Android/iOS controlled lighting system
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Android/iOS controlled lighting system
Anyone hear of inner-lights scaletronic lighting system? I saw it on YouTube and thought it would be nice to light my fleet up with.
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seam-filler
- Posts: 3894
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2003 11:05 am
- Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Re: Android/iOS controlled lighting system
I replied to your post in the Microcontrollers sticky, but this is the Inner Lights website...
http://www.scalectronics.co.uk/
Never used them as the basic kit is a bit pricey for me, but they do sound interesting.
http://www.scalectronics.co.uk/
Never used them as the basic kit is a bit pricey for me, but they do sound interesting.
"I'd just like to say that building large smooth-skinned models should be avoided at all costs. I now see why people want to stick kit-parts all over their designs as it covers up a lot of problems." - David Sisson
Re: Android/iOS controlled lighting system
It's an interesting looking concept - basically built around every single LED being an addressable one so that the "design" of the lighting can be developed separately from the physical implementation. Whilst this greatly simplifies some aspects, it vastly complicates others, and you'd need very deep pockets to use this for all your lighting needs.
I've thought about doing phone control for systems before but have always talked myself out of it. Phones/tablets and their OS's are moving on at such a pace these days, it's highly unlikely that a control system implemented today is going to still be supported in 10 or even 5 years. I'd rather have something that is self-contained and the only thing that needs updating is the batteries!
I've thought about doing phone control for systems before but have always talked myself out of it. Phones/tablets and their OS's are moving on at such a pace these days, it's highly unlikely that a control system implemented today is going to still be supported in 10 or even 5 years. I'd rather have something that is self-contained and the only thing that needs updating is the batteries!
Re: Android/iOS controlled lighting system
I looked through the documentation, and this looks like a really good (if $$) solution to a lot of lighting problems. Being able to control multiple types of lighting effects through one interface is really nice. And from what the site says, you can use one control module (the most $$ part) to control different models - set up your sequences and settings for more than one model and save them under different names. Then plug into the model you want lit and off it goes.
The leds themselves are like the ones in those controllable strings that you can get - the ones where you can set colors, chasing, brightness, etc. I recently bought aquarium lights that can be set for different colors, dawn and dusk level changes, even weather like random dimming to simulate clouds and flashes like lightning. The difference here seems to be that you get direct control of each led.
The interface with the phone seems to be for the programming and control if you want it, but once it's programmed you can save the file and reload it later if need be. You can also have physical switches to run the sequences, so you wouldn't be tied to a phone app forever.
It looks like it uses an arduino or strawberry pi for the controller, but this would save having to figure out how to do all the addressing and gives you a nice user interface that simplifies things a lot. You would still have to play around with the settings to get what you want, but this way seems a lot easier than trying to program an arduino and re-programming every time you need to make an adjustment.
This really does look like the nice, reasonably easy universal lighting set I've been dreaming of for a while!
Kev
(Not an owner, customer {yet!}, paid endorser - just excited by what I've seen there!}
The leds themselves are like the ones in those controllable strings that you can get - the ones where you can set colors, chasing, brightness, etc. I recently bought aquarium lights that can be set for different colors, dawn and dusk level changes, even weather like random dimming to simulate clouds and flashes like lightning. The difference here seems to be that you get direct control of each led.
The interface with the phone seems to be for the programming and control if you want it, but once it's programmed you can save the file and reload it later if need be. You can also have physical switches to run the sequences, so you wouldn't be tied to a phone app forever.
It looks like it uses an arduino or strawberry pi for the controller, but this would save having to figure out how to do all the addressing and gives you a nice user interface that simplifies things a lot. You would still have to play around with the settings to get what you want, but this way seems a lot easier than trying to program an arduino and re-programming every time you need to make an adjustment.
This really does look like the nice, reasonably easy universal lighting set I've been dreaming of for a while!
Kev
(Not an owner, customer {yet!}, paid endorser - just excited by what I've seen there!}
Re: Android/iOS controlled lighting system
It was back around 1980, when I first found out about the IN() function and OUT statement in BASIC on the TRS-80, the dream of using microcomputer to control stuff had started with me. What stopped me was the prospect of frying something that was at least US$400 if I'd made a mistake (not only that, but you'd still be dealing with storing/loading from audiocasette -- a diskette-based system would've required investment close to $2000~$2500). Nowadays with single-board computers becoming in effect "dirt cheap" (e.g. Raspberry Pi is around US$35, A Raspberry Pi Zero is around US$5) it is more like "why the heck not?" Granted, this is for the equipment only -- you'd still have to write the necessary software and figure out all the hardware specifics. If we're talking $200 for a ready-made base unit for lighting effects with the software already written (especially one that allows ability to configure via smartphone or tablet), I'm apt to think that's a bargain.
Naoto Kimura
木村直人
木村直人
Re: Android/iOS controlled lighting system
Thank you 
for your quick reply. I just wanted to know if this was feasible and not just a pipe dream. Hopefully inner-lights can get this moving. The website doesn’t seem to allow contact ie a working email/sms or even a phone number!
for your quick reply. I just wanted to know if this was feasible and not just a pipe dream. Hopefully inner-lights can get this moving. The website doesn’t seem to allow contact ie a working email/sms or even a phone number!-
seam-filler
- Posts: 3894
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2003 11:05 am
- Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Re: Android/iOS controlled lighting system
Yes he does, bottom of the home page...
No phone number but since he's in the UK and has a full time job that's not surprising.If you would like to contact me, please send an email to:
info@scalectronics.com
Please note as I have a separate full time job and run this website in my spare time, I cannot always reply immediately, but I will respond- typically within 24 hours.
"I'd just like to say that building large smooth-skinned models should be avoided at all costs. I now see why people want to stick kit-parts all over their designs as it covers up a lot of problems." - David Sisson
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Styrofoam_Guy
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- Location: Toronto Canada
- Contact:
Re: Android/iOS controlled lighting system
This sounds like neopixels and it looks like it with the 3 wires going to each LED.
It is the programming that takes the most amount of time with these as each LED has to be told what to do. The plus side of these is all you need is 1 wire (data) coming from the arduino. The 2 other wires are power that can be separate from the arduino power. In theory you can have hundreds of LEDs but need only one wire coming from the arduino.
The down side is every neopixel has to be wired up in series.
In this case it looks like the setup has multiple outputs to make the wiring easier.
It is the programming that takes the most amount of time with these as each LED has to be told what to do. The plus side of these is all you need is 1 wire (data) coming from the arduino. The 2 other wires are power that can be separate from the arduino power. In theory you can have hundreds of LEDs but need only one wire coming from the arduino.
The down side is every neopixel has to be wired up in series.
In this case it looks like the setup has multiple outputs to make the wiring easier.
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scalectronics
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2019 2:46 am
Re: Android/iOS controlled lighting system
Hi - I'm Andy from Scalectronics. You are correct the LEDs used are based on SK6812 LEDs, which neopixels also use, along with the WS28xx series. Indeed, you could use your own SK6812s with the system, but I had the interlocking ones manufactured specifically, as it does away with the need to solder.
The idea behind Inner Light was to allow people who cannot necessarily write code the means to achieve advanced lighting effects, and control with iOS/Android devices (which is my day job!) via standard network commands. And yes, you can control each individual LED.
You can also use the same base controller to control multiple models, either by programming them all together as one system, or loading different configurations for your different models - so it is not that you need a complete system for each of your builds.
I'd be interested to hear of anyone using the system & the type of lighting effects they would like to see in the system, as I will be issuing firmware updates periodically...
The idea behind Inner Light was to allow people who cannot necessarily write code the means to achieve advanced lighting effects, and control with iOS/Android devices (which is my day job!) via standard network commands. And yes, you can control each individual LED.
You can also use the same base controller to control multiple models, either by programming them all together as one system, or loading different configurations for your different models - so it is not that you need a complete system for each of your builds.
I'd be interested to hear of anyone using the system & the type of lighting effects they would like to see in the system, as I will be issuing firmware updates periodically...
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scalectronics
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2019 2:46 am
Re: Android/iOS controlled lighting system
Thought this might be of interest, a Bandai 1:850 Voyager model build with the Inner-Light solution:
Full video showing effects here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKPJqvLBIrI
Full video showing effects here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKPJqvLBIrI
Re: Android/iOS controlled lighting system
Looks good.
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scalectronics
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2019 2:46 am
Re: Android/iOS controlled lighting system
New addition to the scalectronics product family: a 10mm diameter circular array of 8 1.5mm nano RGB LEDs. Can be programmed with the Inner-Light solution, or indeed by other controllers also - they are just standard WS281x type LEDs, similar to neopixels. Useful for various effects, eg Star Trek Bussard collector effects, or Klingon D7 torpedo launchers etc.
