Reconfigure pixel counts post installation

[dport113]

Does anyone know of a way other counting pixels to sort out where the mistake might be?  A specific sequence that can be applied to each object in the controller model to get the channels sorted out?  I'm missing about 50 pixels on the tail end of the last channel and its off random amounts on each prop by a few pixels here and there.  I had a few props go bad, so I just left them connected and left their model entry in the controller config/sequence, could that be why the count is off?

I know I can just count them, but was really hoping for something easier? 

If it matters I have (4) k8b controllers - (2) are beagles and (2) are rpi3b powered all running in multisync mode.

Thanks for any assistance.

[MikeKrebs]

It really sounds like a config issue. Are you using xLights and the visualizer and uploading to the controllers?

[Poporacer]

Does anyone know of a way other counting pixels to sort out where the mistake might be?

There are dozens of ways and which is best would depend on what you are seeing

A specific sequence that can be applied to each object in the controller model to get the channels sorted out?

A common method is to make a Bars Up and then left with a render style of Per Model Per Preview.

I'm missing about 50 pixels on the tail end of the last channel and its off random amounts on each prop by a few pixels here and there.

You mean you are missing a few pixels at the end of a PORT? Ports ore on controllers, channels is the data going down the wire to the pixels.
Terminology is a bit confusing, but we need to be speaking the same language.

I had a few props go bad, so I just left them connected and left their model entry in the controller config/sequence, could that be why the count is off?

Most certainly! Your controller ports have to match what is connected to them exactly and xLights has to know how everything is connected exactly as well.

I know I can just count them

Counting them will do you absolutely no good if your configuration is not correct. You might get lights to flash, but they will not match your music.

but was really hoping for something easier? 

You should configure things correctly by letting xLights manage your controllers.

[dport113]

It really sounds like a config issue. Are you using xLights and the visualizer and uploading to the controllers?

I am using xlights to upload to the fpp instances.

[dport113]

Does anyone know of a way other counting pixels to sort out where the mistake might be?

There are dozens of ways and which is best would depend on what you are seeing

A specific sequence that can be applied to each object in the controller model to get the channels sorted out?

A common method is to make a Bars Up and then left with a render style of Per Model Per Preview.

I'm missing about 50 pixels on the tail end of the last channel and its off random amounts on each prop by a few pixels here and there.

You mean you are missing a few pixels at the end of a PORT? Ports ore on controllers, channels is the data going down the wire to the pixels.
Terminology is a bit confusing, but we need to be speaking the same language.

I had a few props go bad, so I just left them connected and left their model entry in the controller config/sequence, could that be why the count is off?

Most certainly! Your controller ports have to match what is connected to them exactly and xLights has to know how everything is connected exactly as well.

I know I can just count them

Counting them will do you absolutely no good if your configuration is not correct. You might get lights to flash, but they will not match your music.

but was really hoping for something easier?

You should configure things correctly by letting xLights manage your controllers.

Terminology important for sure, and I misused some. I will take a picture of the lights and it will be very apparent what the problem is.  I can set each prop/model to be a specific coloar and they will start / stop mid prop/model or just a few pixels into the next prop, etc.  Stay tuned.  

Thanks for the detailed responses.  

[Poporacer]

I am using xlights to upload to the fpp instances.

And to the controllers?
You mentioned that you left props on the controller, that is likely your issue.

[jnealand]

I put props on my controllers that I hope to have completed soon.  They just don't turn on until I plug them in.  People say I wasting channels, but I consider it reserving channels for a future prop.  I can even sequence all those missing props and when I finally plug them in they start working without having to go back and re-render and re-upload using FPPConnect.  I have 13 FPP remotes and no data wires in my yard, all wifi controlled.  Works good for me, but it took me awhile to understand some of the ins and outs of using remotes.  I do not let xlights xcontrol my show because it packs everything one after the other and leaves no expansion space which leads to having to re-render and re-upload everything all the time.  sigh

[JonD]

I do not let xlights xcontrol my show because it packs everything one after the other and leaves no expansion space which leads to having to re-render and re-upload everything all the time.

How are you adding lights later and not having to re-render?   In the E1.31 past, I would manually assign universes to every port whether used or not.  It kept my universe numbering neat and tidy.  Even then, anytime I added any lights, I still had to batch render all my sequences.  Do you not use groups and full house effects?  xLights will need to know exactly where these lights were located when rendered.  If xLights already knows where all the lights are, it will not matter if the controllers are autoconfig or manual.  Maybe I am missing something?

I suspect manually configuring your controllers allows you to add extra controller space, and then prevents you from having to manually reconfigure other controllers, but if your controllers are autoconfigured, you simply press "Bulk Controller Upload" and it only takes a few seconds.

[Poporacer]

I put props on my controllers that I hope to have completed soon.  They just don't turn on until I plug them in.

What I think the OP is saying is that he has a chain of props on a port, for example, Port 1 is configured in xLights and the controller for a snowflake>Candy Cane1>Candy Cane 2 but he really doesn't have the snowflake and the candy canes are connected directly to port 1. If that is the case, this will not work as expected

[jnealand]

Unfortunately, I always seem to have props that are not ready.  I put them in the layout and sequence them right from the get go,  If and when I do finish them I can just connect them and they are good to go.  I have in the past, added lights on a whim and gone thru all the re-render, etc, but with age creeping up I, hopefully have quit doing that.  What I did learn is that with lots of remotes and doing 25+/- sequences it was a real pain adding stuff later.  Another thing I have learned is that if you want to add a prop, be sure to put it at the very end and the only thing you need to re-upload is to the master and the last controller in your layout.  Or if you have an extra controller add it to end and that is the only one that needs an upload although you still have to go thru the re-render stuff.  After Dan K implemented sparse and compressed uploads it is much easier today than back in the early days of master remote when it took a lo o o n g time to upload to multiple remotes.  Necessity is the mother of invention.

[JonD]

Autoconfig is simple as 1-2-3....

1) Bulk Controller Update
2) Batch Render
3) FPP Connect

I wasn't completely won over at first, but the longer I use it, the happier I am.  I REALLY like being able to add light models to xLights in the spring/summer with my controllers in storage.  In the fall, I don't have to remember what changes need to be applied.  The controllers sit in storage until the very day I need them, I plug them in and hit the upload controller config, and 15 seconds later I am good to go. 

Not trying to talk you in to anything, but I am going to suggest autoconfig is way better than you think it should be!

[jnealand]

Yesterday working one on one with Rick Harris we learned that indeed there is a bug somewhere in uploading config data to certain controllers.  The output config in the controller was set to channel one and sometimes the channel outputs in a Pi are deleted.  Before Christmas for 3 different shows I manually configured all the controllers and had no config issues, but Christmas about doubles the number of controllers for me so I set everything up in xlights and did the upload to each controller and have had nothing but issues ever since.  Seems like every year I have issues after letting xlights do stuff so I end up using manual modes.  Since I have been doing manual setup since I started with animated lights 19 years ago I am familiar with it and have learned to control what and where I make changes to minimize disruption.  To each their own, but I prefer to know what is going on with my configs.  Maybe I'm just an old fart who doesn't like change.  I still don't trust "the cloud" to store my data either, I'll use it, but only as secondary storage when I need remote access.  LOL

A big thanks to Rick Harris for spending time with me in a Zoom breakout room.

[JonD]

According to VMWare... 80% of business are presently moving out of the cloud back to on-premise storage.  If you wait long enough everything often comes back full circle. 

If you tried it and had issues I don't blame you.  I was at the place I needed to migrate from E1.31 to DDP and since I needed to take the leap anyway decided I would give it a try.  I did not have any issues converting, but was not sure if I made the right decision for a few months.  Now I would hate to go back to doing it manually.

[Poporacer]

we learned that indeed there is a bug somewhere in uploading config data to certain controllers. 

But, this was done on both a somewhat older version of xLights and FPP, so it is hard to tell if the bugs still exist in the current versions.

The output config in the controller was set to channel one

And this was only on the Genius Controllers and it might have been a Genius Firmware issue as well.

and sometimes the channel outputs in a Pi are deleted.

And this was strange, if it was a single FPP instance in FPP connect, it worked correctly, but if it was multiple instances, some would not upload the correct outputs... Again, I am not sure if this exists on the current versions of FPP/xLights

so I set everything up in xlights and did the upload to each controller and have had nothing but issues ever since.

When xLights first started the "auto-configure" methodology, I was like you. Everything manual, but more and more people were going that route, and I decided I needed to learn how to use it in order to help them. Once I understood it, I was hooked. It makes things so simple and eliminates 95% of the problems people have.
I manage several Drive Through shows that have over 60 controllers at each site and the "Manage Controllers" in xLights functionality saves me hundreds if not thousands of man hours each year.

Seems like every year I have issues after letting xlights do stuff

And this goes back to the reluctance people have of upgrading your devices/software. 
I totally agree with the practice of not upgrading FPP or xLights IF EVERYTHING IS WORKING PROPERLY.
You were running slightly older versions of both FPP and xLights but it wasn't working correctly....
I understand the reluctance of not updating due to the size of your show, and I didn't recommend it when we were talking because of the timeframe and size of your show. 

The problem with that is that the developers will typically not fix bugs in older versions because it likely was fixed in the current version so it really can't be reported as a bug until everything is updated.

I always update to the most current FPP and xLights as they get released so that if I find any bugs, I can report them and because it is the newest version they usually get fixed in a day or less.

[jnealand]

All good points from JonD and Poporacer.  I'm just not ready to do the updates as soon as released yet.  I like to see some good feedback on releases before I jump in.  And when it is showtime I wait.  I can update after Christmas and see if the problems still exist then (after I backup everything, LOL).