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2024-07-19 1:39 pm
Hello everyone,
I'm new here and I'm working on a cosplay project, but unfortunately I do not have any programming skills and don't understand anything about Arduino, Raspberry Pi or ESP32 yet. However, I'm very enthusiastic about it and want to complete it no matter what, so I would like to ask for your help/guidance in this matter.
I'm trying to create helmet from the game RUINER, where the whole thing is basically a display. I am attaching image refences and a link to YT so you can understand what it should look like. Of course I won't be able to cover the whole thing in LEDs, but I want to at least put 2 of the following displays (10x35 option) on it and somehow I need to make them work as one display:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007148542594.html
I would also like to add more smaller LEDs around the displays and make them work as ambient lighting as in those new TVs that have LEDs on the back and change colours according to what's displayed on the screen. However, if it's too much work it can be skipped.
At the moment I already have 3d printed version of the helmet, I won't be able to see through it, but I guess I will manage somehow or redo the whole visor in some other material. I've measured it and 2 displays 10x35 version should fit perfectly at the front.
Main problems that I'm facing:
1) What platform would be best for this kind of project? Arduino/ESP32/Raspberry Pi?
2) Is it possible to make these 2 flexible screens work as one using one of those platforms? Make 2nd one the extension of the 1st just like it's possible on Windows?
3) If yes, is it also possible to add smaller LEDs separately and make them work as ambient lighting?
4) How much power will it require and will I be able to run it using power bank? If yes, approximately for how long would it work? I need to keep it portable.
5) I need to run the animation from the game using those displays, how do I do that?
I will appreciate any advice and ideas
YT video:
2024-07-19 7:32 pm
@neon_rain As far as point 1, the MCU or MPU needs to be portable and battery operated so as long as the Pi is a ZERO any of them will probably work (and there are others) but remember we have NO information on which to judge.
Point 2, no idea but probably yes.
Point 3, most likely.
Point 4, we have no information to evaluate, but there will always be a power bank or two that will do the job.
Point 5, tricky question. As a programmer with 50+ years experience I would allow maybe 6 to 12 months to do something like that as a JOB and my estimates historically are 100% under estimated. You first need to learn basic programming skills then learn a language. Hard to know how long that might take, somewhere between 6 months and 2 years should cover it though. NOW you can use your newfound knowledge and skills to spend hours brainstorming and researching.
Maybe the best way to explain is you want to race an F1 car but you don't even have a normal beginners license yet.
All that being said, if you have enough passion, and you work hard you may turn out to be a natural and can get it done this year. Of course I assume you do not have a job or family.
Good luck.
First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's & MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
My personal scorecard is now 1 PC hardware fix (circa 1982), 1 open source fix (at age 82), and 2 zero day bugs in a major OS.
2024-07-20 12:12 am
Hi @neon-rain,
Ron (@zander) has already given you some useful guidance, but I noted your 5th question was:
5) I need to run the animation from the game using those displays, how do I do that?
I don't know anything about the particular game, but most commercial games are end-user 'packages', that directly drive the screen, audio and haptic outputs, etc., and the game software is not amenable to being extended, as the source code, etc. is not published. Before you get too committed, I recommend you ensure you have access to the game, so that it can be extended as required to provide the necessary 'commentary information' to be sent to the helmet display system.
Of course, you might have already arranged for this, or there may be some magic interface that I am not aware of, in which case I apologise for the interruption.
Good luck with your project, Dave