A look back on my Xmas 2023 display - where it all began

Hoodlum

New elf
Joined
Dec 7, 2020
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35
Hi all,

Just documenting my work from when i started this crazy journey to XMAS 2023 lights

it all began in March 2023... wait - rewind a bit...
Well, TBH it started much longer ago than that, but family and life got in the way... let me summarise

2015 - renting - I played around with vixen software - gave up shortly after that - could not even comtemplate a light show as the rental was the house at the rear of a subdivided block.
2016 - same as above renting and life.
2017 - lost hope of xmas pixels... decided to build a life size R2D2 to spec from scratch - this had its own blinky WS2812 lights to satisfy me - moved rentals
2018 - I became R2 obsessed with building my R2 24/7 had to use the force!!!!
2019 - 97% finished R2 - remote controlable, flapping and bleeping! Purchased a mini cnc - hey this is cool... next project was build a bigger 3D printed CNC... meh - unsatisfactory result - scrapped - think i got more use and better results out of the mini cnc. ;)
2020 - CNC 2nd try - Yes - PrintNC - this is a rock solid beast - could of used this to build R2 so many happy returns - maybe next time of use it for something else... purchased a 40W CO2 laser cutter - this is fun!
2021 - i purchased a new address and moved again, i downloaded xlights in readiness... damn, again, unpacking and life got in the way.
2022 - early november... quick purchase some pixel strings from Aliexpress... oh xlights, thats right, whoa, what do i do here, er, um... damn, not enough time - esp8266 and wled to the rescue - got full frontal gutter covered and a mini tree 360deg 6 x 25 - WLED sequences playlist - (sinister) later i'd hear how they were all watching.
2023 - soon to be continued...
 
Sounds like quite an adventure. Would love to see some photos of R2D2.

Life always seeems to get in the way of my Christmas light plans and I end up having to do it all late at night at the last minute. Mounting lights after 9 pm on the roof makes my neighbours think I’m crazy. If only they knew
 
You're in good company - there were several nights I was on the roof after 11pm this season.
 
Sounds like quite an adventure. Would love to see some photos of R2D2.
oh boy was it... so much fun over a long period - like a steady release of endorphins, the bodies little rewards for your completed achievements!


im only seeing 4 images but there are 5 - so click on the above to get them all
 
Now that R2 is out of the way ... let me continue ... late to the party as usual...

Thinking back now...

2023 - the day
Pretty sure this was back in March

I have these esp8266 and esp32 all over the house providing a bucket load of home automation and RGB LED lighting and i've written firmware for them in the past for all sorts of things electronicky
So I was hell bent on using a few ESP32s for my xmas display, was a logical choice but connecting them was the challenge.

Did some googling and found Quinled DigOct with ESP32 WLED & Ethernet - 8 ports of 800 pixels.
Done - grabbed two of them 1 for backup.
As this was my first time "XMAS Pixelling" it was time to work all this out...

Sequencing software...
I hadn't used sequence software for a few years now so i forgot what i originally downloaded all those years ago
I actually meant to grab Vixen but the google told me XLights was the bomb. And it was!
Downloaded!

A few months of this quinled controller on my desk with an old router and some network cables. This could work nicely.

I'd previously purchased some of those seed pixels in December 2022 but never got them into the 2022 xmas as they arrived too late haha
These were going to be my play pixels, but after that i'd decided to created some mini trees out of them...
i had the concept of a tree that was 1m tall that had strings zig zaged.
I had this all desinged and it also went through a few design changes, the base was 3d printed - it never ended up in the show - scrapped!
I still have one in my office next to me, in pretty bad shape.

Next XLights layouts
oh geez - this was light evolution - spent a while surfing the internet for props, watching other peoples xmas light shows... what props should I include..?
It started with snowflakes - of course...
Next window outlines - yes i like those.
Could i get a mega tree in there... um.. yeah what the hell!
Star for the mega tree too!

this went on for a bit ... month after month the props grew - then they stopped...
5 x 24" Snowflakes
1 x 2.5m Mini mega tree (16x50)
1 x Mini mega tree star
3 x Roof lines
6 x Arches
4 x mini trees
I had the gutter lights already from last year they were easy
And a freakn 3mx2m 10cmx10cm garage matrix!!! yeah!!!
(hey its my first xmas light show)

Thought i had settled on a modest display. apparently not... i got carried away watching more videos and hell i wanted some of those props!
Damn i want talking trees, two of em, in they go!

This was the my first layout
2023-08-04 03_35_04-Window (1).png

Late contender was a showstopper spinner which came to fruition in October (decision to include after wifey liked and gave the go ahead)

This was my final XMAS 2023 layout.
2024-06-04 21_17_54-Window.png

A little over 7500 pixels


Anyway getting a head of myself...

Back to July 2023
First purchase of 1000 WS2811 Pixels from AliExpress
Whilst i wait for those i'll just purchase 400 x 10cm spacing clear + 400 x 10cm spacing black wiring seed pixels...
WS2811 Pixels arrived 8 days later WOW!
(Seed pixels arrived 2 weeks after)
Time to play
20230717_235749 (1).jpg
I used the 400 seed pixels to setup a test 20x20 matrix inside my garage, hung across some pvc on the top of a ladder ...
2024-06-04 22_19_10-Window.png
Was using an esp8266 to RGB that sucker!

Ok proof of concept complete...
 
August 2023
Now time to purchase 600 x 10cm spaced seed pixels for the actual matrix... Done

OK mini megatree time
800 pixels
16 stips x 50 pixels

I set out to design my mini mega tree in fusion next, just needed to make sure i had everything right...
2024-06-04 21_40_10-Window.png
Base was an idea - pine, worked out different but similar in the end, painted it black and weighted it down with paving bricks so it didnt blow away.

The star got 90 pixels instead of the 50 shown
Also had to design the tree topper - decided to 3d print that block of plastic in PLA+

2024-06-04 21_43_13-Window.png
For context thats the top - it has slot openings for the mega tree strip (16) which was folded and cable tied.
This thing was 20mm thick!
Hole for the centre pole and holes for wiring.
Pole came form Bunnings - 3m x 38.2mm
PLA+ held up to the summer sun - but only just - it was last minute decision to 3d print because i had nothing else.

Almost out of allocated pixels ... order 2000 WS2811 please... done

Hmmm now that i have the 10cm x 10cm matrix setup - its seems a little... low definition, not sure if can live with myself
I can do better...
Yep
3000 x 5cm spacing seed pixels on their way, destination Perth WA!

Never ordered so many pixels - and truth be told... this scared me a little. Really hope i can pull this off!

This ended up being a walk in the park. afterall i had the proof of concept - this was just more... dense... or was I? (hint: bit of both)

I created my own version of pixel hangers and yes 3d printed them. total of 30 needed
2024-06-04 22_00_30-Window.png2024-06-04 21_57_47-Window.png2024-06-04 21_57_39-Window.png
The ring hooked onto a 19mm pvc pipe (which was suspeded itself with Alu lengths and 3d printed parts)
The cradle hooked onto the ring hook
The pixel wire layed through the cradle
The white locking mechanism lowered down to lock it all together and stop the wire from coming out and the cradle swinging in the breeze.

After all that the matrix was done - now i had to wire it all up
As it was zigzagged up and down (starting from the Bottom Left) i had to inject some power, wish i had pics
To get the power into the line - i had to melt the pvc casing off the wire and solder power wires.
It then got resealed with silicon sealer which i use on the guttering.

It was about this time that i realised i had to map out the actual pixel model wiring on the house... this took a few runs...
Idealy ended up like this...
Silverton2023x.png
As you can see there are a few discrepancies with above post final layout
But hey! Those sneeky mini trees in the front were in on it all along, alas their day did not see light.
And #6 box on the roof sat down near #4 in the garage.
Actually i think there were a few on the setup day changes with the wiring.
I was absolutley beat by that time and i think i was running out of wire so things got reworked.
you get the idea im sure!

TBC
 
September 2023
No pixel purchases this month because this is where other fun begins...

Now that i had the model wiring kind of all sorted out (to a degree at least)
I realised I had to use the backup DigOct <gulp> because not enough pixel ports to run my indulgent light behaviour.
And with that, I was short two controllers!
Ordering another 4 x DigOct controllers ( 2 now for backup and 4 to run the show ) was not a viable option - due to price mainly... i'm cheap remember!

That's it - XMAS is cancelled!!!

Would of been the result, except I had an idea.

I wanted... no... "needed" certain specifications for the controllers of course - wanted to keep this simple for my first time and xlights config as i was comfortable with the WLED esp32 controllers.
It had to have same or similar features that the DigOct had. Makes sense right?

Now what could I find to match specs whilst being cheap...

Googled...

Enter the WT32-ETH01

I'd read the WT32-ETH01 was an ESP32 (tick) had ethernet (tick) multiple outputs (tick) at least 8 x outputs and 4 x inputs.
Sold!

But it needed a BOB...
googled that .. etsy...
WTF not paying that and shipping - [Censored] that! (was my response).

I dont mean to sound cocky in this next bit, but I had a card up my sleeve.

PCB design to the rescue!

I purchase 4 x WT32's and got a prototype working with the pixles on a bread board...
Next step was desigining the PCB, I've used EasyEDA online before so did the same and had a fk tonne of gratification doing it.
Learnt a heap from the forums RE: issues with the WT32, it doing this and it doing that.
so i built in a few options into the pcb which could pivot with whatever issues could or might happen (murphys law).

Oh and, I liked the digoct that much I bought the company (nah just kidding)
I just designed my board with the same outline and similar connectors and layout.
Heres the PCB in EasyEDA (the SN74AHCT245 level shifter is on the underside)
2024-06-04 23_08_51-Window.png

They say to give someone the biggest compliement - you imitate their work (or something like that, pirate, duplicate, ripoff, copy) well i do a lot of that which you will see later haha!

I contacted Quindor on reddit about my PCB having compatability with his q power post design idea.
He was kind enough to say he was ok with it, but should he be worried there might now be a compatible compeditor on the market?
I said pfffft - this is just a hobby - no need to worry, your sales will be fine!

I also had to design a power distribution board to like help distribute the power for the pixels, because why not, creating the PCBs and sourcing parts myself saved me heaps!!! im talking hundreds of $'s
20231001_133432 (2).jpg
But one thing that got me annoyed (at myself), my PCB only has data out for each pixel port (like the DigOct).
When I went to assemble the controller boxes - it would of been handy to have the ground for each pixel port as well to tie to the power ground.
Meh you live and learn!

Next up : Prop creation...
TBC
 
I created my own version of pixel hangers and yes 3d printed them. total of 30 needed
View attachment 25969View attachment 25970View attachment 25971
The ring hooked onto a 19mm pvc pipe (which was suspeded itself with Alu lengths and 3d printed parts)
The cradle hooked onto the ring hook
The pixel wire layed through the cradle
The white locking mechanism lowered down to lock it all together and stop the wire from coming out and the cradle swinging in the breeze.
This is very cool! I would love to see some close up pictures of how your garage matrix mounting turned out. I'm doing something similar this year and need all the inspiration i can get! Seeing how you hung it on the garage door, the use of your 3D printed parts and wiring. More info the better!

PCB design to the rescue!

View attachment 25976

Really admire your technical ability to put something like this together! Taking the DIY aspect of this hobby to the extreme!


Looking forward to reading more about your display!
PS. Had a watch of your display video for Christmas Turkey/Tree/Snowman with my 4yr old daughter this morning and i have a new request for Christmas!
 
Hey thanks @Johnnyboy for the kind words! Much appreciated!

Some close up photos of my pixel matrix and hangers...
zip ties were necessary as the wind swung the pixel matrix and all the rings migrated left or right of where they were supposed to be.
20240605_164234.jpg
Full top view
20240605_164310.jpg
close up of the spacers- these linked front to back so the pixel and the wire was caged in the circle (10cm spacers of course)
20240605_164321.jpg
the bottom power injection (LOL) one night the clips on the garage ceiling broke and the matrix came down hard, should buff out, give it some character haha.
20240605_164337.jpg
A silicon'd injection point
20240605_164342.jpg
Its looking a little worse for wear TBH - prob just needs a tidy up.
As you can see i got away with a lot - those top pixels on each hanger and their corresponding wire is sharing the load of all 40 pixels underneath and the 3d printed spacers and the power lines - could be trouble for a more dense matrix.

I was hoping someone was going to find a solution so i can benefit too, in the mean time still i'm exploring ideas for 2024.
You are welcome to the f360 model, if even for ideas - just ask.

oh and i didnt exactly hang the matrix "on" the garage door so to speak - was hung from the ceiling in front of the door at 5 points - used black coated aluminium length and the 3d printed cradle for the PVC like this - hard to explain without more pics sorry ;)
2024-06-05 17_07_26-Autodesk Fusion Personal (Not for Commercial Use).png

I'll upload Turkey/Tree/Snowman somewhere if you like - was a bit fun to sequence, wish i had more time on it, wife hounded me to make it since June haha, not the most amazing sequence though, pretty sure you could improve it, actually im expecting you too now! ;)

TBC...
 
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