shows for sale look too complex?

[SaltyRobot]

I judge flicker based on how long I have to look at it. If I have something amazing and it causes some flicker but I know it is only for 5 seconds of a song then I will probably stick with it. If I am creating a pattern that I know will be on the screen for 20-30 seconds and it is flickering then I deem it too taxing on the scanners and eyes.

Anyone know a good resource to learn about optimization (specifically LSX if it exists). I know nothing about it, never used it, and I'm sure my shows could benefit from it. I see the tab in LSX just never got brave enough to start messing with it. I don't want to derail the thread too much just seemed like a more than just me may be able to benefit from the answer.

[swamidog]

depending on the version of LSX you're running, you have one to many optimization assignment settings.

click on an event in the timeline, assign the scanning optimization setting number, then open the scanning optimization panel and edit/name/load/save the parameters for that setting.

i typically use four or five different optimizations in my shows for things like:
graphic
abstract
beams
pre-optimized ilda frame
dots

etc.

I judge flicker based on how long I have to look at it. If I have something amazing and it causes some flicker but I know it is only for 5 seconds of a song then I will probably stick with it. If I am creating a pattern that I know will be on the screen for 20-30 seconds and it is flickering then I deem it too taxing on the scanners and eyes.

Anyone know a good resource to learn about optimization (specifically LSX if it exists). I know nothing about it, never used it, and I'm sure my shows could benefit from it. I see the tab in LSX just never got brave enough to start messing with it. I don't want to derail the thread too much just seemed like a more than just me may be able to benefit from the answer.

[masterpj]

Thanks guys.
I dont think both companies i linked to use some advanced 60K capable scanners. I could ask them though. I dont think the would even look good on those, especially the animation from the second video. What do you think?

This made me wonder. Is this flicker really a bad thing? Should i try to avoid it, or sometimes flicker is better then less detail? I dunno.

It's ok as long as your crowd doesn't mind and the message coming across doesn't get impacted (same goes for the experience).
I try to minimize it or avoid it completely, to me it does impact the shows experience.
If flicker time is only short and marginal its ok.

[SaltyRobot]

Running LSX Basic.

Sounds like I'm just going to have to play with it but what I currently don't understand is how each setting works or what it does.

Extra post blanking? Extra pre blanking? Interpolate max distance drawn? IDK if or when to use any of these. Or how they would help flicker, so I just leave them at default. I guess I am looking to learn some basic 101 optimization and then I can figure out how to do it in LSX.

depending on the version of LSX you're running, you have one to many optimization assignment settings.

click on an event in the timeline, assign the scanning optimization setting number, then open the scanning optimization panel and edit/name/load/save the parameters for that setting.

i typically use four or five different optimizations in my shows for things like:
graphic
abstract
beams
pre-optimized ilda frame
dots

etc.

[masterpj]

Running LSX Basic.

Sounds like I'm just going to have to play with it but what I currently don't understand is how each setting works or what it does.

Extra post blanking? Extra pre blanking? Interpolate max distance drawn? IDK if or when to use any of these. Or how they would help flicker, so I just leave them at default. I guess I am looking to learn some basic 101 optimization and then I can figure out how to do it in LSX.

Not an LSX expert here at all but scan some graphics and adjust one by one, listen to your scanners as well as you dont want to stress them too much with optimizations. Then once you achieve the lowest flicker without visual impact scan some others and readjust if needed, that should be the ideal settings for your tuning.

[planters]

Flicker is a significant detraction. I don't know where it would ever be good. It's just how much are you willing to accept to minimize scanner strain or add complexity. Optimizing to reduce flicker doesn't make it OK it just means there is a trade off being accepted to reduce it.

The Buddha hat is a good example for where faster scanners will help and where seeing the actual show projected rather than on a video monitor is valuable.

[andythemechanic]

So ive found some videos on Vimeo by a company called "Visutek" and they make graphic and beam shows.
I watched one http://vimeo.com/16147043
In the description it says it is meant for a single scanner. Please watch at least 50 seconds from this video. How can a single projector handle so much detail?

I've seen this show personally on the LaserFreak Award and actually it flickered like hell all the time. Was not too nice to watch

[masterpj]

I've seen this show personally on the LaserFreak Award and actually it flickered like hell all the time. Was not too nice to watch

how did this win o.o........ did nobody submit or

Flicker is a significant detraction. I don't know where it would ever be good. It's just how much are you willing to accept to minimize scanner strain or add complexity. Optimizing to reduce flicker doesn't make it OK it just means there is a trade off being accepted to reduce it.

The Buddha hat is a good example for where faster scanners will help and where seeing the actual show projected rather than on a video monitor is valuable.

Faster scanners do help but for the complexity shown it isn't needed, the graphics aren't made very well and lots of overlaps and bad spacing are the cause here.
Look I can do this on a LW50k
scanset running at just 30kpps without flicker

[andythemechanic]

I think it was the third place out of three shows submitted, could have been four though since it's quite already some years ago and I don't remembaer that well.
I also think, that this show was just done with the C4D to Pango plugin without giving much care to optimize the output for laser scanning.

[masterpj]

That and from what I notice is that someone else did the rendering and indeed likely did not tweak anything. Though better models would have been needed as well.