te-show

name	te-show
description	Use when configuring show files for LXStudio-TE — .lxp JSON structure, channel setup, view definitions, and project naming conventions.

TE Show File Configuration

Show files (.lxp) define the complete runtime state of an LXStudio-TE session — patterns, channels, effects, views, and parameter values. This reference covers the file format, configuration workflow, and project conventions.

File Location

All show files live in te-app/Projects/:

te-app/Projects/
├── BootupTemplate.lxp          # Default startup template
├── BM25_TE_8channel.lxp        # Burning Man 2025, 8-channel
├── CoachellaMaster.lxp         # Coachella show
├── MothershipTest.lxp          # Mothership vehicle test
├── MShipStartupLooks.lxp       # Mothership startup looks
├── DJLights.lxp                # DJ lights only
├── PanelCalibration.lxp        # Panel calibration utility
├── Shader3DTest.lxp            # Shader 3D testing
├── Archive/                    # Older show files (~30 files)
└── Grids/                      # Grid resolution presets
    ├── 1024x1024.lxp
    ├── 1280x240.lxp
    └── 1280x720.lxp

.lxp JSON Structure

An .lxp file is a JSON document with this top-level structure:

{
  "version": "1.0.1.TE.2-SNAPSHOT",
  "timestamp": 1709000000000,
  "model": { ... },
  "engine": { ... },
  "externals": { ... }
}

Top-Level Keys

Key	Description
version	LX engine version string
timestamp	Unix timestamp (milliseconds) of last save
model	Vehicle model structure configuration
engine	Pattern engine state (channels, effects, tempo)
externals	External integrations (MIDI, OSC, DMX output)

Model Section

{
  "model": {
    "id": 2,
    "class": "heronarts.lx.structure.LXStructure",
    "internal": {
      "modulationColor": 0,
      "modulationControlsExpanded": true,
      "modulationsExpanded": true,
      "showNormalizationBounds": false
    },
    "parameters": {
      "label": "LX",
      "syncModelFile": false,
      "allWhite": false,
      "mute": false,
      "normalizationMode": 0,
      "normalizationX": 0.0,
      "normalizationY": 0.0,
      "normalizationZ": 0.0,
      "normalizationWidth": 1.0,
      "normalizationHeight": 1.0,
      "normalizationDepth": 1.0
    },
    "children": {
      "views": {
        "class": "heronarts.lx.structure.view.LXViewEngine",
        "views": [
          {
            "class": "heronarts.lx.structure.view.LXViewDefinition",
            "parameters": {
              "label": "Fixtures",
              "enabled": true,
              "selector": "912;983;9114;...",
              "normalization": 2,
              "priority": false
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Views in .lxp vs views.txt

Views defined in te-app/resources/vehicle/views.txt are loaded at model initialization. The .lxp file can override or extend these with additional view definitions. The selector field in both uses the same syntax:

• Numeric IDs: 912;983;9114 (component fixture IDs)
• Special selectors: Edge, Panel
• Named sections: fore;aft;starboard-fore;port-aft
• Edge ranges: 11-98,98-99,99-101

Engine Section

The engine section contains the complete runtime state:

{
  "engine": {
    "channels": [
      {
        "label": "Channel-1",
        "patterns": [
          {
            "class": "titanicsend.pattern.piemonte.Afterglow",
            "parameters": {
              "te_speed": 0.5,
              "te_size": 5.0,
              "te_quantity": 0.3
            }
          }
        ],
        "effects": [...],
        "blendMode": 0,
        "fader": 1.0
      }
    ],
    "tempo": {
      "bpm": 120.0,
      "tap": false,
      "nudgeUp": false,
      "nudgeDown": false
    },
    "mixer": { ... },
    "modulation": { ... }
  }
}

Key engine sub-sections:

Section	Description
channels	Array of mixing channels, each with patterns and effects
tempo	BPM and tap-tempo state
mixer	Cross-fader and blend settings
modulation	LFOs, envelopes, and parameter mappings
audio	Audio input configuration
output	DMX/network output settings

Starting a New Show

From BootupTemplate.lxp

The recommended starting point for a new show:

1. Open LXStudio-TE
2. Load BootupTemplate.lxp from the Projects menu
3. Add channels and assign patterns
4. Configure views for your target fixture groups
5. Save As with a descriptive name

From Scratch

1. Create a minimal .lxp with the required top-level keys
2. The model section will auto-populate from te-app/resources/vehicle/ files
3. Add channels programmatically or through the UI

Naming Convention

Show files follow the pattern:

[Event][Year]_[Vehicle]_[Config].lxp

Examples:

• BM25_TE_8channel.lxp — Burning Man 2025, Titanic's End, 8 channels
• BM2024_Mship.lxp — Burning Man 2024, Mothership
• CoachellaMaster.lxp — Coachella master show

Channel Configuration

Each channel in the channels array holds:

{
  "label": "Channel-1",
  "enabled": true,
  "fader": 1.0,
  "blendMode": 0,
  "crossfadeGroup": 0,
  "patterns": [
    {
      "class": "titanicsend.pattern.piemonte.Afterglow",
      "parameters": {
        "label": "Afterglow",
        "te_speed": 0.5,
        "te_size": 5.0,
        "te_quantity": 0.3,
        "te_wow1": 0.7,
        "te_brightness": 1.0
      }
    }
  ],
  "effects": [
    {
      "class": "heronarts.lx.effect.BlurEffect",
      "parameters": {
        "amount": 0.5
      }
    }
  ]
}

Blend Modes

Value	Mode
0	Normal (replace)
1	Add
2	Multiply
3	Highlight
4	Subtract

Pattern Parameters

Pattern parameters in the JSON use the path value from TEControlTag:

JSON Key	Control	Default
te_speed	Speed	0.5
te_xpos	X Position	0.0
te_ypos	Y Position	0.0
te_size	Size	1.0
te_quantity	Quantity	0.5
te_spin	Spin	0.0
te_brightness	Brightness	1.0
te_wow1	Wow1	0.0
te_wow2	Wow2	0.0
te_wowtrigger	WowTrigger	false
te_angle	Angle	0.0
te_level	LvlReact	0.1
te_freq	FreqReact	0.1
te_twist	Twist	false

View Configuration

Views control which fixtures a pattern renders to. Defined in views.txt and optionally overridden in .lxp.

Built-in Views

View	Description
Fixtures	All LED fixtures (edges + panels)
Edges	All edge strips only
Panels	All panel surfaces only
Panel Sections	Grouped by vehicle section (fore, aft, starboard, port)
Outline	Front/back silhouette edges
Outline DJ	Ground-level DJ area edges

Panel Sections

Available section selectors for Panel Sections view:

• fore — Front panels (FA, FB, FSA-FSC, FPA-FPC)
• aft — Rear panels (AA, AB, ASA-ASC, APA-APC)
• starboard-fore — Right front panels
• starboard-aft — Right rear panels
• port-fore — Left front panels
• port-aft — Left rear panels
• starboard-fore-single — Right front, individually normalized
• starboard-aft-single — Right rear, individually normalized
• port-fore-single — Left front, individually normalized
• port-aft-single — Left rear, individually normalized

Archive Conventions

• Move superseded show files to Projects/Archive/
• Keep active show files in the root Projects/ directory
• Grids/ contains resolution-specific test configurations
• The Autosave/ directory is managed automatically by LXStudio

Troubleshooting

Show file won't load

• Verify the version string matches the current LX engine version
• Check for JSON syntax errors (trailing commas, missing quotes)
• Ensure all referenced pattern classes exist in the classpath

Patterns not appearing

• Verify the full class path in the class field (e.g., titanicsend.pattern.piemonte.Afterglow)
• Check that the pattern is registered in the LX registry
• Confirm parameter paths match TEControlTag values

Views not working

• View selectors must match fixture component IDs exactly
• Section names are case-sensitive
• Semicolons in view labels enable relative normalization per fixture