Can't expand the timeline

[algerdes]

OK, I'll try to explain this...

I have a routine that I use to test if my singing props got wired correctly.
There is a 10 second "this is a test" message during which I have the phonemes broken down and sent to whichever device I am working on.

We need to expand that test sequence another 20 seconds, where we have it run through a series of "on"s.  Turn on the outer bulb for 2 seconds, turn on the upper mouth for 2 seconds, turn on the left eye for 2 seconds, etc.

I'm able to expand the sequence setting to the length I need, and even able to add the different on effects that I need.  I've rendered repeatedly.  I've saved the sequence, quit the program, rebooted the machine, and then went back into xLights and started that sequence.  Still nothing.

The sequence just won't play past the old sequence length.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[keithsw1111]

try deleting the fseq

[Gilrock]

He shouldn't need to delete the FSEQ because changing the sequence duration automatically resizes the buffer.  So as long as you render and save after the duration change it should be good.

[algerdes]

What I had to do to make this work was go into my audio file, add the same amount of time I added to the sequence, and then re-associate the audio.  (It was late, so it wasn't easy to do that - at that time.)

Is there any code that limits the lights to just the length of time of the media?

[keithsw1111]

There is. We drive the timing off the audio as it plays. If you want lights without audio then you need an animation sequence.

[algerdes]

I use animation only sequences all the time.  In this case, we are using actual spoken words to see if the prop is actually doing its job as a singing prop.  The additional stuff is to check the individual parts. 

I need a "hybrid". 

[keithsw1111]

Then you need to extend your audio in audacity. 

[algerdes]

Then you need to extend your audio in audacity.

That is what I did Keith.

I wish I knew more about the programming.  I'd like to see if there would be a way to provide a control to either use the audio's length, or to allow for the sequence to continue after the audio is done.  Just thinking out loud here.  This is not an official request.

[keithsw1111]

I just don't think it is necessary. You could always schedule the animation after the song. Problem solved.

[Gilrock]

Yeah don't overthink it.  You already have a solution just make the audio have blank space.  Why is that not an acceptable workaround?  You should not be needing to do this often enough to want it as a feature.  Its not normal.  So do it that way or what Keith says...break up your sections as musical or animation.  No reason to make our playback more complex than it is.  There are already more than 2 playback modes so this code is really complex to get working.  When you click on an effect an it starts playing in preview that is a playback mode and it has to intermix with the animation and musical playback modes.

[algerdes]

As stated, I'm not asking for this.  I just wish I knew enough about how this is programmed so I could see if it was possible.  No big thing.

BTW - It may be worth something to put in the program to not allow for a sequence to be expanded if it is audio based and the request is more than the length of the audio. 

Gotta go

[Gilrock]

But I think you can expand the sequence, add effects, and play it just fine in the FPP.  It's just the xLights playback that's a problem because we rely on the built-in media player to tell us when playback is stopped and where we are during playback.