How do I move an entire show to a new computer?

[everettdale]

I've been working creating a show on my laptop that isn't connected to my controllers, and want to move it (download it? transfer it?) to the dedicated computer that is hooked up to my controllers. These machines are not close to each other and the only way to transfer files is via a USB stick. I thought it would be straight forward, move a single folder that has all the required information. But as I'm finding out this doesn't seem to be the case.

Errors I have encountered so far.

--- model can't be found
--- audio track can't be found

I'm not sure if those are the exact phrases but you get the idea. I think there were more too, I was getting tired and frustrated.

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong somewhere. I'd think that this should be as easy as coping a directory (or project folder) and moving it to the new machine, but if that is the case I'm struggling to figure out how to do it.



Hopefully I'm making sense here I'm sure the answer is simple.

 

[merryoncherry]

Well, I can assure you that it can be quite simple. (If it weren't, I wouldn't be able to do it.) There are gotchas, however.

It is as simple as copying the right files (see below) between the two and making sure they are in the right places. Also, you have to have the show folder set properly, and I'd recommend not copying files over while the target dedicated computer is running xLights, or you might save over them by accident.

If you have everything in your "show directory", including the media / audio, etc., and you copy that over, and put it in the exact same path, and that's the "show directory" on the target machine also, you'd be good to go, and do pretty much anything. If you are not using the same directory structure on the target machine, be sure to look at this page: https://manual.xlights.org/xlights/chapters/chapter-four-set-up/directories for things that are easy vs. frustrating.

You'd definitely want to copy over the xlights_rgbeffects.xml file as this has your layout and models. You should bring the xlights_networks.xml file over also, even though it can be regenerated as long as it's close. If you don't have those, or are in the wrong show directory, that would explain the bit about models not found.

If you are going to be just configuring controllers and running the show on the target machine, but not rendering, you'll want to copy the .fseq files over. If you are planning on rendering on the target machine, you don't need to move the .fseq files over, as they're big and you'd just be overwriting them.

If you are going to render on the target machine, you'll need the .xsq files, any images, videos, faces, shaders, etc., that they refer to, either in the same paths or as suggested in the manual page above. (Or, more elaborately, package the sequence and send it to target machine for import, but likely unnecessary.)

You'll also need the media files that accompany the sequences. If you can put those in the exact same spot, that'd be the best. You can also follow the page referenced above. Or, under "Preferences", "Sequences", "Media/Resource Directories", you can mess with the directories there. The error you paraphrased likely means it can't find this stuff.

 

[vk3heg]

What I do is have my show folder as "c:\Christmas" on both computers.. Then it's just a matter of copying that folder... I have done it between three different computers.... works without issue...

 

[scamper]

What I do is have my show folder as "c:\Christmas" on both computers.. Then it's just a matter of copying that folder... I have done it between three different computers.... works without issue...

This is correct. However one thing is to make sure that your computer isn't sticking files where it wants etc. Make sure you (when creating the show) setup the correct folders at the start and actually put the correct things in them. Such as music, I stuffed up a few times when doing a new sequence where I went searching on my computer for a song, found it and started from there without actually moving it into the music folder, and it worked great, until I moved computers, then it was looking for a folder that didn't exist.

 

[vk3heg]

This is correct. However one thing is to make sure that your computer isn't sticking files where it wants etc. Make sure you (when creating the show) setup the correct folders at the start and actually put the correct things in them. Such as music, I stuffed up a few times when doing a new sequence where I went searching on my computer for a song, found it and started from there without actually moving it into the music folder, and it worked great, until I moved computers, then it was looking for a folder that didn't exist.

That's what I do.. Everything is in the "c:\Christmas" folder and that is set as my show folder... When creating sequences or importing them. I place the media (music/pictures) in sub folders for each sequence in the folder for that sequence.