Jeff, thanks for including xTreme Sequences. It was great watching map Home Alone to your display. There have been many changes to xLights that can cut the time down considerably in what you demonstrated. Unless you really want to there is not really a need to point your show directory to the sequencer's show directory. I know some like to see everything in action to learn from the sequencing but you can do that in your world after mapping. If you have a slower computer getting straight to the importing will save you some time. For the images, shaders, and video effects there is a simple step for each that will make for super-fast importing. Click on one shader, select all effects, in the shader effect window right-click in the directory bar, select Bulk Edit Path and navigate to the shaders folder in the original sequence. Do the same for images and videos. This takes a manual process of individually choosing files to about 15 seconds. As for copying shaders, images, and videos into your show directory, there is no need. Again, xLights has thought of everything here. Once you have pointed the shaders, images, and video to the proper locations click on Tools (top menu bar) and select Clean Up File Locations in the dropdown. This will automatically add images to the images folder, shaders to the shaders folder, video to the videos folder, and music to the music folder. If you don't have these folders xLights will create them for you. I offer an Annual Sequence Club membership where you can choose as many sequences as you like, any time you like with redeemable xTokens that are used to purchase sequences. These sequences are available in your own private library for those times when you lose a hard drive or add a new computer. If you don't use all of your xTokens they carry over as this membership is 365 days for paid up members. And finally, you hit on a point that is so important. Giving back to the community and developers is important; especially if you are a sequence vendor. xTreme Sequences donates annually to xLights and FPP.
I've found that you don't have to adhere to matching prop for prop when mapping sequences. For example, I don't have icicles but those generally map nicely to my pixel sticks. I don't have window outlines but those map nicely to my garage door outline. I've even mapped flood lights to my garage door outline. I've mapped spinners to my column matrices and it turned out cool. I mapped vertical to meteors. I've even mapped mini-trees, which I don't have, to candy canes. Being creative in mapping, especially through experimentation can give very nice results.
Agreed. I mapped spinners to my spheres which seems to be a nice effect. Even when they have effects on a prop like Candy Canes, sometimes something else looks better. 😂
magicallightshows.com has some good quality sequences. Also, a monthly plan that you can cancel anytime (which makes individual sequences a little easier price wise)
I just wanted to say I have the club membership for ppd and it is more then sequences they have vendor discounts and they I saved enough to pay the subscription fee for 3 years already also I love the udemy class u have
There's a much faster way of changing the directories for shaders, images, and videos. For each type let say shaders in this case you can click on one shader then do a select all. Then right click the box where it has the location of the file. Then you can select edit bulk path and you can select where you copied all the shaders to. Then repeat for images and videos.
And now there is the fastest way by mapping directly from the zip file which will automatically link all shaders, videos, and images. Boom! Okay, so this has been out for a while but not everyone knows.
Hey. I just ordered 7 indoor p3 panels. One to play with and the rest to make a cube and they're pushing all these super expensive controllers on me when I plan on doing them procedurally with c++ on a teensy with a ton of ram. I'm just looking to make an ornament and games based on gravity. You seem to be an expert. How would you navigate this sir? I just need something that can pass a signal on to six panels hammered and drywalled into a pretty cube. A curiosity to tantalize the senses haha
I'm not an electronics engineer, but enjoy using this stuff to make my Christmas display light up the way I want it to. Awesome if you can build it all yourself, but I won't be much help in that area. There are folks in the hobby that like to build their own, but I don't have those skills. You might find some of them in the Facebook groups listed in the description of my videos.
@CanispaterChristmas cool. Thanks for the reply. I'm a hobbyist as well my friend but retired very early and have taken it past the point of where normal people would. I just started with these specific panels and while I have many thousands of leds for reason never got around to this kind. Your channel has taught me quite a bit even though I plan to go a different direction. It's good to look at things from all angles when you (meaning me) font know alot about it. I think it's cool that you guys use tech that is designed in America and not the super expensive boards the seller I bought a bunch of panels from is trying to push on me as if I'm designing a video board for times Square haha. If any of my comments have ever came off as harsh I assure you it wasn't my intention. I don't use any social media and come off as blunt and rude I find when I go back and read my questions and such. It's never my intention. I have a very high iq but suffer various mental ilness and it (unintentionally) negatively affects my online interactions with people more often than I'd like and I forget about it. I say this as I've watched alot of your videos and may have said something offensive and I apologize if I have and would appreciate it if you find any comments from me like that to call me out on it as it's something I'm working on. I'm a very nice person but come off as a dick sometimes. Sorry for being blunt there but I have to call it what it is. Sorry for a long ramble. Thanks again for the help.
@@jstro-hobbytech LOL. No worries. I appreciate folks that have a deeper understanding of electronics than I do. I tinker occasionally, but it hurts my brain a little and I have so little time to play with it. Most of my viewers use mostly the same gear (Pis, PCs, pixel controllers, etc.) though there are some in the hobby that like to roll their own. 😂 You might check out wiredwatts.com in Florida if you need some components for that project. Ken, the owner, is very knowledgeable about the panels and components he sells for them. Keep me posted on your project.
I found RGB Sequences ( rgbsequences.net/ ) after the Virtual Summit and absolutely loved the sequences. They have a couple of sequences that are free so you can try them out without must risk (just your time). I liked the free sequences so much that I purchased more at some really great prices. The mapping to my display was simple and quick. Great sequences and great song choices. I highly recommend them.
Jeff, thanks for once again making the complex easier! A slight off-topic question, but I see in you xLights demo that you appear to be running in dark mode on you computer. How is that accomplished in Windows (or is it only a Mac OS function)? Thanks again, and Merry Christmas!
Love all the videos. I've binge watched them in the last few weeks. I've watched alot of others as well but love the way you explain demonstrate and dumb it down a little for us new to the scene people. I have started to build my show this year. I decided not to start little so I won't actually be doing a show until Christmas 2023 however I have started ordering and building controllers and props including 2 mega tree builds as things are available and not out of stock or back ordered. So I started getting ready a year ahead of the show to have everything the way I want it for my first light display. Appreciate all the videos info and references. I've used it alot in building my show. Xlights is another matter haha. Everything else has come quite easy to me but xlights has really been kicking my butt. Just using my house as a background and laying everything out then trying to write sequences I have found confusing. Something I am going to have to work at. Definelty leaning towards purchasing sequences 5-6 for my first years light show until I can figure out better how to make my own. Again thanks for all you do!!
Thanks! It's definitely an art. Most of mine are boring because I don't have time to devote to it. I spent a year on one sequence once and it almost killed me so I leave it to the professionals. 😂 The quick method works fine for most, but if you want really out-of-this-world sequences, then purchasing them is the way to go. I mix mine in with the good ones.
I have used the xLights Google drive for sequences. Did not know about the other ones. Will have to look in to those. Thanks Jeff, great video as always!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well!!!! I’m new to the hobby and getting information for next year and was wondering I know the show cycles through, but how long should I make a cycle last 15mins, 30 mins????
Thanks! It's totally up to you. There is no standard. I have 2 playlists - up-tempo and mellow. I play the mellow list the last hour or two depending on the day-of-week, but whatever works for your area.
Hey Jeff I just love your videos and being new to xlights (I was using vixen) I have a question about mapping. How does things change for example if my prop has 15 strings and the prop from the imported has 16 strings? Thanks for any and all help. Tom
Thanks! I think it remaps to however your prop is modelled. Someone in the FB group might have a better answer, but once you render, it should work it out.
FOr some reason when I map to my props I generally have to go through and change the rendering modes to look correct. Seems like it shouldn't be that hard? I dunno...
As Jeff suggested having groups will make that easier. Any sequence at the group level will have a specific render style. When you map group to group it will set the correct rendery style. If you are referring to Allow Blend Mode then be sure to follow the recommendations of the vendor to either have it on or off. It matters.
Shaders are effects from an open-source community that creates and shared them. xLights uses the .fs file format and can be brought in via the Shader effect tool. You can also search for many more and download as .fs and import into xLights: editor.isf.video/shaders/1246
@@chrismann5162 I do, but I don't have availability for individual support. Go through my beginner playlist (ru-vid.com/group/PLFyrAfJ-kKd4ZfPdXWIt8v_bav61mW_KW) if you haven’t already. Also, check out the links in my video descriptions to forums and Facebook groups. Tons of folks will answer questions that come up and they'll likely respond faster than I can. Finally, check into the Wednesday night Zoom call if possible (see xlights.org). They have informative weekly presentations and open it up for general questions afterwards. Very knowledgeable and helpful folks.
@@CanispaterChristmas thanks I ended up figuring it out just got it a few days ago and have started playing with it to get ready for Halloween and Christmas this year we had a huge display but nothing like what these can do
I'm new to pixel lighting and I build a little bit each Christmas. I too have a hard time finding time to spend on sequences, my problem is that have to learn how to do a sequence not just spend the time to create one. I appreciate the links and got really excited to look at someone else's sequences the only problem is that free sequences in the google drive are all password protected. I guess I'm back to square one and back to learning or purchasing sequences.
Reach out to Bill Porter on Facebook from the xLights group (bit.ly/2zBMwnv). He should be able to help with that. Also, check out the other free link.
@@CanispaterChristmas in the free sequences folder on the Google drive and then in christmas folder there is a password.txt file that had the password for the zip files that contain the sequences
I love that you are a genius at the technical side of Christmas lighting, but I didn't think much of your artistic sequencing at all. I'm glad you admitted you don't spend too much time with it. I would love if you would give your viewers the template of your lights so they may create sequences specific to your exact setup. You could even make it a contest and let everyone vote for their favorite sequences. And please turn off the inflatables!
