Tag Archives: xlights

Research

Sequencers, which one?

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I am very familiar with the LOR sequencer and have used it for years.  Mostly I bought pre-made sequences and adapted them for my own use, adding my own sequencing when I did not like things the way they were.  Each of these would run ~$40 and have stuff I could work with to fit my elements.  I know it was the easy way out but I haven’t had a lot of time in previous years to dedicate a block of time to sequencing from scratch.

With a potential move to RGB, I figured the smart thing would be to decide which sequencer I might like and then setup elements in it that would give me an idea of what my shopping list would be for 2016.  Seems like I would kill two birds with one stone as if I am unable to find a sequencer I like using the whole topic is moot, but if I do find something I just have to price stuff out.

So, I know the 2 main free tools right now are Vixen 3 and xLights.
There are others but these seem to be the most mainstream ones currently and if I am going to use something new, I want a large and active user base.  I need documentation and active forums for any issues/questions I encounter. Continue reading Sequencers, which one? →

Sequencing, xLights

Doing a layout in xLights

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I want to keep myself in check for this 1st year and if I go down the pixel path I need to see how much this might cost.  To that end, there is nothing better than getting a visual representation of what you want on your property.  This gives you a reasonable set of materials that would be required and that can be turned into a shopping list.

My initial plan is to keep this basic and not really touch the house roof line (as mentioned before since it might as well be a skyscraper to me).  This means a few window items (Coro snowflakes), a smallish megatree (10 ft or so), 2 mini trees (4 ft or so), and 6 arches (similar to Matt Johnson’s arches).  I will likely add some “connection lines” between the ground elements as I have a picture in my head on how it could look and how it could enhance the show with proper sequencing.  Otherwise, this should give me a fair estimate.

Mocked up in xLights, this is what I get (yes, the image is stretched sideways):
layout1

Now, to setup a list of materials I would need to purchase… to price this out on presales and make the final “go” or “no go” decision”.