LOVE LOVE LOVE everything you have done with Biblio Pixel - its been a lifesaver as i dive into programming LEDS. Wondering - any thoughts on adding bibliopixel 3 support to PixelWeb? Especially interested in sim-pixel through pixel web and also the circle layout.
Oh cool. Is there any documentation on the remote feature. I am not sure how to use.
···
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 6:56 AM, Quenton Longmire Cook quenton.cook@gmail.com wrote:
LOVE LOVE LOVE everything you have done with Biblio Pixel - its been a lifesaver as i dive into programming LEDS. Wondering - any thoughts on adding bibliopixel 3 support to PixelWeb? Especially interested in sim-pixel through pixel web and also the circle layout.
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/t
Hey Quenton,
Thanks for the BiblioPixel love 
Always happy to hear someone is helped by our work!
So, Tom is right… Short answer: PixelWeb is end of life and the very new Remote UI feature in BP3 is the intended replacement.
Long Answer: PixelWeb is a massive thing with a bunch of complex moving parts which is difficult to maintain… even more so due to the fact that I am not a web developer. (Side note: That still applies to SimPixel… it was written by Michael Clayton who is an insanely gifted web developer). There are actually a bunch of pretty bad bugs that have crept into PixelWeb since its beginning that are what convinced me to just replace it wholesale for BP3… not because those bugs were too hard to fix, but because I was the only one that ever noticed, meaning not many people really used PixelWeb at all. They would’ve noticed the bugs if they had.
So, I decided to just leave PixelWeb behind for BP3 with the intent of eventually bringing back the good parts of it. One thing that also made PixelWeb problematic is that Python is dynamically typed, which necessitated the whole animation MANIFEST thing which was complicated and also hard to support animation input parameters that weren’t numbers, strings, or colors… which limited it’s usefulness.
This brings me to the BP3 Projects feature. In case you are not aware, BP3 allows for a “config only” usage mode via JSON formatted “project” files. See the wiki for more details on that format. The short of that is that you can specify in your config the driver, layout (strip, matrix, circle, cube), and then any animation(s). Once you’ve got that, just call bibliopixel run your_project_file.json and you are done. Here’s where we get to the PixelWeb replacement…
As of BP 3.1.3 there is support for a “remote” animation. This a special version of the Collection animation type which is a way of bundling up multiple sub animations to be run either individually or in a Sequence. Unlike any other mode of using BP projects, “remote” does not by default run anything when it starts.
Since you expressed interest in SimPixel and the circle layout, try this:
bibliopixel run [https://github.com/ManiacalLabs/BiblioPixelAnimations/blob/master/Projects/circle.json](https://github.com/ManiacalLabs/BiblioPixelAnimations/blob/master/Projects/circle.json)
Then browse to:
http://localhost:5000
and
http://simpixel.io
At the localhost address you should get something like this:
Click on the animation you want and it will play in SimPixel. Simple as that.
Take a second to checkout https://github.com/ManiacalLabs/BiblioPixelAnimations/blob/master/Projects/circle.json
As you’ll see there is a main animation entry with typename “remote” and that has a long list of animations that then define each of the buttons in the remote UI. Each of the sub-animations have a name field. This is used as what is shown on the button but more importantly has the Remote API’s callout to that configuration. You can start an animation just by browsing to:
http://localhost:5000/run_animation/Swirl
PixelWeb was much more complex. You had to make a JSON POST call that contained the entire configuration for the animation you wanted to run. It made sense at the time but was a massive pain to use. And that’s the beauty of the new setup… you can use the remote UI provided but you could easily just call out to the remote from anything you wanted.
So, yes… right now the major glaring omission is the ability to do all this without writing anything, config or code. Maybe that will come back in the future, but right now my goal was to strike a balance between zero code or config and a super simple remote control protocol and UI. And actually, I can put together a BP project file and have a remote loaded faster than I could click through PixelWeb… yes, I wrote this new stuff but it’s not too bad to pick up.
As for the lack of documentation on the Remote… it’s really in “soft launch” right now. It exists but we weren’t ready to announce it… mainly because it’s quickly evolving. For example, the current dev branch has a new feature called “triggers” that use the whole remote system. This allows you to have an animation automatically started or stopped based on some external input. And the system uses trigger plugins to provide all the functionality so the sky is the limit. Right now I have the ability to trigger animations based on: date & time, sunrise/sunset/dusk/dawn, and (my favorite) proximity of a bluetooth device such as your phone.
Hopefully the examples I gave for using the remote are simple enough to follow but please don’t hesitate to come back with questions and comments. It’s really helpful for us to get input from people outside of the echo chamber that is Tom and I. I promise docs for remote will be coming soon, we just wanted to make sure things were a little more stable before shouting publicly about it.
···
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 10:13 AM, Quenton Longmire Cook quenton.cook@gmail.com wrote:
Oh cool. Is there any documentation on the remote feature. I am not sure how to use.
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 12:46 AM Tom Swirly tom@swirly.com wrote:
I believe that the plan is for the remote features of BiblioPixel to completely replace PixelWeb - so you’ll get the same features from within BP.
However, Adam’s the real expert in this domain, and he’ll have to give the final word here. Adam?
–
/t
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 6:56 AM, Quenton Longmire Cook quenton.cook@gmail.com wrote:
LOVE LOVE LOVE everything you have done with Biblio Pixel - its been a lifesaver as i dive into programming LEDS. Wondering - any thoughts on adding bibliopixel 3 support to PixelWeb? Especially interested in sim-pixel through pixel web and also the circle layout.
–
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–
/t
That is SO SO SO helpful. You guys are amazing! The quick start part of PixelWeb was the best aspect and remote solves that problem! And love the new projects idea! Will get working on this ASAP!
···
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 10:13 AM, Quenton Longmire Cook quenton.cook@gmail.com wrote:
Oh cool. Is there any documentation on the remote feature. I am not sure how to use.
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 12:46 AM Tom Swirly tom@swirly.com wrote:
I believe that the plan is for the remote features of BiblioPixel to completely replace PixelWeb - so you’ll get the same features from within BP.
However, Adam’s the real expert in this domain, and he’ll have to give the final word here. Adam?
–
/t
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 6:56 AM, Quenton Longmire Cook quenton.cook@gmail.com wrote:
LOVE LOVE LOVE everything you have done with Biblio Pixel - its been a lifesaver as i dive into programming LEDS. Wondering - any thoughts on adding bibliopixel 3 support to PixelWeb? Especially interested in sim-pixel through pixel web and also the circle layout.
–
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To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to maniacal-labs-users+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
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–
/t
Awesome Yeah… quick selects was my favorite feature too. Glad that’s what you were looking for
···
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 12:27 PM, Quenton Longmire Cook quenton.cook@gmail.com wrote:
That is SO SO SO helpful. You guys are amazing! The quick start part of PixelWeb was the best aspect and remote solves that problem! And love the new projects idea! Will get working on this ASAP!
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 5:15 AM Adam Haile adammhaile@gmail.com wrote:
Hey Quenton,
Thanks for the BiblioPixel love
So, Tom is right… Short answer: PixelWeb is end of life and the very new Remote UI feature in BP3 is the intended replacement.
Long Answer: PixelWeb is a massive thing with a bunch of complex moving parts which is difficult to maintain… even more so due to the fact that I am not a web developer. (Side note: That still applies to SimPixel… it was written by Michael Clayton who is an insanely gifted web developer). There are actually a bunch of pretty bad bugs that have crept into PixelWeb since its beginning that are what convinced me to just replace it wholesale for BP3… not because those bugs were too hard to fix, but because I was the only one that ever noticed, meaning not many people really used PixelWeb at all. They would’ve noticed the bugs if they had.
So, I decided to just leave PixelWeb behind for BP3 with the intent of eventually bringing back the good parts of it. One thing that also made PixelWeb problematic is that Python is dynamically typed, which necessitated the whole animation
MANIFESTthing which was complicated and also hard to support animation input parameters that weren’t numbers, strings, or colors… which limited it’s usefulness.
This brings me to the BP3 Projects feature. In case you are not aware, BP3 allows for a “config only” usage mode via JSON formatted “project” files. See the wiki for more details on that format. The short of that is that you can specify in your config the
driver,layout(strip, matrix, circle, cube), and then any animation(s). Once you’ve got that, just callbibliopixel run your_project_file.jsonand you are done. Here’s where we get to the PixelWeb replacement…
As of BP 3.1.3 there is support for a “remote” animation. This a special version of the Collection animation type which is a way of bundling up multiple sub animations to be run either individually or in a Sequence. Unlike any other mode of using BP projects, “remote” does not by default run anything when it starts.
Since you expressed interest in SimPixel and the circle layout, try this:
bibliopixel run [https://github.com/ManiacalLabs/BiblioPixelAnimations/blob/master/Projects/circle.json](https://github.com/ManiacalLabs/BiblioPixelAnimations/blob/master/Projects/circle.json)
Then browse to:
http://localhost:5000
and
http://simpixel.io
At the localhost address you should get something like this:
Click on the animation you want and it will play in SimPixel. Simple as that.
Take a second to checkout https://github.com/ManiacalLabs/BiblioPixelAnimations/blob/master/Projects/circle.json
As you’ll see there is a main
animationentry withtypename“remote” and that has a long list ofanimationsthat then define each of the buttons in the remote UI. Each of the sub-animations have anamefield. This is used as what is shown on the button but more importantly has the Remote API’s callout to that configuration. You can start an animation just by browsing to:
http://localhost:5000/run_animation/Swirl
PixelWeb was much more complex. You had to make a JSON POST call that contained the entire configuration for the animation you wanted to run. It made sense at the time but was a massive pain to use. And that’s the beauty of the new setup… you can use the remote UI provided but you could easily just call out to the remote from anything you wanted.
So, yes… right now the major glaring omission is the ability to do all this without writing anything, config or code. Maybe that will come back in the future, but right now my goal was to strike a balance between zero code or config and a super simple remote control protocol and UI. And actually, I can put together a BP project file and have a remote loaded faster than I could click through PixelWeb… yes, I wrote this new stuff but it’s not too bad to pick up.
As for the lack of documentation on the Remote… it’s really in “soft launch” right now. It exists but we weren’t ready to announce it… mainly because it’s quickly evolving. For example, the current
devbranch has a new feature called “triggers” that use the whole remote system. This allows you to have an animation automatically started or stopped based on some external input. And the system uses trigger plugins to provide all the functionality so the sky is the limit. Right now I have the ability to trigger animations based on: date & time, sunrise/sunset/dusk/dawn, and (my favorite) proximity of a bluetooth device such as your phone.
Hopefully the examples I gave for using the remote are simple enough to follow but please don’t hesitate to come back with questions and comments. It’s really helpful for us to get input from people outside of the echo chamber that is Tom and I. I promise docs for remote will be coming soon, we just wanted to make sure things were a little more stable before shouting publicly about it.
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 4:38 AM, Tom Swirly tom@swirly.com wrote:
Now I definitely have to defer to Adam on this! He’s in a different timezone, though - won’t be up for a few hours…
–
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For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 10:13 AM, Quenton Longmire Cook quenton.cook@gmail.com wrote:
Oh cool. Is there any documentation on the remote feature. I am not sure how to use.
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 12:46 AM Tom Swirly tom@swirly.com wrote:
I believe that the plan is for the remote features of BiblioPixel to completely replace PixelWeb - so you’ll get the same features from within BP.
However, Adam’s the real expert in this domain, and he’ll have to give the final word here. Adam?
–
/t
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 6:56 AM, Quenton Longmire Cook quenton.cook@gmail.com wrote:
LOVE LOVE LOVE everything you have done with Biblio Pixel - its been a lifesaver as i dive into programming LEDS. Wondering - any thoughts on adding bibliopixel 3 support to PixelWeb? Especially interested in sim-pixel through pixel web and also the circle layout.
–
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups “Maniacal Labs Users” group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to maniacal-labs-users+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
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To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/maniacal-labs-users/1900bee1-f7f6-4f59-88e9-ce749d28cd5b%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
–
/t
Just stopped by to agree, yes, these guys are amazing!
···
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 12:27 PM, Quenton Longmire Cook quenton.cook@gmail.com wrote:
That is SO SO SO helpful. You guys are amazing! The quick start part of PixelWeb was the best aspect and remote solves that problem! And love the new projects idea! Will get working on this ASAP!
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 5:15 AM Adam Haile adammhaile@gmail.com wrote:
Hey Quenton,
Thanks for the BiblioPixel love
So, Tom is right… Short answer: PixelWeb is end of life and the very new Remote UI feature in BP3 is the intended replacement.
Long Answer: PixelWeb is a massive thing with a bunch of complex moving parts which is difficult to maintain… even more so due to the fact that I am not a web developer. (Side note: That still applies to SimPixel… it was written by Michael Clayton who is an insanely gifted web developer). There are actually a bunch of pretty bad bugs that have crept into PixelWeb since its beginning that are what convinced me to just replace it wholesale for BP3… not because those bugs were too hard to fix, but because I was the only one that ever noticed, meaning not many people really used PixelWeb at all. They would’ve noticed the bugs if they had.
So, I decided to just leave PixelWeb behind for BP3 with the intent of eventually bringing back the good parts of it. One thing that also made PixelWeb problematic is that Python is dynamically typed, which necessitated the whole animation
MANIFESTthing which was complicated and also hard to support animation input parameters that weren’t numbers, strings, or colors… which limited it’s usefulness.
This brings me to the BP3 Projects feature. In case you are not aware, BP3 allows for a “config only” usage mode via JSON formatted “project” files. See the wiki for more details on that format. The short of that is that you can specify in your config the
driver,layout(strip, matrix, circle, cube), and then any animation(s). Once you’ve got that, just callbibliopixel run your_project_file.jsonand you are done. Here’s where we get to the PixelWeb replacement…
As of BP 3.1.3 there is support for a “remote” animation. This a special version of the Collection animation type which is a way of bundling up multiple sub animations to be run either individually or in a Sequence. Unlike any other mode of using BP projects, “remote” does not by default run anything when it starts.
Since you expressed interest in SimPixel and the circle layout, try this:
bibliopixel run [https://github.com/ManiacalLabs/BiblioPixelAnimations/blob/master/Projects/circle.json](https://github.com/ManiacalLabs/BiblioPixelAnimations/blob/master/Projects/circle.json)
Then browse to:
http://localhost:5000
and
http://simpixel.io
At the localhost address you should get something like this:
Click on the animation you want and it will play in SimPixel. Simple as that.
Take a second to checkout https://github.com/ManiacalLabs/BiblioPixelAnimations/blob/master/Projects/circle.json
As you’ll see there is a main
animationentry withtypename“remote” and that has a long list ofanimationsthat then define each of the buttons in the remote UI. Each of the sub-animations have anamefield. This is used as what is shown on the button but more importantly has the Remote API’s callout to that configuration. You can start an animation just by browsing to:
http://localhost:5000/run_animation/Swirl
PixelWeb was much more complex. You had to make a JSON POST call that contained the entire configuration for the animation you wanted to run. It made sense at the time but was a massive pain to use. And that’s the beauty of the new setup… you can use the remote UI provided but you could easily just call out to the remote from anything you wanted.
So, yes… right now the major glaring omission is the ability to do all this without writing anything, config or code. Maybe that will come back in the future, but right now my goal was to strike a balance between zero code or config and a super simple remote control protocol and UI. And actually, I can put together a BP project file and have a remote loaded faster than I could click through PixelWeb… yes, I wrote this new stuff but it’s not too bad to pick up.
As for the lack of documentation on the Remote… it’s really in “soft launch” right now. It exists but we weren’t ready to announce it… mainly because it’s quickly evolving. For example, the current
devbranch has a new feature called “triggers” that use the whole remote system. This allows you to have an animation automatically started or stopped based on some external input. And the system uses trigger plugins to provide all the functionality so the sky is the limit. Right now I have the ability to trigger animations based on: date & time, sunrise/sunset/dusk/dawn, and (my favorite) proximity of a bluetooth device such as your phone.
Hopefully the examples I gave for using the remote are simple enough to follow but please don’t hesitate to come back with questions and comments. It’s really helpful for us to get input from people outside of the echo chamber that is Tom and I. I promise docs for remote will be coming soon, we just wanted to make sure things were a little more stable before shouting publicly about it.
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 4:38 AM, Tom Swirly tom@swirly.com wrote:
Now I definitely have to defer to Adam on this! He’s in a different timezone, though - won’t be up for a few hours…
–
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For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
–
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 10:13 AM, Quenton Longmire Cook quenton.cook@gmail.com wrote:
Oh cool. Is there any documentation on the remote feature. I am not sure how to use.
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 12:46 AM Tom Swirly tom@swirly.com wrote:
I believe that the plan is for the remote features of BiblioPixel to completely replace PixelWeb - so you’ll get the same features from within BP.
However, Adam’s the real expert in this domain, and he’ll have to give the final word here. Adam?
–
/t
On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 6:56 AM, Quenton Longmire Cook quenton.cook@gmail.com wrote:
LOVE LOVE LOVE everything you have done with Biblio Pixel - its been a lifesaver as i dive into programming LEDS. Wondering - any thoughts on adding bibliopixel 3 support to PixelWeb? Especially interested in sim-pixel through pixel web and also the circle layout.
–
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For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
–
/t
Michael Clayton