Nutcracker vs LSP post by Shanta

[smeighan]

Hi Everyone. I got asked this question on the Christmas Carolina forum. Since i dont use LSP, i am really not qualified to answer it.


Here was the thread


Shanta wrote:
"I appreciated the intro to Nutcracker at [/size]TASL[/size], and I agree that it's always good to have extra tools available (especially free ones) but after some quick looks at it I don't really see anything I can't do natively in LSP. Is there any compelling reason a LSP user would look deeper into Nutcracker? The main reason I'd use it would be as an intermediary between LSP and Falcon Pi Player, if I ever get a Raspberry Pi. [/size]Not trying to troll here or whip up antagonism, just an honest question."


Sean wrote:
"It is a valid question. Let me start by saying i think it is a pain to have to use two programs. The best would be that nutcracker effects were built in native to each of the sequencers. Until that happens You need to remember that xlights/nutcracker does two thingsxlights: scheduler, tester and converternutcracker: Creates RGB effects Fast Eddy has said any effect that Nutcracker creates you could duplicate in LSP using macros. I am not a lsp user so i cant comment how easy those macros are to create. Nutcracker was designed to drop effects on a model and then export them for use with LSP,LOR, Vixen 2.1, Vixen 2.5, HLS.So here are your choices1) Go all LSP. Create your show and the equivalent of Nutcracker effects by using macros. Run Your show in LSP2) Hybrid, Sequence in LSP, play in xlights. Because there were some performance and reliability issues in LSP last year, many people would do all of (1) except they would create a conductor file from LSP. (*.seq). They then go into xlights CONVERT tab and convert the *.seq files into xlights *.xseq. Why? Because the scheduler in xlights expects *.xseq. Now they run their show from xlights.3) Sequence everything in LSP except for their rgb megatree. Use Nutcracker to create spirals, movies,pictures, meteors and the other effects. Now export the LSP UserPatterns.xml file and paste it back into your original LSP sequence.I will let LSP users tell you which one of these methods they are using.thankssean"


Shanta wrote:
"Thanks for the response, and yes, I certainly see the value in the XLights part of the equation (especially if I want to utilize Raspberry Pi), it was just the Nutcracker part that I was unsure of. I can see, too, the enormous advantage it gives to LOR users since creating those types of effects are painful, if not nearly impossible, hand mapping to the grid (I'm not bashing, I've been an LOR user for some time and am just now moving into using LSP). I was just wondering if there were any effects in NC that cannot be replicated in LSP, because if not I'll just try to focus on getting up the LSP learning curve! Thanks."




[font=verdana, arial, tahoma, calibri, geneva, sans-serif]Maybe users who have used both LSP and Nutcracker could help him see the differences/advantages/disadvantages.

[font=verdana, arial, tahoma, calibri, geneva, sans-serif]I would make clear you certainly do NOT need Nutcracker to run a LSP show on the pi player. [/font]

[font=verdana, arial, tahoma, calibri, geneva, sans-serif]1) LSP export a conductor file[/font]
[font=verdana, arial, tahoma, calibri, geneva, sans-serif]2) Go to xlights and convert conductor file into a Pi player file (*.fseq)[/font]
[font=verdana, arial, tahoma, calibri, geneva, sans-serif]3) Go and run show on pi player.[/font]

[font=verdana, arial, tahoma, calibri, geneva, sans-serif]thanks[/font]
[font=verdana, arial, tahoma, calibri, geneva, sans-serif]sean[/font][/font]

 

[Charl Marais]

I started sequencing on LOR in October of last year and bought both LOR as well as Superstar (24CCR licence). I found them easy to use and understand but somewhat time consuming on very complex displays. Then I started using Nutcracker to do the difficult bits which was a real treat and this exposed me to pixels.
When I however started expanding into (lots of) pixels I started running into limits as some of my LOR files were 2 Gig in size and would take up to a minute to load, update or save. This was no longer feasible so I bought LSP.
LSP is totally different from anything else and can generate some truly amazing effects with a lot of ease. There are however a number of effects that I simply cannot duplicate in LSP but can do in Nutcracker in seconds and with recent xLights releases this has even gotten better (thanks smeighan and team). Effects like bars and text are no problem in either, but complex discrete spirals or meteors still have me baffled in LSP while whole display chases and synchronisations are totally beyond my abilities in Nutcracker.
I am thus using both for my sequencing this year and see a clear area for co-existence. What I would probably appreciate the most would be a Nutcracker plugin or such for LSP like they have in Vixen so that I could use Nutcracker effects like I would use transitions or macros. *hint hint* 8)
All in all, I think it will depend on the individual and how comfortable he or she is with the software they are using. I don't think I can do without both at the moment.