4 Color LED Prop Setup

[RandyS]

I have 23 4-color LED Mini Trees and 12 4-color LED Twig Trees in my display.  What is the easiest way to set them up in the 'layout' tab so that I can control each tree by it's individual colors.   I have tried setting them up as a tree, with 4 strings which gives me 4 channels, but when I try to set up a group by color I am not able to.  Only way I can get to the individual strings is on the sequencer tab.  Do I have to create a model for each tree by color, and stack them on top of each other?  Is there an easier way?

[RandyS]

Anyone?

[markrvp]

Multiple models stacked on top of each other is the way I do it.  That way you can group all the red trees, the green trees, etc.

[Gilrock]

Yeah I don't know what your 4 colors are but the problem is the models in xLights are designed to have RGB effects dropped on them.  So the question is what do we do when you drop an effect on something represented by 4 colors.  We have an RGBW string type but you can't activate the white at the same time as the RGB portion.  They work better if you just define them as single color models so that when an effect is dropped on them there is no ambiguity as to how to apply the effect.

[RandyS]

Thanks for the replies - ugh, but not what I was hoping for........ enhancement please......

[Gilrock]

If there was a good way to enhance it we would have already done it.  Its the same thing as people defining single color purple models and then wondering why nothing happens when they drop a yellow effect on it.  4+ color models really only work when sequenced at the channel level.  Once you start sequencing at the model level then things break down.  That's why it works in LOR because you sequence channels in LOR.

[RandyS]

If there was a good way to enhance it we would have already done it.  Its the same thing as people defining single color purple models and then wondering why nothing happens when they drop a yellow effect on it.  4+ color models really only work when sequenced at the channel level.  Once you start sequencing at the model level then things break down.  That's why it works in LOR because you sequence channels in LOR.

We sequence channels in Vixen also. 

[Gilrock]

And you can sequence channels in xLights if you want.  You can create a model that is a single channel.  If you have a better idea of how it could work then describe how it would be designed.

[RandyS]

And you can sequence channels in xLights if you want.  You can create a model that is a single channel.  If you have a better idea of how it could work then describe how it would be designed.

I will leave the designing to the folks with the big brains.  This is not a complaint, but it does surprise me that more resources have been devoted to accommodate LOR users than Vixen users. 

[Phrog30]

Probably because the developers were LoR, not vixen. I know I've heard Gil repeatedly ask for vixen files and not many have accommodated. It's hard for them to do anything without vixen files.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[RandyS]

Probably because the developers were LoR, not vixen. I know I've heard Gil repeatedly ask for vixen files and not many have accommodated. It's hard for them to do anything without vixen files.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Yes, you are right.  I would be glad to provide any Vixen 2.1 files requested.  I have 10 sequences of over 1000 channels each. 
(Can we get an ex Vixen 2.1 user to become a Developer please??)

[Gilrock]

Ok then make a video of how you work with your 4 color model in Vixen.  I don't use Vixen and when we give seminars and ask for feedback the number of people using Vixen in the room is less than 2% compared to LOR at about 95%.  I'm just saying I don't know what we would do to accomodate a model that's made up of say red, yellow, orange, and purple when someone drops an RGB effect on it.  Your enhancement request is what?  You want me to think of how to make some idea you have a reality but you're not sure what your idea would look like.  We already provide you a way to deal with it.  Just create a single color model for each color...so it's not like you can't do it.

[RandyS]

This is kind of rough, and hopefully other Vixen users will chime in with their ideas on this.
What I would like to have the ability to do is when creating a model, designate the model as a LED (or incan) prop.  The user fields would then allow entry for how many colors are on the prop, and what those colors are (since they would be constant).  Xlights would then create the prop with only one instance showing on the layout screen, but would provide as many sequencing lines of control as there are colors on the prop, with the ability to drop effects on any of the colors.  Possibly the 'single color' option could be enhanced to provide the capability I am looking for?   

[Phrog30]

This is kind of rough, and hopefully other Vixen users will chime in with their ideas on this.
What I would like to have the ability to do is when creating a model, designate the model as a LED (or incan) prop.  The user fields would then allow entry for how many colors are on the prop, and what those colors are (since they would be constant).  Xlights would then create the prop with only one instance showing on the layout screen, but would provide as many sequencing lines of control as there are colors on the prop, with the ability to drop effects on any of the colors.  Possibly the 'single color' option could be enhanced to provide the capability I am looking for?   

If I create a mini tree with 4 colors, red, green, blue, and white.  I drop two effects, one on red and one on green.  How do you display that?  Do you combine the colors, or try and show both at the same time.  If the latter, how do you do that?  If the first, isn't that confusing?  Creating multiple models is better.

James

[RandyS]

This is kind of rough, and hopefully other Vixen users will chime in with their ideas on this.
What I would like to have the ability to do is when creating a model, designate the model as a LED (or incan) prop.  The user fields would then allow entry for how many colors are on the prop, and what those colors are (since they would be constant).  Xlights would then create the prop with only one instance showing on the layout screen, but would provide as many sequencing lines of control as there are colors on the prop, with the ability to drop effects on any of the colors.  Possibly the 'single color' option could be enhanced to provide the capability I am looking for?   

If I create a mini tree with 4 colors, red, green, blue, and white.  I drop two effects, one on red and one on green.  How do you display that?  Do you combine the colors, or try and show both at the same time.  If the latter, how do you do that?  If the first, isn't that confusing? Creating multiple models is better.

James

I need to clarify, my original post was actually referring to the potential time saved creating a layout with hundreds of AC channels.  (I have 370 - took many hours to build it creating 3 or 4 models for lots of elements, then having to align them all perfectly.(My OCD kicks in)  Just looking for ways to save time and end up with the same result.