DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx Smart String => Topic started by: CourtBard on October 03, 2011,
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Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on using a string of rgb leds for leaping arches. My thought is that you could get some neat effects, but i am concerned about how they will look. I understand the rgb leds on the strands from ray are pretty bright. Would they be good enough for this use?
Any thoughts commentd would be great.
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I'm planning to use 4x 128-pixel strings for this purpose, but I'm still waiting on my strings to arrive to see how well they compare to my older arches. I think the color choices and smoothness of stepping 1/128th of the arch along the way will be great, but the arches that I had from last year cover 20' with 8 channels of 100 LED lights each and 8 more channels of another color. so... i expect 800 LEDs + 800 LEDs will not be a fair comparison to 128 pixels.
with that in mind, i expect most of my rgb to be "highlights" in my display, and the old LED strings from last year to be a "chorus" of light that I use to impress during finale and the big part of the songs.
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That was my concern. Having one light every so often vs a whole bunch wrapped tightly together would not be bright enough. Being able to control each light and the color is a big advantage. Over the normal arches.
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I'm doing similar to Steve this year using 4 flex strips. Also treating RGB as highlights and somewhat experimental.
I think it will work out nicely. Sure is an easier way to do an arch. Those flex strips are insanely bright, but somwhat directional, both in light distribution and in flexibility ... which is the main concern. I am encasing mine in clear tubing, just to achieve a more linear bend and better light distribution ... then zip tying that to 1/2" sch40 EMT conduit in slightly greater than 4m lengths ... rebar ends, maybe a support line or two in the middle as needed.
I can tell you that after wrapping mini lights onto PVC extensively in 2010 ... I think this will be much easier. The look and how it compares ... hmm, only time will tell. I'm thinking of setting it up in LSP 2.0 as groups and that will make programming a little more conventional, but still able to use pixel control if desired.
To me, the flex strips were the most retail-ready TM1804 product I have seen this year ... and really are amazing to look at with the TM1804 test controller from Ray. Like I said, REALLY bright and vivid colors.
I think if we eventually could form (n channel) groups in the SSC firmware and utility ... that the use of these could be simplified a bit on the software side.
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I have some extra nodes that I was thinking about putting inside some 1" PEX tubing to make a couple of arches. I was hoping the PEX would diffuse the light enough to like like a continuous stream of light.
Brian
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I think it would look fairly good, if the light shines through enough. I was also looking at PEX, but it seemed pricey. I was too cheap to even try it. I finally found some clear tubing on Amazon that was around $39 shipped for 100' ... enough to do a lot of arches ... and way cheaper than the hardware store prices, which were insane around here. I need to pull an entire flex strip through it ... and see how it looks. The small sections I have tested with ... look really good in the tube and provides a little additional protection from the elements, while giving a better light distribution.
I have not actually finished my prototype using this tubing, but it appears perfectly sized for use with the SS flex strip. Here is what I ordered. http://tinyurl.com/flexstrip-tubing (http://tinyurl.com/flexstrip-tubing)
I'm planning on using fish tape or a pull string attached to the flex strip wire ... to pull it through. I don't think it'll be too difficult.
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I have not actually finished my prototype using this tubing, but it appears perfectly sized for use with the SS flex strip.
Please keep us updated on this project. Mucho interested.
Thanks.
\dmc
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I thought about some clear tubing as well. I was worried that the flex strips would get too hot in an enclosed space with no moving air. Might not be a problem come December, but the strips run alot warmer than the nodes from my experience. I have 1.25ID clear vinyl tubing and it really doesn't spread the light up much, the strips are still highly directional. I have some 1.0ID braided tubing and it does a little better but not much. Also once you get it in there about 3 feet it starts dragging pretty bad. The vinyl isn't very slick and neither is the flex strips tubing so might need some kind of lubricant that isn't going to eat either material to get it 4m down a tube. To get the diffraction I think you are wanting you would probably need to frost the outside or inside of the tubing. Of course YMMV and you may be looking for something completely different than I was.
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Ok, well TadamsOK was absolutely right ... getting it through the tubing was a pain. I managed to get it through with fish tape, but had to cut a slit in it half-way ... and it was still a nightmare. I'm not sure its worth the hassle.
I'm thinking maybe I could just use short sections of he tubing to just act more like a 'padded clear clamps' to secure the strip (w' zip ties) to the conduit without actually encasing it all in a tube ... and this might also protect the flex strip? Either that or just try greasing up the next one and see if that makes it a lot easier. The light dispersion is a little better, but not sure its enough to warrant all this hassle.
I think the point about heat is a good one, but these things are already in a sealed tube to begin with ... so I wonder how much worse another tube would make it. I think in Colorado, its typically not very warm and these things are hardly ever going to be on very long periods of time, so I doubt they get too hot.
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Has anyone tried cutting some pvc pipe in half and using the inside of the pvc as a sort of reflector? This wouldn't work with the flex strips, but could help with the node type strings. Maybe you could use the pvc as a housing with the flex strips facing out and some wax paper/ coro/ pex in front to act as a diffuser. You could wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap to help seal it.
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Did anybody ever come up with a good solution for making arches?
I thought a read a post somewhere about strapping a flex strip facing down on a pvc pipe but can't find it again.
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i'm halfway through my design and will show soon.
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I am trying to plan an order. Did you use the flex strips or the rectangles?
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neither >:D
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I use the flex strips facing down on the 1/2" EMT conduit ... they work great.
There is no need to put them in anything, IMHO. They looked fantastic and were very bright.
Facing down actually diffuses the light somewhat so that are not quite as blindingly bright.
Most of my show is minis and C9(s) ... so facing down actually turned out to be better than facing out or up.
Just my opinion. Most fans gave them the most compliments and only the spiral megatree got more kudos.
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i agree, i ended up deciding to stay outside the pipe.
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My problem is my arches are right down on the street. I use them as kind of a arch fence to separate the visitors from wandering up into the yard. I would like them to also not be easy to figure out how they are made. Each of the arches are 10 ft between landings and 11+ft in length. I am considering whether that length would be short enough to fish the flex strip through, what do you think. I could use either some sandpaper or paint to make the tubing opaque.
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mms and I are experimenting with an arch using flexstrips. We should be able to post a video soon.
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We used a 10 foot long piece of thin wall PVC bent on a homemade jig. There are 3 meters worth of flex strip in the pipe. The nodes are at 50% brightness so that the camera could pick up the color. We used the xLights RGB test to do the chase. I think that covers the technical stuff.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwV869M9n3k (new link)
Steve
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video is marked private
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We used a 10 foot long piece of thin wall PVC bent on a homemade jig. There are 3 meters worth of flex strip in the pipe. The nodes are at 50% brightness so that the camera could pick up the color. We used the xLights RGB test to do the chase. I think that covers the technical stuff.
Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/nwV869M9n3k
Steve
Can you change the access to the video?
Do you have any assembly photos?
Thanks,
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video is marked private
Sorry about that! It's good to go now! <fp.
Can you change the access to the video?
Do you have any assembly photos?
Thanks,
Usually, I'm much better about documenting the whole process. Since this was more of an experiment we didn't take photos.
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For this experiment we used a 4 meter flexstrip but only 3 meters of it are in the PVC. The extra meter is hanging out one end!!! (covered by a blanket in the video) The arch in the video was leaning against a wall in the basement. We just wanted to see how it looks.
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Pk,mms -- looks awesome!
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I realize that the camera doesn't always show the true look of the lights but I think that 3/4" or 1" PEX tubing will show the light better than thin wall PVC. The biggest issue will be keeping it stable so it doesn't fall over.
John
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Once you get into PEX ... your talking a lot of $$$ ... to me, the problem isn't worth an expensive solution.
If your a perfectionist, maybe ... but otherwise no way. The strips look great upside down and in the elements ... mounted onto cheapo $1.49 per 10' ... 1/2" conduit ... I'm sure in thinwall pvc might be a little better and cleaner ... but at some point you have to say 'good enough'. Its a personal choice of how sweet is sweet enough.
To me, all this fits into the same category with .... did you hang all your lights perfectly straight? Sure, it looks better ... but I also dont' have time or bandwidth to make em all perfectly straight.
Most people won't know the difference, so thats why its up to you to decide when you've done enough to satisfy your own standards.
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I am thinking of making some arches this year. If I do, i will be adding arches to the targets supported by Nutcracker.
I am also thinking of adding a Marty fan as a target supported by Nutcracker.
Has anyone used one of these fans in your display? Was it RGB?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAOkhHB2QQo
thanks
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ifi have finances left to attack it this year, i'm implementing rgb fans this year... if not, it's next years add on
also depends on RJ's DSC design
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Sean, I think the addition of arches and marty fans to nutcracker would be very very useful !!
I think the arches would be the most utilized of the two.
I think the marty fan would be cool in rgb because you possibly do text on it (???) and its a smaller
type RGB item than doing a megatree ... and rather easy to construct.
I just know your going to be getting a call (at somepoint) from LOR or LSP to make nutcracker a plugin or add-on at
some point. I love what you have done with nutcracker and how you have made it open to all of us to us.
Amazing!!
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Sean, I think the addition of arches and marty fans to nutcracker would be very very useful !!
I think the arches would be the most utilized of the two.
I think the marty fan would be cool in rgb because you possibly do text on it (???) and its a smaller
type RGB item than doing a megatree ... and rather easy to construct.
I just know your going to be getting a call (at somepoint) from LOR or LSP to make nutcracker a plugin or add-on at
some point. I love what you have done with nutcracker and how you have made it open to all of us to us.
Amazing!!
Thanks!
Does anyone know why it is called a Marty Fan? Just curious.
Here is a picture of a marty fan with a nativity scene in front of it. I like the composition.
http://forums.lightorama.com/attachment.php?id=8933
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Hi, Sean...
I've had a 'Marty'fan for a couple of years... looks great... just used white and green minis on it... no RGB...
Its called a 'Marty' fan because Marty Slack came up with the and built the first one :-)
thanks for all the work you've done on Nutcracker... hopefully LSP can use/import the effects eventually :-)
thanks...
Dan
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Sean, a lot of display elements have a name attached to them from the guy that started using them... marty fans, hokdman stars, feast eddy's coro canes.... etc...
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Sean, a lot of display elements have a name attached to them from the guy that started using them... marty fans, hokdman stars, feast eddy's coro canes.... etc...
so i get to be the sean butterfly effect?
*smile*
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And some called the spiral megatree the weber tree because it was the first well documented and executed spiral, even though a few had been done previously.
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There were also some who have done bellagio style fountain effects using strait up PVC with lights on them.
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Sean, I think the addition of arches and marty fans to nutcracker would be very very useful !!
I think the arches would be the most utilized of the two.
I think the marty fan would be cool in rgb because you possibly do text on it (???) and its a smaller
type RGB item than doing a megatree ... and rather easy to construct.
I just know your going to be getting a call (at somepoint) from LOR or LSP to make nutcracker a plugin or add-on at
some point. I love what you have done with nutcracker and how you have made it open to all of us to us.
Amazing!!
Thanks!
Does anyone know why it is called a Marty Fan? Just curious.
Here is a picture of a marty fan with a nativity scene in front of it. I like the composition.
http://forums.lightorama.com/attachment.php?id=8933
It was named after Marty Slack who was the first to design and use the element.
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this thread should be named History 101
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Hi, Sean...
I've had a 'Marty'fan for a couple of years... looks great... just used white and green minis on it... no RGB...
Its called a 'Marty' fan because Marty Slack came up with the and built the first one :-)
thanks for all the work you've done on Nutcracker... hopefully LSP can use/import the effects eventually :-)
thanks...
Dan
I found Marty slack's display in Utah. http://christmasutah.com/index.html
Wow, pretty impressive.
This last Christmas was his last show. He will not put anything up in 2012. I think his hobby just grew and grew and he was exhausted. I dont think he is doing it again because he has sold most everything he has. He was giving half of it away.
http://www.christmasutah.com/forsale.html
One intersting thing he did was make giant faces on his trees. He has some effects and displays i have not seen on any other home.
He does have some good documentation.
Here is a how to for coro
http://christmasutah.com/images/Coroplast_Marty_Slack.pdf
sorry to see him leave...
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Once you get into PEX ... your talking a lot of $$$ ... to me, the problem isn't worth an expensive solution.
If your a perfectionist, maybe ... but otherwise no way. The strips look great upside down and in the elements ... mounted onto cheapo $1.49 per 10' ... 1/2" conduit ... I'm sure in thinwall pvc might be a little better and cleaner ... but at some point you have to say 'good enough'. Its a personal choice of how sweet is sweet enough.
To me, all this fits into the same category with .... did you hang all your lights perfectly straight? Sure, it looks better ... but I also dont' have time or bandwidth to make em all perfectly straight.
Most people won't know the difference, so thats why its up to you to decide when you've done enough to satisfy your own standards.
At full brightness it looks more like a neon tube - it's a slick look IMHO, especially for the $3 a 10 foot length of 1" PVC costs. We've been playing with the effects on it (hopefully more video this weekend.) If I remember I'll take pictures/video of the jig too. Maybe I can talk PK into making another arch so we can document it.
After working with the Smart Strings for only a couple of weeks in Vixen 2.1, I will gladly help test any tools that are developed. I hear Vixen 3.0 may have some promising features that will make smart string sequencing easier. However, the amount of copying and pasting to make a 6-color chase on 90 nodes (270 channels) is cumbersome.
As for the faces in the trees... I'm hoping that Nutcracker will have video capabilities at some point... Mini smart trees will have more purposes than just Christmas. 8)
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Hey Everyone,
I posted up some info back in December about my arches, let me just say they were fantastic! I also did a type of angel tail (it was supposed to be a star but time limitations got in the way).
Anyway I have a pic and a short video from behind the arch so you can see they really through out the light. I guess I need to get my videos posted so you can see them in action. ;)
http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=6879.msg101554#msg101554 (http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=6879.msg101554#msg101554)
Enjoy!
Ted
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Well I got one video up for those interested to see how they do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CYKd-QRtSM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CYKd-QRtSM)
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTpHo9QT-Xw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTpHo9QT-Xw)
Ted
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Are your smaller arches traditional incans?
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Looks great ... Are the big arches flex strips then?
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Hey Mr. Christmas,
Yep just white Icans.
Yep Taybrynn they are actually 2 full length flex strips and the ends meet at the top. Kudos to RJ for thinking ahead and allowing us some nice flexibility in programing them, it made it easier to do when you control where node 1 is.
Ted
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Once you get into PEX ... your talking a lot of $$$ ... to me, the problem isn't worth an expensive solution.
If your a perfectionist, maybe ... but otherwise no way. The strips look great upside down and in the elements ... mounted onto cheapo $1.49 per 10' ... 1/2" conduit ... I'm sure in thinwall pvc might be a little better and cleaner ... but at some point you have to say 'good enough'. Its a personal choice of how sweet is sweet enough.
To me, all this fits into the same category with .... did you hang all your lights perfectly straight? Sure, it looks better ... but I also dont' have time or bandwidth to make em all perfectly straight.
Most people won't know the difference, so thats why its up to you to decide when you've done enough to satisfy your own standards.
We are talking about pixel strands Cost ?? LOL
versus $60 for a 100ft spool of 1" PEX pipe
where is the main cost LOL
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I am thinking of making some arches this year. If I do, i will be adding arches to the targets supported by Nutcracker.
I am also thinking of adding a Marty fan as a target supported by Nutcracker.
Has anyone used one of these fans in your display? Was it RGB?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAOkhHB2QQo
thanks
I like this guys approach to a fan I think if we did something like this using flexible strips the skys the limit on designs