WLED, xLights, DigQuad... things just don't want to work

[WarbirdPhotog]

Hey all, now that I have things all set up with my first multi-prop layout for Christmas, I'm running into some major problems that are making me have major headaches. My setup is the following:
ESP32: Garage Roofline (469 LEDS - GPIO:2) and Garage Door Trim (288 LEDS - GPIO:4)
ESP32: Garage Door Windows - Windows 1&2 (420 LEDS - GPIO:4) and Windows 3&4 (420 LEDS - GPIO:2)
DIGQUAD: Front Door Trim (150 LEDS - GPIO:16) I'll be adding more to this in the future.
DIGQUAD: 'Half' Mega Tree (3 Connections, 168 LEDS per connection as three 56 LED lines in a zig zag - GPIOs 16, 3, and 1)

With WLED everything works as it should. I can make segments, do all effects, etc. All things light up. Each controller has a static IP set in my router, and the WLED app works great for all the controllers.

But, when I fire up xLights and add everything, the ONLY things that work are the garage windows (the one ESP32 controller). No matter how I configure the rest of the controllers, they stay black when I output to lights. The previews in xLights show all the effects, and I don't seem to get any errors in xLights. I have spent several days now in the cold trying to figure out why the other controllers are not doing anything at all. I can confirm that when going to WLED on those other controllers, they do say that xLights is controlling them.

I've tried changing from DigQuad in the controller models to E1-WiFi and WLED with Generic ESP32, but it makes no difference. I set up my other ESP exactly like the garage windows, but still nothing. I've shuffled the starting Universes, taken them off auto and manually configured them, switched the layout models to use the controller directly or starting universe, etc. Nothing seems to work for the rest of the controllers, only the garage windows work. I tried numerous effects in xLights in the sequence to make sure it wasn't an effect issue. Second I turn the output to lights off, and they all come back on with WLED.

Another issue is that with the DigQuads, I can't seem to set multiple outputs in xLights for the megatree. xLights wants to use the starting port number, like 3, then use the next two, 4 and 5. But it's using GPIO 16, 3, and 1 in that order. And I did try just using port 1, 2, 3, 4, and even 5 to see if something would happen, and nothing came on.

Here's screencaps of my setup:
Controllers
https://www.warbird-photos.com/ImageTemp/XLights-Megatree.jpg
https://www.warbird-photos.com/ImageTemp/XLights-GarageWindows.jpg
https://www.warbird-photos.com/ImageTemp/XLights-GarageTrimRoof.jpg
https://www.warbird-photos.com/ImageTemp/XLights-DoorFrame.jpg

Layout Models
https://www.warbird-photos.com/ImageTemp/XLights-Model-MegaTree.jpg
https://www.warbird-photos.com/ImageTemp/XLights-Model-GarageWindows1.jpg
https://www.warbird-photos.com/ImageTemp/XLights-Model-GarageTrim.jpg
https://www.warbird-photos.com/ImageTemp/XLights-Model-GarageRoof.jpg
https://www.warbird-photos.com/ImageTemp/XLights-Model-DoorFrame.jpg

What is going wrong? Thank you for the help!

 

[angus40]

Have you set the correct start universe within WLED's configuration on each controller ?

the garage windows fit in the default setting of start universe 1 and that is possibly why it is working .

Also you may want to put a check mark in multicast in your xlights config for each controller.

 

[WarbirdPhotog]

Have you set the correct start universe within WLED's configuration on each controller ?
the garage windows fit in the default setting of start universe 1 and that is possibly why it is working .

How do you set starting universe within WLED? I can't seem to find an option for that.

EDIT: Found it! That seems to work for one of them!!

 

[angus40]

if you set all your controllers up as esp32 in xlights as you did the esp for the windows
and set up each corresponding WLED configuration to match your xlights config I would imagine all should work correctly .

i am guessing that xlights only requires precise specifics if you are uploading sequence data for FPP ,
otherwise one can use generic settings for controller etc when e1.31/multicast is used.

Maybe someone with xlights experience can extend on this as I am still yet to test xlights.

 

[Mghaff007]

Might be another way of doing this but when we set our props to a WLED controllers in Xlights we set the prop to use controller, and than set the start channel to one in the top for the first prop on the WLED controller and the universe on the IP address to the first universe. Xlights wont let you use a universe you haven't assigned to a controller so the universes will appear to the right of the controller. Every prop after this first one starts after each other. So on one of our WLED controllers the house roof west starts on 192.168.1.43 universe 16 channel 1 next one hooked into controller is house roof north which starts AFTER house roof west and so on for next prop connected to the same controller.

 

[Mghaff007]

First Prop on 192.168.1.43 WLED controller settings in Xlights.
Second prop on 192.168.1.43 WLED controller settings in Xlights
Third Prop on 192.168.1.43 WLED controller settings in Xlights