Senior Member
too run a standalone projector with no DAC that display club logos, animations or welcomes. Some of the cheaper units with no wires needing to be run.Originally Posted by White-Light
In another thread he was looking for ilda files to go try on a unit.
leading in trailing technology
Technically Still Banned
There are at least two whole threads dedicated to the use of the least expensive pre-made laser projectors that can be found that have no ILDA ports and how to get the most out of putting ILDA files on those SD cards.
Like most alternative options, it has its place.
James.
Last edited by james; 10-17-2013 at 12:37.
Creator of LaserBoy!
LaserBoy is free and runs in Windows, MacOS and Linux (including Raspberry Pi!).
Download LaserBoy!
YouTube Tutorials
Ask me about my LaserBoy Correction Amp Kit for sale!
All software has a learning curve usually proportional to its capabilities and unique features. Pointing with a mouse is in no way easier than tapping a key.
I agree with PB. I have seen this setup applied in Airports and other venues where you don't need/have a PC running to just, say, play a pre-programmed loop of advertisements on a wall over an escalator (which is exactly how I saw it being used).
Senior Member
But why would you buy a DAC of any type for this purpose? It doesn't make sense. Why spend hundreds of $ or £'s when a free draw program and ILDA SOS or paying someone to create an ILDA for you is far cheaper? You could probably get someone on here to trace a club logo for free which if thats your use for the projector saves you the entire cost of the DAC which you're never going to use anyway.
I'm not sure what the Etherdream uses but some of the older DAC's used to use XD cards as the SD licence was so expensive. XD's are very limited in capacity and even SD's only go above 8GB if of the SDHC flavour. You can't put an SDHC in an SD non HC slot, or at least you can but it won't be read.
I understand that but see my comment above re buying a DAC. If you're just going to be running the same logos / animations, its probably cheaper simply to get someone to create it for you than going out and buying a DAC package only to have it sat in the box.
Jr. Woodchuckington Janitor III, Esq.
ether-dream dac uses SD cards.
you can select which frame/anim to play wirelessly via OSC. there are free templates available. you can also control scanning speed, scale, xy position, and geometric correction via the same OSC templates.
i don't think there are any SD equipped projectors that allow you to do this.
Last edited by swamidog; 10-17-2013 at 14:25.
suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.
Senior Member
I don't see the problem? Maybe somebody hires your projector for a week to project commercial logos somewhere, then the next week you need it at a computer controlled gig... Why invest in a cheap DAC with SD card control if you are going to need a high end DAC for the real shows anyway? Wouldn't you be glad your good DAC can play back from SD cards? Pretty much the inverse argument. Another situation, another need.
I don't know for sure, but the Etherdream website doesn't mention any kind of limitations...
Senior Member
I though Dream said he had a projector with an SD DAC built in?
The Ether Dream is more flexible than a built in SD if thats the case. SD is still more limiting than full control though.
Well if thats the intended use ie mixed use and not just the logo situation you mentioned above then that's another story. My point was that for JUST displaying the same logo or animation week in week out, if your projector already had an SD card DAC built in, there wasn't really must justification for buying an external control package when you could get someone to make your logo or animation and simply load it to the in built card.
Senior Member
Last version of our OEM controller:
- geometry correction of Size/Pos/Mirror/Shear/Keystone/Linearity for X&Y (functions of firmware);
- potentiometers for SizeX/SizeY/PosX/PosY;
- trigger SDcard's shows from microphone or embegged generator (with variable level/clock) (in testing now);
- easy utility for real time play ILDA files; save they to SDcard and commands for play shows from SDcard (via USB or Ethernet);
- support SDHC format (in testing now);
- ILDA input and output;
- DMX control;
- TFT display
Unfortunately we do not support OSC
Last edited by riyalasers; 10-17-2013 at 22:59.
Senior Member
I not understand too!
All chinese projectors with SD cards have one, but very big problem: they have not possibility writing SDcards inside of projectors (they have not interfaces...); de-facto 99% projectors are mounted on long distance from operator... and is impossible to change shows on SDcard.
I visited to many chinese manufacturers within several exhibitions; I demonstrated our product; but answer was one: we ready to pay not more USD100 for controller, but this controller should be with software.
Of cource, it is impossible
Senior Member
At this point, if I were to make a DAC, I'd go back to the start. Currently I see an argument about whether an SD card based system for autonomous action should be without a dac, for various good reasons, but "without a DAC.."?! How else are you going to convert digital to analog? That remark implies directly that some people are at risk of losing the plot, forgetting the most vital part of this.
The real question is: what gets added to a DAC, and where do you put it? So going back to that primal question I'd answer it this way: Get ethernet streaming. Get a timer on board to sequence some locally stored data in cases where no external control is wanted. Build the analog part to correct signal standards so no addon board is required. Where versatility is wanted in 'correction' or whatever, do it digitally in all cases where aliasing can be cheaply eliminated, because that way you get a choice of which end of the ethernet line you put your last stage digital stuff.
Those DAC's that already work like that (Etherdream does, I think), will be much more future-proof than those that don't. Bottom line, don't try to do too much! Do the vitals, do them well, make it easy for people to add extra if they want. As to multiple channels, that need not be expensive. It's simple bulk economy, just do the hardware in simple repeat patterns of function, leave the subtle distinctions to code.
Any attempt at choice which loses this basic grounding is going to get so lost it will take time just forgetting the irrelevance learned. One of the reasons I go slow on my work is exactly that. I work alone, I don't have people reality checking me all the time, so I have to do it myself. That takes time, to let it go enough to start seeing it like someone else might. And even in a crowd, once the advice gets confusing, you're in the same kind of boat I am.
The closer people stick to the basic points when making a DAC or controller, the cheaper it will be. Doesn't have to mean it's too basic to be useful either. A bit of common standardisation will help, and that ONLY works of you keep it simple.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
lulighttec