We still love xLights.
pixl exists because of it, borrows its ideas, reads and writes its files, and does not try to replace it.
xLights is the free, open source program most pixel shows are sequenced in. It has been built over many years by volunteers, it has more effects than we will ever have, it runs on your own machine at native speed, and it has a community that answers questions at midnight in December. If you are new to this hobby, start there: xlights.org. Our docs assume you know it.
How the two fit together
| Use desktop xLights when | Use pixl when |
|---|---|
| You have a big show and a machine you are happy sequencing at | You are away from that machine, or on a laptop with nothing installed |
| You want the full effect library and the fastest render | You want autosave, snapshots and a project two people can open |
| You are doing anything with hardware xLights supports and we do not | You want a lyric timing or a new shader made for you by a service |
| Rendering time matters more than where you are | Where you are matters more than rendering time |
Moving between them
- Import your xLights layout (
xlights_rgbeffects.xml) and sequences (.xsq). - Export
.fseqfor FPP and other players, exactly as xLights would. - Lyric timings download as
.xtimingfiles for xLights' Import Timing Track. - Shaders download as
.fsfiles for xLights' Shader effect, and they are checked against xLights' shader dialect before they reach the gallery.
Same licence, same spirit
xLights is GPL-3.0. So is pixl. That is not a coincidence: the hobby runs on people sharing what they built, and we want anything we make to be as free to take and improve as the thing that inspired it. pixl is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the xLights team.