Hello all,
[This post is a general RGB matrix question and is not specific to the rPi...I think I am putting it in the right forum section.]
Using the guidance from Massimo's great new ["QLC+ Video Tutorial #6 - RGB Matrices"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovr3CSSbfgY) I was able to get Digital pixels working over E1.31 using both the Ubuntu laptop and the rPi running QLC+!!
I was wondering, for any of you who are experienced with programming RGB matrices if you could give me some advice if something is possible. In the next couple of days I will try to program an effect like the tree shown in the "Sapsational" video shown [here](http://www.voltvision.com/projects/wint ... n/)...(its the 3rd item down).
I am not asking you to program it for me, I am just asking which of these is the case:
1) You are screwed, you will never be able to do it
2) No problem using the built-in pixel patterns
3) You will need to create your own pixel patterns.
4) Maybe any other guiding advice.
Thanks for any input. I have been enjoying QLC+ on both the laptop and rPi.!!
thx for your great efforts Massimo and QLC+ team!
PS-Last year I did this video and programmed the lights using Lightjams on a Win8 laptop that sat outside in sub-freezing temperatures in a bin. This year I am hoping to have an rPi out there instead of a laptop. Lightjams has a really cool concept of "Energy Sources", which made it fairly easy to program. Does anything like that exist in QLC+?
respect,
frenchy (Steve French)
[www.voltvision.com](http://www.voltvision.com/)
Advice with RGB matrices...
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Massimo Callegari
Hi Steve,
looks to me like you can do it with QLC+. It's a mix of a RGB Matrix and some Scenes.
Create a RGB Matrix, set it to "single shot" and use the "Fill" pattern. Find the speed you need and place it as a step in a chaser. Then place the scene as the second step (to light up the tree leaves)
Adjust the timings and you're done.
As for blue flashes, you can create a second RGB Matrix and run it over the first one.
you need to play with colors until you find the right combination, since overlapping Matrices follow the DMX HTP rule
looks to me like you can do it with QLC+. It's a mix of a RGB Matrix and some Scenes.
Create a RGB Matrix, set it to "single shot" and use the "Fill" pattern. Find the speed you need and place it as a step in a chaser. Then place the scene as the second step (to light up the tree leaves)
Adjust the timings and you're done.
As for blue flashes, you can create a second RGB Matrix and run it over the first one.
you need to play with colors until you find the right combination, since overlapping Matrices follow the DMX HTP rule
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Jano Svitok
Hi,
I think 2 or 3 is the answer.
I suppose you'll have to:
- manage branches and leaves separately
- for winter, create separate fixture group for the lower part of trunk
- for branches and trunk, you may have to run two functions: a static scene with the "background" (yellow color) and RGB matrix with sap flow. Here, I'm assuming RGB LED strips, and I make advantage of HTP merging - yellow + white = white.
In the end, you'll have three functions running in parallel for each season:
- leaves (scene/rgb matrix/chaser - I'm not sure)
- trunk base color (scene/rgb matrix)
- sap flow through the trunk & branches (rgb matrix)
This is all using built-in functionality.
You may modify some of the RGB javascripts to alternate between two colors and that would allow you to skip the background - now RGB matrixes with two colors have black background,
and the foreground fades from color 1 to color2. It seems that you need color 1 for foreground and color 2 for background with no fade at all. You'll get faded color as a parameter to the javascript code, so you'll have to hardcode your colors, which is not a big deal to do. If you want, I'll add passing the raw (unfaded) colors to the script for you. You'll need to wait for the next release or compile the code yourself. Actually I wanted to do that for some time, but didn't prioritize it highly enough...
I think 2 or 3 is the answer.
I suppose you'll have to:
- manage branches and leaves separately
- for winter, create separate fixture group for the lower part of trunk
- for branches and trunk, you may have to run two functions: a static scene with the "background" (yellow color) and RGB matrix with sap flow. Here, I'm assuming RGB LED strips, and I make advantage of HTP merging - yellow + white = white.
In the end, you'll have three functions running in parallel for each season:
- leaves (scene/rgb matrix/chaser - I'm not sure)
- trunk base color (scene/rgb matrix)
- sap flow through the trunk & branches (rgb matrix)
This is all using built-in functionality.
You may modify some of the RGB javascripts to alternate between two colors and that would allow you to skip the background - now RGB matrixes with two colors have black background,
and the foreground fades from color 1 to color2. It seems that you need color 1 for foreground and color 2 for background with no fade at all. You'll get faded color as a parameter to the javascript code, so you'll have to hardcode your colors, which is not a big deal to do. If you want, I'll add passing the raw (unfaded) colors to the script for you. You'll need to wait for the next release or compile the code yourself. Actually I wanted to do that for some time, but didn't prioritize it highly enough...
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VoltVisionFrenchy
Massimo & Jano,
Thank you very much for your quick response!!!!! I have one week to figure it out. Just to confirm one last thing...assuming I use an Ubuntu laptop to do the initial programming, will all of the things you describe above translate over to the rPi? The reason I am asking is because I was trying that "Animation Widget" in the Virtual Console and it said that it wasnt supported in the Webaccess webpage of the rPi. I think this was just the visual widget that wasnt supported....not necessarily anything related to the pixel data. Am I right? Thanks again!!!
respect,
frenchy (Steve French)
[www.voltvision.com](http://www.voltvision.com/)
Thank you very much for your quick response!!!!! I have one week to figure it out. Just to confirm one last thing...assuming I use an Ubuntu laptop to do the initial programming, will all of the things you describe above translate over to the rPi? The reason I am asking is because I was trying that "Animation Widget" in the Virtual Console and it said that it wasnt supported in the Webaccess webpage of the rPi. I think this was just the visual widget that wasnt supported....not necessarily anything related to the pixel data. Am I right? Thanks again!!!
respect,
frenchy (Steve French)
[www.voltvision.com](http://www.voltvision.com/)
-
Massimo Callegari
The animation widget is mostly for live operations.
You can create your matrices/chasers/scenes and attach them to normal buttons, which are supported by the web interface.
The Cue list widget is also supported, in case you need automated sequences of cues.
The underneath engine has no limitations on the RPi...until you reach 100% of the CPU usage
You can create your matrices/chasers/scenes and attach them to normal buttons, which are supported by the web interface.
The Cue list widget is also supported, in case you need automated sequences of cues.
The underneath engine has no limitations on the RPi...until you reach 100% of the CPU usage