DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Bobcat DMX Servo Controller => Topic started by: pokey on December 07, 2011,
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Perhaps I'm jumping the gun a bit - I've never even considered animating something, but am anxiously awaiting the Bobcat kit so I can roll up my sleeves and get in over my head.
Clearly it won't happen this year, but I am very excited about the prospect of an animatronic for next year...but everyone seems to be talking about animated skeletons/skulls which won't really mix well with my Christmas display! Has anyone considered Christmas animation? Santa seems the obvious one, but anything Christmasy will do...just not a dismembered skull.
I've done some quick searches on the Internet and not really found much...hoping to get ideas and and advice...
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Santa waving his arm. Reindeer moving their heads. Bells swinging/ringing.
One plan I'd like to try next year is having large wire-frame lit musical instruments that move on a pivot. The movements along with the lights will be synchronized to their instrumental solo parts.
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You could use a Santa head instead of a skull (or possibly a Santa mask over a skull). Another option would be a group of animated carolers.
You could also use it to create scenes like they do in the Macy's windows or the animated teddy bears at Filenes.
/mike
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I think with this and an Aether you could make a nice yoke light. Some changes to the Aether will have to be made. AllI need is some 8 channel slip rings. Any where a wire frame uses more than one channel for movement is a good place for this controler.
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I'm happy that this kind of discussion has finally started. I'm really looking forward to seeing what ideas and designs are implemented using this new controller.
Dave
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Nut crackers are big here in the PNW, We have a covered porch (20' set back from the street). Sooo I thought about taking a couple of 30" to 40" nut cracker's and have a micro servo control the jaw. Be a nice simple affect for the show.
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My rough thoughts were a Santa head and partial torso inside a chimney which raises up to do his "thing" and then settles back down inside. Of course I've got no idea how to do any of it, but I've got a whole year to figure it out!!!!
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There is a guy in California who does a nice display that has a large animated snowman. I have wanted one every since I saw his.
I want a snowman who will talk, turn and nod his head, wave his arms and shake his hips (dance).
then I would like to mount it on a platform that will twist.
PM me with a reminder and I will try to send you a link this weekend. I believe it was a guy that goes by Mike Z in LA?
I hope that I can work on this for next year. But first I need to finish up a bunch of stuff on the workbench that did not get finished for this year.
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I love these ideas. However, it will take some creativity to implement some of them with RC servos. Remember that you only get a few inches or less of travel with RC servos. If you use high gear ratios (short travel driving long travel), then you won't have enough torque to move it. I suspect you might have to resort to using servos to operate switches to drive larger and longer-throw motors/mechanisms. That allows you to use more powerful long-throw mechanisms while still having the ability to sequence it via DMX.
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Having done some animatronics for halloween displays there are some big servos out there that could be used to move a full size Santa but large servos = big $$$ servos would be better for movements of the mouth and eyes and maybe the head depending on the weight. Pneumatic cylinders would be a better choice for moving heavy body parts. You can use a MR16 to control the solenoids to run the pneumatics.
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I'm beginning to look into using wiper motors controlled with a PWM h-bridge. Anybody already travelled this road?
:) joe
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Not yet, but I am planning on doing something with windshield wiper motors.
- Rimist
Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk
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Sounds like we've got people here who know a lot more than me!!!! This sounds like it's gunna be fun!
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Having done some animatronics for halloween displays there are some big servos out there that could be used to move a full size Santa but large servos = big $$$ servos would be better for movements of the mouth and eyes and maybe the head depending on the weight. Pneumatic cylinders would be a better choice for moving heavy body parts. You can use a MR16 to control the solenoids to run the pneumatics.
Pneumatics is an excellent idea. One could also operate mechanical valves with servos. That way to could have variable flow to control the speed of what you're moving. Interesting...
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This is something I wanted to do for the last 3 years when I saw this but never had a chance too until now and guess what I missed the coop <fp.
Check out the frosty snowman and the dj elf and of course the projector display
http://lightsondisplay.com/
You could use a Santa head instead of a skull (or possibly a Santa mask over a skull). Another option would be a group of animated carolers.
You could also use it to create scenes like they do in the Macy's windows or the animated teddy bears at Filenes.
/mike
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On the pnumatic idea, at work we use whats called an E/P valve (mfg by Herion). what is basically is a variable voltage in = variable pressure out.
now it isnt going to exactly positioning every time, but if you plumb it loop style, it is do-oable......yeah, different thread for that, but just throwing it out to the minds that know more than me.... :-X :-X :-X
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Even though I'm a new guy, maybe I can contribute in this area.
My Halloween display had over 30 animated props that I've built myself. I use servos, vent and reindeer motors, windshield wiper motors and pneumatics depending on the needs for each particular prop. Since I'll be adding DMX to my repertoire, I'm very interested in Bobcats servo controller and ways in which I can use it in my haunt since I only plan on a light show for Christmas. You can see many of the animated props on this years video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyqxwdj6MS4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyqxwdj6MS4)
Compared to what I've seen so far on this site, I think the animated props is the easy part.
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Nicely done Steve!
I see some wiper motors, massagers, pneumatics, 3-axis skulls and it looks good. One thing I did this year with my pirate ship was to have air shoot from the back of the cannon pushing the smoke out making it look like it was shot! Used a PLC to control the air, damper, and sound to trigger together. Would like to move to one platform running it all instead of VSA for 3-axis, PLC's for relay triggers and LOR for lighting! What is your web address so I can check out your behind the scenes?
Thanks in advance,
Mark
Monroe GA
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Mark, I don't have a website but I do have videos of many of my props on my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/halstaff?feature=mhee (http://www.youtube.com/user/halstaff?feature=mhee)
I use the Picaxe microcontrollers to run most of my props as they are cheap, easy to build and even I can program them. With so many props running independently, those are big factors to consider. Most of them are triggered by PIR's so that they only activate when someone walks by.
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I have a 10' animated Santa in the works. It is sure to be a hit. I'll get a video of it once the parts all get here. It will be complete by Halloween this year.
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A 10' animatronic sounds absolutely overwhelming.... COUNT ME IN!!!!
Look forward to seeing what you come up with. Please share as it goes...I bet many will wanna follow on your virtual coat tail...
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Mark, I don't have a website but I do have videos of many of my props on my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/halstaff?feature=mhee (http://www.youtube.com/user/halstaff?feature=mhee)
I use the Picaxe microcontrollers to run most of my props as they are cheap, easy to build and even I can program them. With so many props running independently, those are big factors to consider. Most of them are triggered by PIR's so that they only activate when someone walks by.
I have a Paralax controller that I am playing with and will be trying out this year for the same but I wanted something for the dualing cannons that was all in one for triggering during the show. IF you have a moment, take a look at these - They are here in the States!
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Mark, I don't have a website but I do have videos of many of my props on my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/halstaff?feature=mhee (http://www.youtube.com/user/halstaff?feature=mhee)
I use the Picaxe microcontrollers to run most of my props as they are cheap, easy to build and even I can program them. With so many props running independently, those are big factors to consider. Most of them are triggered by PIR's so that they only activate when someone walks by.
I have a Paralax controller that I am playing with and will be trying out this year for the same but I wanted something for the dualing cannons that was all in one for triggering during the show. IF you have a moment, take a look at these - They are here in the States!
If your looking for "haunt" controllers of the Parallax variety check out EFX-Tek http://www.efx-tek.com it was formed from two guy from Parallax who now desing and sell there own version of Parallax boards. Also for the Vixen fans there are plug-ins for Vixen for some of the EFX-Tek controllers.
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I'll second the recommendation for EFX-TEK. If you're looking for premade controllers, they're hard to beat. Great guys, the prices are reasonable, they ship quickly and they have a very active and helpful forum that will get your props doing exactly what you want them to. If you need them to, they'll even write the entire code for you to copy and paste into your controller.
I bought a prop-1 and an EZ-8 before I started building my own controllers and still use them.
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I have one of the Prop-I controllers and had to use it for my emergency lights on my truck in place of the internal controller that fried out!! It was less expensive than going back to the manufacturer since it was not under warranty any more. The things we do!!
Mark