Does Xlights have a built in grid?

[Popo-B-Trippin]

I realize it's a bit of a strange title... explanation:

I've been using Vixen 3 for 5 years and am still a huge fan of it, but having just had surgery I've been playing in Xlights (though I've used it previously for my P10 matrix). Got all of my models set up and have been sequencing away.

My way of sequencing is a bit OCD... I have a large wreath that I use for a bass drum, garage door lights that I use for a snare and window frames that I use for toms. I've found in Xlights, with 20 fps chosen, when I'm trying to move an effect to the exact beat (in particular the drums), the effect will jump ever so much so that I can't put it exactly where I want it. So making up random numbers in case my explanation made no sense; if you have a 1/4", it moves the effects per 1/8", whereas I am wondering if I can move it in 1/16" or even less. I realize it's a minimal jump, but again, my OCD'ness it really kicking in. Essentially it seems it's snapping the effects to an invisible grid.

Thus, the above question; does Xlights have a built in grid that mandates how effects are placed on the timeline? If so, is there a "snap to grid" feature you can turn off?

Thanks in advance!

Chris

EDIT: I did find the "Snap to timing marks" option, and it is not checked.

[Gilrock]

Yes you might call it that.  Effect edges can only be placed in legal locations.  It wouldn't make sense to allow an effect to start at say 17 ms when you have a 50ms timing sequence.  So as you drag effect edges they snap to the boundaries of the timing you selected because that is how the data will be written to an FSEQ file and the preview playback is also based on that timing boundary.  You can change the timing when you create a sequence or later in Sequence Settings dialog.  You can make it anything you like down to 1ms intervals but anything below 25ms and I'm not sure if preview playback will keep up.

[Popo-B-Trippin]

Thanks for the response... So if I set the timing to 40 fps (25ms) that "unusable" gap will be smaller? Will 25ms affect performance of a 60,000 channel show using multiple FPP's (too much data)?

[keithsw1111]

xLights and Vixen take a different approach to the timing grid each with their own pros and cons.

Vixen allows you to set effect timings at almost any time scale. As you point out this allows you to place effects extremely precisely relative to the music and means that no matter what frame rate you later choose to send the output at the timing will always be as close as possible to the real music.

However inherent in this is a downside.

While you can be arbitrarily precise Vixen silently behind the scenes has to at some point convert this to an actual frame and you never get to see exactly what that looks like. Does it always round down or does it round to the nearest ... and is that the best result.

xLights allows you to see actually where each frame will be and you get to decide if it is slightly before or slightly after a feature in the music. Generally before is the right answer as xLights still has to send the data our and the controllers have to receive it and then pump the data out to all the pixels. If you have lots of pixels on an output that in itself can take as much as 23ms from first to last.

However if you sequence at 20fps and move to 40fps you may have to move things.

Some OCD folks like to do 40fps for its smoother fades and singing face synchronisation. Data volume however doubles. If you are using FPP removes with local FSEQ files then the only real downside is the time to upload those FSEQ files and the longer render times.

99.99% of your guests will never notice either way.

[Popo-B-Trippin]

Perfectly explained. I do use singing faces and was hesitant to incorporate them due to this, but you're explanation clears it up.

And you are probably right that the people won't notice... But unfortunately I do, and if I ever want to sleep again, I need to get it as close as possible 

Thank you both so much. I'm enjoying playing around in here and see what is possible.

Chris