Animated Skull

[gadget-evilusions]

In case anyone is interested, I found a nice set up for the mechanical aspect of making an animated skull. It was on halloween forum. Unfortunately it's spread across 37 pages of posts. If you have time, take a look. http://www.halloweenforum.com/showthread.php?t=62161 I downloaded all the pictures, so if you don't want to do what I did, I can send you a zip file of them. It looks great. They used VSA, but there is no reason we couldnt use vixen and a prop-2, I plan on it soon.

[JonnyMac]

I've already chatted with KC about creating an add-in for the Prop-SX that would allow Vixen to create servo (4x) and digital (8x) values for a Prop-SX that would be stored in the Prop-SX EEPROM (32K).  That's enough memory for a stand-alone show of a little over two minutes.  We're hoping to have that stuff ready by TransWorld.

[gmacted]

I've already chatted with KC about creating an add-in for the Prop-SX that would allow Vixen to create servo (4x) and digital (8x) values for a Prop-SX that would be stored in the Prop-SX EEPROM (32K).  That's enough memory for a stand-alone show of a little over two minutes.  We're hoping to have that stuff ready by TransWorld.

Good news. That's what I've been waiting for.

[gmacted]

In case anyone is interested, I found a nice set up for the mechanical aspect of making an animated skull. It was on halloween forum. Unfortunately it's spread across 37 pages of posts. If you have time, take a look. http://www.halloweenforum.com/showthread.php?t=62161 I downloaded all the pictures, so if you don't want to do what I did, I can send you a zip file of them. It looks great. They used VSA, but there is no reason we couldnt use vixen and a prop-2, I plan on it soon.

Brian,

     I've also seen that thread and made a Word document that summarizes it.  I tried to organize it a little better than the thread.  I'm fairly certain I got all the important infomration.  I planned on starting work on it after Christmas.

[gadget-evilusions]

Jon, would I need to buy anything else to be able to program the sx as you mentioned with vixen? Will a prop-2 work for now if I only need to out put a program for 4 servos?

[JonnyMac]

You would need an SX-Blitz to put the core program into the Prop-SX; this program will use a couple of the high inputs as mode bits (run or program).  In program mode the Prop-SX would "talk" to a Vixen add-in via the DB-9 port to receive the 32K bytes of movement data.

We don't have a similar add-in for the Prop-2 planned because it only has 2K of space -- not really enough to store servo data very easily.

[davisgraveyard]

I followed Halloween Bob's thread at Halloween fourm all summer.   In fact I switched my own desgin from the 3-axis style that looked too much like a bobble head to his.  I was using a bucky skull and got the plexi template cutout and used 4 HS-425BB servos (tilt,nod,turn,jaw).  I had some LED eyeballs for the eyes (figured I would add a mini servo for them down the road).   I hinged the jaw with a hidden bar.    The head was for the dirver a a full scale horse drawn hearse.  I spent all summer making the hearse and didn't have time finish the head so I stuck the unfinished driver on it this year without the servos.  A week after it was up someone stole it.   I had a good fellow haunter give me a new bucky and a extra skull to work on the mechanics this year.  My plan is to use a Prop-2 with Vixen or if my movements become too complex a Prop-SX.   I want to be able to fade up/down LED spotlights and queue the sound along with the 3 axis head movements and the fading LED eyes.  Just like Skulltronixs without the teathered PC.

But the hearse did turn out very nice.  It is all made out of foam and comes appart for easy storage.
www.davisgraveyard.com/img_2252.jpg

Jeff

[livinlowe]

Wow, that hearse looks great! I love the evil dead reference as well! Please post pictures as your work goes along!

P.S. I think Jon's right though, if you want anything as complex as a skulltronics like show, your probably going to have to go with a prop-sx. Maybe not if you use a servo controller though (just a thought)

[davisgraveyard]

I've started working on this project again.   I am just about done with the mechanical part of it.   I have already started working with the uMP3 for the audio. 

Here is an early picture of the servo layout and mounting technique.   http://www.davisgraveyard.com/img_0041.jpg

This head will have 4 servos.  Nod, Tilt, Turn, and Jaw.  The eyes will be LED's that will need to fade.  It will also have a uMP3 for audio and drive a pair of LED spotlights for lighting it up when on.    The Controler and the uMP3 will be stored in the skull.  The skeleton will have a wire that runs to speakers that are closer to the audience and a power cord.  When he is plugged in the show will start and then repeat every few minutes.

If I can get it to work I'd like to use the Prop-2 if I can keep the speach short enough and not too many head movements.   I am using a 4 channel Reciever/transmitter to puppet the skull until I get all the linkages working the way I want.  Then I will unhook the reciever and plug the servos into the Prop2 and use Vixen to program it.  I'll probably have a TON of questions once I get to that point.

Jeff

[davisgraveyard]

Here is a picture of the 4 servos mounted in a standard bucky skull.   You can barely see that I have them all wired to a reciever that I use to move them.   I don't have a current picture of the linkages I started working on but I am getting close.  I'd still like to see if we could create some sort of interface with the transmitter and reciever and record the head movements?




Jeff

[gadget-evilusions]

I've already chatted with KC about creating an add-in for the Prop-SX that would allow Vixen to create servo (4x) and digital (8x) values for a Prop-SX that would be stored in the Prop-SX EEPROM (32K).  That's enough memory for a stand-alone show of a little over two minutes.  We're hoping to have that stuff ready by TransWorld.

This was what I was trying to ask you about at Transworld Jon, I take it KC hasnt done it yet?

[gadget-evilusions]

Here is a picture of the 4 servos mounted in a standard bucky skull.   You can barely see that I have them all wired to a reciever that I use to move them.   I don't have a current picture of the linkages I started working on but I am getting close.  I'd still like to see if we could create some sort of interface with the transmitter and reciever and record the head movements?

Jeff

Looks good Jeff

[JonnyMac]

KC and I have both been really swamped so we don't have the stand-alone program for the Prop-SX yet.  It's much more complicated than the other projects as we have to create a program for the Prop-SX that has two modes: one to load data created by Vixen, another to play it back.  As soon as we get it we will definitely let everyone know.

[condolaw]

I thought Brad G did this with a Prop-1 (see thread http://www.efx-tek.com/php/smf/index.php?topic=146.msg548#msg548) . . is the idea of Prop-2 or SX for more animation or longer and various routines? or that the Prop-1 can only do 3 servos?

[davisgraveyard]

I am trying to get my head wrapped around how I am going to get this to work with a Prop-2 and Vixen. 

I can understand using vixen to tap out the jaw movement data points.  But the turn/nod,tilt  and for that matter even rapid jaw faps or long open ones are more complex? 

It all makes sense using a 4 channel remote.  I can pupetteer the whole thing using the RC transmitter.  How can I capture all that data and save it some way.  Even if I have to convert it to create eprom data for playback on the Prop-2?   What options do I have if any?  Or am I stuck with hand programming the movements in Vixen?