toodle_pipsky
01-29-2008, 07:56 AM
Howd'y all!
I have searched high and low through this forum and can't find anything to help - or maybe I'm looking right at it and just can't see it.
I will confess that I am a total amateur when it comes to this stuff - but I am willing and able to learn. As with a lot of people, the idea of controlling christmas lights with your computer seems like a match made in heaven and way too cool an opportunity to pass up. I’ve watched and read all the how-to’s and can’t see anything to help me.
I’ve been messing around with Vixen and have found it to be a great program - did a little test sequence, previewed it, even got my little fm transmitter going. Now the hard bit, the controller. We don’t seem to have much here in Australia, everyone seems to be big diy’ers, so I was quite surprised to find a little device called ELF. The software that came with it was fine, albeit a little simple - no music sync, just simple light control like on/off and fading - you just program the sequence then upload it to the device. I was hoping to use it with Vixen to take advantage of the music and scheduling, but can’t seem to get any plugin to work. (I’ve tried the version downloaded from vixen lights, and beta 5).
It’s a serial device with the capacity to control 8 sets of lights. If it’s of any significance what so ever, I do have a serial/parallel adapter in amongst all the junk I’ve collected with each computer I’ve owned. Also, it's is any help, I can crack open the case to see what's inside if it'll shed any light. This is the ELF http://www.ycsys.com.au/products/elf/elf.htm
If anyone has any insights, tips, suggestions, whatever, I would gladly hear it. Sorry about the long winded spiel, but that’s my story. Fingers crossed for a display to impress family and friends in 2008!
Cheers,
Ingrid
PS - There are a lot of great displays out there. Great work to all, something worth aspiring to.
I have searched high and low through this forum and can't find anything to help - or maybe I'm looking right at it and just can't see it.
I will confess that I am a total amateur when it comes to this stuff - but I am willing and able to learn. As with a lot of people, the idea of controlling christmas lights with your computer seems like a match made in heaven and way too cool an opportunity to pass up. I’ve watched and read all the how-to’s and can’t see anything to help me.
I’ve been messing around with Vixen and have found it to be a great program - did a little test sequence, previewed it, even got my little fm transmitter going. Now the hard bit, the controller. We don’t seem to have much here in Australia, everyone seems to be big diy’ers, so I was quite surprised to find a little device called ELF. The software that came with it was fine, albeit a little simple - no music sync, just simple light control like on/off and fading - you just program the sequence then upload it to the device. I was hoping to use it with Vixen to take advantage of the music and scheduling, but can’t seem to get any plugin to work. (I’ve tried the version downloaded from vixen lights, and beta 5).
It’s a serial device with the capacity to control 8 sets of lights. If it’s of any significance what so ever, I do have a serial/parallel adapter in amongst all the junk I’ve collected with each computer I’ve owned. Also, it's is any help, I can crack open the case to see what's inside if it'll shed any light. This is the ELF http://www.ycsys.com.au/products/elf/elf.htm
If anyone has any insights, tips, suggestions, whatever, I would gladly hear it. Sorry about the long winded spiel, but that’s my story. Fingers crossed for a display to impress family and friends in 2008!
Cheers,
Ingrid
PS - There are a lot of great displays out there. Great work to all, something worth aspiring to.