Really, this is "paid for" software and it seems to me to be as buggy as all get out (trying to be polite). I've spent 48 hours with Mike at LightShowPro and he (and others) have been unable to diagnose the issue. However, just as a matter of principle, "paid for" software should function pretty much "straight up" without ever encountering the sorts of dramas I've had. xLights, on the same computer hardware and OS has a few small interface quirks, and LSP users will tell me it can't do as much (I grant you that), but LSP can't even turn the lights on at the moment!
In the hope that Mike and I have missed something obvious and I have made some kind of idiot error and someone will immediately spot it, I will post the whole sorry story below (in somewhat abbreviated form).
I am using Win 7 64-bit on a 4-core Intel machine with 16GB of memory. LSP executes fast enough (one positive)
I have used Ver 2.5 LSP in the past on another machine. I purchased that in Dec 2012. It worked pretty well, if a little slowly in the relatively restricted memory. I was going to use it for a display this year. I placed a few effects "Twinkle, ON, Twinkle", in a trivial sequence on a controller to test the set up. No light output! This is ver 2.5
The controller is a J1Sys ECG-P12R which works perfectly well with xlights (btw) as do the lights configured on these universes as described below.
Universe 1 and 2 were connected. 100 Pixels (300 RGB ch) on each universe running WS2801, 1000, 1, 1, 100 in the firmware on both these universes.
LSP output config : Uni 1 Active Start:1 Size: 300 Uni 2 Active Start: 301 Size:300
When the LSP output connect icon is clicked the packet light comes on at the controller steady (not blinking) which I think is odd.
When the sequence is run, there is no light output.
THAT's with version 2.5 which, really oddly, at one stage would play 10 month old sequences, but NOT new sequences. Figure that one out.
UPGRADE? to version 2.8
Same result, except that LSP is now scrambling channels. When the controller is dragged and dropped, I check the channels and they are the correct order. Once an effect is added they go out of order and spurious bands (that I have not drawn) appear in the sequencer.
End result is the same, no actual light output. The packet light on the controller is locked "on" when output is sent from the LSP computer.
The computer is new, all WIN 7 updates in place and up to date as of an hour ago.
xLights, by comparison, on the same machine, sequences complex patterns in a rock solid consistent fashion on the very same hardware with exactly the same E1.31 output config from the software as LSP (uses the same utility module).
Anyone with any ideas?
Frankly, (I harp on), yet again, to the annoyance of LSP lovers and users no doubt -- this is pretty poor stuff when compared to a free sequencer -- just the facts, as I see them right now. If you're going to charge money for software you need to have the answers. Seems like there are none. I would ask for my money back but I know that's hopeless in the Windows world. Pathetic, is the word.
Speaking of words. I will EAT mine (above) and admit to being a complete fool (readily) if anyone can point to the error in my ways. Prepared to supply any further info you require.
In the hope that Mike and I have missed something obvious and I have made some kind of idiot error and someone will immediately spot it, I will post the whole sorry story below (in somewhat abbreviated form).
I am using Win 7 64-bit on a 4-core Intel machine with 16GB of memory. LSP executes fast enough (one positive)
I have used Ver 2.5 LSP in the past on another machine. I purchased that in Dec 2012. It worked pretty well, if a little slowly in the relatively restricted memory. I was going to use it for a display this year. I placed a few effects "Twinkle, ON, Twinkle", in a trivial sequence on a controller to test the set up. No light output! This is ver 2.5
The controller is a J1Sys ECG-P12R which works perfectly well with xlights (btw) as do the lights configured on these universes as described below.
Universe 1 and 2 were connected. 100 Pixels (300 RGB ch) on each universe running WS2801, 1000, 1, 1, 100 in the firmware on both these universes.
LSP output config : Uni 1 Active Start:1 Size: 300 Uni 2 Active Start: 301 Size:300
When the LSP output connect icon is clicked the packet light comes on at the controller steady (not blinking) which I think is odd.
When the sequence is run, there is no light output.
THAT's with version 2.5 which, really oddly, at one stage would play 10 month old sequences, but NOT new sequences. Figure that one out.
UPGRADE? to version 2.8
Same result, except that LSP is now scrambling channels. When the controller is dragged and dropped, I check the channels and they are the correct order. Once an effect is added they go out of order and spurious bands (that I have not drawn) appear in the sequencer.
End result is the same, no actual light output. The packet light on the controller is locked "on" when output is sent from the LSP computer.
The computer is new, all WIN 7 updates in place and up to date as of an hour ago.
xLights, by comparison, on the same machine, sequences complex patterns in a rock solid consistent fashion on the very same hardware with exactly the same E1.31 output config from the software as LSP (uses the same utility module).
Anyone with any ideas?
Frankly, (I harp on), yet again, to the annoyance of LSP lovers and users no doubt -- this is pretty poor stuff when compared to a free sequencer -- just the facts, as I see them right now. If you're going to charge money for software you need to have the answers. Seems like there are none. I would ask for my money back but I know that's hopeless in the Windows world. Pathetic, is the word.
Speaking of words. I will EAT mine (above) and admit to being a complete fool (readily) if anyone can point to the error in my ways. Prepared to supply any further info you require.