Yep, I remember!Originally Posted by Laserchik
Freaky / cool avatar, BTW!
All's good - there's been more than a couple of us who have been known to openly speak our minds on the forum!!
Senior Member
Yep, I remember!
Freaky / cool avatar, BTW!
All's good - there's been more than a couple of us who have been known to openly speak our minds on the forum!!
RR
Metrologic HeNe 3.3mw Modulated laser, 2 Radio Shack motors, and a broken mirror.
1979.
Sweet.....
Senior Member
... and fill out your profile, please!!...and only silence from lightman10? Perhaps all this passionate debate is intimidating?
@lightman10: Please let us know some more details about what you're wanting to do and with what equipment?
RR
Metrologic HeNe 3.3mw Modulated laser, 2 Radio Shack motors, and a broken mirror.
1979.
Sweet.....
Senior Member
Somehow missed you at SELEM, thinking I met Greg. Perhaps next year
leading in trailing technology
Senior Member
You probably met Greg, He was pretty much around for everything that was going on. I am thinking I met you, as I recognize your name....but, if not, then yes, I hope to meet you next year.Somehow missed you at SELEM, thinking I met Greg. Perhaps next year
Junior Member
hahaha well... aside from all that i take it there is not much to offer from free software..
As far as drawing (animated graphics) software goes whats my best best out of these? and where can i download them at? (couldn't seem to get my hand on them)
LaserBoy
LaserWave
HE-Laserscan
LFI player
OLA
Monkeytools
Heathcliff
Sergy's tools
Senior Member
In case you missed it, lightman10's intro is here http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...w-to-the-forum
Welcome to PL
Given that you're building a soundcard-based system, that will limit the software (free or otherwise) that you could use.
As I've not gone down the soundcard DAC path, perhaps someone else can help the man out. I know 300Evil has great experience here...
Junior Member
If you think it is bad here try posting a question on alt.hvac asking how to repair your air conditioner.
Been there, done that, I was so shocked by the attitude and general rudeness of the regulars there that I went off on my own, got certified to work on the equipment and have installed and repaired several systems for friends and family members. I absolutely despise the attitude that any trade is some exclusive club that nobody who hasn't jumped through all the hoops and put up with all the BS could possibly manage to learn. Attitude goes a long way, and professionals in many fields would do well to maintain a positive image of the profession and those who do it for a living. Trying to squash the little guy wanting to learn something without making a career out of it just breeds resentment.
That said, I haven't (yet) encountered much of that with laserists. I also have no interest in putting on public shows for money. I've loved lasers and laser shows since I saw my first one as a kid in the mid 80s and have been hooked ever since. Most of that time it was only a dream to be able to do anything remotely like that at home due to the high cost of all the specialized equipment involved. Now I can do some impressive things in my own home that are a lot of fun. It's no replacement for going out to see Laser Floyd, etc, but it's exciting none the less. There is a feeling from building your own stuff at home and seeing it work that just can't be had any other way.
In fairness to Steve, it's not the hobbyists who go through the effort to get their equipment certified that he's upset about. It's the clueless newbies (including folks like one "prodja**en" from California who shall remain nameless) who buy cheap, illegal equipment (either off e-bay, or from China, or both) and do nothing more than set it up on automatic for a 4-hour show.... The one's who don't even try to do a good show, and are only out to make a fast buck before they get kicked out of the venue because the show sucks so badly.
Those are the ones who cheapen the very concept of a "laser show", making it hard for even the pro's to sell a show in the future. (Once a promoter sees a lousy illegal show, he's unlikely to book lasers at following events.)
For companies that are large enough (Lasernet, Lightwave, etc), that's an option. But for smaller companies, many of their gigs are from promoters who are unfamiliar with their company, or even with laser shows in general. They don't have a "reputation", because they're so small. And those are the companies that get squeezed when promoter's in general decide that laser shows suck. All because some idiot did a crap show with his $500 E-bay special that he figured was bright enough for a ball room with 2500 people in it.It's up to the established professionals to remain competitive either through competitive pricing, or by maintaining such a stellar reputation that people will gladly pay more to hire them.
In short, I don't think Steve would have a problem with anyone here on PL getting into the business. Everyone here has a healthy respect for laser safety, we all understand the risks associated with audience scanning (both the direct eye hazards and the litigation risk), and we all strive to build the best projectors we can. Truthfully, many of the home-built projectors I've seen here on PL are *superior* to the projectors I've seen used at commercial laser shows. We've got some very talented people here...
On a side note: the show that won the 2008 Pangolin laser show award despite the fact that the laserist who created the show did not have a projector to view it in laser on was the "Rhythm is a Dancer" graphics show, not the "Standing in Motion" beam show. I know, because I was present at the meeting when we voted on the shows. (And I still say that "Rhythm is a Dancer" should have won first place instead of 3rd! Grrr...)
Adam
THIS USER WAS CLUEBYFOURED
Thanks for your well-thought-out response as always Adam.In fairness to Steve, it's not the hobbyists who go through the effort to get their equipment certified that he's upset about. It's the clueless newbies (including folks like one "prodja**en" from California who shall remain nameless) who buy cheap, illegal equipment (either off e-bay, or from China, or both) and do nothing more than set it up on automatic for a 4-hour show.... The one's who don't even try to do a good show, and are only out to make a fast buck before they get kicked out of the venue because the show sucks so badly.
Those are the ones who cheapen the very concept of a "laser show", making it hard for even the pro's to sell a show in the future. (Once a promoter sees a lousy illegal show, he's unlikely to book lasers at following events.)
For companies that are large enough (Lasernet, Lightwave, etc), that's an option. But for smaller companies, many of their gigs are from promoters who are unfamiliar with their company, or even with laser shows in general. They don't have a "reputation", because they're so small. And those are the companies that get squeezed when promoter's in general decide that laser shows suck. All because some idiot did a crap show with his $500 E-bay special that he figured was bright enough for a ball room with 2500 people in it.
TBH I'm not sure what side Steve et. al. are on. He routinely posts in support of all commercial interests and every time the idea of hobbyists playing a greater role in this institution comes up he is there blabbing about how they're "ruining" everything. Steve is not a supporter of hobbyists that I have seen, except maybe those who accept his "gospel" as fact.. I agree that the people you describe here are the real problem, but those are not solely who Steve and others target. In your quote above I am very clear about the fact that only those who have gone through the certification process have the right to do paying shows in the US.
In short, I don't think Steve would have a problem with anyone here on PL getting into the business. Everyone here has a healthy respect for laser safety, we all understand the risks associated with audience scanning (both the direct eye hazards and the litigation risk), and we all strive to build the best projectors we can. Truthfully, many of the home-built projectors I've seen here on PL are *superior* to the projectors I've seen used at commercial laser shows. We've got some very talented people here...
Absolutely we do. I agree 100%, and those talented people are who I'm fired up about. The number of those talented individuals is far greater than than the number of true professionals here, and I think that collectively their experience, talent, innovation and equipment is superior to most of these professionals as well.
On a side note: the show that won the 2008 Pangolin laser show award despite the fact that the laserist who created the show did not have a projector to view it in laser on was the "Rhythm is a Dancer" graphics show, not the "Standing in Motion" beam show. I know, because I was present at the meeting when we voted on the shows. (And I still say that "Rhythm is a Dancer" should have won first place instead of 3rd! Grrr...)
Adam
I agree that some of Steve's posts do sound like he's bashing all hobbyists. But I think that's mostly due to the narrow bandwidth communication's medium we're stuck with here in the forums, rather than any sort of malice on his part. (I know in the past his passion has been miss-interpreted as malice.)
If you ever get a chance to chat him up in person, you'll see that this really isn't where he's coming from. He's actually a hell of a guy, and he is absolutely dedicated to helping people. (Man, you should see him at SELEM! The guy spends the whole freakin' time working on other people's lasers for free! He's a damn machine at times...) True, he's got a little "frustrated teacher" in him, but most smart people I know have that.
However, like a lot of people (including me sometimes!), he can at times allow his thoughts to get ahead of his typing fingers, which results in his message becoming unclear or more curt than he wanted it to be. It would probably be best if everyone re-read their posts before hitting the submit button, but that takes extra time, and we all know how precious time is these days!
haha! OK, I have to give you that one. Steve can get "preachy" at times (frustrated teacher syndrome), but it's only because he's got so much experience to share. And like a lot of experienced people, he often recoils when his statements are called into question. But he's also got integrity. If he's ever proved wrong, he has no qualms about admitting his mistakes. It's just that he's very rarely wrong...Steve is not a supporter of hobbyists that I have seen, except maybe those who accept his "gospel" as fact..
But he really does support hobbyists. You wouldn't believe some of the things I've seen him do for ordinary folks who have no intentions of ever going into business. Like I said, if you could sit down with him over dinner, you'd have a much different opinion of him by the time they brought the dessert cart around.
In your quote above I am very clear about the fact that only those who have gone through the certification process have the right to do paying shows in the US.
And I believe that once Steve re-reads your post, he will agree with you.
Adam
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