How do you do the configuration on Vixen 3

N

newnatureboy

New member
I have learned a lot on my own over the last few years. but I just can not figure out those Darn Universes.
this is my lay out.....
1-1 105 pixels universe 1-2 channel 1-120
1-2 105 pixels
1-3 open
1-4 open

2-1 110 pixels universe 2-3 channel 212-270
2-2 110 pixels
2-3 open
2-4 open

3-1 88 pixels universe 5-7 channel 271-306
3-2 88 pixels
3-3 88 pixels
3-4 88 pixels

4-1 55 pixels universe 5-7 channel 307-294
4-2 55 pixels
4-3 55 pixels
4-4 55 pixels

vixen universe start 1,511,1021,1531,2041,2551,3061
all lights do not come on during sequence. how do I match universe on vixen to universe on E682
 
First of all, a pixel takes three channels. That means a universe can carry data for a bit over 170 pixels. you e682 config looks like you have not allocated three channels per pixel.

On vixen you seem to be arbitrarily assigning channels to a universe. This is not correct. You need to patch elements to a universe. For your above configuration, Universe 1 would have 510 channels configured (pixels 1 - 170) and universe 2 would have 120 channels (pixels 171 - 210)

Alternatively you could put 315 channels into universe 1 (pixels 1-105) and another 315 channels into universe 2 (pixels 1 - 105) then on vixen patch the pixels to the proper universe.

I assume you have set up color handling on the pixels properly so that each pixel uses three channels.
 
you also probably want to upgrade the firmware on your e682 to v5, it is needed to allow the controller to work with the newer pixels w/ different timings and makes it easier to configure the ports individually.
 
does V5 have 16 universe, 1 per port?
and the way I have the channels wrote out, is for 1-1 and 1-2, the E682 is putting channel 1-120
 
I thank you for all the help, I do see a lot of people having so many problems, and I am in that crowd.

Martin, you said I need to patch the channels to the universe, I thought that's what I did. Could you explain more what I did vs what should be done. Thanks
 

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I did not say patch the channels to the universe. I said patch the elements to the universe. To many that may sound like the same thing but it is not. Patching individual channels is time consuming. Patching elements means highlighting an element and patching it to the universe. This is very fast but means you need to verify the assignment of elements to channels within the universe before you use them.

I would love to verify the contents of your screenshots but the resolution is so low I cannot read anything on the pictures and blowing them up results in a blurry blob. FYI: This could be my eyes. I am having cataract surgery in a few months to correct things.
 
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There is no reason to put a full universe in each universe. The way you are currently configured you would need to skip lots of channels in your configuration as you are patching and that makes things confusing.

I would configure the universe channel counts to coincide with the number of channels needed by the port the universe is assigned to. For example: Port 1 only has 105 pixels and is fed by universe 1. Universe 1 should start at channel 1 and end at channel 315 (105 x 3). Port two has 125 pixels it is driving. Universe 2 drives port two and should have 375 channels (125 x 3) starting at channel 316 and ending at channel 691. Port three uses universe 3 starting at channel 692 etc.
 
Martin, thanks for the help, So this is where i am lost, figuring the universe. Ok I get the universe 1 being 105 pixels and 1-315 in that universe. but you lost me on port 2 being 125 pixels if port 2 has 105 pixels. should that be 315 as well and it be 316-630? or was the 125 pixels just an example? if you are able to look at my set up and show me what each should be, I would send you $50 for your trouble........
 
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This is why/where upgradeing to V5 of the e682 firmware would help, it lets you configure the individual ports. In you current version of firmware you cannot set a universe for each output you can only control the starting universe # for each group of 4 outputs.

Looks like you have 105 pixels on each port 1-1 and 1-2, so that is a total of 210 pixels or 630 channels, so that means that for port 1-1 you start Universe 1 Start channel 1 - 315 ending channel, then on Port 1-2 you start Universe 1 channel 316 and end Universe 2 channel 120 (again 315 channels). Then for Port 2-1 and 2-2 you have 110 on each, and it starts at Universe 3 channel 121, that should be Universe 2 channel 121, and should make the ending Universe 3 channel 270. You take the ending Universe Cjhannel # and drop it down to the next output and add +1 to the ending channel # to the next output as the starting #s this will keep you from having gaps in your channels or having to configure each universe for the proper # of channels.

Now if you want to start the next group of outputs at a different Universe # (ie 3) that is OK you just ignore the previous ending channel # and the new Universe will start at channel 1. so if you want Output 2-1 to 2-4 to be Universe 3 then Start Channel is 1 and for your 2 strings of 110, the ending would be Universe 4 channel 150.

So now in Vixen you have created your 2 elements (props) of 105 and 2 elements of 110 and assigned the proper Color Handling (Can be any color: the are full RGB) so they require 3 channel per njode. And you have your controller of 1290 outputs/channels (for this example). You can then select your 1st element and the controller and hit the "Patch Elements" button and the 1st 315 Patch Points.channels/outputs will turn Green indicating that they are connected to an element. The repeat for the 2nd element of 105, keeping the controller selected, select the 2nd element of 105 and hit "Patch Elements" and then 2 elements of 110. You can select multiple elements at a time or a group of elements and patch them all at once, they will be patched in the order they are listed in the element list.

AS you can see there is no mention of Universe here. In the controller config you would configure 3 or 4 universes, depending if you started Output group 2 at a new universe or just continued from the 1st group. If you just continued, then you would create 3 universed, the 1 & 2 would be 510 and the 3 would be 270. If you wanted to Start a new Universe for the 2nd group the you would have 4 Universes, 1 at 510, 2 at 120, 3 at 510 and 4 at 150.

Hope this helps.
 
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newnatureboy said:
Martin, thanks for the help, So this is where i am lost, figuring the universe. Ok I get the universe 1 being 105 pixels and 1-315 in that universe. but you lost me on port 2 being 125 pixels if port 2 has 105 pixels. should that be 315 as well and it be 316-630? or was the 125 pixels just an example? if you are able to look at my set up and show me what each should be, I would send you $50........
Click to expand...
In your previous example you had 125 pixels configured on port two. But your thinking is correct. However many pixels you have times three is the channel count you need. I would be happy to look at your configuration for free (ok, post a picture of the finished product here on the forum).
 
hi each pixel needs 3 channels, so 170 pixel will make up 1 universe of 510
so
pixel 1 would be channel 1,2,3
pixel 2 would be 4,5,6
ect
universe 2 would start at 511
have you also configured the e682 correctly?
 
Ruppro, I went back and I think I know what you was saying but still all the lights not working as needed, I can get 1-1 and 1-2 and 2-1 and 2-2 to work fine the having trouble with 3-1 though 3-4 and 4-1 through 4-4 ,
I have 1-1 and 1-2 with 105 pixels each, universes 1 and 2 ending with 120, then 2-1 and 2-2 with 110 pixels each universes 3 and 4 ending with 150, then 3-1 through 3-4 with 88 pixels, (note: 3-1 and 3-2 has 88 pixels and 3-3 and 3-4 has 55 pixels) if Im not mistaking, I have to have 88 here, is that messing up Vixen here? then 4-1 through 4-4 has 84 pixels, ( same note as above, 4-1 and 4-2 has 55 pixels and 4-3 and 4-4 has 84 pixels.
so in vixen, i tried different ways to make it work but failed.
so I config this way
510, 120,510,150,510,510,36,510,498 was that right?
thanks for the help
 
Ok so for the elements on 3-1 to 3-4. Yes it would be Universe 5, 6 and 36 on 7, You would patch the 1st 3 just like the 1st 2 but for the 3-4, because you have an extra 33 pixels assigned to 3-3 you need to skip them and then you will need to select all 55 individual ports that are needed to patch the element that will be on 3-4, then you would need to skip 33 again before starting the same process for the elements on 4-1 to 4-4 Though it might be easier to put the 88 and 84 pixel props on one output group and all 4 55 pixel props on the other. then for the 4, 88 88 84 (skip 4) 84 would be easier to handle
 
Ok make since to put all 55 together on 4-1 through 4-4, and re patched, but one thing I haven't done before is to skip , So I have on 3-1 and 3-2, I have 88 pixels and on 3-3 and 3-4 I have 84 pixels. on the E-682 i have 88 for the group. so how do I skip the 4 on 3-3 and 3-4? thanks

Here's a link from 2017 show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q-tUMswhFE
had 2 E682 on house that was full and went went 3 this year. I made it work before even though it wasn't right, but looked good
 
Added question, when I have 2 different pixel counts like 88 and 84 then on the E682, it should be 88. On Vixen, Do i config 88 for the 88 and 84 for 84 or 88 for both and then is this where you skip the 4 on patching? I never skipped before so im lost on skipping
 
The Hardest thing about working a light show, is the learn to do the steps. I am not the smartest tool in the shed, but I can cut...lol. couple of guys on here have help me get to some points and reading a lot to other points on here helps. but I dont think there is enough talk about the skipping channels and dummy pixels in the set up. thanks for the help and I think I figured it out.........
 
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newnatureboy said:
The Hardest thing about working a light show, is the learn to do the steps. I am not the smartest tool in the shed, but I can cut...lol. couple of guys on here have help me get to some points and reading a lot to other points on here helps. but I dont think there is enough talk about the skipping channels and dummy pixels in the set up. thanks for the help and I think I figured it out.........
Click to expand...
Check this out. You should find it helpful. It covers both the old firmware and firmware 5.030 which you can control all 16 outputs individually on the 682. It shows you how to update the firmware and what's needed. Doing the upgrade the way Sandevices has is cumbersome and you have to rename the file. The method I describe is easy and simple. It also covers setting up Vixen and patching.
https://vimeo.com/362132289

Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk
 
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