Best way to setup models of Superstrings? 4 Individual "Single Lines"?

[imacericg]

I have several places on my house that I utilize Superstrings (red, white, blue, green AC lights zip tied together). How do you recommend I make a model for them? Should I make 4 individual "Single Lines," one for each color? Or is there a more efficient way?

Keep in mind, these aren't pixels.

[rando1957]

That is what I do - create 4 different singlestrand models and then I add them to a single model group. Like I have a 4 color mini tree that has 4 singlestrand models of each color.

[dkulp]

If the channel order is RGBW, then use a single line of type RGBW.   

[DonFL]

I have the same question/issue as the OP. 4 color mini trees, and 4 color super strings,  (all AC non-pixel elements) and the only way I can make them work is to use single strands, one for each color, and then they seem to work properly. Makes it a pain in the preview, as you're having to move 4 models per element around as you set up the viewer.

I've tried a ton of different ways using "4 channel RGBW", but must be doing something wrong...cannot get it to work.

What is the proper way to set it up? 

 

[imacericg]

I have the same question/issue as the OP. 4 color mini trees, and 4 color super strings,  (all AC non-pixel elements) and the only way I can make them work is to use single strands, one for each color, and then they seem to work properly. Makes it a pain in the preview, as you're having to move 4 models per element around as you set up the viewer.

I've tried a ton of different ways using "4 channel RGBW", but must be doing something wrong...cannot get it to work.

What is the proper way to set it up?

I did what rando1957 suggested. I made individual models for each strand "Single Color Red," "Single Color Green," etc. then still in the Layout Tab I create a Model Group for the element, and included the 4 strands. In your example call it "Mini-Trees" and include the 4 models of "Single Color Red," "Single Color Green," etc that you just created.

In the Sequence Tab, add the new "Mini-Tree" model, and when you use the On Effect and change the color to Red, Green, etc, and the trees will change color. You can double click on the model to see the 4 strand below incase you want more than one color on at the same time.

It's worked for me so far.

[DonFL]

Yes, that's been my approach for now. Since you're using the individual single color strings, you don't need to select a color in the colors window...your single strands are already taking care of that.

My question relates to dkulp's suggestion, which was what I assumed, when I first started, would be the way to do it. Makes a cleaner (single) model, and saves a lot of work. I'm hoping he, or someone, will weight in as to how that can be done.

[dkulp]

I'm struggling to see what isn't working.   Define the model as a Single Line, RGBW.   Use the number of lights (or some approximation) for the #of nodes.  (this fields text is wrong, it should be flipping to "# of lights per string" when selecting "4 Channel RGBW".   That's it.  Its a single line that you can put in the preview.   A single model to sequence.  You drop the various colors on it and it lights up the appropriate strands.

[DonFL]

So setting it up that way, and choosing color, that worked...mo idea why it didn't work before, as that was one approach I tried, but whatever operator error it was, it works now. 

One step beyond that, f I want to have multiple colors lit, say, white and red lit at the same time, I can't display that..its a single color at any one point in time...correct? If so, in some cases, the single string approach may be the better way to go from a preview standpoint.

[jnealand]

Last year for my 64 channel AC Mega tree, 4 colors, I made four mega tree models each using a single color with 16 strings, 50 nodes per string, 1 strand per string .  For the preview I had 4 mega trees which I sized and moved so they were just one pixel apart.  Worked great.

For my 3 color AC mini trees I made a tree model for each tree for preview purposes, but I made a single strand model for each color using single color RGB string with 16 nodes,   I sequenced using the single color single strands, but used the 16 tree models on the preview.  the colors of the tree model were off since I only had 3 colors and not 4, but at least I could see what was lighting up as I played each sequence.

[Lights On Fifth]

Last year for my 64 channel AC Mega tree, 4 colors, I made four mega tree models each using a single color with 16 strings, 50 nodes per string, 1 strand per string .  For the preview I had 4 mega trees which I sized and moved so they were just one pixel apart.  Worked great.

For my 3 color AC mini trees I made a tree model for each tree for preview purposes, but I made a single strand model for each color using single color RGB string with 16 nodes,   I sequenced using the single color single strands, but used the 16 tree models on the preview.  the colors of the tree model were off since I only had 3 colors and not 4, but at least I could see what was lighting up as I played each sequence.

Jim this is exactly how I did mine, with out doing it this way there is no way to see what lights are firing at that particular time, remember these are not RGB lights these are A\C lights

[imacericg]

I am still having trouble with this

I created a "Single Line / Single Color X" for each of the 4 colors in my super strand. Then I made a model group to group all four strands.

Red, Green and Blue work fine. But when I select White, it lights up all of four strands, when it should just turn on White.