release 4.2.16

[sean]

Small release.

A few enhancements to lightning and a bug fix for pictures from keith.

Latest releases are found at http://nutcracker123.com/nutcracker/releases/
Issue Tracker is found here: https://github.com/smeighan/xLights/issues

XLIGHTS/NUTCRACKER RELEASE NOTES:
--------------------------------
4.2.16  Oct 13, 2015
    -- bug(keithsw) Fix broken picture wiggle style
   -- enh (sean) Added slider to give horizontal movement to lightning bolts
   -- enh (sean) Added check box to give chose to have forked lightning.

[sean]

made a short video describing this release. https://vimeo.com/142222359

[RoboMello]

Thank you for the video

[algerdes]

First - Thanks for all you and the crew do.  I'm loving it!  (Sorry McD.)

Second - We are using the lightning effect with the fire effect as sort of a "spirit of the fire".  Unfortunately the lightning effect is only working during the first half of the time assigned to it.  It doesn't matter if we have a short, say 2 second time, or a longer - up to 1 minute.  It only plays the front half.

Can you tell me what control may be doing this?

I've attached the test sequence folder.  Megatree Test 3 is the one that has the lightning.

Thanks

[Gilrock]

Yeah get rid of the fades.  Your lightning effect has the following:
T_TEXTCTRL_Fadein=5,T_TEXTCTRL_Fadeout=3

[sean]

Besides that fade the lightning effect itself has a built in fade after two seconds. I have removed that built in fade in the next release. I have plans of making the bolt be at an angle, make the arcs static ( like real lightning), fade the edges of the bolt to create a glow. I ran out of time to get all that done but decided to release the effect the way it is in case people could use it for halloween. My son is in the hs marching , they are going to state next week. I am building/repairing props for them. I seem to be one of the band parents who know which end of a saw to hold. There is a football game tonight, i am driving the 26' uhaul filled with band equipment. Tonight also is a 3 day camping trip where we are offering a merit badge college. I am teaching weather, astronomy and movie making. It is not an excuse, just life is pretty busy. Oh yeah, i am putting up my halloween props. 
I built the spider in 2012 and the jack skellington last year




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[danj]

I like the lightning effect.   Using it for a TSO guitar solo on a Fireflies sequence I am currently working on..

[arw01]

Not that busy any more, with one in college at the college and the one doing college while in high school, but I do remember the days and nights of this and that and this.

Sometimes i think i got more done back then.  Took me all week to get my outline lights back up and I have to go onto the roof one more time because I didn't plug in the cable, doh!

The spider is creepy, need to make one someday, the wifey loves the one at Costco, but storage is becoming an issue and I am not going to pay for a storage locker someplace..

[RoboMello]

Pretty nice props.
Do you have how-to pictures :-)

Thanks

[sean]

the spider I followed these instructions
http://www.markbsplace.net/SubPages/hall-spider.htm

for the jack skellington I  used instructions from here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaoDqynvlOU

[algerdes]

I really like this (lightning) effect.  To be able to control the length of the fade, or have no fade at all would be wonderful.  Thanks for putting it out there.

[RobertB]

My son is in the hs marching , they are going to state next week. I am building/repairing props for them. I seem to be one of the band parents who know which end of a saw to hold. There is a football game tonight, i am driving the 26' uhaul filled with band equipment.

Oh that is cool Sean. I'm middle school band director by day (240 of those little ones) and then band dad on Friday's and Saturdays. Been told after my daughter graduates, I can't leave since I know how to put all of the "Pit" together ;-)  Way behind myself.