4 Color LED Prop Setup

[jnealand]

Remember that xlights was created to assist in programming thousands of channels needed for RGB lights.  AC light support is pretty much an afterthought and some things have been added to make it easier on AC channels, but supporting AC channels is not what this software was designed to do and AC channels, while not going away are, in my opinion, a dying breed.  I never found it easy to make my layout back in my LOR and then vixen days either.

Before I went all RGB, I did exactly what the others have suggested - made multiple models (painful) and finally just cheated and made a single model calling it a 4 channel RGBW string knowing that the colors would not look right on the preview but it would at least show my lighting timing and that was the most important issue.  The layout preview is primarily to assist you in doing sequencing and for positioning props for whole house type effects.  Just give up the idea that it has to be a true preview and you will be a lot happier IMHO.

[RandyS]

Remember that xlights was created to assist in programming thousands of channels needed for RGB lights.  AC light support is pretty much an afterthought and some things have been added to make it easier on AC channels, but supporting AC channels is not what this software was designed to do and AC channels, while not going away are, in my opinion, a dying breed.  I never found it easy to make my layout back in my LOR and then vixen days either.

Before I went all RGB, I did exactly what the others have suggested - made multiple models (painful) and finally just cheated and made a single model calling it a 4 channel RGBW string knowing that the colors would not look right on the preview but it would at least show my lighting timing and that was the most important issue.  The layout preview is primarily to assist you in doing sequencing and for positioning props for whole house type effects.  Just give up the idea that it has to be a true preview and you will be a lot happier IMHO.

No way.  My preview is scaled for my actual display (my OCD won't let me do it any other way) and I spend hours building it.  I'm not letting Gil off the hook that easily.  He asked me what I was looking for, and I have shared my idea.  What do you think Gil?  Can you, a la Captain Picard 'Make it so'?

[Gilrock]

The idea has to fit within the xLights framework.  So to accomplish this its still a single model with multiple channels where you want each channel to be a different color.  All models must be able to have effects dropped onto them so the question would still be how would be render an RGB effect dropped on a model that had say 6 different color channels?

[RandyS]

The idea has to fit within the xLights framework.  So to accomplish this its still a single model with multiple channels where you want each channel to be a different color.  All models must be able to have effects dropped onto them so the question would still be how would be render an RGB effect dropped on a model that had say 6 different color channels?

Not quite sure why you are asking me how to accomplish coding in xlights.  You guys are the brains behind it, I'm just asking if it can be done.  If it absolutely can not, then just say so, and I will move on.   

[Gilrock]

I guess you don't get my question.  It's not a question about how to code something its trying to get you to think about the design requirements.  Just think about how a single channel model works right now.  If you define a single channel red model and drop a green effect on it then it does nothing.  The question of what should that model do when the green effect is dropped in not a question of how to code it...it's a question of how should the program behave when a particular action is done.  Some people don't like that they drop green and we don't automatically switch it to red.  The point I'm making is when you drop an effect it will have an R, G, and B component for the color defined in the effect.  So if you define a model with more than just red, green, and blue channels then you will have some channels that are a combination of two or three of those primary colors.  If I drop a red On effect at the model level should it do anything to a purple channel or only red channels?  What would a purple On effect do to a red channel?  If you let us just do whatever we want then you'll just be back here complaining if you don't like our design decision.

[RandyS]

I guess you don't get my question.  It's not a question about how to code something its trying to get you to think about the design requirements.  Just think about how a single channel model works right now.  If you define a single channel red model and drop a green effect on it then it does nothing.  The question of what should that model do when the green effect is dropped in not a question of how to code it...it's a question of how should the program behave when a particular action is done.  Some people don't like that they drop green and we don't automatically switch it to red.  The point I'm making is when you drop an effect it will have an R, G, and B component for the color defined in the effect.  So if you define a model with more than just red, green, and blue channels then you will have some channels that are a combination of two or three of those primary colors.  If I drop a red On effect at the model level should it do anything to a purple channel or only red channels?  What would a purple On effect do to a red channel?  If you let us just do whatever we want then you'll just be back here complaining if you don't like our design decision.

Hmm, (light goes on) I would want the channels to respond to having an 'On' effect, for example, regardless of the color of the On, as that channel can only ever be the native color (Red, Green, Blue).  If I use a fade up or down, same thing, Red channel can only be Red.  These LED models would respond to commands regardless of color, not blending like Pixels do.  This will limit the effects that can be dropped on them, but since they are LED's, they already have some limits when used with xlights.

[Gilrock]

So a green channel can be any shade from 0 to 255.  If I drop purple which is R=128, G=0, B=255 then what value goes onto that green channel?  The green channel in that color is 0, red is half brightness, and blue is full brightness.  Average the 3 values?

[RandyS]

So a green channel can be any shade from 0 to 255.  If I drop purple which is R=128, G=0, B=255 then what value goes onto that green channel?  The green channel in that color is 0, red is half brightness, and blue is full brightness.  Average the 3 values?

We're still not on the same page......    These are single color LED's.  They can only be 1 color.

[Gilrock]

No a single color LED can be 256 shades of that color...read my question again.

[Gilrock]

If you send a 255 to an A/C channel its full brightness.  If you send 128 to an A/C channel it's half brightness.  There are 255 brightness levels for an A/C led.

[RandyS]

If you send a 255 to an A/C channel its full brightness.  If you send 128 to an A/C channel it's half brightness.  There are 255 brightness levels for an A/C led.

What is the point of this reply?

[Gilrock]

If you send a 255 to an A/C channel its full brightness.  If you send 128 to an A/C channel it's half brightness.  There are 255 brightness levels for an A/C led.

What is the point of this reply?

Randy you do know that a single channel is an 8 bit value right?  That means we send a value anywhere between 0-255 for the channel.  The higher the number the brighter the LED.  Its not just on or off like you keep implying.  I guess you could have LEDs that are only On/Off but most of us use controllers where the LEDs are dimmable so that you can do ramping.  So I wanted you to realize it's not clear what the program should do when you drop a purple effect onto a green channel.  Do we send out a 255, or a 128, or a 0?

[RandyS]

Gil, I didn't say it can only be on or off, I said it can only be one color, which is the native color of the LED that I am using.  I actually use some of these new fangled controllers that dim my lights.  I quit using the light switch on the wall a while ago.


Gil, you got me, I give up.  It's obvious that you really don't want to work on this enhancement for us.  Thanks for nothing.

[Gilrock]

You're right I was never going to work on it but I'm not the only developer.  I was trying to get you to think about it because the request has a lot of ambiguity when it comes to implementing it.  If the idea was vetted with more details maybe one of them would pick it up and work on it.  You're getting all mad at me but think about this...the others guys all ignored you.

[worksopian]

Reading this thread, I have fond memories of working with IT consultants on an ERP project at work! The language barrier between the 'guru' and the 'lay person'. 
I can definitely see what Gilrock is getting at regarding dropping a purple 'on' effect on a green led. If the green RGB value is '0' then should the led be on, off or somewhere in between?
Personally when sequencing my AC channels I try to use the correct color where possible, and use what ever I set up for multicolor strings.

Sorry for poking my nose in!!