3x3x3 RGB LED Cube Patterns

I am now writing the code for the 3x3x3 cube kit and I wanted to know what patters you would like built in. Take a look at the 3x3x3 and 4x4x4 videos and give your feed back here. Also if you have any new pattern ideas that would be great. The kits will be ready after the code is complete.

Thanks,
Justin

A suggestion would be to keep the first few patterns from your prototype 3x3x3 cube. The one near the beginning (I call it "growing cube") when it grows from 1 LED, to a small box, then the whole cube, then a small box on another corner, then a single LED(repeats cycle several times). Keep the random flashing at the beginning, and keep the color transitioning (all LED's green, fade out, fade in with all LED's yellow, fade out, fade in with some other color, etc...)

Another idea is from my BS2 cube, is the pattern from 0:10 to 0:15 in the video I posted. Except make it switch the color occasionally, maybe every 6 flips.

Well... I somehow managed to ruin the crystal on my test cube and since I had removed to crystal twice before (changes in design, faster PIC) the pads came off. I am going to build a new one with the Rev 2 board. Then the coding will start.

I like the pattern you have. Perhaps have it fade colors as it is flipping. Like the 4x4x4 when it spins. I also like the rain pattern in the 4x4x4. What about the spinning plate?

Thanks for the input,
Justin

The spinning plan is a good idea. Like you have in your 4x4x4, make it change color's when spinning. One thing I didn't like about the 4x4x4 spinning plan was that the color's didn't change much, a purple red, to purple, purple blue to purple. Make it so that it changes to a solid color, then to another, then to another, not just one color, the back to purple.

Try and fit the random colored rain into the 3x3x3(I believe it would be way too small) but give it a try and see what happens. And make the rain more rain like, falls a little too slow in 4x4x4, speed it up a tad.

Idea just popped in my head.
Something great for a 4x4x4 would be some text popping up in your face. For example, the word(acronym) LOL can pop up.
First, it starts with the letter L, all the way at the back in one column of LED's, then move it forward 3 column's until it reaches the front, then let L disappear, and place O at the back, let O do the same transition as L, let O disappear, and let L pop up again and do the same. Then you get LOL.

The colors on the 4x4x4 cube are all generated randomly. The rain is actually a small routine witch uses again a lot of random numbers and it is not generated frame by frame. I wanted to make the 4x4x4 not be repetitious. Right now it is broken (some wire on the bottom came off) and I can't use the dsPIC with Linux.
Edit: You also should make sure that you are looking at the sound sensitive video, the color in the first is messed up. The color does not change enough.
Justin

Yes, I agree, things get boring when they repeat too much. I did look at the sound sensitive 4x4x4, that one seems more random than the previous one.
For the kit, is there going to be code protection on it, or are you going to be able to reprogram it with a PICkit2 or other device? And where did you get these RGB LED's? I got one at Radio Shack for $4. Just ONE. That's expensive.






About using Linux, did you install Linux on another hard drive, or did you just erase Windows and install Linux? I use 3 separate hard drives, one for Windows XP, one for Linux(Fedora Linux 6), and one with Windows Vista(for new apps). Just a curious question.

I buy the LED from ebay. They are pretty good. Only problem is some are a little more red then others and the time to get here is slow compared to ordering from the US. But you can't beat the price.

I use ubuntu. I no longer have windows on my computer (I'm clean ). Ubuntu 8.04 has been pretty good so far. A little buggier then 7.10 but it also fixed a lot of other problems like my printer. I love Ubuntu and don't plan to ever go back to windows.

I did not know Radio Shack sold RGB LED. My Radio Shack is worthless. They charge $1 for 5 (20c each) resistors while Jameco has them for $1 for 100 (1c each). At 4$ a LED it would be cheaper to order the kit then buy 27 LED.

I have built the PCB for the new test cube. Now on to the 3D soldering. I will probably wait for my new hot air rework station, comes Thursday.

Justin

Nice, hopefully this time your oscillator won't explode/die on you.

The only reason I bought the RGB LED at radio shack, it was the only one there, at that one store, and I just happened to be getting some other stuff at the same time. So I thought, why not. But radio shack is starting to sell a little more, like pink LED's , Parallax accelerometers, IR sensor stuff, and tall surface mount push buttons(very good).
Will your 4x4x4 ever be made into a kit? Cause I saw your etched board on the sound sensitive one, seems like it would be a good kit.



I don't use Ubuntu because my motherboard is unsupported by it, I'm going to download 8.04 soon. Fedora works better

The 4x4x4 cube may become a kit. If I do make a kit I will probably use an AVR. I am done with PIC. It will also be more dense then my 4x4x4. I have the licensed version of Eagle Light so the board size is limited to 100 x 80 mm (4 x 3.2 inches). If there was more interest I would probably make one. If you want to see it start a thread in this section.

Justin