Singing prop in a pixel wall?

[armonde]

I'm so new that I'm just starting to conceptualize what I want to start out with before I start ordering.

One question I just kind of contemplated and couldn't find any information on is the singing props (like this Tree from Boscoyo) as a display on a pixel wall instead of one of the coro props.  My thought process is that this would potentially show a "cleaner" prop that has multiple uses instead of a dedicated prop.

Has this been done? 

I haven't played with the singing options in xlights yet to really see what that entails (I probably should have done that before I typed this) but hypothetically would the same presets work on a wall for ease of animation?

[Poporacer]

If I understand correctly is the you want a pixel matrix (pixel wall) to display a singing element? If so, then absolutely, it is a little different process but in short, you will need an image for each of the mouth shapes (phonemes) and xLights will coordinate those for you (you have to do some work to get there, it is not automatic)

[armonde]

You are correct I meant matrix.  I'm still learning all the terminology.

I appreciate the quick reply!

[Poporacer]

No worries, yes there is some terminology to learn, but we will help you get there!

[armonde]

For anyone who finds this in a search later, here's a video on how to perform what I asked in xlights

[MichRX7]

That was a great video, and very interesting how it works. Especially since I'm moving to singing faces and wanted to do a little joke with a play on the scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory where I turn the big coro face off and make him appear on the matrix like Mike. (found here if you are much younger than me)

[armonde]

I just found this updated version, makes it seem much easier (although not for your specific example)

[MichRX7]

Yeah, that was a good one as well. And actually, if I found one I wanted to push to coro I could take the image and put it on my projector and trace the same pattern. Pretty sweet.

[MichRX7]

So, I'm guessing on something like this if you have a larger matrix of P5s (8wX3h) and just wanted a face on the left I'd have to take those phonic images and edit them so there was a big black section to the right matching as best I could to the pixels available in my width.

As an example on this matrix it would have 512px wide by 96px high. So, if I took the face image and scaled it to 50px wide and 90px high I could extend my canvas, keeping the face on the left side, in my favorite paint program so I had 462 pixels wide of black and 3px black above and 3px of black below the face making my 512px wide by 96px high image. Then go and set the transparency in xLights on the black. This way it wouldn't stretch super-wide.

If that is the case, then you could also take a second face image and place it over the black area on the far right and in essence this gives you two singing faces. So, face 1 is occupying the first 50px wide from the left and face two 50px wide from the right.

Again, if this is true, if I want Face1 to sing lead and Face2 to sing back-up (different words) I could make another timing and put Face2 as it's own 512px wide by 96px high and be on the right and put a layer underneath the Face1 layer. Or is there a better way to do this?

[CaptainMurdoch]

Again, if this is true, if I want Face1 to sing lead and Face2 to sing back-up (different words) I could make another timing and put Face2 as it's own 512px wide by 96px high and be on the right and put a layer underneath the Face1 layer. Or is there a better way to do this?

You should use submodels.  I have one big P10 matrix that is actually in 3 physical parts in 3 side by side windows.  xLights sees the whole matrix for the model, but then I created 3 submodels for the individual windows allowing me to use them individually or as a whole.  In this scenario, you put the faces on the submodels so you could have 2, 3, or more sets of singing faces side by side.  I haven't tried, yet, but I think that each one could be mouthing different words as well if tied to different timing tracks.

[MichRX7]

You should use submodels.  I have one big P10 matrix that is actually in 3 physical parts in 3 side by side windows.  xLights sees the whole matrix for the model, but then I created 3 submodels for the individual windows allowing me to use them individually or as a whole.  In this scenario, you put the faces on the submodels so you could have 2, 3, or more sets of singing faces side by side.  I haven't tried, yet, but I think that each one could be mouthing different words as well if tied to different timing tracks.

So, I am trying out different thoughts on sizes to see if I want to go 2 high, 3 high, 8 wide, 6 wide, etc... When I finally do decide what I like do I have to create the sub-models in both FPP and xLights, or just xLights?

In xLights (since I'm just trying sizes and don't have it hooked to a controller in setup) do I create let's say 4 small matrix models that are each 2wX3h to and group them together where each matrix uses the start channel off the previous matrix? Matrix_1 would be start 1, 96 strings, 128 Nodes/String, Matrix_2 would be start from Matrix_1, 96 Strings, 128 Nodes/String, Matrix_3 (repeat), Matrix_4 (repeat), then group them together?

[CaptainMurdoch]

So, I am trying out different thoughts on sizes to see if I want to go 2 high, 3 high, 8 wide, 6 wide, etc... When I finally do decide what I like do I have to create the sub-models in both FPP and xLights, or just xLights?

In xLights (since I'm just trying sizes and don't have it hooked to a controller in setup) do I create let's say 4 small matrix models that are each 2wX3h to and group them together where each matrix uses the start channel off the previous matrix? Matrix_1 would be start 1, 96 strings, 128 Nodes/String, Matrix_2 would be start from Matrix_1, 96 Strings, 128 Nodes/String, Matrix_3 (repeat), Matrix_4 (repeat), then group them together?

Create a model in xLights then there is a screen to create sub models which are essentially just portions of the original model.  The sub model create screen shows you the model and you essentially draw a box on the model to create a sub model which is a portion of the model.  This allows you to put an effect on just a portion of the larger model.  You do not need to create the model in FPP unless you want to use FPP to put dynamic text on the matrix.  FPP does not currently support the concept of sub models but it is on my long term ToDo list.

[MichRX7]

Create a model in xLights then there is a screen to create sub models which are essentially just portions of the original model.  The sub model create screen shows you the model and you essentially draw a box on the model to create a sub model which is a portion of the model.  This allows you to put an effect on just a portion of the larger model.  You do not need to create the model in FPP unless you want to use FPP to put dynamic text on the matrix.  FPP does not currently support the concept of sub models but it is on my long term ToDo list.

Found it! Got two sections drawn, bit of a pain to setup, but at least I can save it for when I do get it so I don't have to do it again.