Sequence builder for rgb targets. meighan.net/rgbsb

[smeighan]

hi phil;
great!


send me those files to rgbsb@meighan.net


For all my animations i have this in an internal rgbsb file


strand# Pixel# r,g,b frame#


I adjust the delay between frame (10ms-200ms) and then get the animations.,


For xml i read this file, figure where i am out in the time line and strand,Pixel needs to be set.


i want the least amount of time for the user when importing this stuff.


I am hoping to create a profile file form my target modeler.


thanks for the support


BTW, i added another option to the text effect .
I am thinking of using this when i finally get a tree

 

[smeighan]

Well, just as i was getting ready to go to bed, i got an idea about how to project pictures onto the tree.I took the image i use for my avatar (99x139 pixels in a png file) and wrote a new model, picture projection onto the tree.This means i will be able to also project movies. The problem is getting the resolution small enough. In this case i divided each axis by 5 and just took the rgb value. Better would be to average them, to enhance them, .etc.

But for a first pass, not bad

 

[AussiePhil]

Nice


Still working to put together the files for you.


You can use vdub to do the initial resize then process the correctly sized image/video


Phil

 

[Superman]

Hi Sean.

Great work on this little toy so far. My Question or statement is about Text or images projected onto the tree.
Last year I ran a tree made from 2801 pixels and found that if you run text around the whole circumference of the tree it looks confusing because you can see the rear pixels in a real tree and they clash with the ones on the front. can the text feature just be output to a certain section of the tree face?

 

[westy27]

Hi Sean,

When you select your plan or surface is there a option other then the mega tree? . This year I plan on making pixicles (150 x 6 or 8 pixels) and would love to use this tool.

 

[j1sys]

Sean -
Any possibility of getting an XML of your native design output. You might use some higher level functions like shift or rotate that I could compile down more easier to my new COOL (Compiler Object Oriented Lighting). I'm working on a Vixen 2.1 import/compile. But higher level object oriented stuff could compress down even better. I might even add primitive to match some of your pardym.
-Ed

 

[smeighan]

Hi Sean,

When you select your plan or surface is there a option other then the mega tree? . This year I plan on making pixicles (150 x 6 or 8 pixels) and would love to use this tool.

Yes, i already have the base design done for flat planes. Take strings and snake them back and forth.


Say a 120 pixel smart string. You want to make a grid display, 90 pixels wide. You wrap 9-0 on the first row and have 30 on the next. You then start your next string 60 on second row, 60 on 3rd.


My target modeler will allow you to define that topography. My effect models are generic and will auto config to both a megatree and a flat panel (matrix).


i hope to get the modeler opened this weekend and start to get input.


You MUST be able to create the target model with my tool or you cant use the tool. This is why it is important that i make it generic enough to model everyones devices.


thanks

 

[smeighan]

Sean -
Any possibility of getting an XML of your native design output. You might use some higher level functions like shift or rotate that I could compile down more easier to my new COOL (Compiler Object Oriented Lighting). I'm working on a Vixen 2.1 import/compile. But higher level object oriented stuff could compress down even better. I might even add primitive to match some of your pardym.
-Ed

I am not sure what u want?


Here is the base design of rgbsb,


Build a rgb device in x,y,z physical space. so for my 32 strand, 35 pixel per strand tree i have an array with this info
strand# pixel# x,y,z (in inches) and rgb val.


This data is saved as an ascii file, that i call the source model.


I start by reading a source file and load up an array. rgbsb is written in php, about 2000 lines so far.


Now i have routines (effects) that will go and turn pixels on. Say i am mapping a picture to the tree. I then write a new file with the exact same structure as the original source model. This is one frame. If i just wan a static image i walk the array and build an input file for gnuplot.


If i want a rotation i read this file into an array and then move all pixels one to the left or one to the right per frame rotation. after rotation , i write another dat file. 32 strands means i end up with 32 dat files. gnuplot can process about 100 of these per second. It makes 32 png files. i then create an animated gof with 50, 100, 200ms frame timing.


When i create the xml file, i dont need to make any output images (they are noce to see tho). I just read the dat files for each frame and create the xml events matching the target sequencer.


now that you know the internal process, what do you want an xml of?


My rotation routine is read the x,y,z array and then move the data up,down left/right and create a new frame.


Now i will be doing fireworks and blowing snow in a blizzard. I will be using equations that pattern the particle movement. These still write the output of the array to a dat file that i can plot.


I could have made it more complicated, but the design has not blocked any effect i want to create and it is easy to debug. Having everything in x,y,z space has helped.


thanks

 

[Tallahassee Dreamer]

Can't wait for it to come on line, I have a 20 foot mega tree with 32 strings 85 pixels per string using 2801 pixels. I also have 2 10 foot mega trees one either side of the 20 this could be a lot of fun.

 

[GoofyGuy]

Can't wait for it to come on line, I have a 20 foot mega tree with 32 strings 85 pixels per string using 2801 pixels. I also have 2 10 foot mega trees one either side of the 20 this could be a lot of fun.

I have 4 10 footers in mind for this. Really this sounds small but to have 4 of them is my master plan.

 

[smeighan]

Hi Sean.

Great work on this little toy so far. My Question or statement is about Text or images projected onto the tree.
Last year I ran a tree made from 2801 pixels and found that if you run text around the whole circumference of the tree it looks confusing because you can see the rear pixels in a real tree and they clash with the ones on the front. can the text feature just be output to a certain section of the tree face?

my text model only projects the front half of the tree for that reason. you define a window for the text, i cuurently have my widow set at 180 degrees


thanks

 

[smeighan]

Hi Sean,

When you select your plan or surface is there a option other then the mega tree? . This year I plan on making pixicles (150 x 6 or 8 pixels) and would love to use this tool.

Yes, the tool will support what i call grid or matrix displays. They will be coming on line probably in the month of Mar/Apr.


I, for example, plan on taking my strings from the megatree and using it as a grid display for Fourth of July and for Halloween.


thanks

 

[fasteddy]

Hi Sean,

When you select your plan or surface is there a option other then the mega tree? . This year I plan on making pixicles (150 x 6 or 8 pixels) and would love to use this tool.

Yes, the tool will support what i call grid or matrix displays. They will be coming on line probably in the month of Mar/Apr.


I, for example, plan on taking my strings from the megatree and using it as a grid display for Fourth of July and for Halloween.


thanks

Very nice Sean, now you have my interest as i dont plan on having a pixel tree, but i have a few matrices in my display. Basically they are the same anyway, its just the shape thats different.

 

[smeighan]

This is VERY important. If you cannot model your tree , you will NOT be able to use RGBSB.[/size]This initial release is everything except for the editing of an existing tree. Since defining your tree should take less than 60 seconds, just build multiple models.This release now allows you to create an account on rgbsb. One you create an account you will come into the target modeler screen.This is what i need from you. Is there any reason you cannot model your existing or future tree?I am aware of some people who have built tree in what i call a snake method. take a string, go up and then down and then go up again. I will be adding this soon.Your models are being saved to the database, but it is not like you would lose alot of work. Like i said, you should be able to model your tree in a few minutes.I expect the ability to edit an existing model will occur tonight. Todays release is alpha, things may work and stop working. I am releasing code. I expect the stable version ot be released on Monday. I am doing the early release to get feedback.so have fun http://meighan.net/rgbsb/login/login-form.php======================================================

over 40 people registered today. 30 models were created. I got some feedback and i fixed some bugs. A very good start.




======================================================


I have been asked "What Now"What happens now is I verify that everyone can model their tree. I will choose some of the models entered to be come part of my test suite. This was the goal of this weekend.the next part is you need to create effects in your user space. Think of the effects you have seen, say the barber pole, the most simple spiral model i have.That effect has these variables.Number of stripes. The Barber pole had this set to 2How many rotations a stripe makes going from the top to the bottom. The barber pole on my web page had this set to 3Color of each stripe. RED and WHITE were used for Barber Pole.Thickness of stripe, in Barber Pole case you say to fill it in till the next stripeRotation cw or ccw. I think i had it cwDo you want the whole tree used or only half a mega tree. I set this to be half a megatreeNow you will save this as say BARBER1 in your effects library.Then you go to your personal library and select a target (Example: MTREE1)and a effect, (Example: BARBER1)I will ask you for the time quantum, say 50ms, and how long you want a sequence, say 5 seconds.I now create one frame with every string#, pixel#, rgb value. In this case I will produce 100 objectsAt this point I can make animated gif's. Notice so far the software is sequencer agnostic.This point is where i have been but i was cheating by setting the variables inside the software and not pulling them from tables.At this point I expect you will look at the animations and maybe go back and modify your effects and try again.If you are only going to have one megatree, you will never go back to the target modeler. I do expect you will start to makde 10's or 100's of effects that you personally like.When satisfied, you select a sequencer and I produce the Lms,vix or lsp file. You then import it into your sequencer and should see what I previewed for you,Cut and paste it ( here I get fuzzy, since I have used any sequencer software. I expect all three sequencer groups will give me suggestions on how to make this easiest for you.)In summary1) you must build your rgb using the target modeler . You just finished this step.2) u need to select an effect from your personal library of effects u like. I have not released this tool yet. It should be released within the next 1-2 weeks.3) optional at this point is to get an animated gif to preview4) finally, you get an output file for your sequencerSTATUS as of feb 25th1) is functional now. I know I will want to change the layout, the usability, the prompts and expand it to model matrix or grids.(2) is maybe 70% done. Actually building the models, discovering what variables need to be changed, is complete.What is left is another form where you select from this listSpirals, bands, meteors, pictures,textYou then get prompted for the variables that belong to that effect. U name this effect and it goes into your library(3) is done, it needs some clean related to scheduling Linux tasks, cleaning files and such. But the guts of it is done(4) XML output for sequencers. I have LOR maybe 40% done, vixen 10%, LSP 5%. I need some people's models to work here, what people have done this weekend will help.I have stated all 4 of these will be done by summer.Thanks for the feedback

 

[kel]

could we pls have this in metric?