2 requests?

[baf05]

This has come about as I try to build a chase on my old style LED arches, I like each segment to fade out rather than just turn off, its a simple thing but and probably only noticeable to me, but I think it makes the chase look that much nicer.

1.  I know that working on the node level in exlights is not normally the done thing, but its something I am used to and (even though at times only I see the changes) I still like that flexibility,

So as you know to work on the node level you click on the model, then the string, and the node opens up, if you then place effects, in my case a simple ON fade out, there is no indication in the model row to tell me there is an effect in that space, once I close the node and string down.  When you place an effect on the model row exlights automatically populate the node rows for you, is there someway the reverse could happen.

I have actually noticed its the same for groups, if you work on the group its fine, but if you open the group and work on individual models there is nothing to say there is an effect there when you close the group.

2. The sort of leads off from 1, is there a way to control the steps of the 3d fade in the single line effect?

[Gilrock]

#1 has been asked for a couple times.  I thought it was already on Github but didn't see it with a quick look.  I'm not opposed to that idea but it would have an impact on the performance of the GUI since it would need to loop through everything to generate the summation of the effects beneath each model.  We would definitely have to allow it to be turned on/off.  The other issue is when collapsed that top row is also a perfectly good drop location for effects so then we would have the node data clashing with the drawing of the effect and need to decide how to not have that look like a mess.

#2 I'm not really familiar with the settings for that effect and I'm not sure what "control the steps" means.  Usually a fade is done as a linear proportion between 2 points.  Adding options to change that algorithm seems messy to me.  For ideas like this you need to think about what will the user interface look like and show us a sketch.  Sometimes having to think about how it would looks shows the quality of the idea.

[Ebuechner]

What about a Gray area or a line or a light cross hatch to the black or light gray background just to indicate that there's data below that layer? I don't know if we really need to see what type of data is there just that there is some sort of data hidden. And turning it off would definitely be a good option.

[baf05]

What Ebuechner said, I don't need to know what exactly is there, just that there is 'something' there.  Would just make sequencing separate groups easier, especially if you are trying to time effects from one group to the next.

as for no 2, sorry I am notoriously bad at explaining what's in my brain.....

Currently using the 3d fade in the single string effect you get 5 steps of fade from full on to full off, of full off to full on. 

If you use the ON effect you can set your start intensity to 100 and your end intensity to zero, and you end up with a nicer fade.

So is there a what of incorporating start and end intensity in to the 'Single Strand' effect.

(to be honest it could be too much work for not much difference, but I know when I do my sequencing I put in far more detail than anyone other then me will ever see.  That's why I work at node level a fair bit)

[Gilrock]

The single strand chase does a proportional fade.  It's not hard coded to 5 steps.  Based on the settings you pick there is a calculated width for each chase and it fades from 100% to 0% across the entire length of the chase.  If the fade doesn't look smooth its probably because the length of the chase is too short.

[Ebuechner]

Another thing you can try with any of the effects is blur in the layer settings. Let's say you run a single strand effect across an arch with a small Chase size if you add blur it will fade in the Leading Edge and Fade Out the trailing Edge of the effect across all the nodes even without selecting 3D fade.