adding xLights elements to existing LOR sequences

[sean]

This is pretty simple if you do things in the right order.
1) set show directory
2) setup all controllers in SETUP.
Put USB lor or USB Dmx first. Account for all your lor channels.
3) add e1.31 universes. Put 510 channels for e682 or p12r. Put 512 channels for falcon controllers
4) convert your lms files into Xseq files. Do this on CONVERT tab.
If u have 200 channels of lor and 5000 channels of e1.31, your setup tab would show channels 1-5200
When u convert the first 200 channels will be loaded into your xlights Xseq file.
5) add models for rgb stuff
6) create nutcracker effects
7) save and play

If u need to change lor, just redo convert. It will bring in the 200 channels and leave everything else alone

[danj]

Thanks very much for the reply Sean.  I will give this a shot.  I am in an interesting spot, as I set my RGB effects in my 2013 display in XL/NC, then exported to LOR.  I will be importing those, along with my 16 AC LOR channels, back into XL/NC.  Will be interesting to see what that "looks like"...  I am assuming my six arches' channels will come back over in all their RGB glory!!

[rando1957]

Yes Dan, they will. I actually have a 3 tier RGB star and I set it up in LOR as well as a model in XL/NC.  Some songs, I may sequence that star in LOR and some other songs in XL/NC.  I know some have actually sequenced a model in both apps. You have to remember to use effect None/None in those areas you want to keep the LOR sequence parts.

[Lights On Fifth]

I am interested in learning how to pull my LOR files into XL/NC and "adding" the effects (e.g., new megatree for 2014) I have developed this year to my 2013 files.  I flipped through Sean's tutorial videos on VIMEO and none jumped out at me as telling me how to do this.  Can anyone point me in the right direction?  Thanks.

It is really easy once you have played with this, it is not much different than Lor, queson 1 are you wanting to use Xlights to run your show? or are you going to use Lor to run your show? if you want xlights to run your show there are a number of steps to do before you start converting Lms files to Xseq, you have to create all your Lor channels to Dmx first, and make sure they are correct, then in Xlights you have to set up your Lor channels using what ever universe you are going to use, ( I am assuming you are using universes and have Xights set up that way already), I just went through this and everything is working correct so far, I can go into more detail if you need. 

[sean]

if you have any higher channel count displays i think most people are happiest by letting xlights be their show player OR using the falcin pi player.

In other words, exporting data and putting it back into LOR/Vixen,LSP,HLS is painful.

the xlights scheduler was written in 2010 and has been changed much over the last 5 years. The reason? It is fast, reliable and full featured.

[danj]

Thanks again.  I plan to use my pi to run my display this year.  I bought a pi last year but chickened out in learning how to use it because I was learning RGBs and got feeling overwhelmed so I backed out on the pi....

[danj]

I am going to try to import my 2013 LOR files back into LOR and add my mtree effects, for which Sean has already provided good directions.  I was able to find all my 2013 XML files for the NC effects I did last year (I actually backed up!!!!) except for two of the songs.  And, I would like to keep the RGB arches' timings (don't really care about the effects...), so I would like to go ahead & pull over the arches' info from LOR binary data "back" into XL/NC.  Do I need to change the arches' channel assignments in LOR before I do this?  Here's why I ask--in 2013 I started my arches started at DMX channel 1 but I was planning to have my arches start at channel 5601 in 2014.  I am thinking this probably matters, so I figured I would ask before I exported these two from LOR into XL/NC.  Thanks in advance.

[sean]

if i understand your question, changing starting changes is just one value for the models.

All of your models are in
xlights_rgbeffects.xml
# strings
#nodes
#folds
#starting channels
display as [megatree,arches,matrix,.etc]


Your sequences have three files, Example wizards of winter might be
wizards.xseq
wizards.xml
wizards.mp3 (or wizards.mp4 if you are diving with a movie)

Of these three, wizards.xml is the KEY file. It stores all answers to the grid (timing, effects, morphs, fades, colors , .etc.)

You can change anything about a model and it doesnt effect your sequence file (wizards.xml). Make your megtree twice as large. change it from 360 to 180 degrees, change starting channel. This is what is so nice about Matt Brown's architecture sequence is separated from the models. This is why it is so easy to share sequences with another person.

[danj]

Thanks yet again, Sean.   Maybe this will make sense??   I was concerned that I needed to "map" the LOR channels properly into NC, but based on the info you provided, it sounds like that is not necessary.  I was thinking the DMX channels need to be the same between LOR & NC  but maybe that is not required.  For example, my 16 LOR AC (single channel) minitrees from last year are channels LOR device #1 channels 1-16--I was thinking I should export these from LOR into NC so I "blocked out" channels 1-200 in NC for these AC channels (just helps me keep my channels straight in my brain....).  Then I was thinking I needed to change the DMX addresses of my 6 arches (60 RGBs per arch) in LOR before I exported the LOR channels over to NC because they are currently set in LOR as DMX channels 1-3, 4-6 etc etc.

[sean]

i do suggest blocking out a range of channels in the beginnng of your channel layout for the AC channels coming in from LOR.

For the RGB arches, if you do not plan on bringing your sequence back into LOR to play it, you dont need them defined.

If your flow is
1) Create AC channels in LOR
2) Import into xLights
3) Define models for RGB elements in xlights
4) Create Nutcracker effects
5) Export back int LOR. I ssugest using lcb files, not lms to go back.
6) Play show in LOR

If you do go back you need channels defined as RGB in LOR so you can paste the lcb file there.

if your flow is instead
1) Create AC channels in LOR
2) Import into xLights
3) Define models for RGB elements in xlights
4) Create Nutcracker effects
5) Play in xLights
in this case you do not need rgb channels defined in LOR

[danj]

Fantastic--again not bashing LOR, but it's just not built for high channel counts....   Sooooo I am planning to only move my LOR files into XL/NC then play via FPP.  I do not plan to go back to LOR.  Unless Matt manages to really get them fixed up....   Thanks so much Sean.  I really appreciate the info.

[JonB256]

I am certain that many people who want to take their Nutcracker data back to LOR are doing it because:

1.  They don't have a lot of RGB channels, so it doesn't inflate their file size horribly
2.  They want to use the LOR visualizer. 
3.  They think their show will only run from the LOR player/scheduler

I was #1 a few years back. I only had RGB around 2 window frames (2 RGB channels) and around my roof (250 RGB channels). It worked, and I actually did most of the programming within LOR S3.

I still just use the basic LOR visualizer. Never bothered to learn their newer version. Didn't want to recreate.

First step to easy integration of LOR and xLights/Nutcracker is to totally ditch their Device#Channel# model and go DMX. Then go E1.31.
Once you do that, it all gets SO MUCH EASIER. Almost all of their hardware supports it. You do give up custom Shimmers and Twinkles. I don't miss them.

Now - full disclosure - I don't own any LOR Hardware. I do still use a few D-Light AC and DC and FireFli controllers, but I run them all in DMX. With D-Light, I had to reflash the firmware so it was a "burn your bridges" trip into DMX. The LOR S3 Advanced software is still ROCK SOLID, but I just can't recommend sticking with their old protocol.

[Lights On Fifth]

I am certain that many people who want to take their Nutcracker data back to LOR are doing it because:

1.  They don't have a lot of RGB channels, so it doesn't inflate their file size horribly
2.  They want to use the LOR visualizer. 
3.  They think their show will only run from the LOR player/scheduler
Or they are scared to make a change, like I was until this year.

I still just use the basic LOR visualizer. Never bothered to learn their newer version. Didn't want to recreate.
I also use the Lor vis why recreate the wheel
First step to easy integration of LOR and xLights/Nutcracker is to totally ditch their Device#Channel# model and go DMX. Then go E1.31.
Once you do that, it all gets SO MUCH EASIER. Almost all of their hardware supports it. You do give up custom Shimmers and Twinkles. I don't miss them.
Absolutely life becomes way easier doing it this way
Now - full disclosure - I don't own any LOR Hardware. I do own Lor controllers only becuase this is my first year with the change over, next year there will a controller change out.

[danj]

I was going to synchronize my first display in 2012, but I had a job opportunity that precluded that possibility that year (out of town).  I originally figured I would use LOR stuff because I <thought> it was plug and play and that I wouldn't have to do any DIY.   Well that is only partially true for doing Christmas lighting as we all know.  So I sequenced 7 songs in LOR last year then my wife decided we needed to add some dancing arches to our display.  She was right of course.   I figured if I am going to add arches I am going to add some RGB based arches, not AC channel-based arches.  I am glad I went that direction, as I learned the "ABCs" of RGB last year.  I added 6-60 pixel RGB arches.  I "sequenced" them in NC then exported the NC effects into my LOR files because I had the mindset I was going to run my show from a PC through my LOR CTB16PC controller.  I am glad I went with LOR last year since I was just starting out.  This computer stuff is not always obvious to me.  I used an E682 last year for my RGBs.  That is a really nice controller.  Fast forward one year.  I plan to run my display with a pi player driving Corey's microcontrollers (from Falcon website) via DLA hubs and a Falcon FPD for RGBs and two Renard controllers for AC channels.  So I get to learn a bunch of new computer/network stuff this year.  It's good to learn a lot of new stuff.  Sorry for the self-portrait, but figured I would add my two cents in regards to LOR/other setups.  By the way my LOR & E682 controllers worked perfectly last year.

[andywylde]

Hi Everyone, thank you so much for all the posts.  This is my first year and it was a lot to figure out for Halloween.  Between figuring out everything and programming I only managed to get 6 songs sequenced for Halloween so it was a short but pretty good show (IMO).   So after reading all the advice I came up with this setup:

Started with LOR to sequence my AC and simple RGB items.   Changed from LOR dongle to DMX then to Advatek Pixlite 16 on E1.31 using the DMX output to control the LOR and simple RGB items.

Used Xlights/Nutcracker to sequence my RGB stuff.   Used Xlights to run the Halloween show.

Day after Halloween Added Raspberry Pi / Falcon Pi Player to run show.   Exported Files using Xlights to fseq format.  This actually turned out to be one of the easiest parts.

So now that this part all works I am back to creating some content for Christmas.  I want to have more than six songs!!   I think there is no doubt that Xlights/nutcracker is the best way to sequence the RGB lights, but it is taking a ridiculous amount of time to add those sequences into my files at the times I want them.  Designing a sequence and then typing in the time to start/stop it seems very cumbersome to me. I end up playing the song in LOR, looking at the timing and then going back to Xlights.  Am I doing something wrong here?  What do you all do?

Thanks in advance, the advice in this forum really helped me learn a lot in a short time to get any show at all done. 

Andy