Here are a couple videos I shot back in April of 2014. I thought the videos looked and sounded awful so I never uploaded the videos to YouTube.
Here are a few "highlights" in case anyone is interested. (You skip watching the video and just looks at the stills.)
About 7 minutes into the video, I show off a cool psychedelic color pattern.
At 4:40 I show two arrays displaying 5-bit color.
Here's the video.
I was disappointed how the LEDs looked on camera. I found WS2412 LEDs (these arrays are not WS2812 LEDs) looked better when recorded through a layer of white printer paper so I tried a similar technique with these LEDs.
Here's a screen capture showing how the LEDs look through the paper.
I'm still undecided about using white paper when recording these LEDs.
Here's the video.
I'm thinking I'll likely use 5-bit color if/when I make a larger array. At 5-bits per color, a single cog can drive the shift registers of two arrays without a noticeable flicker. I figure I can probably control 12 arrays with a Propeller.
One of my Nona Prop boards should be able to drive an 80 pixel by 80 pixel array.
While I think a single nine Propeller board would be cool, I'd probably be better off separating the individual Props in order to keep the control lines short.
This project is on a back burner right now, but every so often I think about making a LED coffee table. The coffee table could probably double as a room heater.
I know it's been awhile since I said I'd get a picture of my lightning detector running with your display and code base, but late is better than never! here is a graph of a storm moving out of our area last night. each column is ten minutes and each row corresponds to one lightning strike.
I was disappointed how the LEDs looked on camera. I found WS2412 LEDs (these arrays are not WS2812 LEDs) looked better when recorded through a layer of white printer paper so I tried a similar technique with these LEDs.
Here's a screen capture showing how the LEDs look through the paper.
Have you experimented with frosted perspex/acrylic sheet? I would think 3mm to 5mm thick may do the trick, perhaps try over one display with a sample piece.
Have you experimented with frosted perspex/acrylic sheet? I would think 3mm to 5mm thick may do the trick
No I haven't tried frosted plastic. I'll try to remember to give this a try the next time I use these LEDs. The LEDs look fine in real life, they just don't look very good on camera. The white paper helps but the video does do the arrays justice. They look much better in real life.
Duane,
Another thing you might try is to shine a white light on the LEDs as you are shooting them to reduce the contrast that the camera has to see.
Jim
Comments
Here are a few "highlights" in case anyone is interested. (You skip watching the video and just looks at the stills.)
About 7 minutes into the video, I show off a cool psychedelic color pattern.
At 4:40 I show two arrays displaying 5-bit color.
Here's the video.
I was disappointed how the LEDs looked on camera. I found WS2412 LEDs (these arrays are not WS2812 LEDs) looked better when recorded through a layer of white printer paper so I tried a similar technique with these LEDs.
Here's a screen capture showing how the LEDs look through the paper.
I'm still undecided about using white paper when recording these LEDs.
Here's the video.
I'm thinking I'll likely use 5-bit color if/when I make a larger array. At 5-bits per color, a single cog can drive the shift registers of two arrays without a noticeable flicker. I figure I can probably control 12 arrays with a Propeller.
One of my Nona Prop boards should be able to drive an 80 pixel by 80 pixel array.
While I think a single nine Propeller board would be cool, I'd probably be better off separating the individual Props in order to keep the control lines short.
This project is on a back burner right now, but every so often I think about making a LED coffee table. The coffee table could probably double as a room heater.
Thanks for posting the photo.
Have you experimented with frosted perspex/acrylic sheet? I would think 3mm to 5mm thick may do the trick, perhaps try over one display with a sample piece.
No I haven't tried frosted plastic. I'll try to remember to give this a try the next time I use these LEDs. The LEDs look fine in real life, they just don't look very good on camera. The white paper helps but the video does do the arrays justice. They look much better in real life.
Another thing you might try is to shine a white light on the LEDs as you are shooting them to reduce the contrast that the camera has to see.
Jim