3.x Vixen3 Quick Start Guides / Tips

BradsXmasLights

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The new Vixen version 3 is proving to be quite awesome, but there's a bit of a learning curve with sequencing software these days.


So I've started making some quick start documentation for the stuff I've worked out over the past few months. Hopefully this will help others hit the ground running faster.


If you haven't already, read Adski's Intro to Vixen 3 here: http://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php?topic=5856.0


Attached is installment one - the display configuration for E1.31




NOTE: You must be registered & signed in to the forum in order to see the PDF attachments within this thread.
 

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  • Vixen Display Config.pdf
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BradsXmasLights

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Re: Vixen3 Tips


Installment 2: Bright Colours vs Intensity Curves (to get dark colours)

This is probably one of the most confusing aspects in Vixen3 after using LSP - however once in the mindset of choosing colour hues only - and leaving brightness control to Intensity curves, everything starts to make more sense.

Update: See http://www.vixenlights.com/vixen-3-documentation/basic-concepts-of-vixen-3/color/ for the technicalities behind the colour system in Vixen3.
 

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  • Vixen Colour Brightness.pdf
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BradsXmasLights

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Re: Vixen3 Tips

Installment 3: Music Beats & Bars via Audacity.


Read / Watch / do this: http://www.vixenlights.com/vixen-3-documentation/sequencer/mark-manager/


With the song's bars marked every 4 beats (usually), this will make placing effects WAYYYY easier.


When an effect is scaled to one bar of music, and it's intensity curve is set to pulsate four times, it'll then be in sync to the music beat.


Then for a longer effect over say 8 bars, if that effect is then set to repeat the same number of times - eg: 8; the music beats should still align to the pulsating brightness curve. :D
 

BradsXmasLights

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Re: Vixen3 Tips

Installment 5: Grouping sub-elements for Chasing effects




If anyone else wants to make some cheat sheets feel free to join in. I'm sure there's bits that I don't know about yet :)
 

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  • Vixen Chase Grouping.pdf
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BradsXmasLights

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Installment 6:

Preview Editor Shortcuts:
* Scrollwheel = zoom in/out

* hold Middle Mouse button/scrollwheel down & drag mouse = pan display preview

Sequencer Shortcuts:

Keyboard Shortcuts should be memorized as one hand on keyboard & the other the mouse will greatly increase productivity :)
  • F5 = Play Sequence from point
  • F6 = Pause
  • F8 = Stop Sequence
    (eg: similar Visual studio software development ;) )

  • F9 = Enable Playback Looping

  • Shift + Clicking effects = select multiple effects
  • Control + Dragging an effect = will make a copy

  • Control+E = Edit selected effect
  • Control+X = Cut Effect
  • Control+C = Copy Effect
  • Control+V = Paste Effect

  • Shift + Scrollwheel = scroll sequence left/right
  • Control + Scrollwheel = zoom in/out




Snap Strength:
Magnet icon on the toolbar will adjust how well the effects snap/jump up against each other when dragged.



Also bolwire's improvements here: http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?33240-Vixen3-My-recent-editor-work-Add-multiple-effects-Drag-Box-Filter-Draw-Mode


Add multiple effects: This allows you to use the shift key while selecting an effect to be added from the context menu, you are presented with a dialog to choose your settings, and the effect are createdbased on your input to the dialog.

Drag box filter: This allows you to select the type of effects that are select-able by the selection drag box. This also works with Jeff's new work which allows you to select and effect, and then shift-clickanother effect, and have all effects between the two grouped as a selection. When it is enabled it is automatically applied to both selection types mentioned(although shift-click was overlooked in my video).

Draw Mode: This proposed work allows you to draw your effects into the grid vs drag and dropping them.


Note my my bolding above - it only works when you right-click from the sequence background. There's also some very handy alignment options that appear on that screen too!
 

BradsXmasLights

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This is from the public Dev Build 46 to date.

Should also be noted that this is all my own gathered info and may be incomplete or incorrect. :)
 

BradsXmasLights

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Installment 7: Sequence Editor

I sould've also added too.... Don't hit the Playback button until the entire sequence has loaded and all the effect blocks have rendered.
 

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  • Vixen Sequence Editor.pdf
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BradsXmasLights

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Installment 8: Disable Controllers for improved Sequencer performance.


When Controller Output is enabled, the Display Preview may become quite laggy once you start adding 1000's of channels.


If you are sequencing without looking at Physical lights, there's no point leaving the Controllers enabled. Save the CPU/Memory and it'll improve the sequencer & display preview speed. (Also less things that can crash in the background :))
 

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  • Vixen Disable Controllers.pdf
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BradsXmasLights

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Installment 10: How to create Inverted Chases.
As of version 3.1, there’s no Invert tick box for the Chase effect L
However, if the SPIN effect is setup with the Pulse to be 100% of each revolution and the pulse curve is mostly set to 100%, you’ll end up an Inverted Chase effect! J
Naturally I discovered this whilst trying to create a normal chase :)
 

Attachments

  • Vixen - Inverted Chase.pdf
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