Color Order in xLights

[oxytousc]

I'm having issues with setting color order in xLights. I set the nodes to the color order I know they are, but they display differently than I'd expect. Is there a reason I shouldn't be setting them in xlights and instead on the controller side?

 

[merryoncherry]

Just don't set them in more than one place. And remember to take whatever steps to update all the way through. For example, if you set in xlights under "String Properties" you will need to rerender etc. If you set it in xLights under "Set Color Order" in the controller section, then it'll upload that to the controller and it ought to show there. Or, if you're manually doing it, you can change it at the controller.

 

[oxytousc]

Yea. I’m going to re render now and upload. Manually seems to work best

 

[oxytousc]

I need to do both string properties and the controller though, right? At least, I seem to recall that being needed. I remember this driving me crazy last year and then not writing down how I fixed it.

 

[merryoncherry]

If you do it in string properties and set color order, I think it'll get done twice which is not good.

 

[oxytousc]

If you do it in string properties and set color order, I think it'll get done twice which is not good.

Yea, I think that may have been the issue I was having. But I do have to then set color order on the controller, I believe. Right?

 

[oxytousc]

It's also easy enough to figure that out if I set it manually.

 

[Skymaster]

Don't touch the string properties, leave that as RGB, and let the controller do it.
If you do it in both then you'll get a double flip, it'll store say GRB as channels 1-3 in the fseq, the controller will think it's RGB and swap it back.

The only time you want to change the colour order on the string properties is if your controller does not support colour reorder

 

[merryoncherry]

if your controller does not support colour reorder

Or if it does not support colour reorder on a partial string (for multiple props on the same port or smart receivers on the same port), or if you don't know what controller will get the prop yet and don't have a setting because you added it to the layout and are going to figure out the wiring later, or...

For those reasons I say do not guess, never let the controller mess with that stuff, it's just a device to turn ethernet data into pixel data as it is told. Set it in xLights when you install the pixels in the prop and it's fresh in your head, and then never worry what controller is capable of what. That way there is only one way to do it, that always works, no matter who receives the advice.

So there's the contrarian perspective. But just take one path or the other, not both, or you'll really get confused.

 

[Gilrock]

Never buy a controller that doesn't support changing the color order. I always leave string properties as RGB it just avoids confusion. Set the color order in xLights but do it under the Controller settings for the model so that xLights will set the color order in the controller for you when you push outputs.

 

[oxytousc]

Never buy a controller that doesn't support changing the color order. I always leave string properties as RGB it just avoids confusion. Set the color order in xLights but do it under the Controller settings for the model so that xLights will set the color order in the controller for you when you push outputs.

Yea, that's what I've been doing. All my controllers support it.

 

[oxytousc]

Or if it does not support colour reorder on a partial string (for multiple props on the same port or smart receivers on the same port), or if you don't know what controller will get the prop yet and don't have a setting because you added it to the layout and are going to figure out the wiring later, or...

For those reasons I say do not guess, never let the controller mess with that stuff, it's just a device to turn ethernet data into pixel data as it is told. Set it in xLights when you install the pixels in the prop and it's fresh in your head, and then never worry what controller is capable of what. That way there is only one way to do it, that always works, no matter who receives the advice.

So there's the contrarian perspective. But just take one path or the other, not both, or you'll really get confused.

Yea. This is the right advice. And, what I'm going to do with my new display. I've spent WAY too much time dealing with color order on crap.