What Are Cells?
When working with pixel fixtures like Titan tubes, you have two ways to select them:
Head: The entire fixture (whole tube pulses as one unit)
Cells: Individual pixels within the fixture (allows chases across individual pixels)
For pixel effects like chases on a Titan tube, you need to select the individual cells rather than the head.
Two Methods for Selecting Cells
Method 1: The .. Shortcut
201 thru 208 ..
This puts "Cells Only" in the command line and selects all cells of fixtures 201-208.
Method 2: OFFSET CELLS ONLY
201 thru 208 OFFSET > CELL > CELLS ONLY
This achieves the same result as the .. shortcut for this simple range.
The Key Difference
The critical difference becomes apparent with complex selections:
.. Shortcut Limitation
The .. shortcut only applies to the last item in your selection.
Example:
201 + 208 ..
Result: Head of fixture 201 + cells of fixture 208 only
The .. only affects 208 (the last item in the selection)
OFFSET CELLS ONLY Power
OFFSET applies to everything in the command line.
Example:
201 + 208 OFFSET CELLS CELLS ONLY
Result: Cells of both fixtures 201 and 208
OFFSET affects the entire selection
Advanced Usage Examples
Selecting Specific Cells
Last 4 pixels of multiple fixtures:
201 + 208 OFFSET CELL 4 thru 8
(Note: Don't use "CELLS ONLY" here as that would select ALL cells)
Mixed Selections
Whole head of 201 + specific pixels of 208:
201 + 208.4 thru 8
201 = entire fixture head
208.4 thru 8 = pixels 4-8 of fixture 208
When to Use Each Method
Use Case | Recommended Method | Why |
Simple range (201 thru 208) | Either method works | No functional difference |
Complex selections (201 + 205 + 208) | OFFSET CELLS ONLY | Applies to entire selection |
Mixed head/cell selections | Dot notation (201 + 208.4 thru 8) | Most precise control |
Pro Tips
For pixel groups: Use OFFSET CELLS ONLY to ensure all fixtures in your selection become cells
For precision work: Combine methods using dot notation for ultimate control
Remember: .. only affects the last item, OFFSET affects everything
Understanding these differences will make your pixel programming more precise and powerful when creating groups and effects.