What is a Lynx Smart String?

[JerryPlak]

 >.d9  Awesome video RJ 

[i1uhrace]

This is so cool I really can't wait. This should bring my display to a whole other level!
It seems very easy to understand and very cost effective as well!

[RJ]

1024 bit color,



    Ok just kidding!!! 8 bit or 256 colors per channel three channel.

RJ

[rdebolt]

This is awesome (not for my wallet), but I can see my set up time going way down! In stead of 4 different stings to put up I will only have to put up one string AND it will do a lot more colors. Anyone want to buy a shed, I need to get a lot of the SSs?  With LSP and the other software it sounds like sequencing won't be quite as time consuming either. Thank you RJ!   <res. I can't wait, but I guess I will have to.  <pop..  <;d

[RJ]

After starting back looking at getting my show going I had what I think is an innovative idea that I have not seen on pixel controllers before. 

Since my MegaTree this year is changing from a standard led string based tree to Smart Strings I Will need alot of work on the seqences to make them work. Since only one channel controlled the whole string before I have to copy the data to all the nodes on the new strings to do the same.

Of course I could put the SSC in String mode but I would then be limited from adding some cool effects to the shows to show them off 

Then the idea, How about a Third mode I would call Hybird Mode. It would give you all of the nodes as individual control but add three additional (fantom) channels to the beggining of the string.

So if the string was 50 nodes instead of being ( 50 nodes x 3 channels) = 150 channel it would be 153 channels.

These first three (fantom)channels would control the string like the String mode but the next 150 channels would control it as individual nodes. This way you could use them both ways. When the first three (fantom) channels are off then the 150 channels work as nodes and if you turn on the first 3 (fantom) channels then the string then is controlled as a string.

I could copy the channel for each color from my current sequences to the correct channel of the first three. Then add advanced stuff new in the 150 channels to control it on a pixel level.

Wonder what the thoughts on this idea is? 

[kj77rn]

I like that additional feature a lot.  It adds flexibility.  Not only can you use each individual node to "grow" the tree vertically, the "string" mode allows for making the tree revolve without doing each single node.  Great idea!

[Greg]

Then the idea, How about a Third mode I would call Hybird Mode. It would give you all of the nodes as individual control but add three additional (fantom) channels to the beginning of the string.

Sounds like a great idea to me to be able to drop in and out of string/pixel mode at will!  And of course I highly recommend you do call it "Hybird" Mode 

Hmm, was just thinking through doing a SS spiral tree without actually having to spiral the strings and now I have a headache... but oh the possibilities ...maybe too many. 

Greg

[ptone]

I like it.  Because currently you have to reflash from the utility to switch modes right?

I'm wondering if it would be possible to use both at the same time?

That is, a node uses the string value, unless it has a node value.  This would make it easier to say, have a red sweep across an all yellow field.

Also - looking forward here, is RDM something that can be built into something like a SSC instead of using a utility?  This would allow reconfiguring some things on the fly.  It probably isn't worth extra complexity and cost at the SSC - but if it is just programming, it would be cool for the "someday, maybe" category.

-Preston

[PJNMCT]

After starting back looking at getting my show going I had what I think is an innovative idea that I have not seen on pixel controllers before.  

...

Wonder what the thoughts on this idea is?  

This is EXACTLY where I was hoping you were heading.  >.d9

...I knew if I waited long enough, RJ would come through...always does!    <res.

-Paul

[tconley]

now all we need is software like galaxia has so once all of hte pixels are installed you can then map them in space.  So the program then figures out the position relationships of all of the individual pixels to each other.   That would be great if you could feed a simple video or graphic source to the stream to render and then add additional animation on top of it.

[RJ]

I like it.  Because currently you have to reflash from the utility to switch modes right?

I'm wondering if it would be possible to use both at the same time?

That is, a node uses the string value, unless it has a node value.  This would make it easier to say, have a red sweep across an all yellow field.

Also - looking forward here, is RDM something that can be built into something like a SSC instead of using a utility?  This would allow reconfiguring some things on the fly.  It probably isn't worth extra complexity and cost at the SSC - but if it is just programming, it would be cool for the "someday, maybe" category.

-Preston

I do not see RDM in the near future for it. I have been working to keep the system simple.

RJ

[Night Owl]

now all we need is software like galaxia has so once all of hte pixels are installed you can then map them in space.  So the program then figures out the position relationships of all of the individual pixels to each other.   That would be great if you could feed a simple video or graphic source to the stream to render and then add additional animation on top of it.

Isn't that kinda what LSP does?  Or are you talking about something else?  I was watching the demo of sequencing with layers and was considering switching from Vixen to LSP.

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[Aussiephil]

These first three (fantom)channels would control the string like the String mode but the next 150 channels would control it as individual nodes. This way you could use them both ways. When the first three (fantom) channels are off then the 150 channels work as nodes and if you turn on the first 3 (fantom) channels then the string then is controlled as a string.

Wonder what the thoughts on this idea is? 

RJ

Really quite CCR like and straight forward.

Good luck - the one thing that has got me wondering is what is the magic IC in the pixels that allows you to run the string at 12V.

One thing you are spot on with is we will all have to take on the concepts around extreme channel count sequencing, i have 10,576 channels allocated in Vixen this year.

Phil

[PJNMCT]

I'm wondering if it would be possible to use both at the same time?

That is, a node uses the string value, unless it has a node value.  This would make it easier to say, have a red sweep across an all yellow field.

-Preston

Preston,
I'm with you. I would like to see the string value overridden by a non-zero node value if possible.   <pop..

-Paul

[tbone321]

I don't think that I fully understand what you are saying.  It sounds like you are saying that the controller works in pixel mode unless any of these first three fantom channels are set and then the controller switches into string mode and sets the string to whatever the three fantom channels are set to.  If this is the case, then I don't see how it would work the way that you wanted.  How would you be able to create any special effects that way if setting any of the three fantom channels locks the controller into string mode?  

What I would suggest and what you may have meant and I just didn't understand would be as follows:
Set up your fantom channels as you said and make them the default string mode channels.  Whatever they are set to becomes the "default" color and intensity of the entire string.  Then if you set any of the node channels to anything other than zero, that node drops out of the string default and does whatever you told it to do.  When all of the channels for that node are set back to zero, that node returns to the string default.  This would let you do what you wanted to do.  You could copy your existing commands from the old tree to the fantom channels of your new one and it would behave exactly like the old one did but you could add your special effects simply by controlling the nodes that you want to use to create the special effect while the rest of the nodes follow along with the string default pattern.  

I don't know if this is what you meant but it would definitely be a true hybrid mode as both string and pixel modes would be active at the same time giving you the ability to create effets such as twinkeling or snowfall even as the tree is spinning or color shifting without having to program every node seperatly on the tree to do it