Christmas and Halloween layouts

Dreamin

Dreamin

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Hi All,

I'm making more of an effort this year for Halloween. Is it best to have two different xlights folders or is there another way to do it all inside the same xlights configuration? I'll have Halloween props plugged into ports and then remove and reuse the ports and upload the new config for Christmas.

TIA.

Dreamin
 
I have done it for this year, making separate show folders. Importing the sequences onto the new show folder lets you pick the models to import the effects onto. This provides for a change in layout & addition/removal of props.
Also go back and check old ones if you need to.
 
What they said.

However, I have a script that makes 2 layouts by filtering down the base layout with everything in it. That approach is definitely overkill for a small show but it's very helpful to me because my layout has a lot in common between the two, I wouldn't want to be going to both to add submodels, etc. The script also makes sure the gamma is set correctly on everything and rotates everything a bit around Y, which helps 3D look a lot better.

The down side of this approach is after you import a sequence with matrix faces, you have to go import it into the base layout also... this is the only case I know of where sequence import alters the layout.
 
I have often considered if it would be possible to have that functionality inside xlights. where you could setup a base layout and then have it included in your christmas and halloween setups automagically.
 
Yeah a tag system would be good, rather than a checkbox on and off. Feel like it might end up being flexible.

Is there a current way to clone to a new show folder without actually just copy pasting the folder?
 
Dreamin said:
Hi All,

I'm making more of an effort this year for Halloween. Is it best to have two different xlights folders or is there another way to do it all inside the same xlights configuration? I'll have Halloween props plugged into ports and then remove and reuse the ports and upload the new config for Christmas.

TIA.

Dreamin
Click to expand...
Just like everyone else I use 2 different show folders. I started with a Christmas show folder. When I did Halloween last year I made a copy of my Christmas show folder and renamed it Halloween. I will make that the permanent show folder while working on the Halloween layout and sequences. When done with Halloween I make my Christmas show folder the permanent one once mroe and work on that.

The hardest thing to remember is if you make changes to the house elements or props that are in both shows to remember and get it exactly the same in both layouts. Normally in this case I use the temp folder to point to the other show and make the change right away to not forget.

Dean
 
For last year and this year I've used the preview function. Select Halloween preview and it shows all models specific to Halloween plus the ones I have set as default which I use for both shows. One issue with this method is if you're sharing the same ports for Halloween and Xmas then the "Check Sequence" hates it and upload configuration to controllers and fpp can be a mess. But if you have enough capacity on your controllers you can set the Default props to the 1st 1/3 of ports, Halloween props to the 2nd 1/3 and X mas to the last 1/3.
The issue for me of 2x show folders was when physically setting up the "default" lights I often forgot to update port settings in both show folders that it was enough time between shows had passed that severe head scratching ensued 🧐🤔
 
Katekate said:
I have often considered if it would be possible to have that functionality inside xlights. where you could setup a base layout and then have it included in your christmas and halloween setups automagically.
Click to expand...
Previews is a way
 
Thanks All, I've created a blank show folder and copied over all the xlights xml files and will rebuild it from there with the new props. I think that will make life easy. :) Appreciate the help. :)
 
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