Been giving thought to creating a different method of visualizing my display in lieu of the LOR visualizer or HLD. Having used them, both are too basic, too complex or too PC intensive to be useful. Plans for 2009 are driving the decision since I'm planning a channel increase in 2009 from 32 to 80 utilizing the front and side yards as well as the house eaves etc. A bit more ambitious then the 2008 single location display.
Question:
Has anyone built a scaled model of their display area, home etc, and used their controllers and cheap light strings to "approximate" the real world?
I was thinking of doing a basic 3-D outline of the house and display area in foam core at 1"=1'. Nothing fancy just an idea of what's happening at the curb.
There are many here that have hundreds of channels and only utilize the visualizer or HLD. These are meant to get your sequence 95% done, and then finalize once you can see it live before you have your official Light Up. At least this is my methodology and HO.
I have the HLD, but can not use it due to the multi-viewing angles I have on my display. I am still looking into this possibility, but to date have only played around with it.
Having a mockup of your house, while a great idea, I just wonder how much more closure you get on the percentage above, to make it worth your while. Again MHO. Some use light boards as mockups, using minis, C7's or C9's. One year I set up a mock up of my Mega Tree, and in reality, did not use it much at all in my programming. I have come to rely on the visualizer exclusively.
I used HLD last year for my 48 channel display without problems. I just finished modeling my house this year with 208 LOR channels (and the extra 96 for the two firefly light arches I will have) for a total of about 300+ channels that HLD can handle, and it has worked perfectly fine for me (XP, dual core 2.4ghz, 2 gigs Ram, if that helps).
I have used strings in my office to help mostly with trying to match dim rates between led and incandescent. My office is small so it would be near impossible to wire up all the controllers to make a mock display.
My 3rd year of LOR was 368 channels on 2 separate houses. After many. many, many hours of sequencing and re-sequencing, you will get a good "feel" for how the light will look. I found that the last few songs I did in 08 I had a "mental picture" of what I wanted and how it would turn out. The visualizer was used primarily for timing, and troubleshooting. (Making sure everything was red or green etc...)
One thing I did in my 1st year was set up a mock up display in the backyard so I could test a couple of songs, make some changes and re-test. That helped me compare what I saw on the screen to real life.
I used the visualizer that came with LOR last year. I uploaded a picture of my house without the lights on it. I then drew out all my lights per channel just like I was doing to have them setup. I then connected a projector to my computer and projected it on my wall in my office nice and large. ALMOST looked like I was outside looking at my display. This way I could watch and tweek my show without having to wait till my show was setup. It sure made it nice.
If anyone reading this is within 200 miles of Macon Ga and has a setup using Holiday Designer, will you reply? My wife and I would like to see your system before I buy. I'd apprecaite it.
I have a large shop and was thinking about installing peg board on a 10' X 28' wall with a projected image of a house against the wall. I could go behind the pegs and incert small Christmas lights where the image would be in order to get a visual. I have a projector that can be set up to flash an image as large as 10' x 20'.
I wanted to do this because I'd like to use this on other homes as well.
____________________ OPC167 - May God be my pilot.
Bret or anyone else for that matters. I having a wee bit of trouble with the visulizer that came with LOR. And it might be that I dont have some of the display settings right or the fact that my on time of 1/20th of a second is to fast. Sometimes the channel will flash like it should in the visulizer and other times it does not. So, at this time, the visulizer is really not that much help other than for events that last say 1/10th or longer.
Any suggestions or just get used to this problem which I have basicly have done and just figured that when my LEDs come in. I will set up the display in the back yard and polish up the seq.
I too have been looking or an alternative to the 2-d bit map approach. Tried the 3rd party visualizer "Holiday Light De....." for LOR, unfortunatley didn't meet my needs.
I took a stab at the Light Show Pro sequencer (satisfied $$ customer only). They have posted a video that uses a similar idea to yours, see link below. I like the front end and additional tools over LOR S2 but have not connected to my show hardware (lights) yet.
Light Show Pro mini review: Nice interface, neat sequencer tools. Very small problem importing LOR sequences, they work hard to satisfy. Two thumbs up.
I use HLD and am satisfied with the results. Last Christmas I was very pleased how the actual display look very close to what HLD had been displaying. I can take a picture of custom made decorations and easily insert it into the display window of the program.
It is most defiantly better than a peg board. IMHO
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New for 2009 150,000 BTUs of flames
Chris D. Brooks wrote: If anyone reading this is within 200 miles of Macon Ga and has a setup using Holiday Designer, will you reply? My wife and I would like to see your system before I buy. I'd apprecaite it.
You can download a trial. Not sure a 400 mile round trip is worth $50 but your mileage may very.
Chris D. Brooks wrote: I have a large shop and was thinking about installing peg board on a 10' X 28' wall with a projected image of a house against the wall. I could go behind the pegs and incert small Christmas lights where the image would be in order to get a visual. I have a projector that can be set up to flash an image as large as 10' x 20'.
I have seen other people do something similar to this, but I personally like LOR's visualizer. When you upload your picture and draw your lights on it, make sure you check the Similate night time check box or you might not see your lights flash. It is free. Just my opinion.
Max-Paul wrote: Bret or anyone else for that matters. I having a wee bit of trouble with the visulizer that came with LOR. And it might be that I dont have some of the display settings right or the fact that my on time of 1/20th of a second is to fast. Sometimes the channel will flash like it should in the visulizer and other times it does not. So, at this time, the visulizer is really not that much help other than for events that last say 1/10th or longer.
All my sequences are setup at .5 timing marks. I have no problem seeing the lights I have drawn doing whatever I have them do. Make sure you have checked the Similate night time check box on the left of your visualizer screen or if you uploaded a daylight picture of your home, you might not see the lights flash. (I know from doing it. LOL!!!)
I too have been looking or an alternative to the 2-d bit map approach. Tried the 3rd party visualizer "Holiday Light De....." for LOR, unfortunatley didn't meet my needs.
I took a stab at the Light Show Pro sequencer (satisfied $$ customer only). They have posted a video that uses a similar idea to yours, see link below. I like the front end and additional tools over LOR S2 but have not connected to my show hardware (lights) yet.
Light Show Pro mini review: Nice interface, neat sequencer tools. Very small problem importing LOR sequences, they work hard to satisfy. Two thumbs up.
I have looked at Light show pro but I have not downloaded it and played with it yet.
Once LOR can be imported into it and someone tests it with LOR equipment, I might try it out. It looks interesting.
