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 PacificaLights would be nothing without Vixen (see http://www.vixenlights.com/ for more information).A Windows application (patooie!) that runs under the .NET framework, Vixen is extremely flexible, though is relatively easy to learn and use. It was initially developed by K.C. Oakes in early 2005 and in early 2008 Oakes release Version 2.0, which supports dozens of output devices. He has been making dot-revisions all year.  Vixen allows a song to be mapped out across it’s entire length, dividing the song along the “X”-axis into millisecond compartments (I use 50-milliseconds as a base; others in the hobby use 25 milliseconds or 100 milliseconds). The ‘Y’ axis of the spreadsheet-like interface is as deep as the hobbyist has channels of lights (in 2008, I’m supporting 64 channels).Vixen's most compelling feature is its support of a variety of controllers (this is achieved through a plug-in architecture that is well documented, allowing programmers beyond K.C. to build support for new controllers). The application also supports a variety of computer peripherals, including various sound cards, parallel port output, serial port output and output through the USB port (or ports). Vixen can drive multiple controllers on multiple ports, so it will support a Grinch or 595 on a parallel port while at the same time supporting a DMX device on the USB port. Lights can be programmed in 256 levels of dimming, if the controller supports dimming, and fun stuff like chase sequences can be built with by just clicking and dragging in the user interface. Similarly, ramp fade-ins and fade-outs are a button-click away. The user interface supports an “audio visualizer” that allows light sequencers the ability to see the beats of the song (there is also an easy way to build what are called “beat tracks” that help users sequence songs faster).  The “preview plug-in” gives users the ability to take a digital picture (using a digital camera of their choice) of the building or yard where they are going to have their lights, and posting that picture within Vixen. Song sequencers can then paint on representations of their lights and when sequencing a song, see a preview of what their lights will look like when everything is set up. This feature provides testing before the hobbyist has set up the lights.A really important feature set lies in Vixen’s ability to set up programs of sequences; these programs are groups of sequences that allow the lighting hobbyist the ability to build automatically running shows. The programs can then be scheduled to be launched at specific times. These programs can then be set up to stop at specific times as well. A further interesting feature is the ability to have an Internet-controlled display that allows for multiple instances of Vixen to be controlled centrally. This allows multiple homes on the same street to have coordinated shows (or, in fact, allows multiple home across multiple continents to have coordinated shows). It‘s almost impossible to believe that Vixen is given away as a free application. But while K.C. has licensed earlier versions of the application to for-profit Christmas light animation vendors, he doesn't take a dime from hobbyists. For which, he gains my personal undying gratitude (as well as the other thousand or so hobbyists worldwide who use Vixen). |