Glimmr TV

Good news today from Greg!

Finally was able to talk to Ben. He has programmed Glimmr to work with the new raspberry OS which has increased its framerate significantly, running around 60fps now. (Just found out that it isn't pushed to git yet), here is the link!

https://mega.nz/file/RgsCSTSK -dH-XGBLuh3DOEZ98YGkOQk6ZkpId8PONLT7KDyNjM

Feel free to try it out and as always we love to hear your feedback!

1.33 GB file on MEGA

Hi All,

Greg again..,

For those that already received your Glimmr. We have a user that is unable to see his Glimmr as a sidekick for the dreamscreen , are any of you using the Glimmr as a receiver for DS? He could really use some help and I have never used mine like that so I have no idea how to help. Can’t get in touch with Ben so I’m hoping someone can help!

Thanks for your time!

Good Day Glimmr orderers,

It’s Greg again,

Just wanted to throw out an update so everyone has an understanding of what’s going on at this time.

Pi’s have become available, funds are not at the moment. Just so you all know, there are no funds left, there hasn’t been any since I took over this project. I am building funds to buy more boards and complete the kick and any pre orders we have.

3d printers, custom boards and wiring, etc ran through funds faster than anticipated. With that being said, I personally am actually paying money to complete the kick. When I joined on the kick, I gave people my word it would be shipped and not a bogus kickstarter. So for that very reason alone, I am paying out of pocket to complete these and get them sent, which I will be paying the shipping out of pocket as well. I am not complaining about this at all, just letting all know that it is dependent on my personal funds at the worst possible time of year with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner!

So emphatically NO this project is not dead, nor is everyone that joined me on this adventure out of money they sent to help us make this happen. I will personally make it happen. It will be slower than I or you want, but you will receive the product.

I have personally refunded several orders. Please note that I will no longer be able to refund anyone , firstly because it’s costing me too much money and secondly , it’s making it extremely difficult for me to acquire the pi’s needed as my “extra” cash is going to this instead of new Pi’s. I hope you all can understand the situation. I am not trying to make anyone I refunded feel guilty in any way, I’m just explaining the reasoning for not being able to do it in the future.

You will get the product you ordered! We are so frustrated that pi’s were so difficult to acquire, we did not foresee this happening at all.

To sum things up, no more refunds (can’t get pi’s if I don’t have cash), building cash to acquire pi’s and pay for shipping, project is ALIVE!

Have a good week everyone!

Good Day Everyone,

I wanted to throw out an update before the holiday.

Pi’s Pi’s Pi’s are the only hurdle to completion, I try to buy within minutes of any for the US notifications and still get sold out at the end of checkout.

I don’t know if it’s scalpers with auto buying, but, I have made it through to checkout in less than a min and still it is sold out.

Anyone know of any programs that I can use to automate the purchase process so I can order that fast? It could make all the difference needed to acquire pi’s.

We do appreciate your continued patience and understanding.

Please do note that the system is somewhat future proofed with the downscaling hdmi splitter. As resolutions increase they will make new downgrading splitters that you can replace in Glimmr, so Ben was thinking about the future when making this!

I know there have not been any updates for awhile, this is because Ben does not only have this project but many others and we were lucky to get most of his attention during Covid. He will come back to this project periodically and review if an update is needed.

That’s where we are at everyone, unfortunately!

Quick update,

Pi’s are near non existent at this time, I’m ready for them as soon as I can purchase them, things will start moving very quickly once they are in hand.

I am in about every list and auto search you can find for them and still have yet to catch any in stock, literally anywhere.

I hate waiting on others and this pi shortage is killing us!

Sorry it’s not the best news, but, I will get them and then you will get them, it’s that simple!

Have a great weekend folks, I’ll be traveling next week but will check things periodically while gone.

Anyone have one of these, it may be able to convert/downscale the frame rate from 120 to 60hz.

Roland Pro A/V - VC-100UHD | 4K Video Scaler VC-100UHD: 4K Video Scaler - Scale, Convert, and Stream

Quick update, building and trying to acquire Pi’s, got into a Facebook group thanks to Justin Zimmer, that could be promising. What’s needed is a 2Gb pi 4b so if anyone sees any out in the wild, let me know.

Ok Glimmr Fam,

Ben has completed a lot of work, box printing and building.
There is still much to do with wiring, soldering, building up to just needing the Pi board, then it's all about getting Pi's. I'm supposed to be able to order 1 a month from Pishop, however, I have yet to be able to make it all the way through checkout and getting a Pi.

I was trying to think outside the box, since the Pi is nearly unattainable for me at this time. I hate to say it, truly, but it may be a situation where I send you all everything purchased, prebuilt with everything ordered, except for the Pi board itself. Of course, refunding the $45 USD that was accounted for Pi costs as this is not anyone's fault in my opinion. Again, out of pocket so bear with us. Let me know your thoughts on this idea.

Also...

I'd like to get peoples thoughts on some out of the box possibilities that are fair to all you that have purchased, so fire away and I will give serious thought to all meaningful suggestions.

Once all are out there in your hands, there will be some back-and-forth messaging for some of you folks in order to get things up and running like you imagined, but this will be provided for the non techie people.

For the techie peeps, play away and check out all the functions for example there is mapping the Nanoleaf tiles any way you want, I currently have mine mapped in reverse direction since it makes the lights shining around the room feel true to life when panning scenes, it took the setup from distracting to enveloping since the layout was behind my couch on the wall behind my sitting position.

It's the little things that allow you to dial it in to what you imagine it should be like. The 60 LED/M makes the DS feel like it was a standard def bias lighting and Glimmr feel like 4K.

I'm excited for the coming days and months. Hopefully we can all come to an agreement that gets parts in your hands, sooner rather than later.

Pretty sure I have everything needed for everyone's current orders (except the Pi and maybe a few sd cards, etc.)

I did promise more regular updates, and I will try to update on this page near weekly as time permits.

Thanks for your time, sorry for all delays, I'm getting excited again!!

Ok All,

This weekend is my first free weekend to finish going through what I’ve got and what is needed. I’ll start building likely next weekend after everything is finally situated and organized.

There is progress!

Sorry for the delay in response, been dealing with life, still a lot going on, my poor boy has been out of school since last October, they have finally diagnosed last week with what it is, they say likely due to Covid and the vaccine, stay away from Pfizer if your young, it is wreaking havoc on my boy.

Anyhow, just letting all know for transparency sake, boy is gonna kill me if he finds out I told the group 😲!

I'll update more often now that I have a little time available!.

Hopeveveryone had an amazing holiday and that you all remain happy and healthy!

It has begun again!

Ben (you’re the man) has shipped me all the parts to get to building. Thanks Ben! I need to go through everything to determine where to start, what’s needed, etc.

I am slammed through the end of the year, however I will start the building before then and as I acquire pi’s I hope to start shipping.

There is a line and an order I need to ship in. When I say there’s a line, it’s only a line of about 30-40 orders left so it’s not a huge line.

Once I go through everything, I’ll post another update with what needs to be done still (assembly, soldering, etc.) so you all know where things are at.

I know that many are understandably upset, frustrated, irritated, and even downright mad. We don’t blame you. We too, feel the same with the whole situation. We wanted this completed and filled in 2019/2020. Trust me, we get it! (Honesty)

I think the pi shortage has taken the wind from all of our sails, yours included, for quite some time, but I feel the breeze turning up and the sails filling again, I know bad analogy, lol.

I am traveling right now for work so I will be delayed in answering stuff by days for a couple weeks. Plus the holiday, etc.

My goal is honesty, transparency, but, most importantly, FULFILLMENT ( once you start seeing shipments again, I hope to regain your trust in us)

Thanks for listening, will update soon!

Hi Everybody,

Just a quick update. I have asked Ben to give an update as soon as he can as well as talk to those that are requesting refunds. He has not read the message yet, likely due to the holidays.

No it’s not dead, I have been personally wrapped up with family matters (heart attack of a loved one, doing well) and the subsequent need for help by me of my family, this has taken a priority in my life at this time, I’m sure you all can understand.

I am literally just waiting for parts from Ben, I’m not really sure what the hold up is to be honest.

I have committed to fulfilling the orders, I just need the parts to be able to build them.

Hopefully he sees the message soon and sends an update for all.

I know it feels like it’s dead, it kinda feels like that to me too. Just know that when I make a commitment I fulfill it as long as I am able to.

I know many backed this due to me and I feel an obligation to get your order to you. At this point, nothing is in a timely manner, but I can’t help this as I am dependent on both Ben and the rpi maker.

I have talked to Ben in the last month and he assured me the parts will be coming, I just don’t have an exact date until I reach him again.

I know it’s not what everyone wanted to hear, but, it’s the only info I have.

I can promise that it is tangible and does work as I have a unit myself. When I receive parts, I will pull my own pi and ship it as well to fulfill outstanding orders.

Please note that I don’t typically work this slow, I like to get things completed and done, so when parts do show up, you all will see things start moving again.

Can’t say I like depending on others, but, since I’m not the creator, I don’t have all the knowledge to build them on my own (they have a custom pcb that I need). Unfortunately the custom pcb is necessary, which Ben has already built and one of the things I’m waiting for.

Stick with me and I’ll make sure it happens when I receive the parts.

Please also understand that any refunds are out of pocket for both Ben and myself as all the parts were already purchased and the systems are partially built. So it may take a little time as neither he nor I are rich by any means and this comes out of our paychecks from our “real” jobs.

Greg Again,

Please note that I am only a volunteer for Glimmr, I do not know any of your histories with Ben nor do I have the time to research any said history. I can only inform to the best of my ability. That being said, I will not tolerate rudeness nor any disrespect being directed towards me.

For me it’s easier to just refund people with bad attitudes out of my own pocket. I do understand peoples frustration, I am frustrated as well I still have parts that I have not received, yet (yet (being the key word). I just know that the situation of the world has affected the deliveries of more products than just the rpi.

The only reason I have not deleted a certain someone from Glimmr is to see if they stick true to his word, just out of curiosity honestly. If the rudeness keeps up though it may not last long enough for that.

I have removed them from my DS group, because of how I’ve personally been treated since I jumped on board to help Glimmr, today was just the icing on the cake. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind people getting upset at any situation, I just don’t believe it should ever be taken out on the “help”.

If anyone wants to be rude, please do so elsewhere, I am helpful by nature and am more than happy to help in any way I can, even if it is out of my own pocket. However, I am also the type of person that demands respect and to be treated in a decent manner (so should everyone in my opinion), this is why this person was deleted from DS.

Good News, I finally have been in touch with Ben, he is still dealing with personal matters that are getting in the way of shipping the parts to me so I can get to building and shipping these while he takes care of what he needs to.

Not as good news, it’s going to take a while longer to send me the components to get things moving again, along with the pi shortage issue.

In the meantime I have been communicating with the PiShop to try to secure more rpi’s. This is ongoing and I still have not received an answer as to what they can help with. I’ve reached out to others and have not even received a response, the chip shortage is real, trust me, that is the industry I am in with both of my other jobs!

We are looking into other solutions such as orange pi and similar boards to see if they can be feasibly ported to, this is also ongoing.

I just wanted to send out a quick update so everyone knows where things are at!

We feel absolutely horrible about this, but, we are committed to fulfilling these orders, working diligently to provide a solution during this pandemic that created a chip epidemic!

We’ll update as we know more.

Hi Everyone, sorry for the delays. The project is still alive and kicking. The major hurdle right now is getting raspberry pi boards. This pandemic, unfortunately, has obliterated the original timeline. I want to get these out, I just need pi boards.

If anyone knows of a place in the U.S. that does not gouge on pricing, please let us know, I am stuck at 1 per month with pishop which is the only place I’ve found that will notify me of stocking.

Another month...another release.

Ran into numerous issues as a consequence of "just being one person" that absolutely needed to be fixed before I could continue work on the physical boxes.

But, the results are well worth it, I hope.

Here's a general list of fixes and improvements:

Found an issue with the x64 version of libbass.dll, the library used for audio mode, that made audio mode not work at all. Had the developer fix that up for me, and wound up re-vamping a lot of the audio stuff in the process. Happy accidents.

Fixed issues with the cropping detection where I simply wasn't checking both the top/bottom left/right sides of the screen when looking for the black bars, which meant a lot of weird stuff.

Fixed a plethora of issues with the UI, including the mode display/selection not working properly in some cases, various settings not updating after being changed, and some issues with LED/sector selection UIs.

Fixed various miscellaneous bugs that would cause errors or outright crashes of the application. This includes hue devices when using the "center sector" mode, and a lot more.

Fixed hue brightness controls.

Fixed/added Gamma Correction for devices. Previously, this was implemented...oddly...only in the LED strip settings, which made for an imbalance between wired LEDs and WLED devices. Now it's done at the input level globally, which should make things much more uniform, plus help with performance issues caused by trying to do the same thing for multiple devices.

Fixed several issues with Ambient Scenes, largely related to previous "updates". In the process, wound up drastically improving both performance and effect quality for nearly every scene, plus added a few new ones.

Created a Q&D Scene generator for custom ambient scenes. Drop a picture on the app, adjust a few settings, and import your new scene to Glimmr.

Speaking of which, fixed the import mechanism for custom Audio/Ambient scene definitions, and made sure users could update an existing custom scene, versus having 15 copies of the same one while you try to fine-tune things.

Fixed several issues with the update system, which I think is a moderately important thing to have working when you need to fix issues for people remotely.

Fixed a bug with the "led offset" setting when used in conjunction with a multiplier value, which caused mappings to not be where they should be.

Fixed issues with WLED device startup/shutdown not always working.

Fixed general device startup/shutdown logic to be async, versus synchronous; as well as issues where an offline device could potentially cause all devices to not start streaming.

Fixes, fixes, fixes. I think that's about all of them. I hope. I really need to get back to building physical units...

https://github.com/d8ahazard/glimmr/releases/tag/1.2.4.1

Release 1.2.4.1 - Updater Fixes · d8ahazard/glimmr Naturally, I'd put out a new release and then realize that nobody can update it. This should fix that... Full Raspi OS image can be found here: X64: https://mega.nz/file/C34GEAqZ ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfBiZE3y8rY

Glimmr 1.2.2 Release - Clozee x Griz "Color Of Your Soul" Testing out the latest Glimmr release, v1.2.2, and there really isn't a more appropriate song. :D Now using raspbian x64, dotnet 6, and custom compile emgu.c...

As always, it took me *much* longer than anticipated...but here it is, release 1.2.2:

I've upgraded all of the code to run on dotnet 6. Yaaay.

Updated the Hue stuff to use the new V2 API, added support for Gradient strips!

For those Raspberry Pi users out there, I've adopted the newly-released 64-bit version of the OS. There is a flashable system image available - to upgrade, be sure to back up your DB from the Glimmr UI, then after flashing the new image, put your DB on the /boot partition and rename it to "store.db". Glimmr should find and import this on first run.

As the x64 version is so new, I had to compile EmguCV/OpenCV from scratch, which is part of what took so long. But, with custom binaries in tow, EMGUCV has now been update to v4.5.5 as well.

Also, I've fixed numerous issues with the UI and API...hopefully got all of them, but you *may* need to reload the page after adding/linking devices to get everything to update.

As always, let me know if you have any questions/concerns/comments or need help with anything here.

https://github.com/d8ahazard/glimmr/releases/tag/1.2.2

Release 1.2.2 - Hue V2 API, Dotnet 6, x64 Raspi OS, Various Fixes · d8ahazard/glimmr Full system image can be downloaded here: https://mega.nz/file/m6hkxBSL This release fixes some issues in the 1.2.1 build, plus adds a LOT of new fun fun...

Hey gang!

I've got a 1.2.2 update on the way for all OS flavors...and this is a big one.

For starters, I've fixed a bunch of issues with the API for the companion app and HomeAssistant integration.

I've also implemented the new Hue V2 API, which includes support for Gradient strips.

Additionally, the EMGU.CV library used for image processing was updated to v4.5.5...which requires RasPi users to update their OS version from Buster to Bullseye.

While this update requirement is a bit of a PITA, it's something I've been meaning to do for a while anyway, as the newer version of Raspbian should offer performance improvements...which aren't needed...but always welcome. ;)

As such, if you're running Glimmr on a raspi and are adventurous, I recommend giving the below guide a go in preparation for the next release.

And, if you're not comfortable with BASH and SSH, that's cool - I'll also have a new system image available to make the update process fairly simple.

So, stay tuned...I should be uploading the new releases tonight or tomorrow. ;)

https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/upgrade-raspberry-pi-os-to-bullseye-from-buster

How To Upgrade Raspberry Pi OS to Bullseye from Buster Upgrade an existing Raspberry Pi OS to the latest version, all from the command line.

OK Gang, release 1.2.1 (RC) has been uploaded to Glimmr.

Feel free to use the update button in settings -> System -> General -> System Control to auto-download this update.

Notable fixes and changes include updating the software to use dotnet 6 (versus 5), an adjustable log level, and some changes to the way the video capture is initialized.

As this is a release candidate, there may still be undetected bugs, but I've been running it for a week or two now with no issues.

https://github.com/d8ahazard/glimmr/releases/tag/1.2.1

Release 1.2.1 - Testing Release · d8ahazard/glimmr This release should fix minor issues with 1.2.1, as well as update the software to dotnet 6.

Hey guys. Sorry for the lack of updates recently.

Just had a close friend pass away, so my attention's been elsewhere lately. So, I apologize if I've been lacking in responsiveness this past week.

I've got a software update almost done to address some issues people found with the first wave of shipments. Hoping to have that out and testing in a few days, and then I'll be back to building units to ship...hoping to have another wave ready to go in a week or two.

Again, I apologize for the continued delays, but please rest assured I'm doing what I can given the circumstances. Thank you all for your support and patience.

For those of you who might be getting your "Box Only" orders in the mail and are wondering where to get the system image for the raspberry Pi - well, that link is right here.

Merry Xmas to all, and happy Glimmering! :D

https://mega.nz/file/iuwQESYL

803.57 MB file on MEGA

So, until I finish some kind of video where I don't sound like a complete rambling noob or a proper document, I wanted to at least write up some kind of "quick start guide" for those of you who may be receiving your Glimmr orders and are wondering what to do next.

This should more or less get you up and running...if you have further questions...please feel free to ask here or via PM. This assumes you've got the "full kit" or have already attached a raspi to the "box only" version.
1. Attach LED strips to your TV, starting from the lower-right corner (as you face the screen), and working from the lower-right around the screen in a COUNTER-CLOCKWISE direction.

It helps to unroll the whole strip first and loosely position the strip around the screen so you get an idea of fit and position.

It's also a good idea to make a note of the number of LEDs on each edge of the screen, and that the left/right counts are the same.

2. Insert the MicroSD card into the raspberry pi.

3. Connect the USB cable sticking out of the glimmr box into one of the Blue USB ports on the raspberry pi.

4. Connect the LED strip to Input 1 on your Glimmr box. If you have two strips, connect the second strip as well.

5. Connect your source device to the IN (rightmost) HDMI port on the Glimmr box.

6. Connect the OUT (left) HDMI port on the Glimmr box to the input of your TV.

7. Connect the power plug to the DC socket on your Glimmr box. Alternatively, you can use a USB-C adapter to power the box using the port on the raspberry pi. DO NOT CONNECT BOTH AT ONCE.

8. Wait for the box to boot...this should usually take less than a minute. Once booted, using a phone or wifi-enabled pc/laptop, open your wifi settings and look for a new access point named "Glimmr- # # #", where the # # # is a random number.

9. NOTE THIS NUMBER. If using a computer or iPhone, you'll need it to connect to the Glimmr after it's on wifi.

10. Connect to the Glimmr- # # # access point. Once connected, open a browser. You should be redirected to a portal on the Glimmr box.

11. Within the portal, select your wifi network and enter the password.

12. Click "connect". Glimmr should connect to your wifi network. Once connected, you should see a rainbow animation on the LED strip indicating the software has been successfully started.

13. Re-connect to your home wifi on your device.

14a. If using the Glimmr companion app on Android, select the "add new device" button and press "discover". Your device should show up in a few seconds, after which you can press the "add" button.

14b. If using a browser, enter "http://Glimmr- # # #" into the address bar, replacing # # # with the number noted earlier.

15. You should now be able to access the UI. From here, you can go to settings -> Sources -> LED Counts and enter the dimensions you noted from earlier when attaching the LEDs. This tells the application how to split up the input signal, and should be the *total* number of LEDs per side of the screen, regardless of number of individual strips.

16. Close the settings UI and select settings for "LED 0" in the main page. Enter the total number of LEDs for THIS STRIP.

16a. If using multiple strips, open the settings for LED 1. Enter the total number of LEDS for the second strip. Also, adjust the "offset" value to be the total number of LEDS in the FIRST strip. This tells Glimmr where the starting point of this strip is in relation to the total number of LEDs.

17. Finally, configure any other devices you wish to use with Glimmr. Setup for those will depend on the individual devices. Use the "cast" button on the device's card to enable streaming to it once configured.

NOTES:

The buttons to adjust the mode are across the top. In order, the modes they control are: Video, Audio, Audio/Video, Ambient, and Streaming.

The settings menu is accessed through the gear icon at the top-right.

To refresh/re-scan devices, press the button in the lower-right corner of the UI.

If using an alternate power supply, I recommend a MINIMUM of 2 amps output. For driving over 300 LEDs, 3 amps or more is recommended - alternatively, enable "Auto brightness adjust" to compensate for the lower power.

And, as always, if you have any other questions or issues, let me know, and I'll be happy to help you get everything up and running...

That's twelve orders, on their way. Had a bit of a time crunch today and so opted to get as many out as I could before the post office closes, versus none.

Fortunately, I've now got plenty of shipping containers and more Glimmr boxes ready to go, so I'll be putting together another batch of packages tomorrow and sending those out as well.

Got a few other things to do this evening, but I will try to contact everybody who's order has been shipped with a tracking number as soon as I have some more free time for clerical stuff.

If your order was not shipped in this first wave of packages, fear not, I will be steadily sending them out over the coming weeks until all fifty+ orders are fulfilled.

Also, as there is a ridiculous shortage of Raspberry Pi 4's right now, if you placed an order in the past few weeks that included a Pi, there's a chance it may be delayed until some time next year when suppliers are indicating that they will be re-stocked. :(

When you're using Klipper and manually insert a "pause at layer" gcode, but it doesn't work right and you're left with half-finished top sections printed and no way to resume them with the black filament you've got all loaded up.

The biotch is - I fixed this issue already, but had laptop problems today and decided to use some old gcode I had on the printer to try and save time.

Anybody want some StormTrooper coasters with their Glimmr order? :P