Automate and Animate Your Holiday Lights Using RGB Pixels

Name: Automate and Animate Your Holiday Lights Using RGB Pixels
Rating: 4.7 (682 reviews)

Create your own animated light display using low-voltage, computer-controlled LED lights (RGB Pixels)

Created byJeff Lacey

Last updated 6/2018

English

What you'll learn

Select the minimum components necessary to assemble an RGB Pixel display.
Connect, load and configure the components in their display.
Create and play a sequence (lighting instructions) to animate patterns on the display.

Course content

5 sections • 24 lectures • 1h 22m total length

Introduction3:02
Learn to automate and animate your holiday lights with rgb pixels, covering basic wiring, power calculations, computer networking, sequencing, and free software to create patterns for a stunning display.
Course Syllabus and Overview0:23
What Are Pixels? What Do They Look Like?3:45
Explore how rgb pixels work, from dumb strings to addressable smart nodes, and learn common formats, colors, and protective housings for holiday lighting. Identify rgbw variants.
Design Your Display0:55

Pixel Lighting System Overview4:23
Understand the pixel lighting system components—pixels, DC power supplies, a pixel controller, data, and optionally a computer for full potential.
How RGB Pixels Work4:03
Discover how rgb pixels use red, green, and blue leds to mix colors and white, estimate 60 milli-amps per pixel, and drive 24-bit data through data-in and data-out with ws2811/ws2812b.
Recommended Power Supplies4:31
Power your rgb pixels with compatible 5v or 12v supplies, avoid mixing voltages, and place Meanwell power supplies near the prop while keeping under 85% capacity.
Pixel Controllers4:47
Compare stand-alone and computer-driven pixel controllers for RGB holiday lights, explain power injection, fuses, and how DMX 512 over ethernet (E1-31) converts to SPI data for pixel strings.
Computer - Raspberry Pi2:59
Learn how sequencing creates lighting data for RGB pixel displays, and run shows with a Raspberry Pi using Falcon player and its scheduler for music-synced or standalone displays.
Select Your Pixel Lighting System0:19

A Complete System1:06
Learn to build animated rgb pixel displays with xLights, strings on a Falcon F16v3, and addressable nodes to create patterns; explore music synchronization via yard speakers or low power fm.
Adding Music To Your Display3:47
Add music to your rgb pixel display using budget transmitters and audio sources, check for clear fm frequencies with radio-locator, and navigate copyright considerations for online sharing.
Pixel Controller Connections3:06
Power injection extends pixel strings by supplying power at multiple points with fuses and a common ground; the Falcon F16v3, a 16-output controller, drives up to 1,024 pixels per output.
Networking SetUp4:58
Configure a dedicated show network for rgb pixel controllers by using private ip ranges, static wifi ips, and subnetting with 192.168.x.x to separate show traffic from home network.
Network Information Organizer0:07
Buying Pixels4:26
Learn how to buy pixels for holiday lights from Shenzhen manufacturers or AliExpress, compare 5V versus 12V, ensure controller compatibility, and test before the season.
Tools You May Want2:00
Explore essential tools for rgb pixel holiday lights, including wire cutters, wire strippers, pliers, screwdrivers, volt meter, soldering gear, heat gun, heat shrink tubing, and cable ties.
Tips For Saving Money1:28
Save money on rgb pixel holiday light projects by scouting sales, joining bulk group buys, planning your display early, and buying bulk ethernet cable and power supplies.

Creating Sequences2:12
Learn to program holiday lights through sequencing with xLights, from downloading the free open-source app to creating models and your first lighting sequence.
Download xLights1:31
Exercise: Download and install xLights on your computer.

xLights is a free and open source program that enables you to design, create and play amazing lighting display sequences through the use of DMX controllers, E1.31 Ethernet controllers and more. With it you can layout your display visually then assign effects to [theatrical] props throughout your sequence.

xLights runs on Windows, OSX and Linux

Go to the download page at https://xlights.org/releases/

Installation guides are included for each platform as well as links to different repositories based on the platform.

When you open xLights for the first time, it brings up a window asking you to select your show directory. The show directory is where you will store all the files related to your show. There are some XML configuration files, the XML data files you create as you use this application (think of it like the source code of a program), FSEQ files that are the binary output of xLights that you copy over to Falcon Player (if you use it), the more lights you have, the larger they will be and eventually some XBKP, backup files. It doesn’t really matter where you put this directory (and you can change it later if you want), just remember where you put it as you’ll need to access the filesystem at some point to grab the FSEQ files (maybe).

Cheers!

Jeff
xLights Intro and Model Setup10:39
Open xLights, import a house image, and build 2D lighting models from bottom-left to top-right using polylines, verticals, horizontals, and arches to preview at night.
Create Your First Sequence with xLights6:42
Create your first xLights sequence using the wizard, set timing marks about every 5 to 10 seconds, and layer the all house group; apply random effects and customize models.
Configure The Setup Tab8:29
Configure the setup tab to connect xLights with a Falcon controller, set unicast universes, start channels by universe, upload input/output definitions, and verify the setup with a test sequence.

Requirements

Students should be comfortable using a computer and have some understanding of computer networking.
Students should have a basic understanding of electronics. Understand Ohm's Law and how current flows through wires.
Students should be able to join electrical wires together with a soldering iron.
Student should have some disposable income - these lights are more expensive than traditional holiday lights.

Description

If you’ve ever passed by an engaging light display and thought, "I wonder how they do that" then this course is for you. The material is technical, but I know many people without technical backgrounds that have put beautiful displays together. If you can do some basic wiring, have and know how to use a computer and have a little creativity, I’ll show you how you can automate and animate your lights.

Who this course is for:

People interested in learning how to create a computer-controlled holiday light display.

Automate and Animate Your Holiday Lights Using RGB Pixels

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction4 lectures • 8min

Pixel Lighting System6 lectures • 21min

Connect, Load and Configure8 lectures • 21min

Sequencing5 lectures • 30min

Congratulations1 lecture • 3min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: