Luckily, my show runs automatically and yours can too. But how does it work?

To automate your show each night you have (2) options – you can either use your sequencing program (Vixen, xLights, or LOR) or a special piece of software called Falcon Player, which runs on Raspberry Pi microcomputers.

Each has its pros and cons, which is why I want to go into detail here and share how they each work, and why you should choose one over the other.

How Will Your Show Run?

Before we talk about the specific programs to run your show automatically, let’s first consider the different options that we have for our show’s setup. That is, how we will structure our different sequences and playlists for the show each night.

All 3 options of scheduler do the same type of thing, just all in their own ways.

When you’re planning your show, you’ve got a few options for how to structure your light show:

• A single playlist that loops – Your show will start, play through all of the songs and repeating, and then at the end of the night it will either finish out or cut off when the song finishes after the “End Time” that you set.
• A randomized playlist – Your show will play the songs in random order until the “End Time”.
• A beginning/end playlist – You can also specify certain sequences to start or end your show, and these will just run once each night. This is a good idea if you have a lot of traffic to your display, as it communicates that the show is just beginning/ending.
• Background playlist – Need a prop to simply run all night with the same sequence? A background playlist can ensure that elements such as a “tune-to” sign stay lit in the same pattern all night.

On top of that, you can set your schedules to be at the same exact times every day, or you can have them run at different times every day!

This can be helpful if you only want to run on weekends or if you just want to do fewer hours during a week – a great way to keep the neighbors happy!

Now that we’ve discussed how to structure your different sequences and playlists, let’s talk about the different schedulers we can use:

Running Your Show via FPP vs. xSchedule

In this hobby, there are (2) main ways that people run their show.  The original, and older method is to use a program called "xSchedule" which is still installed on PC's as part of the xLights program.  It's not part of the Mac program anymore, and honestly, I can't recommend NOT using it enough.

Why?  Simply put, it's not as reliable as running the FPP software from a controller or microcomputer.  FPP is a small piece of software that can run on microcomputers like "Raspberry Pi's", or on your pixel controller itself.  The benefit of this is two-fold:

1. You don't have to keep your PC on and connected to your lightshow, nor does it have to be connected directly via ethernet (through your exterior walls).
2. In case of power failure, these controllers and microcomputers automatically restart and relaunch your show.  Many PC's do not, and even if you set them up to, they are not always 100% reliable.

So yes, there is a small learning curve to FPP, but it's 100% worth the peace of mind that your show will start every night, and it frees up your PC for regular use!  And if you're a Mac user, you don't have a choice anyways!

Seriously, though, FPP is by far easier and simpler to run once you understand the basics.  Come on in, the water's warm!