PixLeZ - Documentation

Introduction

PixLeZ is a Software-Bundle for controlling the WS2801 Pixels with a Raspberry Pi.
The Bundle contains a server application, running on the Raspberry Pi and different clients to control the server.

Content

• Raspberry Pi Setup (Hardware and Software)
• PixLeZ-Server running on the Raspberry Pi
  • API calls via local network and the browser
  • Effects and Modes
  • Own Effects and Modes
  • Example: Use the API
• PixLeZ-Application, a cross platform app, developed with flutter
• About
• Links

Setup the Raspberry Pi

Hardware

For the Hardware part, follow the descriptions bellow.

• Raspberry Pi Tutorial Setup (ger)
• Raspberry Pi Tutorial Setup (en)

Software

For the software part you have to install some python libraries with the following commands.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python3
sudo apt-get install python3-pip -y

Navigate inside your PixLeZ_Server directory using cd. Then install the needed requirements:

pip install -r requirements.txt

PixLeZ-Server

Path: ./PixLeZ_Server

The base of the application is a simple flask server running with python, controlling your WS2801 Pixels. After the configuration of your Raspberry Pi with the packages in the Software part, you need to move the ./PixLeZ_Server directory to your Raspberry Pi. After that, you can simply run the server inside the directory using the following command.

python app.py

The PixLeZ-Server is now accessible via the local network. For configuration changes modify the statement below in the file app.py and restart the application app.py after.

app.run(port=8080, host="0.0.0.0")

API calls

After installing, the PixLeZ-Server provides the following API. The API is used by the applications described in the next few sections, but can also be used via a webbrowser or an other application.
The term changeable during runtime is used to describe that the attributes can be changed during the execution of an effect or mode. The change of attributes with non changeable during runtime will be changed after selecting a new effect or mode, or after doing an /stop and /start. Each time you select an effect, the mode attribute will turn to -1 and backwards. Furthermore after selecting an effect or mode, the program will automatically do an /stop and /start.

# starts the process -> only call in the beginning or after a stop
@app.route('/start')

# stops the process
@app.route('/stop')

# String color in HEX -> Example /set/color/FF00FF
# changable during runtime
@app.route('/set/color/<string:color>')

# time as floating number
# changable during runtime
@app.route('/set/time/<float:post_id>')

# timer as floating number
# non changable during runtime
@app.route('/set/timer/<float:post_id>')

# number as integer
# changable during runtime
@app.route('/set/number/<int:post_id>')

# mode as integer -> the mode will automatically change and the effect is set to 0
# changable during runtime
@app.route('/select/mode/<int:post_id>')

# effect as integer -> the effect will automatically change and the mode is set to 0
# changable during runtime
@app.route('/select/effect/<int:post_id>')

# returns the status of the attributes
@app.route('/status')

# Set a custom Color Theme
# Body: List of hex-colors
# changable during runtime
@app.route('/set/pixels', methods=['POST'])

Effects and Modes

The following tables describes the different effects and modes which can be used. In the last column there are some shortcuts used to give the opportunity for manipulating the effects or modes.

• c := Color in Hex
• t := time in sec
• tr := timer in sec
• n := number in x

Effects

Index	Name	Decription	Config
-1	Init	No Effect active
0	Shine	Switching all Pixels on	c
1	Walking Pixels	Pixels walking to one side	c, t
2	Walking Pixels reverse	Pixels walking to the other side	c, t
3	Fill it	Insort the selected number of Pixels	c, n
4	Get empty	And the Pixels are going away	c, tr
5	Final countdown	Countdown with red Pixels	tr
6	Pulsing Pixels	Pulsating Pixels everywhere	c, t
7	Dim Off	Dim the Pixels off	c, tr
8	Rainbow Mode	The Pixels change in the Spectrum of the Rainbow	t
9	Rainbow Walk	Pixels walking in the Spectrum of the Rainbow	t
10	Rainbow Puls	Pixels pulsing in the Spectrum of the Rainbow	t
11	Cyclon Pixels	Pixels making a huge Cyclon	c, t, n
12	Twinkle It	Pixels can twinkle	c, t
13	Twinkle It Colorful	Pixels can twinkle in different colors	t
14	The Sparkle Pixels	What a sparkle Pixel	c, t
15	Snow Sparkling	Feeling like snowin	c, t
16	Pixel Runner	They are running very fast	c, t
17	Theater Chase Pixels	Maybe Pixels visited a Theater	c, t
18	Bouncing Pixels	And they bounce to center and back	c, t, n
19	tbd

Modes

Index	Name	Decription	Config
-1	Initial	No Mode active
0	Shine It	Normal light Pixel mode	c
1	Chill Mode	Chillin with the Pixels
2	Color Theme	Use your custom color Pixel theme	c
2	No Effect	Nope, not today
3	tbd

Add your own Effects and Modes

You are able to add your own effects and modes to the PixLeZ-Package. Feel free to share your code with me and I will extend the PixLeZ-Package with your features or simply create a Pull Request.

Add your code in Blink.py under the last effect or mode, depending on your purpose. Just add an further if-condition with an unique index.

if self.effect == [unique effect Number]:
  # insert your code here
if self.mode == [unique mode Numer]:
  # insert your code here

Implement the logic of the effect in Effects.py. Use the adafruit-ws2801 API to expand the code.

After adding, you are able to call the effects and modes with an simple flask API call or an application.

You are not able to select your added effects and modes with the PixLeZ-Application. You'll have to add it to the App by hand. We are aware of this issue and will think of a better solution in an upcoming iteration.

Example: Use the API

How to start an effect and manipulate it. If you use an application do the same steps but without the API calls.

1. Select a color or color theme with /set/color/<string:color> or /set/pixels
2. Select your effect with /select/effect/1
3. Use /start to start the application
4. You can manipulate the effect with setting different attributes during runtime. As example /set/color/AA0011 or /set/time/0.001
5. Select an other effect during runtime with /select/effect/16

PixLeZ-Application

Path: ./PixLeZ_Application

The PixLeZ-Application is the main part of the project. The application provides a lot of possibilities for configuration the Pixels.

The PixLeZ-Application is made with flutter. Flutters advantage is in running code on every platform. For more information check the Flutter webpage.

You have two options to run the PixLeZ-Application

1. Set up a Flutter environment and compile it on your specific platform (Web, Android, IOS, Mac, Win,...)
2. Download the predefined installation packages and install it on the specific platform

About

PixLeZ was originally created by Tobias Schreiweis in 2020.
Later, Timo joined as a maintainer and contributor.

It started as a private project with the main focus to improve their python skills with the Raspberry Pi and learning new programing languages like dart with the framework flutter. After some requests from other people getting the application Tobias decided to publish it on GitHub.

You are welcome to extend the PixLeZ-Bundle or send us your ideas and we will be glad to add your code and ideas to this repository.

If we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We first released this repo to public in mid 2022.

Links

• Raspberry Pi Tutorial Setup (ger)
• Raspberry Pi Tutorial Setup (en)
• Adafruit_WS2801 Library GitHub
• Inspiration of some Arduino LED effects
• Flask Framework
• Tkinter Framework
• Flutter