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Thread: laser show software

  1. #1
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    Default laser show software

    is there any free/pretty cheap and affordable software that can draw out graphics that are animated along with nice beam shows? EASY TO USE

  2. #2
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    Hey there

    Welcome to PL. Please tell us a bit about yourself as an introduction? If you wouldn't mind updating your location in your profile, people can give you region specific advice and sometimes even local help.

    Your question is hard to answer as it would depend on whether you are intending just to create or playback graphics and/or beamshows with a laser projector attached. If you are intending to do this with a projector the answer is guided by which DAC/computer interface you build or buy.

    So let us know some more info...

    Cheers,
    Tony

  3. #3
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    Free/cheap and easy to use is a tall order. Even the expensive software isn't exactly easy, at least not what I'd consider easy.

    Check out this thread, it may help you with your search.

    http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...read.php/11026

  4. #4
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    Spaghetti is cheap and easy to use. It doesn't allow drawing at this time but does do text. I will create a drawing application eventually but for now most users use other free applications to create ILDA files if they need them. Most people use Spaghetti for creating beams shows where the images are not much more than simple circles or lines. The animation of these simple shapes is via the effects processor in Spaghetti.

  5. #5
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    ^I think "cheap" is in the eye of the beholder on that one.. Spaghetti's gone up in price a bit over the last year.

  6. #6
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    Maybe we should stop replying to folks who cannot even put their first thread in "Software" instead of laser display files?

    Sphag, LFI player, represent hundreds or thousands of hours of work and the authors rarely get a thank you. The amount of $hit CG had to take over a freeware is why he started charging for it in the first place.

    Every time Mike gets a negative feedback on LFI Player @ Sourceforge about the user interface, etc he emails me and asks if he should pull it. Hes not thin skinned, either. People do not seem to realize that getting a PC to output smooth laser art involves having to find ways of shutting down M$ Windows internal desires to shut down, or interrupt anything that runs in real time. That is not easy. LFI player using MIDI inputs went into many, many, commercial installs, and those customers never had a problem

    I'm also thinking we should ban the words cheap and free in initial posts, unless they include the phrase "Here is a free X to all .. Where X means insert frames, hardware design, show etc"

    100-200$ is low cost for the amount of work you have to put in.

    Doing a good laser show requires work, and if folks are not willing to put in the work, so be it.

    Even for a basic one track/two track beamshow for a song, it takes me two hours per minute with clipart to get it right.. why should I give that kind of work away to a FNG nube who will claim it as his own when he uses it? That line comes from the guy who has more posts on line over how to do lasers, since 1992 or so... Thimk About it!.


    Steve
    Last edited by mixedgas; 10-05-2010 at 06:39.
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  7. #7
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    I absolutely disagree with that requirement, but I do agree with most of what you said here. I have no issue with whatever any developer wants to charge, after all it is THEIR product, but I also see nothing wrong AT ALL with trying to see what can be done in this hobby with the barest minimum of financial expense. In fact, I respect that more than most people's attempts at buying the most expensive crap money can buy. It's not too hard to fork over a few pieces of currency if you have them.. it's a whole different game to do this stuff with extremely limited means. Also, I see aboslutely nothing wrong with the creation of low-cost software and tools that have features which simplify and streamline the show creation process. Just because it takes you a lot of work to come up with shows doesn't mean that people always will.. that is one of the primary purposes of technology: to simplify and streamline tasks which would ordinarily be difficult or tedious.

    It's the mindset that "this hobby is, and SHOULD BE, expensive" that frustrates DIYers, and keeps many people from being able to participate in the enterprise. *tin foil hat alert*: of course, you know I firmly believe there are people who would like to keep this little club as exclusive as possible..

    As much as I love LFI player, one cannot expect that their product will maintain 100% good feedback as more and more users attempt to use it. That's just not realistic, especially when the product in question isn't overly user-friendly. Yes it's exceedingly powerful, and awesome for the price, but when new people first try it out and find that it can be difficult, that WILL lead to a few negative bits of feedback. I don't see anything wrong with that. Given the overwhelmingly good feedback LFI has recieved, I don't think there's ANY justification at all for pulling it just because a few folks spoke their mind.
    Last edited by ElektroFreak; 10-05-2010 at 07:30.

  8. #8
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    Quote:

    It's the mindset that "this hobby is, and SHOULD BE, expensive" that frustrates DIYers, and keeps many people from being able to participate in the enterprise. *tin foil hat alert*: of course, you know I firmly believe there are people who would like to keep this little club as exclusive as possible..

    End Quote

    No, some of us just hate the "spillover" of garbage work into the professional/artistic side of the business. Ie the "rack it up and run" crowd that wants to make a quick buck, cheapens the client's view of the industry. Its hard to find a laser professional when you really need one, when "clipart" won't do. Why? Because few people actually know how to be more then (Quoting James Lehman) "Projectionists who don't know how to use their software".

    Hooking up a projector and just letting it run through the canned stuff on automatic is not a good laser show and never will be.


    Steve
    Qui habet Christos, habet Vitam!
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    When I still could have...

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    Hmm, that must suck for you, always being bothered by the little guys. As far as I'm concerned, it's how the audience feels after the show that counts.. which means there is room for all types of laserists.

    The heavyweight professionals will always give us little guys something to aspire to, and I have a feeling that the need for truly talented laserists hasn't diminished.. but just because not everyone is as talented, creative, or whatnot, doesn't mean they have no business doing a show for some audience somewhere. If the audience leaves the room feeling 'wowed", I don't see a problem no matter who did the show. The finer points are always only noticed by the "insider" crowd.. all couple-hundred of us worldwide.. and there's always something to be said for the pursuit of perfection.. but I will always believe that there is room in this hobby for people of all skill levels, tastes, and financial means. In fact, that belief is a HUGE part of why I (and a few others) exist here in this hobby at all, and why I post on these forums. Much to the chagrin of the "elitists" I'm sure..

  10. #10
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    [QUOTE=ElektroFreak;166195]Hmm, that must suck for you, always being bothered by the little guys. As far as I'm concerned, it's how the audience feels after the show that counts.. which means there is room for all types of laserists.

    I'm not bothered by the little guys who try hard. I'm bothered by the folks who buy a box, hit the on button and let it set there, and undercut prices.

    I'm not a elitist by a long shot, if I was, I would not be posting here. The elitists are the ones that read here to find out the latest and greatest, and never post a thing in return.

    Life is a two way street, and I'm standing in traffic. However I do not see how any portion of the industry is served by buying a 250$ 100 mW box and calling it a laser show, and charging for it.

    Dude, you need to make it a big LEM or ILDA conf and see what can really result from hard work. It might really affect which way you want to see laser as a art form progress.

    Since you keep calling everybody who earns a living, "Elites", maybe you need to open your eyes and redefine "Elite". If your definition of "Elite" is getting paid to crawl through the trash under the bar and stage at a "gentleman's club" looking for a cut in a cable, then I'm a "Elite". If your definition of "Elite" is sticking my hand in a box of energized three phase and water looking for what emitted the "magic smoke", then I'm a "Elite". Next up is some horse trading at the local surplus place so I can get a prototype up. Since I have to make things work to get paid, I have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done for a successful show that entertains people.

    Why am I not a "elite" in this industry? I'm not a socialite. Well, last night I did not do a line of cocaine or get drunk with some rock band's promoter, meaning I did not get the big gig in LA. Instead I'm driving cross town to ruin a pair shoes, inspecting a line of optics holders coming off a CNC machine, on a oily shop floor. Then I need to do a cold call on a potential trade show client, and when I do the math for 2 days of travel and running 1 watt of green for 8 hours, 5 hours from home, at the going rate, it doesn't add up.

    Watch whom you call elite dude..

    Steve







    Steve
    Last edited by mixedgas; 10-05-2010 at 08:54.
    Qui habet Christos, habet Vitam!
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