pixels is a Python script that draws circles or other objects on screen in a matrix of 16x9. Color, shape, size and more attributes can be modified. The modification of these attributes is done through byte values transmitted by OSC.
With the help of Open Lighting Architecture (OLA) a lighting desk with pixel mapping capabilities can light show on screen: Each pixel is represented by a LED spot in the lighting desk. In other words, pixels enables a light designer to produce video content.
pixels is written in Python, therefore it is platform independent. It was developed on a Windows machine and tested on Raspberry PI and various Debian machines. I recommend using a Linux machine, where you can run pixels and OLA simultaneously.
pixels needs a few packages to run: Tkinter, Pillow, python-osc. Here you'll find instructions to install these packages. If you need further info, please follow these links:
sudo apt install python3-tk
python3 -m pip install Pillow
python3 -m pip install python-osc
pixels doesn't need an installation, just put all files of this repository into a folder of your choice, for example ~/Documents/python/pixels.
OLA needs an installation, this can be done either with apt or by downloading the latest version from Github and compiling it. I'll describe both versions.
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Install OLA with apt:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.listIf you are on a Raspberry PI, add the following line at the end of the file:
deb http://apt.openlighting.org/raspbian wheezy mainIf you are on a Debian computer, add the following line:
deb http://apt.openlighting.org/debian wheezy mainAfter restarting the computer, OLA can be installed:
sudo apt install ola -
Install the latest OLA version from Github:
I wrote a documentation of the steps you have to take. Have a look at Google groups here: https://groups.google.com/g/open-lighting/c/rDIbzhqnWxQ/m/W7c_xUznCAAJ and search for my contribution on 2020-07-14. Follow the steps until you find the line "At this point OLA is ready to use."