LOR data transfer when opening up XL3 file in XL4?

[danj]

Not a bug; a question.  When I am opening up one of my XL3 files in XL4, the LOR data stream that was present in the XL3 xseq file is no longer "kept" in the XL4 file.  Do I need to follow the instructions provided to me in regards to pulling in LOR data into an XL3 file?  Same process in XL4??   Or am I missing a step when opening up the file in XL4?  Thanks in advance.

[Gilrock]

I don't know what instructions you were provided for XL3.  The question is do you ever want to change your LOR data again or is what you have now never going to change.  There are like 3 ways to do this and all have different ramifications.  If your old XSEQ filename matched your XML filename you should have been able to just open up one of them and it should import that old XSEQ data.  You would need to hit save for it to write it out to the FSEQ file.  I can't remember all the logic off the top of my head so it might be that you need to copy the files into the same directory.  But using that method your data can easily get destroyed if you add/delete/modify NC effects.  So a better method is to use the Data Layer feature which will preserve that original data regardless of your NC effect modifications.  In the Data Layer tab under Sequence Settings you can either Import that XSEQ file if you know your never plan to change the data or you can Import your LMS file in which case you can always come back and hit Re-Import to pull in any changes you make to the LOR file.  It will maintain a link to the LMS file location.  Now currently I don't have a lot of protection if you delete or move that LMS file later.

[danj]

I detinitely want to "preserve" my LOR files (so I can change them in LOR sequencer), so I will try your suggestion there.  I am probably not moving from xl3 to xl4 properly.

THANKS

[Gilrock]

This video might help show the Import Process...it's a little old now but everything should be close to the same process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnOkKnz6z_A

This was really showing how you can offset the channels but you would just leave that at 0.  That feature allows you to import a sequence and move it around to different display elements by changing the channel offset.

[danj]

I converted each of my xseq files into fseq files using the convert tab.  I opened the files up one by one and verified all the AC on/off info was there (imported from LOR into XL3) and that all my XL3 RGB sequencing info was there too.   All is well.   Thanks for the help Gil.

Edit--I just modified one of my LOR files (thx disaster--this one is FUN) and re-imported into XL4.   I saved the XL4 files (fseq & xml) with the same name as the LOR file, then converted the LOR file into an fseq file.   That overlayed the LOR data exactly as I wanted it to do.

[Gilrock]

I just noticed this reply.  It doesn't sound like your doing it right if you want to easily be able to re-import changes after you update LOR.  You don't mess with xseq or fseq files.  You goto the data layers tab and hit Import and select an LMS file.  It will do the convert right there.  Wait for the channel count number to show up to signal the convert is done.  Then whenever you update the LMS file you can come back to this page, select the layer, and hit the ReImport button.  The Import will create an ISEQ file which is exactly the same as an FSEQ file.  So you sound like you are doing a bunch of manual steps to accomplish the same thing I've automated for you.

[danj]

Thanks Gil.  I will try doing this the correct way..   I was describing the way I did it in xl3.

[JonB256]

I am not consistently getting an "ISEQ" file created when I'm data layers. Sometimes (twice), I have. Other times (dozens), I don't.

What can prevent the creation of the file?  In the Settings/Sequence Settings/Data Layers box, after a data layer import, is says it successfully creates an ISEQ file but it does not. I thought maybe I needed to wait, but no.

[JonB256]

It appears that if the Import function of my LMS files has errors, the ISEQ doesn't get created no matter how long you wait, then when you try to save you get an error about the missing ISEQ file.

I have a known problem with some of my legacy LMS files not converting and importing correctly. I think I have a fix for my LMS files that isn't too labor intensive.

[Gilrock]

Can you run the LMS file through the Convert tab and see what messages print out in the window?

[JonB256]

Here is a list of the messages:

Reading LOR sequence
Channels found so far: 1000
Track 1 length = 22100 centiseconds
LOR Network 0:  20 channels
LOR Network 1:  25 channels
DMX Network 1:  443 channels
DMX Network 2:  362 channels
DMX Network 3:  461 channels
DMX Network 4:  0 channels
DMX Network 5:  0 channels
DMX Network 6:  375 channels
DMX Network 7:  375 channels
Total channels = 1780
WARNING: blank is empty
WARNING: 40 Left flood (G) and Beat channel map to the same channel 16
Channels converted so far: 1000
WARNING: Timing Channel is empty
WARNING: Unit 08.6 is empty
WARNING: New Channel is empty
WARNING: Unit 08.5 is empty
WARNING: New Channel is empty
WARNING: New Channel is empty
WARNING: New Channel is empty
WARNING: New Channel is empty
WARNING: Unit 08.7 is empty
# of mapped channels with effects=1770
# of effects=83404
Media file=C:\Users\Jon\Documents\Light-O-Rama\xlights4\2015\The House on Christmas Street.wav
New # of time periods=4420
Writing Falcon Player sequence
Finished writing new file: C:\Users\Jon\Documents\Light-O-Rama\xlights4\2015\2013 The House on Christmas Street with Text Track.fseq
Finished converting all files

I've bold faced to two errors that give me a lot of grief. Ever since xLights version 3.1.x, the Convert sees those two entries and then shifts all my data UP by 1024 channels to compensate. My data really doesn't start until "DMX Network 1" but there is something in my files that trips it up. They have several layers plus some blank "beat channels" plus some of them date back to when I wasn't using pure DMX. (8 years old)

Last year, I used xLights 3.0.0 to convert to an FSEQ and then work from there. That version ignored the problem and started my LOR data at Channel 1 like it should, not at 1025. Now, the xl4 Data Layer method and the ISEQ file are making that tougher. I know of at least one other user (fdunham) who had the exact same problem and we both just used the old xLights version for conversion.

Last night I went through a sequence and removed all the layers and all the Blanks and all the empty channels, leaving nothing but data. That file imported into a layer as it should have and didn't shift the channels. I'll use THAT file now as a template to "fix" my other old files.

[Gilrock]

The data layer method and ISEQ files I created are using the same conversion code as the Convert tab.   That's why I had you run it through that.  I didn't create new conversion code to pull in the data.  In fact if you switch to the Convert tab before you import a data layer you should see those same messages printing out in that window.  The conversion changes you are talking about happened in version 3 because I ran into issues also.  That's why Dan added the checkbox for ignoring empty channels.

[danj]

Thanks again, Gil.   and again and again....
By the way your matrix for the HS prom was very well done.