Questions - using mp4, dumb rgb trees, starting a .bat file when playing a show

[RobertB]

I am putting all these questions into one thread. That way I can keep up with all the responses (I hope someone will respond with some answers ;-) 

I use mp4s with my shows. How do I do that in xlights 4? I actually would like to convert some of my old files over to xlights. Maybe that will help?  When I tried to convert over to a xseq, can't open it or not sure how.

Dumb rgb trees - I show a single bulb in the model when I created it. Can't see how to make a 35 node tree. Not pixel, dumb rgb.

I use a .bat file to start my projector and cut it off. How do I do that in xlights?

[Gilrock]

For mp4's do you want to sequence or just use them in the scheduler?  We haven't tried to support mp4 as a media file in the sequencer yet but I'm not sure it wouldn't work if you just manually edited a sequence xml file and changed the media filename to the mp4 name and fixed the sequence duration.  We use libmpg123 and it might open the mp4 just fine.  Not sure about playback but that uses WMP on windows so it might work also.  Otherwise you will need to sequence with an mp3 and then change the name in the sequence xml and reopen and resave to get the new name stored in the fseq file and use that in the scheduler or you may be able to just select the mp4 in the scheduler along with the sequence.  I haven't run from xlights scheduler so I'd just be experimenting like anyone can try.

Can't answer the dumb rgb question without again opening the program and just figuring it out.

I don't know if running a bat file is possible cause I don't use the xlights scheduler.

[JonB256]

Dumb rgb trees - I show a single bulb in the model when I created it. Can't see how to make a 35 node tree. Not pixel, dumb rgb.

If you can live with just a "square" representing your tree, modify the model and use the Appearance tab to make it bigger.

If it must look "like a tree" then you will need to make a custom model but use the Pixel Number "1" in all the cells. Then you just use the Start Channel Value to set the actual DMX channel start number. Doing it this way allows you to Copy the Model (because you likely have more than one tree).

[RobertB]

Ok,
Thanks guys. Guess that would be a feature request then. If you look at my vid.s, I have 29 dumb rgb trees right in the front of my display alone.

Ok on sequencing with a mp3. Most of my projection videos are done with mp3 as the audio, so hopefully that will work. Have to go back and check though. I may have some with credits at the first that will cause a little bit of a delay. No problem. Just have to check on that.

On the .bat file. I really hope there is a way. I definitely put a lot of work in trying to get my projector to cut on and off each night by itself.

Thanks again.

[DDameron]

Running a .bat file is possible using the XLights scheduler. (Matt added it back in ver 2011C, and it's still there in the latest version)... please look at #5 below

xLights 2011c for Windows is now available for download from SourceForge:

It contains the following changes:
1.If you have changed the output order in Vixen, xLights now understands this and will play back the sequence correctly.
2.If you are using profiles in Vixen, you will now need to copy your .pro file to the xLights directory (this supports the change above).
3.There was a bug in LOR playback when using unit ids above 80. This is now fixed.
4.xLights now remembers the state of the "Run Schedule" check box.
5.There is now an EXEC command available when using scripts. This runs an operating system command. So if you want to write the name of the currently playing sequence to a text file, select Playlist > Custom Script from the xScheduler menu. Then you can do something like on line 225:

220 PRINT "Playing:",ITEMNAME$(NextItem)
225 EXEC "CMD /C ECHO " + ITEMNAME$(NextItem) + " >c:\nowplaying.txt"
230 PLAYITEM NextItem

6.When defining your lighting networks, you can now choose a port called "NotConnected". This will allow you to test xScheduler functionality without actually having your dongles connected to your PC.

I use the following to run a .bat file that changes the titles on my scrolling LED sign and also send RDS data to my EDM transmitter. Let me know if you have questions 

Here is that part of the script in the scheduler/show:
215 PRINT "At:", FORMATDATETIME$(NOW,5)
220 PRINT "Playing:",ITEMNAME$(NextItem)
225 EXEC "C:\LSP\" + ITEMNAME$(NextItem) + ".bat"
230 PLAYITEM NextItem

Here is a .bat file that runs:
start C:\SLC16com.exe COM4 {IMMEDIATE}{BRIGHTRED}Tune your radio to {BRIGHTGREEN}93.5 FM {BRIGHTRED}to listen to the lights...  {BRIGHTYELLOW}Now Playing: {BRIGHTGREEN} Christmas Can-Can{BRIGHTRED} by {BRIGHTGREEN}Straight, No Chasers...

copy C:\LSP\can_can.txt C:\lsp\rds.txt

And here is the text file that the .bat file calls:
Christmas Can-Can by Straight, No Chasers...

Hope this helps (and makes sense )
Dan

[RobertB]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to this. Been so busy in just trying to get things sequenced and display put up. Sounds pretty complicated. :-(  Just remembered this morning, how could I go about the projector turned off?  I have another .bat file to do that.

Sure would be nice if we can run a sequence that would also run some sort of .exe file :-)

[DDameron]

I may have made it look more complicated than it actually is... If all you want to do is turn on the projector before the show and off when the show is over, all you need is two batch files (one to run the .exe to turn on the projector and one to run the .exe to turn it off). I can help you with that... just let me know...

Dan

[RobertB]

Wonderful!
I have the two .bat files (on the other computer :-(  ) that I used last year.
On LOR I just run a .las file and attach the .bat to be ran.  Wasn't sure if xlights would do that.