How to handle led matrices?

[hputzek]

Ok, this is a bit complicated, so I hope I don't loose you on the way with my explanation :-)

a matrix can be a single dimensional array longer than one to represent a LED strip, a two dimensional array to represent a true LED matrix, and a 1x1 "matrix" to represent a single off LED light. Each of these can be one of RGB, RGBW, or jjust white. A single white 1x1 matrix is assumed to be a strobe light.

I like this idea. Although I guess in the frontend I'll abstract that away a bit by offering the user options to add "software defined devices" of the following types:

• general Light (can be w/rgb/rgbw etc...) means one pixel; can be used for strobe, too
• Stripe (white/rgb/rgbw...) means 1*x pixel
• Matrix (white/rgb/rgbw...) means x*x pixel

Actually I should additionally make it possible to define matrices in the software.
So when I send a frame it looks like this:

const singleFrame = [
// each object is a software defined device (stripe)
{id: 1, data:[r,g,b,r,g,b,r,g,b....]},
{id: 9, data:[r,g,b,r,g,b,r,g,b....]},
{id: 3, data:[r,g,b,r,g,b,r,g,b....]},
...
]

Does that make sense? Because if I define the matrix in the software the workflow could be:

• Select multiple stripes in the 3d representation
• and combine them into a matrix

I see the advantage that one single matrix could contain stripes from different controllers/channels/device types.

So I see advantages in both attempts:

Your proposal:

• makes it easy to define a matrix very quickly
• very helpful if you want to add a matrix hardware like Martin has because you just have to set the dimensions and you're done.

My proposal:

• you got to create/combine the matrix out of several stripes youself BUT the matrix can emit to multiple controllers/device types this way
• helpful if you want to do the following: A wall of your room in the 3d representation has 20 stripes attached to it. Their layout on the wall would be like this:

 -----    ---------    
           -----------------      --------------
    ----------     -------------      ----------------
   ------------      --------   ----------------
 -----    ---------                                 ------------
           -----------------      --------------
    ----------     -------------
   ------------      --------   ----------------

Now I can create a matrix out of them and map video on them which takes into regard the position of those stripes on the wall. (Videomapping)

[IoTPanic]

A concept of frames where many channels can be updated in a single operation makes sense from a real time perspective, but the way you're mapping should happen in your front end, it makes little sense for me to do this in the backend.

[hputzek]

Yep, let's talk about this by video; guess that works out faster 🙂

[IoTPanic]

My misinterpretation, will be introducing frames.