Xlights Setup - Universes

Hey all,


Long time LOR guy but have always used NC/XL for my RGB sequencing. Looking this year to just move everything to XL and simplify.

Struggling with the setup idea here and not wanting to modify my prior years sequences channels etc too much.


I have my show PC (soon to be FPP) but PC for now, output to a switch.


I have (3) Sans 682's that plug in to the switch, they have always been (1) Universe 1-5, (2) Universe 6-10, and (3) Universe 11-15.


I have a bunch of straight DMX devices, floods etc, that I now made a cable for and plug in to an E1.31 Bridge. The DMX devices start at channel 1 - 500(ish), standard DMX addressing.


Lastly 4 LOR AC boxes, which I made a cable for and run off the Bridge as well, they have always been coded Box 1, 2, 3, 4.


Am I going to have some addressing issues here setting up in XL? Since I have the DMX that starts at Channel 1, and the LOR boxes that Start at 1? Or is this a bridge configuration thing etc.


I'm so close to having it but seems so far lol.


Thanks all!

TitanBry77 said:

I have a bunch of straight DMX devices, floods etc, that I now made a cable for and plug in to an E1.31 Bridge. The DMX devices start at channel 1 - 500(ish), standard DMX addressing.

Lastly 4 LOR AC boxes, which I made a cable for and run off the Bridge as well, they have always been coded Box 1, 2, 3, 4.

Am I going to have some addressing issues here setting up in XL? Since I have the DMX that starts at Channel 1, and the LOR boxes that Start at 1? Or is this a bridge configuration thing etc.

Click to expand...

1st of all make an excel spreadsheet to help you keep track of all channels, universes and IP addresses.


I set my 1st E1.31 bridge as universe 1 and I hang all my LOR AC stuff off of it. The bridge is 1 to 512 channels. Your 1st AC controller to XL would be channels 1 to 16, your second is channels 17 to 32... etc, etc.


The addressing is not changed to the LOR devices as they are behind the E1.31 bridge.


I also suggest using unicast and assign an IP addressing scheme to your E1.31 network such as 192.168.1.x / mask 255.255.255.0


Example: E1.31 bridge = 192.168.1.100 / universe 1 / 512 channels (starting 1 ending 510)
Pixlite 16 = 192.168.1.101 / universe 2 / output 1 / 270 channels ( starting 511 ending 780 )
Pixlite 16 = 192.168.1.101 / universe 3 / output 2 / 270 channels ( starting 781 ending 1050 )
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[/size]Etc Etc.
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[/size]Also, jump into chat and ask away as well as read this very helpful manual
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https://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php/topic,1889.0.html

Ok great thank you for the info. I do have a spreadsheet with all my universes and channels etc. So if that is the case, having my E682's already set at Universe 1 etc, I will have issues?

It is all how you define it in XL... my AC controllers behind my E1.31 start at universe 1
Yours can be where you want it. Just make sure you do not have channel conflicts.


If you are starting from scratch do not worry if it matches LOR


When I set up my XL, I made sure my channels all match so I could import from LOR anything I might need.

Ok thanks, I am starting the XL setup from scratch. So I just want to make sure it matched what my LOR was for importing etc and playing through XL?

So my Universe 1 now in LOR is my upper roofline, in XL I want to do the same?


My LOR AC Box 1 in LOR is 2 of my faces, channels 1-16, so that also would be universe 1, channels 1-whatever, but just as long as I define that Universe 1 with the IP of my E1.31 bridge and not of my Universe 1 Sans 682, I'll be ok?


I think I'm most confused with my straight DMX devices that start at Channel 1 also, I don't think I can have 2 Universe 1's on the E1.31 bridge.

TitanBry77 said:

Ok thanks, I am starting the XL setup from scratch. So I just want to make sure it matched what my LOR was for importing etc and playing through XL?

So my Universe 1 now in LOR is my upper roofline, in XL I want to do the same?


My LOR AC Box 1 in LOR is 2 of my faces, channels 1-16, so that also would be universe 1, channels 1-whatever, but just as long as I define that Universe 1 with the IP of my E1.31 bridge and not of my Universe 1 Sans 682, I'll be ok?


I think I'm most confused with my straight DMX devices that start at Channel 1 also, I don't think I can have 2 Universe 1's on the E1.31 bridge.

Click to expand...

Not knowing your layout it sounds like Universe 1 is your roof-line and then universe 2 would be your AC stuff
Your Sans 682 is separate as universe 3 ?? I assume that is running something else ?


Again I do not know how you have your LOR set up and what props are what.


I tend to keep my props on separate controllers so I can move them around as needed.


Jump into chat and ask away

Ok it's confusing by my lor layout has been universe 1-5 is a 682 sans does house outlines etc and universe 6-10 is a sans box that does more outlines and universe 11-15 is a sans that does yard props etc. then lor ac boxes 1-4 do faces strobes etc. lastly I have straight DMX devices that start at channel 1.

Does that make any sense lol?

I'm not a lor guy, but from the first post you have e682 for universe 1 and wanted to keep your sequencing. So wouldn't you want to put the bridge at the higher unused universe and control the lor controllers. I think XL will handle this way better. And even if it doesn't you have less manual changes to make. Maybe a chat with the xlights guy's on Facebook forum will confirm this or have a better idea.

Ok thanks! I am still not sure, I have universes 1-15 being 3 of my Sans boxes and thats how they have been addressed in LOR and I want to convert last years sequences so I can run (not edit) in XL or FPP.


I just see when I convert it says to make LOR stuff Universe 1?


I currently have Universe 16 off my bridge for LOR stuff.

If you use the "Import Effects" method of bringing in the LOR data you can map it wherever you want. Like already stated you just put the LOR stuff into any universe, send that universe to a E1.31 to serial bridge output, and then from there its just going to look like a stream of 1-512 channels. Then set the LOR unit ID to determine where in that stream to start picking off data.