push to light up selfie wings

bpratt

Senior elf
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
562
Location
Jimboomba, Queensland
This year I thought I'd do something nice for the parents to be able to take a photo of their little 'angel' in front of some selfie wings I've just got.

I thought there might have been a bit of a how to available here, but my 'search fu' has deserted me, as I can't find any posts.

What I'm looking at doing is doing up a control box (CG1500 or similar), and mounting a psu or two in to it, along with a Pi with a pi hat to control the 500 pixels per wing of the selfie wings. I also want to set up a large push button so that people can press it to go through a couple of tiny sequences just for the wings alone.

Wondering what ideas/suggestions others might have for such a project.

What pi hat to run effectively 1000 pixels on the wings, etc.
 

Zuseleets

Full time elf
Joined
Oct 12, 2016
Messages
289
Location
Townsville
Hi @bpratt It's good to see you have jumped onto the angel wings boat. I will be having angel wings in my display this year as a interactive model for visitors to use. I am making my own wings, however, not the wings others are purchasing from ELD.

My angel wings will be connected to the same controller my garden models in my display are connected to. I will also have a push button nearby for people to push to keep the wings lit for a photo. I will configure the button in FPP so that when the button is pressed, it will play a sequence that overlays the song that is currently playing on my display. When there is no visitors, my wings will be apart of the display.

I will most likely share my wings progress, and how it all goes together shortly, once I make time to do so.
 

Dreamin

Full time elf
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
382
Location
Sunshine Coast
This year I thought I'd do something nice for the parents to be able to take a photo of their little 'angel' in front of some selfie wings I've just got.

I thought there might have been a bit of a how to available here, but my 'search fu' has deserted me, as I can't find any posts.

What I'm looking at doing is doing up a control box (CG1500 or similar), and mounting a psu or two in to it, along with a Pi with a pi hat to control the 500 pixels per wing of the selfie wings. I also want to set up a large push button so that people can press it to go through a couple of tiny sequences just for the wings alone.

Wondering what ideas/suggestions others might have for such a project.

What pi hat to run effectively 1000 pixels on the wings, etc.
I'm doing the same project, they look fantastic, but I'm going to use a footplate instead of a button (more COVID safe).

I got one of these off Alan http://www.hansonelectronics.com.au/product/rpi-28dplus/ and intend to run two 5v x 500 pixels with some Power Injection. Should work perfect. I haven't quite worked out how to access the header pins to connect the switch triggers though. Edit: I just checked and there is a GPIO pin on the board ready to go for triggers! Yay. Life made simple! :)
 
Last edited:

Zuseleets

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Oct 12, 2016
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289
Location
Townsville
If you want to have it completely hands/foot free, you can utilise Remote Falcon. Just print off a QR code and have it next to your wings. The QR code points to Remote Falcon. Visitors will then be able to use their phones to turn on the angel wings, rather than a button.
 

MR_kymm4

Apprentice elf
Joined
Sep 20, 2019
Messages
56
Location
emerald
thats what we were talking about in chat @bpratt ,just get a pi hat and use the gpio unless like suz said you want it same as your show and "hands free" with qr code for remote 😉 tipping there will be lots of us doing something like this for this year's shows
 

bpratt

Senior elf
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
562
Location
Jimboomba, Queensland
thanks for the responses.... looks like @AAH will be soon getting another order from me for one of his pi hats.

It's the hardware stuff I'm keen to find out about, such as buttons people have used in these sorts of projects.

I'm also considering a separate button to turn on radio/speakers for say 3 minutes at a time, so walk ups can be catered for.... give them 3 minutes of music, which then switches off so as not to upset the neighbourhood.
 

Dave_Szoka

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Joined
Jan 1, 2014
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173
Location
Hobart
thanks for the responses.... looks like @AAH will be soon getting another order from me for one of his pi hats.

It's the hardware stuff I'm keen to find out about, such as buttons people have used in these sorts of projects.

I'm also considering a separate button to turn on radio/speakers for say 3 minutes at a time, so walk ups can be catered for.... give them 3 minutes of music, which then switches off so as not to upset the neighbourhood.
Here is great video about doing a push button for speakers

View: https://youtu.be/l-fVvqQ4RgQ
 

bpratt

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Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
562
Location
Jimboomba, Queensland
thanks for that video link.... I was thinking about picking up a cheap car radio, and some outdoor speakers for that project.
 

Dreamin

Full time elf
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
382
Location
Sunshine Coast
If you want to have it completely hands/foot free, you can utilise Remote Falcon. Just print off a QR code and have it next to your wings. The QR code points to Remote Falcon. Visitors will then be able to use their phones to turn on the angel wings, rather than a button.
Mine will be fully offline though. Shame this seemed like an interesting idea.
 

Grozzy

Oh great, the idiot's back
Joined
Aug 16, 2018
Messages
103
I'm doing something similar. I am using a pi zero running FPP. It's set to autostart 5 x 2minute sequences on boot with the button press playing next sequence. (a light up arcade button wired to a gpio pin) I originally had a an IP68 rated button but it wasn't very tactile and misfired too much. IMG_20210824_210826.jpg
 

Grozzy

Oh great, the idiot's back
Joined
Aug 16, 2018
Messages
103
Hi @bpratt It's good to see you have jumped onto the angel wings boat. I will be having angel wings in my display this year as a interactive model for visitors to use. I am making my own wings, however, not the wings others are purchasing from ELD.

My angel wings will be connected to the same controller my garden models in my display are connected to. I will also have a push button nearby for people to push to keep the wings lit for a photo. I will configure the button in FPP so that when the button is pressed, it will play a sequence that overlays the song that is currently playing on my display. When there is no visitors, my wings will be apart of the display.

I will most likely share my wings progress, and how it all goes together shortly, once I make time to do so.
Would love to know how to get them to be part of the show and then override with a button press. Keenly following your progress.
 

Dreamin

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Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
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Location
Sunshine Coast
What's everyone using as a frame for these wings??? They aren't lights and need some bracing. Height adjustment would be nice. Some days I wish I could weld!!!!
I'm kinda struggling to figure out the best way to get them up and safe. I don't want them landing on some poor sod taking a selfie! xD

I've just about got mine wired, running the PiHat, with 500 5V pixels off one port at 10-15% brightness, looks great and no need for power injection external to the port. I've just balenced the power within the model every 100 pixels.
 

Grozzy

Oh great, the idiot's back
Joined
Aug 16, 2018
Messages
103
What's everyone using as a frame for these wings??? They aren't lights and need some bracing. Height adjustment would be nice. Some days I wish I could weld!!!!
I'm kinda struggling to figure out the best way to get them up and safe. I don't want them landing on some poor sod taking a selfie! xD

I've just about got mine wired, running the PiHat, with 500 5V pixels off one port at 10-15% brightness, looks great and no need for power injection external to the port. I've just balenced the power within the model every 100 pixels.
I did end up welding a frame to support them, however I was originally thinking about using an old LCD TV wall bracket and bolting the two uprights going up to the tips. For the base I reused a portable laptop trolley/table but another option would be if you could find one of the hospital bed side tables that are adjustable. Having said all that, I think that I will still likely build a multi step platform box in front of it. Not comfortable with people touching and trying to adjust it up and down and I don't want to be tied to it all night doing it for people. God I'm already sounding grumpy 🤣
 

bpratt

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Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
562
Location
Jimboomba, Queensland
What's everyone using as a frame for these wings??? They aren't lights and need some bracing. Height adjustment would be nice. Some days I wish I could weld!!!!

I'm using angle aluminium, with two strips horizontally to keep the width fixed, but going to get some more aluminium angle to go vertically, using the horizontal ones to give it some rigidity.

I'm going to pinch @Grozzy 's multi step platform box idea, then I can just sit the wings at one height, and they can move the steps in for the real littlies :)
 

Dreamin

Full time elf
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
382
Location
Sunshine Coast
I'm using angle aluminium, with two strips horizontally to keep the width fixed, but going to get some more aluminium angle to go vertically, using the horizontal ones to give it some rigidity.

I'm going to pinch @Grozzy 's multi step platform box idea, then I can just sit the wings at one height, and they can move the steps in for the real littlies :)
Yeah I like Grozzy's box idea too. The KISS method usually wins! :)
 
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