For xLights in 2021, we’ve seen some great updates. Watch this video to learn how to use the visualizer, which is now fully featured and will save you time in setting up your show!
Let’s take a moment to highlight some of the new and exciting things coming into xLights!
Older Version Snags
If you are currently using the older model of Visualizer you may know that in general it works pretty well, although it is pretty “clunky” with a few snags to it here and there. There are a lot of different decisions to make and sort through to get everything set specifically the way you want it. You may find yourself getting a bit confused and frustrated, especially if you are a programmer that is just starting out, due to all the different setting options to sort through.
There are definitely some limitations when it comes to the older version of the visualizer. You could set some things in it but not others, which could cause some serious snags when trying to work efficiently.
New Version Benefits
The concept of the Visualizer itself is not new but the newer updates to it have made it much more user friendly. The past version snags are definitely experiencing an upgrade! Now you can have anything you need as far as setting up your models with your visualizer.
Most controllers that are being used currently in the hobby do support the upload in the visualizer.
How It Works
To get started with the new version of Visualizer you will first click the visualize key and a window will pop up. There you will find the model that you created. Then, it is really as simple as taking the models that you created and dragging them on to ports.
Color Coding
One of the other new things that are really great is the color coding. By smart receiver you will see the color coding on the screen. This takes organizing everything to a whole new level of simplicity.
Brightness
This also will show the brightness for any given port. Your brightness will need to be the same for all given models. You can easily set your brightness right from the screen and even print what shows on the visualizer. Printing it out can be super helpful when you are setting up your display because you will be able to use it as a reference for where everything goes; what pixel, what port, etc.
Closing
What you are now seeing with the new model of visualizer is that there is no longer a need for spreadsheets. This saves a ton of time whereas in the past you would have to put in the effort to create the spreadsheet and add all the necessary information. Now this feature does it all for you which allows you to save time and focus your energy on creating the best display possible rather than sorting through a bunch of frustration to get things set up the way you want.