Summary of Feature Requests for Xlights/Nutcracker

[plaberge]

I've created a spreadsheet that provides a digest of feature requests made on the following groups and forums. As requests get implemented, I'll move them to the Done sheet. I'll try to update on a weekly basis.

  - Facebook: Xlights/Nutcracker Support Group
  - Facebook: Official Xlight/Nutcracker Support Group
  - Xlights/Nutcracker Forum: http://nutcracker123.com/forum/index.php?board=23.0 (this forum)
  - DLA DLA: http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=8523.0
  - DIYC: http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?20387-Nutcracker
  - ACL: http://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php/topic,2168.0.html
  - Github/nutcracker: https://github.com/smeighan/nutcracker/issues (all open Enhancements)

The link below is view only. If you want to make a comment about any specific item, please post a comment below and refer to the Item #.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArAreKWOoa2UdHRKM3JpNE1iWk9yTzN5a2gwcXNHdkE&usp=sharing


Spreadsheet updated on Feb 10, 2014. Now captures a total of 101 requests (a few duplicates).

Paul.

[Steve Gase]

You should pull open requests from github as well...

https://github.com/smeighan/nutcracker/issues

One feature request which is missing:
Enhancement: new effect implementing xLights test mode look
https://github.com/smeighan/nutcracker/issues/70
The xLights test mode has some simple effects that are very nice for their simplicity and their coolness.

This request is for the existing features, including speed selection.

It should also be extended to include a reverse option.

[taybrynn]

I would guess that Sean, Matt and others would need to review and decide then prioritize these ... I think only LOR and vixen have a truly big user base

[plaberge]

You should pull open requests from github as well...

https://github.com/smeighan/nutcracker/issues

One feature request which is missing:
Enhancement: new effect implementing xLights test mode look
https://github.com/smeighan/nutcracker/issues/70
The xLights test mode has some simple effects that are very nice for their simplicity and their coolness.

This request is for the existing features, including speed selection.

It should also be extended to include a reverse option.

I will add all open github requests & the above on this week's update.

[plaberge]

I would guess that Sean, Matt and others would need to review and decide then prioritize these ... I think only LOR and vixen have a truly big user base

My goal was to make it easier for them to do that.

I would like to add some way for members on this forum to vote for their favorite requests, so requests with broader support float to the top. Unfortunately the Poll mechanism is pretty limited, so I'm looking for an alternative. Open to suggestions.

[plaberge]

Spreadsheet updated tonight. Now includes all open Nutcracker enhancement requests on Github. A total of 87 requests captured (includes a few duplicates). Requests have slowed down quite a bit over the last week.

[flyinverted]

It's been a long time since this has been updated.

Sean, would it be possible to see what is pending ?

I'm sure you get quite a bit of dupe requests, and this could squelch some of that.

Thanks,
Steve

[sean]

i reviewed the spreadsheet just now, a few items have been completed (;ile a off effect besides a none).
most are not implemented.

All of these are enhancements to effects, very few to the GUI.

The focus is going to be xlights 4.0 first. This is a large endeavor  and is only happening because dave pitts is willing to put in the hundreds of coding hours to get it started. Dave was working code yesterday on XL 4. My concern is always resources for the xLights project. Come January most of the developers go back to their real jobs and families. Dave works every week of the entire year, but his first love is hardware. He is about half in CL 4 and half in to Pixlite-16 v2 and the Neo matrix driver boards.

Dave has not posted his XL 4 code where any of the developers can see it yet. I am hoping that will happen in the new few weeks. I know he has a functional UI front end, just nothing underneath it yet. Example, you can size, float windows, you can have timing tracks, you can drag effects. There is no play button connected. no effect generation. The target for a functional xl 4 is still 1st quarter.

[Steve Gase]

Will the effects engine be stable to the point where I/we could contribute in that area of the code?

[sean]

Yes. Make new effects, effect engine is not changing. The sequence xml is changing. The underlying effects are not


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[arw01]

Another one of my hobbies is home automation, and they just signed up for a page that lets people put their ideas and the the community vote on them and make comments enhancements of their own.  This helps the company decide what is important to the active user community and what is just window dressing.

I for one would like a few get up to speed to help us code "lessons"/"tutorials".  I would like to assist with the LSP export capability and to add artnet and ddb support to xlights.  The next few months would have some time.

With Seans hints I've installed code blocks but don't know my next steps to compile a working copy of xlights and to start to make a few tweaks on my local copy to see what all I can break.

[Steve Gase]

maybe one of the first areas for the wiki can be the developer section... 

• the architecture of the code,
• APIs,
• how to construct a dev/build environment,
• how to build and package,
• processes for submitting issues,
• regression tests -- how to add test cases, and how to execute them,

[jnealand]

I am not a developer, but I am concerned about feature creep.  I have seen too many good products die under the weight of too many features that are only used by a few of the active users.  Every feature added opens up the door to breaking a working function and making debugging a bigger and tougher job.  I'm not saying leave everything alone, but I see things (controllers, lights, and protocols) brought up that I've never heard of in the lighting community and I have been doing this for years and am a member of many forums.  Just my 2 cents.  I've been thinking about writing this for a long time and now I've stuck my foot in it.  LOL
 

[Gilrock]

Another one of my hobbies is home automation, and they just signed up for a page that lets people put their ideas and the the community vote on them and make comments enhancements of their own.  This helps the company decide what is important to the active user community and what is just window dressing.

I for one would like a few get up to speed to help us code "lessons"/"tutorials".  I would like to assist with the LSP export capability and to add artnet and ddb support to xlights.  The next few months would have some time.

With Seans hints I've installed code blocks but don't know my next steps to compile a working copy of xlights and to start to make a few tweaks on my local copy to see what all I can break.

All the instructions you need to compile the code is in the README files.  Like if you are compiling for Windows follow the instructions in the file README.windows.  I just started a few weeks ago and was able to use that go get everything you need installed and compiled.  A good test for a new developer is to see if you can figure out how to compile the code.

[arw01]

ah I see RTFM.

Sean had said they were migrating to a different compiler and that the read me was a bit dated.  My coding skills are dated as well and it takes me as long to figure out what a piece of code does anymore as it does to redo it to my bidding, so spending a great deal of time figuring it out the hard way greatly reduces the productivity to enhance the software.