Duplicating groups

[spaulgal]

Seems like a relatively easy thing to do, but I have not done it before.

We are building 26 identical "arches" down a hallway. We've created the first one in xlights, it has 3 models, left, top, and right. We've grouped those 3 models and called it Arch 1. It contains channels 1-508.

What is the best way to duplicate group 25 times?

Similarly, when items (individual models anyway) are duplicated, there is an offset in the 3D preview. Can items be duplicated without the offer?

Many thanks,

Steve

 

[merryoncherry]

No good answer to the question of making groups... it just takes time, and copy+paste is a pain also (and loses the groups).

I'm wondering if you can create a single model that does what you want - either a custom model, polyline, door frame, arch, some simple thing. If you can do that, then the need for a group goes away. And you can make submodels for the left, top, and right... which you can put in groups... then if you import that model repeatedly each one will get put in the groups that were saved with the export. It's not dead simple, but much easier to line up... when I do that stuff I end up manually entering the locations into the property grid rather than trying to drag them around. (In 3D, that is. It's not so bad in 2D.)

 

[spaulgal]

Thanks. I need to brush up on submodels, but I think that may be the way to go.
If I use a poly line, is there a way to specify the number of px per run? For example, the walls are 39 px and the top is 52.

 

[merryoncherry]

Yes. Tick the box and fill in the numbers per section.

 

[spaulgal]

Geez. I had no idea that existed. Thanks!

 

[spaulgal]

Follow-up here....
I used a poly-line and created the model without the group.
Now I need to duplicate this model 25 times and place each copy just behind (in real life the arches are 2' apart) each other. Copying then pasting the model modifies each of the of 12 size/location points, so creating this 3D model will be a challenge. Is this the best way?
Might there be a way to copy and paste without the offset, or any other pointers?

 

[merryoncherry]

I hate to say that when I am faced with these issues I resort to editing the text file. If you are comfortable to try this approach:
1. First make sure the submodels are created on your arch, the way you want.
2. Save the layout, close xLights. Make a backup copy of your xlights_rgbeffects.xml
3. Edit the xlights_rgbeffects file in your favorite text editor. Find the part with your polyline, such as:

<model DisplayAs="Poly Line" StringType="RGB Nodes" StartSide="B" Dir="L" Antialias="1" PixelSize="2" Transparency="0" parm1="1" parm2="50" parm3="1" LayoutGroup="Default" Controller="No Controller" name="Poly Line-2" WorldPosX="394.0200" WorldPosY="20.0200" WorldPosZ="0.0000" ScaleX="1.0000" ScaleY="1.0000" ScaleZ="1.0000" NumPoints="5" PointData="0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,15.708191,119.082230,0.000000,93.125092,99.977112,0.000000,113.026428,3.657520,0.000000,113.026428,3.657520,0.000000" cPointData="" versionNumber="5" StartChannel="2551">
      <ControllerConnection/>
</model>

4. For each copy you make, be sure to change "name". Change "WorldPosX", "WorldPosY", and "WorldPosZ" as needed... the other points are relative to this and so it'll just work.
5. Save your file, open xLights, and see if your layout worked.

Aside from being done outside xLights, it's a very straightforward way, easy to set the offset, pretty quick compared to using the GUI.

 

[spaulgal]

Awesome, many thanks. I'll get the submodels set up and give this a go.

 

[Indigogyre]

Depending on how you group them and the effect you want you can use the tree option as a sort or tunnel option. Make a 180 degree tree with the top and bottom the same size and lay it on it's side. Seen it in a YT video lately.

 

[merryoncherry]

Depending on how you group them and the effect you want you can use the tree option as a sort or tunnel option. Make a 180 degree tree with the top and bottom the same size and lay it on it's side. Seen it in a YT video lately.

True. A horizontal wired tree on its side is very much like an arch tunnel.

 

[Gilrock]

Yeah on my moving head branch I've removed the Y offset when pasting. Most of the time the new model needs to be at the same height so the Y offset always annoyed me. It also helps to learn to use the Align and Distribution right-click options. So I paste a bunch of models and then can quickly select and align them or distribute them perfectly across the display.

 

[thewanderingpine]

Yeah on my moving head branch I've removed the Y offset when pasting. Most of the time the new model needs to be at the same height so the Y offset always annoyed me. It also helps to learn to use the Align and Distribution right-click options. So I paste a bunch of models and then can quickly select and align them or distribute them perfectly across the display.

Do you know if there’s a reason why you can’t bulk copy-and-paste?

 

[Gilrock]

Do you know if there’s a reason why you can’t bulk copy-and-paste?

Yes its because no one ever wrote code to do that.

 

[spaulgal]

I created the arches and duplicated them using merryoncherry's xml suggestion, thanks again. The tree was a great idea but I could not get the legs of the arch precise on the preview.
I have a follow up. We have 26 arches, each one is connected to its own port on the controller (green square in the image) (There are only 4 arches in the image, but there will be 26).
We'd like to do horizontal effects down the tunnel. How would this best be achieved given my patching? I have an idea how this might be possible, but it seems like it would be tricky.
I'm wondering if there are any tools or workarounds for this?

 

[merryoncherry]

There are a couple of answers here.

The first thing to try is to put the arches in a group, and put the effect on the group. The render style (which can be defaulted on the group) is going to have a big effect on the result. I'm not in a position to try it, but I think "Vertical Stack" is going to send effects that go up/down along the tunnel. Try all the options.

Another thing that can be done if all else fails is a shadow model, horizontal or vertical matrix with the number of strands as you have arches, and nodes per strand the same as the pixel count per arch. Put the effect on the matrix then. But like I said, hope it is not necessary to resort to this.