JLTSoft releases PLM-based Light Show Master Beta 2.0.0!

[Xpendable]

I just wanted to let everybody know that we have just released an all-new version of LightShowMaster that is PLM-based. Here's what's new:

New features:

• Replaced PLC support with faster, more capable PLM Support.
• Supports sending up to 20 commands per second sustained!
• Removed sluggish SDM library from software. No longer needed!
• Added user-adjustable tempo control. Sequence tempo can now be set anywhere from 16 bpm to 220 bpm.
• Sequences are now divided into 64-cell blocks representing a measure of 4 beats. Column markers now denote 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 4/4 beats.
• Complete overhaul of sequence graphics display.
• Fade representations greatly improved. Now fades will dynamically "stretch" and "shrink" in real-time as you adjust the tempo of the sequence.
• Complete overhaul of the channel properties screen. Now setting up your Insteon devices is a piece of cake! Just type in the device id for each device you want to add to a channel, and let Light Show Master manage all the link programming for you!
• Channel properties screen now allows you edit all channels without having to bring up the channel properties separately for each channel.
• Added automated support for deleting/removing links from your Insteon devices.
• As you add/remove devices and select/unselect fade intervals, Light Show Master now queues up all the changes that need to be written to your Insteon devices. When you're ready, you can just sit back and relax while Light Show Master programs all of the link changes for you. You don't even have to think about it! No more hand-written group tables or tedious manual programming of links one at a time!
• Now supports 20 different fade intervals (versus the 7 intervals supported in version 1.x).
• Automatically sends a command to shut off all Insteon devices simultaneously when stopping playback.
• New feature automatically shows you errors in your sequence where you have overlapping commands that can't be sent.
• Fade-up optimization eliminates the need for a useless "ON" command that you used to have to add at the end of a fade-up sequence.
• New command: Force Off. Can be used to force a channel off wherever it is needed. Useful for turning off a channel in the middle of a fade, or after a channel was turned on with a fade up.
• Added "Chan" and "Seq" buttons to sequence window for additional ways to get to the channel and sequence property windows.
• Auto-scans for PLM on all serial ports.
• Added button on Sequence Properties screen that will erase everything in a sequence but keep all of the channel programming.
• Added audio file "preview" functionality to the sequence properties screen. Now you don't have to play the sequence in order to see if you selected the right file.
• Demo-mode now allows you to work on a full-length sequence, but you'll only be able to play the first minute of the sequence.
• Added volume control to toolbar.[/*]
• Media files can now be saved as relative paths if the media file is in the same directory as the sequence file. This makes it much easier to share sequences with others!
• Optimized real-time channel display so only the channel "flashers" are rendered during playback, and not the entire channel box.
• Added the ability to load the link programming from another existing sequence. You can choose whether you want to load just the links or load the links + channel names and channel colors.
• Added button in channel properties that allows you to clear and reset all link programming from the sequence. This allows you to replace the link programming from somebody else's sequences.
• Added button in channel properties to wipe a single channel clean of all sequence commands.
• Added automatic check for newer versions of Light Show Master.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed bug in status bar that would flash "SHOW PLAYING" while using the horizontal scroll bar in a sequence.
• Fixed bug that sent all commands prior to starting position of frame when using the "Play Frame" feature, instead of just sending the visible commands.
• Fixed bug that left "Stop" and "Pause" buttons enabled on startup.
• Fixed bug that would display incorrect sequence length when you loaded another sequence window.
• Fixed bug where the horizontal scroll bar wasn't being readjusted when loading a sequence.
• Fixed bug where last column was not being displayed.
• Fixed crash bug if you tried to play a sequence with a non-existent media file.
• Fixed bug that would still display sequence position, length, and # of channels in the status bar when no sequences were open.
• Fixed bugs that wouldn't mark a sequence as unsaved if certain settings were changes.
• Fixed bug when trying to play a sequence when the media file doesn't exist.
• Fixed bug where media would continue to play if you closed the sequence during playback.

Head over to http://www.jltsoft.com to see full resolution screenshots and to download the beta!

If you do go and try it out with a PLM, make sure you do a factory reset on your PLM and any Insteon responders that you plan to use! LightShowMaster assumes it has exclusive use of the PLM and it is the only thing programming links on that PLM.

A detailed manual will follow in the next couple of weeks, but this new version is much easier to use than the previous version!

 

[upstatemike]

Looks cool and I will probably give it a try sometime before Christmas but I have to wait till I find a bargain on some more lamp modules (I've used up all my spares). Some quick questions:

1- I have a spare PLM that says rev 2.75, is that a compatible firmware level?

2- If I use this PLM and some dedicated lamp modules for Light Show Master, will the traffic they generate during a show interfere with my main Insteon setup?

3- Will traffic from my main Insteon controller mess up shows running on Light Show Master?

 

[Xpendable]

1- I have a spare PLM that says rev 2.75, is that a compatible firmware level?

Yes, that will work just fine. That's actually several revisions newer than one of the PLM's I've tested with.

2- If I use this PLM and some dedicated lamp modules for Light Show Master, will the traffic they generate during a show interfere with my main Insteon setup?

The answer is it could. Let's say that LSM is running a show and it's running a sequence with a lot of commands (20 commands per second, for example). This can cause delays in other Insteon devices in getting messages through, and could cause some messages to time out. So you might turn on a light switch that is linked to another light switch, and it takes an extra second or 2 to switch on, or you might have to press the on button a couple of times before the other linked light responds. LSM will not, however, do any spidering of your network and will not write links to any devices you don't tell it about. So it won't mess up any programming you have on your other Insteon devices.

3- Will traffic from my main Insteon controller mess up shows running on Light Show Master?

It might. If your Insteon controller is sending a bunch of commands while a show is running, it could delay or block some commands from LSM in getting to the devices in a timely manner. I certainly would not recommend that you do any link programming with your Insteon controller while a show is running.

I'm going to be putting together some sample sequences and video soon to show LSM running.

 

[MikeB]

2- If I use this PLM and some dedicated lamp modules for Light Show Master, will the traffic they generate during a show interfere with my main Insteon setup?

3- Will traffic from my main Insteon controller mess up shows running on Light Show Master?

These are things that concern me as well. I experimented a couple months back, trying to create an "isolated" Insteon network. I basically took a plug strip with 4 or 5 Insteon devices, and plugged it into a FilterLinc. I assumed that the FilterLinc would filter traffic so that devices INSIDE the FilterLinc would not affect devices OUTSIDE the FilterLinc.

I didn't test much, however I did find that my Insteon device LEDs outside of the FilterLinc DID still flash when traffic was initiated from inside the FilterLinc - so my guess is that it wasn't working as expected.

 

[Xpendable]

.
I didn't test much, however I did find that my Insteon device LEDs outside of the FilterLinc DID still flash when traffic was initiated from inside the FilterLinc - so my guess is that it wasn't working as expected.

I wouldn't expect a FilterLinc to block Insteon signals. The whole point of a FilterLinc is to block other noise but let the Insteon signals through. You could try plugging everything into a surge suppressor strip though... That might block the Insteon signals. It does for me. Different power strips have varying levels of filtering, though.