Create a sparkle effect

[djsky]

Any idea how I can create a nice random sparkle effect on a few pixel color bars (12 RGB leds per Bar).

Tried various shapes with random direction, different offsets/sizes but none work, All look rubbish.

Trying to get the sort of effect as seen on the tv show “pointless” between rounds.

[niclights]

Try a high speed chase set to random (one cell per step). If it's colour overlay (for example white) then make sure just the colour overlay values are recorded to each step and turn cue release on (for example select fixture 1, apply white palette, record step 1, clear, select fixture 2, apply white palette, append, clear etc.)

If one cell at a time isn't enough you could autoload multiple chases (fire first cue on, kill at zero). Either just copy the first cue for (up to) two random cells at once, three copies for up to 3 etc. or, if you want to guarantee at least one cell of each bar is on at any given step then make a separate chase for each bar. If you have a large number of bars you could create a macro to help automate creation. Potentially you could also run them all at different speeds (or different multipliers if you want to link to a master/tap).

[jgavo]

I often use the method suggested by Nic particularly for super-fast twinkles and e.g. program a pair - one which bumps to white and one which is just intensity. But I'll also use pixel maps - there's an example in the manual for generating random blobs and it's a different type of twinkle look to the chase effect. It's a good way to start experimenting with pixel maps and e.g. experimenting with using layer masters to change colours.

[djsky]

Cheers guys.... I’ve got a random high speed chase made up, but how do I make it run more than once on one playback fader to make more than one random cell come on at any time?

[niclights]

As explained above you can make a copy and then autoload both the original and the copy in the first cue of a cuelist.

[djsky]

Ok, I’m sort of there.... it works on a fader, however I’d like a button to “flash” this cue list on momentarily. Tried copying it to a touch screen playback button, but this doesn’t work at all, and the grey flash button above the fader seems to pre-load “cue 1” but doesn’t do anything, and then the fader needs raising and lowering to reset the cuelist.

[niclights]

You need to set the playback to fire first cue, kill at 0 and set the (touch) key profile for the cuelist to 'Flash and Go'.

[djsky]

I’ve got flash OR go, but not flash AND go.

[niclights]

Which version are you running? The cue list 'Flash and Go' key profile was added in v11.0.

[djsky]

Doh... 10.1.

No way to do this on a button in 10.1 then?

[niclights]

You could do it with just flash but you need to go cue 1 first (CUE/CONNECT, <select cue list playback>, GO). In this case you should set it to kill with off so that it stays on the first cue and fire first cue is not required (makes no difference if this is turned on or not). As long as you don't release the cuelist you should be able to flash as required. You could make a macro that does the connect/go if you want to make it slightly easier/quicker but don't try to make the cuelist load this (you can end up in an infinite loop).

Are you not able to upgrade to 11.0?

[djsky]

Ok, so I have V11 now so I’m sorted.... but is there such thing as a “latch and go” so that the auto loaded chases can run and then the cue list is released after they’ve done their thing?

Also, when running this cue list the chases that are auto loaded release themselves, but the cue list key remains lit up, and also an intensity cue that I also auto load remains active. How can I get everything to release at the end of the cue list effect?

[djsky]

Just digging this up again.

After tearing my hair out for ages trying to work out why things weren’t working, I started with a fresh slate and all works as it should, so it would appear that during upgrades from version to version, playbacks still inherit bugs that previous versions didn’t allow.

Making a new playback with essentially the exact same settings worked fine.

[djsky]

I still could do with a “latch and go” option tho.

I’ve tried setting it to be a normal cue list with “fire first cue” then release me macro in the second step.

With this, in the first step, The autoloads don’t load the chases, only the cue.

[djsky]

Actually, I’ve found a workaround to the “latch and go”.

Instead of making two steps, I’ve made three, and simply used the first step as an “empty” step, the second step is set to “link with previous” and then the third step to “wait for go” with the “release me” macro.

Seems like this is a bug with autoloads in the first step of a cue list combined with “fire first cue” option.