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Seems not much innovation anymore. Posts are getting thin. It's all adverts for buying or selling and not a group buy in ages. Have we reached the end of interest....
we we need the yellow laser diode.
we need new ways to control our beams
we need to move off lines to shaded areas
we need better control of the low end of the brightness
we need better color mixing and the ability to gang channels for interesting color changes. Think like servo mixing on planes.
there is more that can be done.
I've noticed the same thing, I check in daily, but there's rarely many posts worth looking at recently.
i think part of it is information is spread across photonlexicon, irc, and facebook.
as evidenced from the last SELEM, there's still large amount of building and experimenting happening.
I do think Facebook has taken away from here greatly but, I also know I hear more and more people talking about how busy they have become in their regular lives and have less and less time for laser related stuff. I think that's a dilemma of society. There IS still stuff going on as Chris mentioned but yes, we're not getting the traffic here we used to get and that seems to have been for perhaps the last 18 months or so.
The reallity is that people don,t build their stuff anymore as china can do things so cheap now. Photonlexicon was driven by self builders who wanted to share knowledge. It was also driven indirectly because you could save money when building yourself. New comers are being advised to buy a china box instead of building and over time that has an effect on creativity aswell. The knowledge on how to correct and stack beams is also going to the backpages of Photonlexicon. Building systems is becoming rapidly a thing of the past wich also the creativity , gaining and sharing knowledge is a thing of the past. Oh well it was fun while it last. I also believe that lasers is a bit of a hype, now its drones that the hobbyworld seems to play with and want to spend money on. Once the chinese has overfloaded that one they move to the next hype. You even had selfbuilders in the past that build their own systems but when the power increased overtime in the market they couldn,t keep up as doing a quad red is not an easy build. Building a 12W machine is not an easy one and not cheap. Buying from china is cheaper but you need 3 machines at least to do a show wich for most people is a too big investment when its only a hobby. From the beginning i said that doing lasershows is not a hobby , its a small bussiness next to people,s jobs and when you need to keep dropping money into its because the approach is hobby it only last for so long.
Pl is great place but the main purpose was to gain and share knowledge wich was driver partialy because you could save money. Now that china can do things cheap PL is no longer needed. Its a shame but its what it is.......
Everything that becomes big will suffer from the "Success syndrome".
Lasers are now very approachable, thanks to China and eg. Laserdock, when you can buy 1W RGB analog laser for couple of hundreds and do a simple show very easy. It dilutes the community a bit and its pretty much inevitable, happened to many other "fandoms/communities" I've am/was part of.
However laser topic requires a large amount of intellect and knowledge on the given topic of physics, which is not an easy to come by, so this will never ever die out, thanks to the drive for more knowledge. Quiet? Yes. Gone forever? No.
Even though I'm a total newbie and my DIY skills are not laser-system worthy and I'm not exactly a person who learns things easily, I've learnt a great deal on this forum about lasers and even about physics, more fun than reading a book as well, so thanks for that!
I've got a few things in mind for the coming year. I'm currently waiting on parts for one laser-related project, implementation by a 'unmarried computer programmer' on another project and yet another project just got materials to make it happen yesterday. I think it will be another fun year for lasering for me and I still make (or heavily modify in two cases) the lasers in my environment. Yes, the cost is higher milliwatt for milliwatt as compared with China, but I've got exactly what I want (super tight beams with great overlap, quality galvos, etc.) in the form-factor I need.Quote:
Originally Posted by kecked
Outside of hardware though, if everyone has the money to buy the lasers and equipment they want these days, where are all the videos of people's new content?? I don't do the Facebooking thing so perhaps I'm just missing it. Or perhaps people are too busy Facebooking to actually do creative things?! ;)
My project #1 is related to this.Quote:
Originally Posted by kecked
I think we are already there with single-mode lower power diodes and drivers like BBE's Simpledrive 500mw. However, those powerful multimodes probably come on at 100mw minimum thanks to the driver and the lasing threshold of the diode.Quote:
Originally Posted by kecked
Absolutely! Perhaps more feet need to be connecting with people's backsides! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by kecked
Oh, and I'd kill for a cheap, decent powered single-mode yellow diode too!
-David
That one is on my wishlist for ages. Where the hell are those yellow diodes!!!!*retardoQuote:
Oh, and I'd kill for a cheap, decent powered single-mode yellow diode too!
I got an idea!
Wonder if we can add single mode diodes to the higher power diodes so that below a certain threshold, they come on instead of the larger diodes, now you get better low end control. Expansion of dynamic range is the name of the game.
You can combine diodes as usual. Might even be totally different wavelengths. Maybe you want 660 for that dim but defined look? We then use a comparator to select the ranges of control voltages that go to which diodes. We can also set the threshold bias voltage lower on the big diodes so they just don't come until they get what they need. Careful selection of a crossover voltage will be important. Depending on what you want, you can set up the comparator to shut off the single modes or let them ring on.
I see it like this. You take the 0-0.5v range and up shift it to 0-5v to feed the single mode voltage range. Now you got a ten x increase in dynamic control on the low end. You want to put an ND filter on the single modes so while you have increased the dynamic range, you also reduce the output the same so the brightness matches the missing low end of the larger diodes.
Idea while drinking coffee what you think?
I started another thread related to content. I think that is the new diy build. Expanding what is possible in art.
Got a second idea. Add in diodes that are out of focus to do area fills. You need to use some of the unused ilda color channels. Not sure how you do that in the drawing software since that function does not exist...are listening Bill...
No mechanical system needed. It's all combining and software. We only use three channels and six exist. Ways to assign these functions would be a new way to innovate.
Building on the low end and other control lines, having a way to assign the other control lines to the low end so you can do separate color balance with them would be nice too. Now you get totally separate color pallet control between the high and low power diodes.. maybe use the DMX output for the areafills?
Wow! Great ideas.
Thanks...Mike
Another idea though not new. Have the ability to map a pico projector with the laser to do the shading and area fills.
With really good brightness control we could do stuff that looks like charcoal pencil drawings of course limited by the ability to add points. Perspective shading on lines. Of course now we are blurring the purity of color that dazzles that comes with laser. But it's a new pallet to add to the existing.
Off to work.
Lots of good ideas here, Kecked! I have already had a go with this idea with my glow in the dark projectors. What I did was use a tight 405nm diode for blue, a slightly out of focus 405nm for soft fills on the green channel and a deep red or IR diode to erase the glow in the dark from strontium aluminate or zinc sulfide paint respectively. The same could be applied to visible wavelengths as you described, but you could accomplish this without assistance from software changes by building a duo-projector with two DACs controlling them. This is my approach for Project 1 that I described in my earlier post. Then you just need your target zones aligned properly. Beyond does an excellent job aligning multiple projectors and other packages like LSX can do so decently.Quote:
Originally Posted by kecked
By combining out of focus with the in focus, you might be able to get by with two DACs and only one set of galvos. This assumes your two DACs are being told they are drawing the same thing in exact time.
This said, it would be nicer to have control over all six channels from the software / DACS as you described.
Now stop stealing my ideas already, you mind-reader! ;)
David
Oh and in regards to the other idea, yeah Video projectors might work but you’d need really good contrast ratios to keep it from being distracting. Why don’t we see more video and laser combined content, I wonder?
I also like your low end single mode combined with a higher power multi-mode. That said, would the average beam show audience member appreciate the effort?
David
For me it's mostly been a lack of free time combined with the convienience of Facebook. It's not easy to post here from a phone and except for working on a panel or circuit board design I rarely turn on my computer anymore. My free time is typically from 10pm to about 3am, it's about the only time I can sit down and concentrate on laser stuff without being disturbed. Even then I'll get the occasional callout from work.
When I have something I find interesting and want to share it's much easier to just throw it up on FB.
My latest project is still a good bit away from completion but here's a quick teaser. What this device does can be done much easier (and cheaper) and more complex digitally but this is done 100% analog. It's basically a color organ for lasers. Audio drives the rgb signals. I'll also include a video of it in action, I recorded the video right before Irma hit!Quote:
Originally Posted by kecked
Attachment 52956
https://youtu.be/FNWSIKtViCA
I try to work on Spaghetti daily, whether it is in the form of research or coding. I just don't post about it much anymore.
I have lost interest on the hardware side of things, for the most part. I'd like to have my own DAC, though.
Zeiss makes a video projector with a 2.5 million to one native contrast...
Quote:
Originally Posted by dkumpula
Nice, DZ! Speaking of the joys of analog, a PL member in the chatroom pointed me to this the other day:Quote:
Originally Posted by DZ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wxc3mKqKTk&list=LLDa6KYsAcuw4XQ8I2Tvugdw& index=9
-David
Oh god I want one of those video toasters on steroids! Yea I never tried video with laser cuz I just didn't. The point of this thread was just see if there is any life left. Looks like there is.
I don't care if an audience notices the extras in my art. It's the art for arts sake. I understand those in this for money but then there are those of us who do it for the love of the effort. Sears wall hanging verses starry starry night....
If anyone tries to marry the high and low power diodes please let me know. I'm long on ideas and short on ability to make them real.
... I'm on the way to "marry" different diodes - but not "low with high power" ... more like "high with even higher" ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by kecked
But this is not meant for shows; more for material processing, fusing, melting and welding.
Until now I've got more than hundred different diodes, most of them are fibercoupled NIR-diodes with 9Watts@975nm out of 105µm fibers ... but too have 8 with 25Watts, some ten with 5 Watts, then a "bundled" diode module with 20Watts@652nm out of a 0,7mm FSMA-fiber ... and several blue 445nm diodes with 2, 3.5 and 6Watts to get some wavelength-variations in the spot (maybe interesting to overcome reflectivity thresholds).
This, in combination with the 1064nm/1070nm fiber-lasers with 50, 60 and 85Watts CW will sum up to a pretty "beefy" laser head!
One problem could be sourcing the power -- my home line in the basement is fused with 36Amps per phase ... will give max. 3x 8400 VAC, so limited to rougly 20 kiloWatts CW :rolleyes:
Viktor
That's a good idea for a new section. Materials processing. I'd be interested in seeing more 3d printing and laser cutting related diy.
LOL - I stretched and hung a couple Van Gogh paintings (reproduced in China) just last month. But yes, I get the point. Be sure to post videos here as I don't Facebook. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by kecked
I'm happy to steal good ideas if I can apply them to my environment so keep thinking! ;)Quote:
I'm long on ideas and short on ability to make them real.
-David
... do you know the "laser-section" in the RepRap-forum? - http://forums.reprap.org/list.php?133Quote:
Originally Posted by kecked
Viktor
Nope but I do now. Thanks! I pretty much only come here.
... there are several dedicated forums for laser-engraving and such -- but I'm mostly active in (some) German ones ... the "RepRap laser-cutter sub-forum" is an exception, as RepRap is my "home"-forum, sort of ;)
Viktor
About the only posting activity I get on my forum; http://laserboy.org/forum/ is freaking Russian spammers!
Lots of people read it but not many post there.
James.
... yes -- it's the same on another forums, where I'm only busy removing spams :(Quote:
Originally Posted by james
Viktor
It's relentless. I get the max amount of posts one can do in one day, every time.
Wow I'm really pulling in the fish with this thread. How are you James? Been a long time. Anything new in laserboy land? Have you tried any of the new cheap multi output dac chips? You can get right channels for next to nothing now with almost zero external parts needed. The sabre line comes to mind. Ak4373 is cool cuz it could also be for your stereo. Now you get laser today and tunes in the evening. Even does dsd 256
Hi kecked.
I just hang back and read the threads waiting for someone to ask about something I can help with.
Not much new around here.
I had not seen that chip. Looks pretty cool.
James. :)
I've had to throw out most of my stuff over the past 5 months to avoid being evicted from my efficiency apartment for hoarding. Sadly that included a lot of laser projects.
I am keeping a small set of projects that can live in plastic storage boxes and not scare the inspector.
That said, I am still hoping to work on things...
I brought the Moai stereolithography printer to SELEM. It's a galvo set with 405nm pointing up into the bottom of a vat of photopolymer.
https://peopoly.net/
I got a set of the 9W NIR fiber coupled diodes, which I plan to use with galvos and an f-theta lens to make a laser soldering station.
I have another plan for a display application but I want to actually build it before talking about it so dkumpula doesn't beat me to it. :-)
I kept the parts for the digital PCAOM driver, and the sweep generator box that Steve sold me. Acousto-Optical Deflection is narrow angle, but fast. Surplus ones from laser microscopes are starting to show up.
Separately, I kept the tubes for the Scanimate re-creation that I want to do. I have been told that it can all be done in software, but I don't have the money for all the IP licenses (HP patented "Digital Phosphor") and the patents on the original should all be expired now. That project would be available for commissions (think Youtube channel intros) once set up.
Ouch, that must have hurt!Quote:
Originally Posted by DanBarlow
Smart move, Dan! ;)Quote:
I have another plan for a display application but I want to actually build it before talking about it so dkumpula doesn't beat me to it. :-)
-David
Kind of like a very long root canal. Painful but necessary. sigh.Quote:
Originally Posted by dkumpula
... is this eventually a "real post"? ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by kecked
http://photonlexicon.com/forums/show...395#post340395
Viktor
I hope something kicks off a few interesting projects and builds again that people are willing to share.. I actually had an interesting concept I'd like to make a post about soon. But first I want to get something ready image wise and test build wise so the topic starts off better.
I also do agree as what has been said earlier: A lot of the conversation has been moved to facebook.. the problem I can see though is the lack of archival of the valuable information that is shared there.