rpi-rgb-led-matrix-animator

Python code to play animation sequences on an RGB LED matrix panel using the HZeller (https://github.com/hzeller/rpi-rgb-led-matrix) drivers on a Raspberry Pi (Model 3 used)

Inspired by the amazing ALA library for the Arduino.

NOTE.

This is a work in progress at the moment but mostly working. It runs on a Raspeberry Pi - albeit more slowly than it runs on my 2.4Ghz quad core DELL Inspiron. However, it does work at a reasonable pace.

Currently supports:-

• multiple layers
• animation sequencing (speed and duration control)
• transparency
• foreground and background images or colours
• chain animations (like a LED strip folded)
• text animations (like scrolling text messages)
• image animations like fade in/out, dissolve, blur, blend, hue change etc
• panel animations like drawing randomly sized rectangles/ellipses etc
• affine image transforms
• image scaling with anti-aliasing
• BDF and openCV fonts

There's a Youtube video you can watch which showcases a lot of the animations.

See the docs folder for more information.

Licence

Free to use and modify but credit me as the original author please. Please read License.md

This work took several months so, if you really feel grateful, you could send me money via my PayPal account - it would help my tiny pension.

Requirements

Hardware:-

• Raspberry Pi (I tested using the Pi3)
• HZeller interface for the HUB75 panels (See OSH Park for pcbs for the active controller)
• HUB75 RGB LED Panel

The code is written in Python 2.7 and requires :-

• openCV 3
• numpy
• matplotlib
• PIL (or pillow).
• HZeller interface drivers

NOTE: I developed this using PyCharm and Anaconda 2. Anaconda has all the packages required already installed except the HZeller drivers.

On the Raspberry Pi you need to install the HZeller drivers (https://github.com/hzeller/rpi-rgb-led-matrix)

Installing the HZeller Drivers

You MUST run HZellers examples to check the drivers work before running my code.

In the Tests folder is a PanelCheck.py script. If you run that you should see HZellers simple-square. If not then you may not have installed the library into the python dist-packages folder.

Check /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages and look for the folder rgbmatrix. If it isn't there then you need to go to the python folder in the clone folder and run

sudo make install

Getting Started

Clone the repo into a folder.

Try running the Examples then look at the code - I've tried to make it as flexible and intuitive as possible.

On the Pi, to run the examples (e.g. PanelDemo.py) you need to cd into the Examples folder then:-

sudo python PanelDemo.py

There will be some video demos on YouTube and in the Examples folder or you can look at Norman Truck Logos on Facebook to see the development of some of the animations.

If you use PyCharm to clone the repo you just run the scripts the same way as any other PyCharm project.

Please note. If you run on a Windows PC the code will automatically utilise the Simulator - it is intended for developing animations to be run on the Pi later.

Apologies

I've tried my best to fully document this code. You'll find most documents in the Docs folder.

The Python scripts should all have doc strings.

If you find any omissions let me know.

If you improve the code - especially regarding execution speed - let me know.

Color and Colour

Sorry guys, I'm English so colour is correct. However, I have tried to use color as that seems to be the adopted strategy. You may come across the word colour in places - it means the same as color LOL.