Fresh LaserBoy !!! 05-20-2008

[Dr Laser]

If you "minimize" in LaserBoy, then import that into Anarchy there is no problem.

James.

Yahoooo.... it works...no more stupid points...

BTW is there a way to make a oscilloscope wave in Laserboy.?
When I used orbit view Image span Z-axel and made a very cool almost like oscilloscope sound wave.

[James Lehman]

Well... That's one way to do it right there!

Start with a 2D image.
Z order the verticies.
View it from the side or the top.
Impose that view on the data.
Flatten Z.
Save as ILDA.

James.

[Dr Laser]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeyDIKcu4Yw

[James Lehman]

That's pretty neat!

[Dr Laser]

Without your software it wouldn't be possible. The only issue I have now is that i need to recheck anchors. But thanks to my system it's done with simple command. Also I have to do more simpler animations.

[James Lehman]

"recheck anchors"

What does that mean?

Try some very simple drawings. All you really need is one line or a curve or something. Then turn that one frame into an animated series by applying a special effect in LaserBoy. Open that animation and apply a frame set effect to that, open that and do weird things to all of the colors with palette transforms, etc... The order in which you do things has everything to do with what you get.

James.

[Dr Laser]

Ahhh... Ok all vector interpretation lasershow software (they all use PIC format instead of ILDA and they are all German) basing their corners on repeats. More repeats - sharper the corner. If I import the ilda directly I will get ovals instead of sharp edged objects. So the command is checking the image for the corners and then applying number of repeats. This command is already built into my system and a part of normal ILDA importing. To get a good corner number of repeats is about 3. No It's not an issue with any software it just a way those systems work. Unless you want to make direct PIC export in Laserboy.

[James Lehman]

If you decided to use LaserBoy to generate wave files to play from a DC coupled audio DAC, it does all of that stuff for you too.

I think that might be why you were seeing red dots in the corners before... You were importing data from LaserBoy into your various laser applications that was already prepared for sending to the galvos!

You can set the wave file sample rate that LaserBoy generates to whatever your hardware will support. It is 48KHz by default, but my sound card, The Echo Layla 24/96, will support honest-to-God 96KHz (not just a 48KHz rehash like many other DACs).

The default behavior of LaserBoy is to optimize the data before exporting it to wave, so you get all of that corner dwell and distance span stuff in the resulting wave.

James.

[James Lehman]

Dr....

I'm really glad that you have taken some time to work with LaserBoy and it also seems that you have a lot of experience with many other laser software projects as well. That's so neato! I would like for you to continue to communicate your needs to me and let me come up with better answers for you.

I am impressed with the video clips you made, especially the one where you show the many extra points and the red dots in full edit motion. I have no idea how you did that. Nice job! That video explained it like no amount of words ever could.

I have almost NO experience with other software or hardware projects that might be out there for laser projection. I have nothing but the code that I work with almost every day, an ADAT tape, some memories of using a Pangolin QM-32 ISA card...

...and the belief that I understand this technology well enough to be able to completely redefine the way it might be done and bring a whole lot of new ideas and possibilities to those few people in the world who make laser display their own personal, artistic, expressive, creative endeavor.

Yes. I want to make my mark in human history. I really think I've got this one. I know this like nothing else I know!

I see LaserBoy as in-need-of many upgrades and revisions that I have in my head, but I also feel like most of the rest of the world hasn't even scratched the surface of what LaserBoy can do! It is different! It will tear you away from what you think you already know.

Let it.
That is why it is free!

Sometimes, it's pretty boring for me, really. I almost never fire up my laser projector; at least not the Argon! I can't possibly tell you how much I am looking forward to SELEM. Finally, I will be in the company of quite a number of people who actually care about such stuff!

James.

[James Lehman]

Oh yeah...

I found some stupid bugs and will be releasing a new version of LaserBoy very soon!

Take care. James