globes.

In version 4.0.35 everything works properly from one plug (Using a Falcon F16V2 Controller with the string configured starting channel 1 for 260 Pixels) The globes are configured as a horizontal matrix with 1 String 20 Nodes per string and 5 Strands per string starting channel 721 ending 780. This configuration keeps the 4 pixels in each globe the same color within the globe. BTW this controller can control 680 pixels from one plug so universe crossing works.

There are 4 trees, 4 Stars and 1 Globes defined. The Stars are grouped, the Trees are grouped.

Version 4.0.35 works and lights as it should, however when I have loaded later versions of Xlights the Stars quit working and the morph on the trees quit working. I am wondering is something has happened in the grouping code that has caused this.

I will post the rgbeffects file and the xml file so someone in programming can look.
Thanks
Kent

[Gilrock]

I tried your files.  The stars seem to work in the Preview screens just fine.  Are they bad in preview for you or just on the real lights.  Also remember when you do a group it's as if you have a matrix object the size of your layout screen.  So like for your tree group when using a morph if you go past the 28% mark on the X positions you've already passed by the end of the last tree.

[kentd]

Gil I haven't paid any attention to the preview, I am talking about the actual output to the lights. I didn't set any of this up it was JonB256 I just changed the number of trees and stars from 10 to 4 but did not tweak any of the effects. I added bars to the globes just to get a solid light effect. I would like to know more about the morph and how it works.
Thanks
Kent

[JonB256]

And I put my trees away after 2 weeks of testing (and I was using a Falcon 16v1)

[jnealand]

Kent
Go here there are several videos on morphs

https://www.youtube.com/user/AzGilrock/videos

[Gilrock]

Gil I haven't paid any attention to the preview, I am talking about the actual output to the lights. I didn't set any of this up it was JonB256 I just changed the number of trees and stars from 10 to 4 but did not tweak any of the effects. I added bars to the globes just to get a solid light effect. I would like to know more about the morph and how it works.
Thanks
Kent

Well then pay attention to the preview.  I need your help in isolating the problem if there is one.  When I tried your setup it worked fine but obviously I don't have your hardware but knowing how the code works if its ok in preview but not on the real lights then its a hardware setup issue.

[kentd]

Gil before I posted the xml I looked at it with Notepad++ and there was a model that should not have been there so I deleted it. I just loaded version 4.1.4 to check preview as well as light output. Both worked just fine so I am wondering if that other model that I deleted was causing the problem.

BTW seeing Jon had 10 trees when he set up the morph and I only have 4 trees based on this would the settings need to be tweaked to work properly on my 4 trees vs his 10?
Thanks
Kent

[Gilrock]

Well the term "work properly" is relative to what you are trying to achieve.  If its not doing what you want then yes you need to change some parameters.  I'm just trying to explain how a model group works and then you can figure out how you want to adjust the effects.  Currently when you create a model group it creates a model that looks like a matrix the size of your layout window.  So when you place an effect it works as if its running across the entire window but you only see if show up when it's firing pixels that land where your models are.  To be honest I would have preferred that our model groups only create a matrix that is bounded by the region where the models reside but that's not how it was designed and if we change it then it messes up all the people who have sequenced based on the first way we did it.

[JonB256]

Kent, was the model that you deleted something from my display or from yours?

[kentd]

Jon I had added my Mega Tree which is 24 Strings of 79 nodes 180 degrees and I'm sure that based on what Gil said about the model matrix that it had an effect. The one thing in the morph that is happening is the bottom 3 rows of lights are not turning on at all so I am not sure exactly how to correct for that.

[Gilrock]

If you use the quickset options and start with a full sweep it should run across all the nodes.  But what might happen is it might start late or end early because its moving across what we'll call the invisible node that make up the rest of the group snapshot.  So to eliminate that you can start to pull in your X and Y endpoints.  Like to pull in the right side you would want to goto the End tab and change both the X2a and X2b values.  I think for your setup 30% was the right number.

[gerry]

Currently when you create a model group it creates a model that looks like a matrix the size of your layout window.  So when you place an effect it works as if its running across the entire window but you only see if show up when it's firing pixels that land where your models are. 

I think that this is most useful for us to understand. Over the last few weeks , when my effects sometimes did not quite work as I expected , I have adjusted by trying to start it a bit earlier on the timeline or end it a bit later so that the component that is lit tallies with the beat of the music - without quite knowing why.
In many cases I have dropped the effect at the group level. In some cases when a component under it did not fire as required , I copied the effect from the group to also that element within the group and moved on.

Gil, if I subsequently move the models on the layout and render again or save , will it change the results ?
 

[flyinverted]

Gerry, sometimes that's happened to me and come to find out that if you enable a fade in/fade out those values do not change unless you change them and will carry over to every effect you create.  Just a tip to be aware of. Not sure if it applies, but it has bitten me in the past.

[Gilrock]

Gil, if I subsequently move the models on the layout and render again or save , will it change the results ?

That's your homework assignment.

[JonB256]

The one thing in the morph that is happening is the bottom 3 rows of lights are not turning on at all so I am not sure exactly how to correct for that.

I don't think the bottom came on for my morph either. (not in preview or outside). I didn't spend much time trying to make it work since I always found that PREVIEW = ACTUAL so assumed it was my problem, not the hardware.

Jon