Scrolling Large Text across a grid of 16 poles

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   Cant remove the GIF status here.  It brings it in as a GIF file and drops the GIF off the file name so I cant erase it.  Anyone else get it to work?

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ChrisL1976 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Beta Testers Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Location: Kankakee, Ill Online Status: Offline Posts: 1341	Quote Reply Posted: 13 Feb 2009 at 10:48am
	Cant remove the GIF status here. It brings it in as a GIF file and drops the GIF off the file name so I cant erase it. Anyone else get it to work?
	Chris www.lightsonsixth.com

JonB256 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List DMX Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Location: Granbury, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 130	Quote Reply Posted: 13 Feb 2009 at 9:12am
	OK, I've spent more time with this (plus the time to get more familiar with Aurora). The link below will open a file directory. The "Jon letter test.dls" file is the file to download. It should offer to "Save" and "Open" now that the server knows what a DLS file is. There is also a "Letter Test 2.dls" file that is new and works much better. Test file If you play this (I had music behind it but it wasn't "synchronized" at all) you will notice that the first sets of letters are too skinny and may be hard to read as they scroll. Later, there are some "H" demos, one is double-wide, one is triple-wide. The double-wide may be the size of choice. Testing continue. I still have to build the stupid poles and engineer a good method of anchoring them to bleacher seats. I can borrow enough controllers for the 128 channels this will consume but I'll need some more by Christmas. Edited by JonB256 - 14 Feb 2009 at 7:57am
	JonB - D-Light user

Slinkard Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DMX Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Location: El Cajon CA Online Status: Offline Posts: 243	Quote Reply Posted: 12 Feb 2009 at 8:28am
	Yeah, I noted the SPT1. To fix the "Mirror" effect just flip you channels in Aurora i.e: Turns into 1 16 2 15 3 14 Then you'll have it. Gotta remember that when doing text you are literally look at a mirror when working in Aurora. Slink
	Coming soon www.computerizedlights.com

JonB256 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List DMX Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Location: Granbury, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 130	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Feb 2009 at 11:13pm
	I'm not sure why I didn't think about it until I tried putting the letter "H" across the matrix, but did you know that scrolling text (in English, anyway) should move from Right to Left? Once that sank in, I re-ordered my poles. Now, #1 is on the far right, #16 on the far left. Because I'm a creature of habit, I did still number the channels from #1 at the bottom to #8 at the top. The next pole became #9 at the bottom, #16 at the top. Because of that, I had a problem with the letters. First I did an H. No problem. It would easily move from right to left just by copy/pasting a single cell to the right. Then I did an O. No problem. H O scrolled just fine. Then I added a P and and E but ran into a slight problem. Because I put the channels from bottom to top, numerically, P and E were noticeably "upside-down." It didn't show up with the H and the O because they are the same either way. To fix, I could renumber all the poles or I could just draw the P and E upside down. I chose the latter. So now (and I'll post a video soon), I can already scroll HOPE and CURE across my matrix. It was remarkably easy once I fixed my early mistakes. More to come! Thanks for all the help. Slinkard - your layout would possibly work, but would be a very inefficient use of power cords. Easiest construction will be to put a 16 channel controller between each pair of poles. Edited by JonB256 - 11 Feb 2009 at 11:16pm
	JonB - D-Light user

Slinkard Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DMX Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Location: El Cajon CA Online Status: Offline Posts: 243	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Feb 2009 at 3:28pm
	I've got it solved! turn it side ways. Create 16 poles each bieng channels High. This way you will need more SPT1 but it should flow easier. So this is a number output: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Controller 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Controller 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Controller 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Controller 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Controller 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Controller 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Controller 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Controller 8 Now you have 16 poles still each pole has 8ch. total. Slink
	Coming soon www.computerizedlights.com

JonB256 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List DMX Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Location: Granbury, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 130	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Feb 2009 at 12:03pm
	Chris, I've also considered connecting the controllers "from the side" such that Controller ID #10 would do all of the bottom segments, the #11 would do the next row up, etc... That seems like it would be easier for doing Words, but then much harder to do things like fireworks or fountains. Plus, it is super inefficient for running power cords. Can I have it both ways??? Ultimately, it seems more of a question of how I organize the channels on the Aurora screen rather than actual controller and channel assignments. Jonathan - rather than consider this a "poor man's Galaxia" I'd prefer it to be a low-budget, multiple purpose display panel. (MPDP) What I REALLY want is the Fireworks or Firestick type effects and then also the Bellagio Water Fountain effects. The "bonus" would be the MPDP scrolling words. I'll drop the scrolling word features if it is too hard, though I don't think it will be. After a meeting with the Relay for Life people Monday, I have now committed to doing a version of The Star Spangled Banner with my display at 5am Saturday. At midnight, I will do "Eye of the Tiger." I still need to pick at least one more song. Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer would probably not go over very well :( Edited by JonB256 - 11 Feb 2009 at 1:40pm
	JonB - D-Light user

ChrisL1976 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Beta Testers Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Location: Kankakee, Ill Online Status: Offline Posts: 1341	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Feb 2009 at 10:57am
	ok, the copy/paste wont work unless the entire letter is contained in the same controller which in your case it never will be. I threw together a 2 controller grid. 4 channels high by 8 channels long. I scrolled a O a cross the screen. Here's the DLS file After trying this the way I said with the channel layout..... I'd leave my channels listed in order. I'd print out a copy of you channel layout from above. Then get a piece of transparent sheet, lay it over channel layout and draw your word so it fits the channels. If your doing HOPE after you draw HOPE on your trans. sheet. Slide the beginning of the H on to the last firestick (channel 9-16 contrl 17) Only 9-17 are covered. turn on thos channels. Slide if one FS to the left. Now the H covers contrl 17 1-8 and 12,13. Next event...slide if left..turn on those channels and so on.....this will make the word HOPE scroll from right to left. In your case, I'd do letters that were 2 FS wide. Same principal. Edited by ChrisL1976 - 11 Feb 2009 at 11:06am
	Chris www.lightsonsixth.com

Jonathan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Beta Testers Joined: 07 Sep 2008 Location: SoCal Online Status: Offline Posts: 1237	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Feb 2009 at 10:10am
	So you are trying to do the cheap man's version of what Galaxia does? Seriously, have you seen the prices for their controllers and strands!?! Don't get me wrong, I looked at some pretty amazing videos of their product in action, but with enough thought and work put into it, you could do it one block (channel) at a time and acheive much the same effect.
	~Jonathan

JonB256 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List DMX Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Location: Granbury, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 130	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Feb 2009 at 9:15am
	I'm hoping it is just that easy but my brain isn't picturing how the actual screen with Copy/Paste will work yet. I'll get a grid and picture setup tonight or tomorrow. If I just can't get it to work, I'll copy the file here. Thanks.
	JonB - D-Light user

ChrisL1976 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Beta Testers Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Location: Kankakee, Ill Online Status: Offline Posts: 1341	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Feb 2009 at 9:07am
	If you make up that channel layout and still have troubles, shoot me the template file and I'll sequence a couple letters for you to show you. I just dont have the time to set up that 8 controller file right now and draw all the channels on the fire sticks
	Chris www.lightsonsixth.com