Forums > Technical Discussion > FAO: All Hoppy Techies....
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old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]
Posted:
...I'm after some advice. I'm starting to think about making progress on the software side of my HyperLights. There are basically 3 parts to the problem:
1) The software that runs on the micro-controller. This is (currently) written in assembly and is what makes the poi do their flashy things
This is already mostly written to the poin that the poi flash a sequence of patterns. There's going to be a major overhaul soon though (see point 3).
2) The software that allows even the most non-technically-minded of folk to build up sequences and patterns into just about any effect you can imagine. This is still entirely in the planning stages. I'm tempted to write it in VC++ as this is what I'm most familiar with, however, I'd also like it platform independant which suggests Java to me. I've done some java development in my dim and distant uni days, but I would be pretty much starting from scratch (quite a learning curve!). Can Java be compiled into and executable that doesn't require the JRE? Can an applet(?) be run from a website (so that people wouldn't need to install a program, just load up the applet on the hyperlights site)? Is it truly worth going for platform independance given that most people who will use HyperLights will likely use windows?
3) This is probably of most interest to those of you that post replies to this thread. This is the language that sits between 1 and 2.. I'm calling it Poi++
Basically, it's the scripting language that is used to tell the PIC what to do. Sequences devised in (2) would be compiled into this so that the software (1) can run it. There's no reason why the text script couldn't be used to define sequences though!
I'm quite tempted to make (2) and (3) OpenSource as what I'm selling is really the hardware and the software that drives it. By making the intermediate language and the front end open source, that should hopefully make my life easier (you guys can helkp me!
), and also give us software that's easier to use and less full of bugs!
So, opinions, offers of help, better suggestions? I'm listening
...I'm after some advice. I'm starting to think about making progress on the software side of my HyperLights. There are basically 3 parts to the problem:
1) The software that runs on the micro-controller. This is (currently) written in assembly and is what makes the poi do their flashy things
This is already mostly written to the poin that the poi flash a sequence of patterns. There's going to be a major overhaul soon though (see point 3).2) The software that allows even the most non-technically-minded of folk to build up sequences and patterns into just about any effect you can imagine. This is still entirely in the planning stages. I'm tempted to write it in VC++ as this is what I'm most familiar with, however, I'd also like it platform independant which suggests Java to me. I've done some java development in my dim and distant uni days, but I would be pretty much starting from scratch (quite a learning curve!). Can Java be compiled into and executable that doesn't require the JRE? Can an applet(?) be run from a website (so that people wouldn't need to install a program, just load up the applet on the hyperlights site)? Is it truly worth going for platform independance given that most people who will use HyperLights will likely use windows?
3) This is probably of most interest to those of you that post replies to this thread. This is the language that sits between 1 and 2.. I'm calling it Poi++
Basically, it's the scripting language that is used to tell the PIC what to do. Sequences devised in (2) would be compiled into this so that the software (1) can run it. There's no reason why the text script couldn't be used to define sequences though!I'm quite tempted to make (2) and (3) OpenSource as what I'm selling is really the hardware and the software that drives it. By making the intermediate language and the front end open source, that should hopefully make my life easier (you guys can helkp me!
), and also give us software that's easier to use and less full of bugs!So, opinions, offers of help, better suggestions? I'm listening
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