NOOB just getting started.

[The-Dullahan]

Hello all. I am VERY new to all of this, but usually fairly good at following instructions. I figured it would be best to research and theorize before jumping into anything over my head.

I am hoping to use the EFX-TEK Prop1 controller for a prop I have planned out and would like to make and figured this was the greatest place to start my research.

What I am intending to make is a "3-Axis Skull" type prop, which is in itself not all that complicated. I planned to use these instructions or something similar.
http://www.davisgraveyard.com/Building%20a%203-axis%20Bucky%20Skull.pdf

Interestingly, in my research while registering for this Forum, I believe I found that the author of that link and webpage actually has an account here and came up with a VERY similar project as mine.

What I would like to do is have a series of pre-recorded movements, nothing too fancy, just nods, tilts, turns, some jaw movement and whatnot that I can set to play back in a randomly assigned order, continuously. So just a string of random, pre-recorded motions for the 3-Axis Skull.

My initial reason for looking into this prop controller is the voltage it can handle. From my understanding, I could run it off of a 12v power source, correct? If so, that is great. If not, I have no choice and will have to get a power inverter and plug in a standard home DC power source to control is (essentially going from DC to AC and back to DC again) but would prefer to avoid that if possible.

I have never programmed any sort of prop before or animatronic, so I am indeed VERY new to this and hope that you lot will be able to help me.

Thank you.

[JonnyMac]

The Prop-1 is not going to hack it.  I know, I know, you *want* it to work; it just won't.  Servo control is really tricky because servos -- especially under load as would be the case with a skull --  require constant updating which is almost impossible to do with the Prop-1.  Then there's the program space; it's very limited on the Prop-1.  Even if you could cobble up a program you wouldn't get much time out of it, and synchronization with audio would be hit-and-miss at best.

Now... we have a product that will work and give you all kinds of capability with your skull: the HC-8+.  This has the processing power and memory required for the job.  We've recently introduced a microSD adapter that allows you to store shows and play them back.  Now we're talking: you can create multiple shows in Vixen (it's free and we have a whole section devoted to it)

Recommended bits:
-- HC-8+ (has the horsepower you need)
-- Prop-Plug (allows you to reprogram the HC-8+ and "talk" to it live using Vixen)
-- uSD adapter (allows you to play shows exported from Vixen)

We're very happy to have you as a customer and part of the forums. What you'll find is that we always tell the truth, even if it's not what you want to hear.  I have an idea what you're going for (we've been doing this a while) and we know what will work and what will not.  The HC-8+ will; the Prop-1 will not.

Now, I know somebody's going to come along and challenge this; that's fine. They can prove me wrong with code.  I have been programming the BS1 (brain of the Prop-1) since 1994; please believe me that I know what it can an cannot do.

We really want to help you and the best way is to recommend the right product.  At one time Jeff was using the SX for his skull project; that has been displaced by the Propeller chip which is what we use in the HC-8+.

[JonnyMac]

All of our controllers allow 12v in and have 5v regulators that can be used to power servos.

[JackMan]

Jon is 100% right on this, your skull will have 4 servos (5 if you want to do eyes), not gonna happen with a Prop-1. I have a pair of 3-axis skulls with jaw and eye movement and trust me, the programming piles up in a hurry. Go with the HC-8+ right from the start and you'll be glad you did.  ;)

[The-Dullahan]

^These are the types of replies I like. I try to give my clients the same responses in my trade. Thanks a bunch guys.

I will look into the new controller and surely bother you all again when I get lost, as I surely will. As a heads up, I have no audio to sync my program to, it merely has to move. That's it, so it will be just a step simpler on my end.

[JackMan]

I have no audio to sync my program to, it merely has to move.

I would think you're gonna want some audio for jaw movement.

[The-Dullahan]

It will be running inside a moving vehicle while moving down the highway. I would never hear it from the front of the car, especially not over the engine or sound system and the audience in other vehicles will never hear it over traffic or through the window.

It is a replacement for the Zombie that in the back of my Hearse, watching traffic go by outside the window. I always figured when I retired this zombie, I would make a new, more skeletal one. Thereby, I figured why not make it mobile? That would be cool.

It is just going to do sort of zombie movements of tilting and peering around, opening it's jaw and closing it. Nothing too quick or crazy, just an eerie "curious yet dangerous" effect to it's movements.

[JonnyMac]

I will still stand by my recommendation of the HC-8+. 

You can create the "moves" with Vixen (that can be as long or short as you like, and as simple or complex as you like) and then have the program randomly select them.  One of the nice things about the servo driver I wrote for the HC-8+ is that it allows "ramping" between positions.  This would allow you to randomly select a new move file and go from where you are (last position of current move file) to the first position in the new file without fear of damaging the mechanism.

[The-Dullahan]

Groovy. I checked and did not see a Forum area for the driver you mentioned (I did see one for Hacking it)

Maybe I am not looking well enough?

I will surely still need help, as I have never programmed anything in my life and will be at a total loss. I can work out the principals of mechanical devices all day long, but computers are astounding and alien technology to me that are obviously run by some sort of Voodoo or Black Magic.

[JonnyMac]

We tend to do these projects in two phases: phase one is a driver that converts the Vixen output to the servo and dimmer signals. Once you're happy with the Vixen show you can export it to a file to be played back by the HC-8+ (you'll need our uSD accessory to hold the files).

Thankfully, you have a bit of time so I would suggest heading over to our Vixen section:

* http://www.efx-tek.com/php/smf/index.php?topic=1517.0

...and getting Vixen 2.1.x.x on your system first.  You can learn Vixen in an hour or so.  Once you feel like you're comfortable with Vixen let me know, I'll modify my basic Vixen Streamer program for you to match the number of servos you're using (max is 8).  Any channels not used for servos can be used for dimmer outputs.