newb setup help

I have a working WLED setup with an esp8266 and a string of 200led on two gpios. In wled I have a matix setup with two panels with the start LED in the middle. this all works perfect.
in xlights i only get the bottom half to work and the sequence is always reversed. No matter how I setup a matrix the effect seems to be the same. I would appreciate any input to get me going before my 4 new ws2814 strings arrive I hope to setup a tree and perhaps some arched before Christmas nothing spectacularly amazing just some fairy leds with ESP controllers....

Your problem is classic WLED + xLights mapping drama
What’s really going on
WLED knows exactly how your LEDs are wired because you told it:

• two panels
• start in the middle
• custom matrix wiring directions per panel

xLights, on the other hand, doesn’t know any of that unless you explicitly map it.
So xLights is sending data assuming one layout, but WLED’s using a totally different physical layout.

That’s why:

• top half = dead
• bottom half = reversed
• effects = goofy
• you = annoyed

The fix (real steps you can try)​

Here’s what usually clears this mess up:

---

Treat it as ONE matrix in xLights​

If you made two separate matrices in xLights to match your two physical panels — don’t.
xLights wants one clean rectangle.

Make a single model:

• Width = total LED count horizontally
• Height = total height
• Wiring = zig-zag (serpentine)
• Start corner = match where WLED thinks LED 0 is

---

You MUST match WLED’s virtual wiring in xLights​

WLED supports crazy configs (split panels, reversed sections, rotated segments),
but xLights doesn’t auto-read any of that. You gotta manually mimic it.


Check this in WLED:
Config → LED Preferences → LED Layout → Matrix
Look for:

• Starting corner
• Left-to-right or right-to-left
• Top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top
• Zig-zag enabled or not

Now match those EXACT same decisions inside the xLights model.

If they don’t match, xLights will always look like the matrix is upside-down or cut in half.

---

Make sure Channels/Universes line up​

Since you’re running off an ESP8266, you’re probably using DDP (hopefully).
Double-check:

WLED → Config → Sync Interfaces

• DDP enabled
• The channel count matches xLights

In xLights:

• Controller tab → Add WLED → auto-layout
  OR
• Manually set the DDP start at 0 and assign enough channels for 200 LEDs

If xLights only thinks you have 1 output instead of 2, it’ll only drive half the matrix.

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The “reversed bottom half” symptom specifically​

That’s usually caused by:

• WLED thinking segment 2 is reversed
  but
• xLights thinking the whole matrix flows normally

If you built two panels in WLED with “Reverse Direction” on one of them, you must reflect that in xLights’s zig-zag pattern.


Or… easiest solution:


Turn OFF 2D Matrix WLED.
Just set it a 1D Strip in WLED and let xLights handle the whole matrix layout.


WLED is just passing pixel data anyway — no need for it to get fancy.

Thanks, the single matrix setup helps. its still not quite right.
First, let me clarify my setup. I have two strings of 200 leds on two GPIOs setup in a 10w x 20h + 10w + 20h configuration. panel 0 starts at top right, panel 1 starts top left and the orientation is vertical. nothing is reversed anywhere so I guess wled just know the orientation from the matrix definition.
In xLights with one matrix in verrical, 400 nodes/string, 20 strands/string, start location: top left;
> this gives me a display on both "panels" but flipped 90 degrees and some LEDs seem to be missing.

Qestions:
What is DDP? I did not see that in WLED config. I only see E131 and Art-net
Where is LED 0? it is not clear in my understanding. top right of panel 0 or top left of matrix? in any case Xlights only give gives the option top, bottom, left, right; so i chose top left for the matrix orientation

with single strand, left to right = top to bottom
and the matrix seems to be two duplicates that start from the middle. for example with sketch there are two upper halves of the figure that start from the middle and end at the left and right. Have not yet figured out what im doing wrong, but better then before

OK looks to be a good full display:
I changed to one matrix with 2 strings, 200 nodes, 10 strands, start top left.
EDIT: NO this is this all wrong! just the test pattern I used was symmetrical and LOOKED right when it was not.