Layout with XL ver 2016.7

[gadgetsmith]

Just getting around to messing with the 2016 Beta's of XL.

After running v2016.7 for the first time, I notice that my Layout is not showing correctly.  Models that were  not 'part of my display' in V4 are now showing up, regardless of the fact the check box is not selected for these models.  Here are pictures from v4.3.2 compared to v2016.7

Just thought i'd mention this as I don't see anyone having posted this issue, so maybe just something with my setup?

Thanks,
Charlie

[dkulp]

Click on the "Select Model Groups" button and see if you have any model groups selected.   If you do, only models in those groups will be displayed.  If none are selected, then the models with "Part of my display" are shown.

[Gilrock]

Models that were not 'part of my display' in V4 are not showing up, regardless of the fact the check box is not selected for these models.

You say models without the checkbox checked are not showing up.  That's correct.  Check the box if you want them to show up.

[Gilrock]

Also you have several groups selected.  They have to be in one of the selected groups to show up or like Dan said uncheck all groups to see everything.

[gadgetsmith]

Click on the "Select Model Groups" button and see if you have any model groups selected.   If you do, only models in those groups will be displayed.  If none are selected, then the models with "Part of my display" are shown.

:lightbulb:

Finally sunk in.  I've been struggling with the 'model groups' vs. 'part of my display' thing last year.  I couldn't get some models to display, so actually had to make a model group for a single model in order for it to show up.

In essence, one must choose if the layout will be displayed based on the 'part of my display' checkbox when creating the model, OR create model groups, and if checked, they will appear in the layout.

Now knowing this, I deselected all the model groups.  I can now delete all the model 'groups' that were not groups at all, but only single elements, like my star, sign, orb topper, megatree, etc.  This caused me some confusion last year as I had models and model groups for star and sign named the same thing, so when I was adding them to the timeline in the sequencer I would see two items for star and sign, not knowing which was which.

Thanks Dan!

[gadgetsmith]

Models that were not 'part of my display' in V4 are not showing up, regardless of the fact the check box is not selected for these models.

You say models without the checkbox checked are not showing up.  That's correct.  Check the box if you want them to show up.

yea, typo.... 'not' should have said 'now'

After Dan's comment... it finally dawned on me how it is working.  Thanks Gil.

[sean]

People do seem confused by uncheck every model group and they will all be visible.

Maybe we need to title the model group "Filter your Layout by Model Group"
You check a model group, only the models in that group are visible.
You wont see your entire display if you check anything here. The idea is, with a large number of models, you can filter to just look at your arches , move them around. When done turn off all check boxes so your entire display comes back on.

I normally never have anything checked in Models Groups.

[Gilrock]

I've never liked a lot of things about the Layout page.  It seems strange to me to have to click on the Models button to be able to edit a model.  It feels awkward.  I select a model in the list and then hit the Models button and then I gotta re-select the model and hit another button to edit it.  I think the Models button should go away and then you can double-click the model name in the list to edit or use a right-click menu for the other options.  Use some type of visibility eyeball icon to allow hiding or showing a model.  I don't think most people have the need to filter the display to a particular model group.  I think the visibility filtering could be done differently where you disassociate the filtering from the model groups.  There may be other ways you want to show things that have nothing to do with the groups you want for sequencing.  Maybe allow the user to create visibility filters they could select in a drop-down and not tie filtering to the groups.

[dkulp]

I hate to start talking about this as I'm nowhere close to being able to pursue this yet, but a lot of the work I've been doing on the Models this last couple weeks is to help in re-doing some of this page.   I'd LIKE to get rid of the ModelDialog and Models dialog completely and lay this out more like CodeBlocks.    The "Top Left" would be more of tree view showing the models and model groups (which can be expanded/selected).   Below that would be a wxPropertyGrid just like in CB.  (The current sliders would go away)  When you select a model, all the model properties are there and editable.   By moving each model type into it's own class, we can have class specific properties that are easily displayed and edited there.    I'd also be combining a bunch of the types.   All the "Tree" types would just be Tree and one of the properties is the degrees around (180/270/etc...) that can be relatively arbitrary.   

Thus, the buttons at the top would just be "Add" and "Delete" and maybe something to help manage the groups.  Renaming can be done right on the tree (or in the properties).  An "Add" would just ask for the base type (Tree/Arches/Star/etc..") and then the editing would be in the properties.   (either that, or no buttons at all and  have a toolbar of types that you drag/drop from onto the layout)

Anyway, this is all "vision in my head".  Not sure if we'll ever get there.

[sean]

Dan, that would be awesome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gadgetsmith]

People do seem confused by uncheck every model group and they will all be visible.

I normally never have anything checked in Models Groups.

The only issue I see is now is that I can no longer see models listed to the left side unless the 'part of my display' is checked.  Example: I create a single string model type for my orb topper.  I want to be able to see this in the list, along with it's starting and ending channel, but I don't want to see it as part of the preview layout.

The changes that Gil and Dan mentioned would change this behavior.  For now, I just plan to keep model groups all unchecked.


Another quick question.
I've installed two versions of XL.  V4.3.2 and v2016.7.   If I run v4.3.2 and choose a directory, say c:\xlights\2015\,  when I run v2016.x it will default to that same directory.  I can change the directory, say to c:\xlights\2016\, which is fine, but when I go back and run v4.3.2 it will have switched from the 2015 directory to the 2016 directory.  I can' seem to figure out why or where this is occuring?  Is there a setting somewhere to keep the programs to defaulting to the directory where the other version of the software is using?
Thanks.

[Gilrock]

The only issue I see is now is that I can no longer see models listed to the left side unless the 'part of my display' is checked.  Example: I create a single string model type for my orb topper.  I want to be able to see this in the list, along with it's starting and ending channel, but I don't want to see it as part of the preview layout.

I'm pretty sure that has been the case for a long time.  When you click the Models button and get the Models Dialog it has the full list of models so that's where you find the ones that aren't marked Part of my Display.

[rcowan]

I've installed two versions of XL.  V4.3.2 and v2016.7.   If I run v4.3.2 and choose a directory, say c:\xlights\2015\,  when I run v2016.x it will default to that same directory.  I can change the directory, say to c:\xlights\2016\, which is fine, but when I go back and run v4.3.2 it will have switched from the 2015 directory to the 2016 directory.  I can' seem to figure out why or where this is occuring?  Is there a setting somewhere to keep the programs to defaulting to the directory where the other version of the software is using?

The show/media directories are stored in the registry. Each instance of xLights is going to read the same value for those directories. Unless a change is made to use local config files rather than the registry you won't be able to separate out the instances as you are trying to do.

[rcowan]

As a side note to my last post. I guess you could export the registry entries to a .reg file and then create a batch file that will first apply the registry settings that you want and then launch the appropriate version of xLights.

[gadgetsmith]

As a side note to my last post. I guess you could export the registry entries to a .reg file and then create a batch file that will first apply the registry settings that you want and then launch the appropriate version of xLights.

I'll make a feature request and see if anyone else see's the merit in such change. (local settings file, or multiple registry entries for say the major versions (v3.x, v4.x, 2016.x, etc.)

I'll have to look into a batch file with appropriate registry entries.  Thanks!