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- Animation light box reddit how to#
- Animation light box reddit software#
- Animation light box reddit Pc#
- Animation light box reddit free#
From here, complex patterns can be applied to the grid to create the effects.
Animation light box reddit software#
The software creates a grid of where the lights are located using a reference photo of the venue. Each show is unique and the different effects can be endlessly customized. There are many different effects that can be applied to individual elements or to groups. Shows are designed sequentially along a timeline where each show element has a different track.
Animation light box reddit free#
The most common program is xLights which is free and open-source.
Animation light box reddit how to#
Choreographing the different elements to music requires special software that knows how to interface with the lighting protocol. Different props can be grouped like instruments in an orchestra as they light up with the music. The lights are arranged in props like trees, arches, stars, snowflakes, and more. They must also be able to withstand an entire winter season outdoors without falling apart.ĭesigning a show is a lot like composing for an orchestra. While the lights are standardized, the props are unique and involve considerable design effort to figure out where to place the pixels. Different shapes can be created using corrugated plastic, pipe, and custom structures to create almost any design imaginable. These lights are then arranged in props which is where the artistry comes into place. The only difference is that holiday lights have a waterproof coating, are available in strings up of roughly 10-15ft, and cost considerably less.
Animation light box reddit Pc#
The same WS2811 protocol is used in modern individually addressable PC RGB lighting strips that you might have in your gaming rig. These type of lights and their protocols were originally designed for digital signage and for theatrical productions. The actual data that is transmitted consists of a red, green, and blue intensity value for each bulb.
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Essentially, the pixels in a strand receive data sequentially, decode the data intended for them, and pass through the data for all of the subsequent pixels down the line. The most common type of pixels use a protocol called WS2811. There are many types of pixels and many different protocols for communicating with them. They are connected in a strand and can each light up individually to form complex patterns and effects.
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Each pixel has a tiny microchip that tells the LED when to turn on and off and what color to light up. These pixels are essentially an entire strand of modern "smart" RGB light bulbs. LEDs had become very popular and and a new type of light technology started to hit the market called "Pixels". Turning on and off a single strand of lights was boring and people wanted more colors, more brightness, and fancier effects. The next big jump in technology came around 5 years ago and has transformed holiday lighting ever since. This technology was fine for a few years, but eventually things started to get more elaborate. This is essentially the same technology found in today's smart wall plugs, but with a more festive approach.Ī typical holiday light display using this technology might have had a few dozen of such relays controlling an equal number of light strands.
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Around 10-15 years ago though, people started connecting them to electronic switches called relays which allow the lights to be turned on and off with a simple microcontroller. These strings turn on with 120V (in the US) when you plug them into the wall and stay lit until you unplug them. The most common type of lights you see at Christmas are traditional incandescent bulbs or more recently, LEDs. While you won't be able to go to Walmart and pick this stuff up, there are many companies and a large, helpful community eager to help.Ībout 5000 individual pixels sequenced in XLights with the show running through Falcon Pi Player on a Raspberry Pi. These components are at the heart of every light show and I'll go into detail about each one. There is specialized computer software that tells the controllers when to turn on and off the lights according to the music being played. You couple those lights with controllers and power supplies to make them work as expected. The lights are arranged together to form different props like leaping arches, snowflakes, stars, megatrees, and more. There are three key things that make up a Christmas light show: the lights, the control circuitry, and the sequencing. If you've ever wondered how those displays work and what you need to make your own, this will be a short overview of all the components and how everything works together. Almost every neighborhood or town has "that one house" that goes all out for the holidays each year. Depending on where you live, you've likely seen a house with crazy flashing Christmas lights that change color and dance to music.