Mega-Trees

HLS Mega-Tree Tip2-22-2012 08:17 AM
As I'm using my tool, I came up with a nice tip I will share with anyone playing with HLS.

It will reduce the number of sequence channels by 2/3 if you are working with a multicolored object.

Example - 16 channel mega-tree - three colors (actual colors don't matter - so lets say orange, gray, and aqua). You'll see why I chose off colors in a minute.

Normally you would have 16 channels of orange, 16 channels of gray, and 16 channels of aqua to edit in the sequencer.

We reduce that by 2/3 by using the RGB capability in HLS in an non-standard manner.

Background: RGB was originally put in place to address dumb RGB led strings (string has only one color displayed at a time).

In the HLS editor, you select the color you want the string to have (working with a single channel) and HLS converts that color into three individual channels sent to your controller --- usually Red, Green, Blue channels - but they can be to anything.

So - I create 16 RGB channels in HLS to do my mega-tree.

Mentally - or put on a cheat sheet on the monitor - the following association: Red=Orange, Green=Gray, and Blue=Aqua. If I design my sequence now just using the RGB colors - the intensity data will be directed to my physical Orange, Gray, and Aqua LED strings.

If I want more than one of my led color strings on at the same time - select the RGB color that has them both at 100%. Example - if I wanted my Orange and Gray lights on 100% at the same time - I would simply select RGB color YELLOW (yellow is 100% red and 100% green). If I wanted all led strings (all colors) on at the same time - I would select RGB color White - since white is 100% red, 100% green, and 100% Blue.

So I'm designing my 16 channel - three color Mega-Tree using only 16 channels and encoding what actual color is being lite by the RGB color I have selected.

I can still do ramps, fades, etc. I can actually do a RGB color shift over time and the results will be a two or three of my lights on (different intensities) some going to fade to black, others going to ramp up intensity.

I picked odd colors for the led string because I did not want you to start associating string color to RGB color.

I am also NOT trying to produce multiple colors by use the RGB capability - just a method to reduce channel count in the sequence editor.

I hope I made this tip clearer than mud.

Joe