Brightness Slider vs. Dimming Curve

[cmndr brain]

I would like some clarification please. This may get confusing, so bear with me.

I have several 12v c9 technicolor pixels and some 12v 3-LED modules. The dimming curve for the c9's is set to -30 and the modules are set to -40. I understand that this reduces the overall power/brightness of the pixels. Kind of like a global reduced setting. These are settings I chose to equalize the brightness of the c9s vs. the 3-LED modules.

The brightness slider, in the effects color window, goes from 0 to 400. I've read posts about the maximum behind the scenes value being 255 and setting the brightness slider to 400 will not burn out the bulbs, I get it. But... does the dimming curve set the maximum brightness of the pixels that can not be overridden? Or, does the brightness slider, if set to a higher value (e.g. brightness 200), override the dimming curve and allow the pixels to achieve their true maximum brightness?

For example, if the c9 bulbs dimming curve is set to -30 (70% power) and during a show I want to really "flash" the bulbs at their true maximum 100% brightness, would setting the brightness slider to something like 200 on an effect allow them to flash at their maximum brightness or would they be limited to a maximum of 70% by the dimming curve?

In other words...
Is it better to only use the dimming curve to equalize the overall brightness of different strings and use the brightness slider to manually lower the power on each effect in the show...

or, use the dimming curve to handle the brightness of the entire show and use the brightness slider to, on occasion, override the dimming curve setting to make part of the show "pop"?

I think I asked the same question like 3 different ways so please help me understand.

[keithsw1111]

Brightness applies first I believe then dimming curve so dimming curve sets the max.


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[Stosh]

What Keith said - dimming curve is last.

But I agree with you that on occasion I like to make the show pop.  So I keep my dimming curves at normal (and a gamma of 2.2), and then do most of my sequencing in the 30-50% brightness range.  I save 100% brightness for exactly like you mentioned.

[cmndr brain]

Thank you for the replies.  My lights just outline my house and I just have about 10 30 sec. animations right now.  Next year, I plan on adding some props and syncing it to music.  So, there isn't much I would have to re-render. 

I really commend the guys who write the xLights program.  Way beyond my meager programming skills.   I've watched many of the videos and it seems like xLights is always a work in progress (I'm mean that in a good way).  They keep fixing bugs and adding more great features.  I wish the dimming curve/brightness slider was the other way around.  To me, it seems more logical to set the dimming curve and use the slider to override.  That way, you don't have to worry about setting the brightness for each and every effect, only the ones you know you want different.  The current way almost seems to diminish the power, or the use, of the dimming curve.  But, who am I to complain, I didn't write the program.  Maybe, in some future release, there will be an option to chose which way.

But, now that I know it doesn't work that way,  I'll set the dimming curve back up and use the brightness slider on all the effects to lower them.  Then, when I want the lights to "pop"... 100% baby!  The only draw back to that method is when you have a the light strings in a "group", you can't control the brightness of the individual strings when they are different types.

[Gilrock]

Yeah sorry your logic is wrong.  The purpose of the dimming curve to keep from blowing fuses so when someone sets an output to 30% its to guarantee that output never goes above 30% and blows a fuse.

[Stosh]

I wish the dimming curve/brightness slider was the other way around.  To me, it seems more logical to set the dimming curve and use the slider to override.  That way, you don't have to worry about setting the brightness for each and every effect, only the ones you know you want different.

I see what you're saying, but don't agree.  Just look at it differently.  Instead of sequencing most of your show at 100% brightness, do most of it at 30%.  Then instead of using 400% for "pop", use 100% for pop.  You won't have to choose 30% brightness every time.  Just uncheck the box that resets the setting on every new effect.  Keep in mind a few years ago there was no brightness slider at all.  If you wanted to change brightness of an effect the only way (I could figure out) was to define darker colors in the palette for that effect.  I am extremely happy for the brightness slider.  I have a feeling not many people use it though.