Vixen users locations

kevr

kevr

Full time elf
Joined
May 2, 2010
Messages
383
Location
Kaiapoi, New Zealand
I am considering a visit to one of the minis this year and have been looking at the users signatures software choices to gauge where the Vixen users are most likely to be location wise. It appears that XLights is the most popular of the software packages currently going by the recent post signatures.

I've long been a Vixen user starting with Vixen 2 then moving to Vixen 3 and a dabbling in XLights usually post Christmas after seeing all the great XLight shows that are around. I like the Vixen layout and it pretty much does all I need so I am unlikely to change, it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks eh!

Anyway is there as I suspect a few more guys using Vixen 3 in Brisbane?

I am hoping to kill a couple of birds with one stone and get hold of some of the arch tube and Boskoyo stuff at the same time and take it home with me.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Cheers Kev
 
There is a lot more Xlight users then Vixen users in Australia. I for one love Vixen 3, to the point I have self taught myself with the help of the lead developer and for the past 2 years have been developing Vixen 3.

I am also hosting the QLD Mini, however there will be some competition :) as Keith will also be coming to the QLD mini.

Also due to my Messaging App requiring Vixen a number of Xlights users are starting to use Vixen for messaging.
 
The Melbourne mini looks at being a washout for Vixen users. Last year we polled the users and all of them except 1 were Xlights users. @battle79 was the only hold out. In previous years we've had a spread across LOR, LSP, Vixen 2 and Vixen 3. Vixen 2 and LSP became redundant and just about everyone from LOR moved across to Xlights as well.
 
Funnily enough Alan I ended up using xLights this past year, purely because I could generate the custom models to match my props rather than having to jump into excel and do it manually.
Will be going back to Vixen3 as soon as they add this functionality, which has been coming along with implementation from what I've heard.

Sequencing wise xLights is more powerful , but also more convoluted, and doesn't allow me to nest elements like I would like to get the effects I'm used too. That said I have plenty of other effect options instead.

Regards,
Rowan
 
You have always been able to do custom models in Vixen 3, however creating custom models was slow and tedious. Some improvements were made towards the end of last year that has helped but was just an interim. Jeff had already started a true custom model feature however he didn't want to rush it to ensure it will be easy to use and the best out there.

This feature will be finished this year so stay tuned.
 
gnarmstr said:
There is a lot more Xlight users then Vixen users in Australia. I for one love Vixen 3, to the point I have self taught myself with the help of the lead developer and for the past 2 years have been developing Vixen 3.

I am also hosting the QLD Mini, however there will be some competition :) as Keith will also be coming to the QLD mini.

Also due to my Messaging App requiring Vixen a number of Xlights users are starting to use Vixen for messaging.
Click to expand...

I am looking forward to a good presentation on vixen. I have always admired the cleanness and consistency of the vixen ui and while I understand the power of the mapping process it was the hurdle that I couldn’t get over when I first started out and thought vixen was what I wanted to use.

As I said in Adelaide last year in the discussion on the future of Christmas lighting it is really important that we continue to have multiple viable sequencing options out there as competition helps stave of complacency and stagnation.
 
Sounds like it's well on the way which is good.

Totally agree Keith, diversity drives innovation.

Also, the mapping has been vastly improved and does not have to involve the GUI style like it used too (unless you want to use it).
Everyone who balks at Vixen mentions the old GUI version of mapping as the sticking point, taking a while to overcome that response.

Regards,
Rowan
 
battle79 said:
Sounds like it's well on the way which is good.

Totally agree Keith, diversity drives innovation.

Also, the mapping has been vastly improved and does not have to involve the GUI style like it used too (unless you want to use it).
Everyone who balks at Vixen mentions the old GUI version of mapping as the sticking point, taking a while to overcome that response.

Regards,
Rowan
Click to expand...
Fair point. It was a couple of years ago when I looked at it and I know XLights has changed a lot since then and I can only imagine vixen has as well. Looking forward to an opportunity to see vixen demoed.
 
keithsw1111 said:
I am looking forward to a good presentation on vixen. I have always admired the cleanness and consistency of the vixen ui and while I understand the power of the mapping process it was the hurdle that I couldn’t get over when I first started out and thought vixen was what I wanted to use.

As I said in Adelaide last year in the discussion on the future of Christmas lighting it is really important that we continue to have multiple viable sequencing options out there as competition helps stave of complacency and stagnation.
Click to expand...
keithsw1111 said:
I am looking forward to a good presentation on vixen. I have always admired the cleanness and consistency of the vixen ui and while I understand the power of the mapping process it was the hurdle that I couldn’t get over when I first started out and thought vixen was what I wanted to use.

As I said in Adelaide last year in the discussion on the future of Christmas lighting it is really important that we continue to have multiple viable sequencing options out there as competition helps stave of complacency and stagnation.
Click to expand...

Thanks for putting the pressure on Keith. I don't usually like to present but will give it a go
 
gnarmstr said:
You have always been able to do custom models in Vixen 3, however creating custom models was slow and tedious. Some improvements were made towards the end of last year that has helped but was just an interim. Jeff had already started a true custom model feature however he didn't want to rush it to ensure it will be easy to use and the best out there.

This feature will be finished this year so stay tuned.
Click to expand...
Good to hear. I have been using Vixen 3 since I started, and as I quickly grew my pixel count I cannot see me shifting any time soon.
I did look at xlights earlier this year, the main thing was because my daughters have mac's and xlights works with both windows and mac and they wanted to do some sequencing. After watching some videos and downloading the latest xlights, I just couldn't bring myself to start all over again.
The model creation sort of works, but there are many hiccups when trying to make customs, but I just do the best and it gives an idea of what is happening in the poorly drawn ones.
From what I have seen on the videos of xlights, it has a nicer preview layout with a small window for working on a specific element. but aside from that I think they are both much the same as far as my little brain can deal.
 
2017 was my third year with pixels. That horrendous first Xmas, I downloaded Xlights, Hinkle, LSP demo, and finally Vixen. I was tearing my hair out, it was about the middle of November, and none of it made sense. Suddenly there was a light bulb moment with Vixen, and I could make things blink! I don't bother with the preview, but then I just make things flash, I haven't bought the FM radio, or tried setting to music yet. I recently played with Xlights again, and I suspect I might nut it out if I applied myself.
 
Cheers for the replies, it looks like Brisbane may be the one for me then. I am intending to use FPP this year as well so there is still lots to learn with this as well.

Interesting to see that I'm not the only one to have tried many different packages, I did buy LSP and that worked out for me to start but then had problems so it was on the software roundabout (again), it just goes to show that there are plenty of choices out there and what suits one may not be the best for another. Wonderful how generous people are with there time and expertise developing this stuff.

PS I have watched may hours of Keith and XLights and feel I almost know him - great job you're doing!
 
I would like to thank the guys that put in their own time for no financial gain to help give the community great programming options. without you guys then the community would not be able to produce the great shows that it does cost effectively.

So my hats off to you talented programmers that have helped develop great free software options that help the community push the boundaries of our hobby.

Sounds like the Brisbane mini will be very interesting indeed
 
Based on my gear and show that I run I will be talking a bit about Raspberry Pi's,Falcon Pi Player (FPP) and projectors (that's my happy place). I will base that on the 2.4m Singing snowman from this years show. As usual we'll start at the very basics of getting a pixel to light up one way or another, power injection and work up to all the fun technical thing-a-me-bobs.
 
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