Dimblade + SubBlade?

LyleStyle · August 21, 2025, 11:45am

It looos like the code components for SubBlade (and SubBladeReverse) interfere with DimBlade.

Are these compatible? I wanted to dim a quad zigzag blade.

ryryog25 · August 21, 2025, 11:52am

I looked at it briefly for ProffieConfig v1.8.0 and couldn’t find a reason why you couldn’t do ungodly things like DimBlade the WS281XBladePtr, and also DimBlade individual subblades.

It just wraps the run function iirc.

LyleStyle · August 21, 2025, 12:12pm

Well I thought of three applications: testing bare LEDs when construction funky blades.

Brightness limitation in items that should never hit full brightness anyways.

Chilling out pcb LEDs which are always so bright you really shouldn’t look at them.

I’ll give it a shot but if someone has an example blade array in which this is done, it would be very kind of you would post it. I’m ok at analyzing and repeating, but not so great at doing coding that’s new to me.

ryryog25 · August 21, 2025, 12:39pm

Well, I don’t have a saber to test with (It’s a running joke/reality… I recognize the irony),
but this compiles:

BladeConfig blades[] = {
	{ 0,
		DimBlade(20, SubBladeWithStride(0, 14, 2, DimBlade(80, WS281XBladePtr<132, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3>>()))),
		DimBlade(20, SubBladeWithStride(1, 15, 2, nullptr)),
		DimBlade(85, SubBlade(16, 131, nullptr)),
		CONFIGARRAY(blade_in)
	},
};

LyleStyle · August 21, 2025, 12:47pm

Thanks, I’ll give it a try!

EDIT:

My actual array based on your help:

BladeConfig blades[] = {
{ 0,

//27 LEDs
  DimBlade(50, SubBlade(0, 26, DimBlade(50, WS281XBladePtr<108, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3> >()))),
//27 LEDs
  DimBlade(50, SubBladeReverse(27, 53, NULL)),
//27 LEDs
  DimBlade(50, SubBlade(54, 80, NULL)),
//27 LEDs
  DimBlade(50, SubBladeReverse(81, 107, NULL)),
//108 LEDs total

  CONFIGARRAY(presets) },
};

Sabersense · August 21, 2025, 8:08pm

You need something like this, which I used with a Shtok 64 bit pixel screen to dial down the brightness a bit. It pretty much covers every combination:

//  Shtok 64 Bit 1:
    DimBlade(25.0, SubBladeReverse (0, 15, WS281XBladePtr<64, blade7Pin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin6>>())),
//  Shtok 64 Bit 2:
    DimBlade(25.0, SubBlade(16, 31, NULL)), 
//  Shtok 64 Bit 3:
    DimBlade(25.0, SubBladeReverse(32, 47, NULL)),
//  Shtok 64 Bit 4:
    DimBlade(25.0, SubBlade(48, 63, NULL)),

LyleStyle · August 21, 2025, 8:19pm

Sweet, thanks! Screen dimming is an application I hadn’t considered. Pretty cool!

LyleStyle · August 21, 2025, 8:41pm

Sorry, I got an error on compile and must have missed something. Can you see what it is?

Config:

#ifdef CONFIG_TOP
#include "proffieboard_v2_config.h"
#define NUM_BLADES 4
#define NUM_BUTTONS 1
#define VOLUME 1000
const unsigned int maxLedsPerStrip = 144;
#define CLASH_THRESHOLD_G 1.0
#define ENABLE_AUDIO
#define ENABLE_MOTION
#define ENABLE_WS2811
#define ENABLE_SD
#define ENABLE_ALL_EDIT_OPTIONS
#define FETT263_EDIT_MODE_MENU

#endif

#ifdef CONFIG_PROP
#include "../props/saber_fett263_buttons.h"
#endif

#ifdef CONFIG_PRESET
Preset presets[] = {
   { "TeensySF;common", "common/tracks/venus.wav",
    StyleNormalPtr<CYAN, WHITE, 300, 800>(), 
     StyleNormalPtr<CYAN, WHITE, 300, 800>(),
      StyleNormalPtr<CYAN, WHITE, 300, 800>(),
       StyleNormalPtr<CYAN, WHITE, 300, 800>(),"cyan"},
   
};

BladeConfig blades[] = {
{ 0,

//27 LEDs
  DimBlade(50.0, SubBlade(0, 26, WS281XBladePtr<108, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3> >())),
//27 LEDs
  DimBlade(50.0, SubBladeReverse(27, 53, NULL)),
//27 LEDs
  DimBlade(50.0, SubBlade(54, 80, NULL)),
//27 LEDs
  DimBlade(50.0, SubBladeReverse(81, 107, NULL)),
//108 LEDs total

  CONFIGARRAY(presets) },
};
#endif


#ifdef CONFIG_BUTTONS
Button PowerButton(BUTTON_POWER, powerButtonPin, "pow");
#endif

Error:

In file included from /Users/catherinebogin/Documents/Sabers/ProffieOSCollection/ProffieOS7.15STABLE/ProffieOS/ProffieOS.ino:240:
/Users/catherinebogin/Documents/Sabers/ProffieOSCollection/ProffieOS7.15STABLE/ProffieOS/props/prop_base.h: In member function 'size_t PropBase::FindBestConfig()':
/Users/catherinebogin/Documents/Sabers/ProffieOSCollection/ProffieOS7.15STABLE/ProffieOS/props/prop_base.h:567:25: error: 'blades' was not declared in this scope
  567 |     static_assert(NELEM(blades) > 0, "blades array cannot be empty");
      |                         ^~~~~~
/Users/catherinebogin/Documents/Sabers/ProffieOSCollection/ProffieOS7.15STABLE/ProffieOS/common/common.h:18:26: note: in definition of macro 'NELEM'
   18 | #define NELEM(X) (sizeof(X)/sizeof((X)[0]))
      |                          ^
In file included from /Users/catherinebogin/Documents/Sabers/ProffieOSCollection/ProffieOS7.15STABLE/ProffieOS/props/saber_fett263_buttons.h:928,
                 from /Users/catherinebogin/Documents/Sabers/ProffieOSCollection/ProffieOS7.15STABLE/ProffieOS/config/Nunchaku715DIMSense.h:18,
                 from /Users/catherinebogin/Documents/Sabers/ProffieOSCollection/ProffieOS7.15STABLE/ProffieOS/ProffieOS.ino:625:
/Users/catherinebogin/Documents/Sabers/ProffieOSCollection/ProffieOS7.15STABLE/ProffieOS/props/prop_base.h: In member function 'void PropBase::FindBlade()':
/Users/catherinebogin/Documents/Sabers/ProffieOSCollection/ProffieOS7.15STABLE/ProffieOS/props/prop_base.h:622:22: error: 'blades' was not declared in this scope
  622 |     current_config = blades + best_config;
      |                      ^~~~~~
exit status 1

Compilation error: 'blades' was not declared in this scope```

NoSloppy · August 21, 2025, 9:00pm

it’s plural.
#ifdef CONFIG_PRESETS

LyleStyle · August 21, 2025, 9:02pm

Oy! thanks

ryryog25 · August 21, 2025, 9:13pm

Fwiw my example was more of a “this is possible,” not that it quite aligned with what I think you’re going for… which was probably poor on my part.

If you want all the sub blades dimmed the same, just dim the main blade (dim blade inside subblade), if you want sub blades individually dimmed differently, dim the subblade(s) (fun blade outside the subblade).

ryryog25 · August 21, 2025, 9:15pm

I’d be curious, I think just doing DimBlade 25 on the WS281X would achieve the same result. Conceptually that makes sense at least.

If you wanted a random test

profezzorn · August 22, 2025, 12:01am

What makes you think so?

I have used them together in the past.

LyleStyle · August 22, 2025, 2:31am

OK, I was trying to work from the POD without speaking code (my Japanese is better, and that’s horrible ). Thank you for always creating an example! At least I can look for a pattern to copy.

That gave me the a and b of a + b = code for me

BladeConfig blades[] = {
{ 0, 
DimBlade(50.0, WS281XBladePtr<144, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3> >()), 
CONFIGARRAY(presets) },
};

SubBlade(9, 108, WS281XBlade<109, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3>>()),
SubBlade(1, 8, NULL),
SubBlade(0, 0, NULL),

In the above examples, my muggle eyes see the TheThing, then numbers and commas in both cases in front of WS281X. In one case it dictates the dimming percentage, but in the other it counts out LEDs. One has to move… now what? I guess ask here

And now, I will join you.

olivierflying747-8 · August 22, 2025, 3:03am

I was about to start writing a post with the exact same subject.

I have another application for you:
A motor, a crystal chamber, a hilt side PCB and a main blade go to a bar and when they come out after a few drinks, they noticed that they have all been wired in PARALELL by TXQ/Theory Sabers!

I know, it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but the joke is on me because this is what I got the_fallen_knight with exposed spinning dual crystal chamber where everything is kind of wired in parallel (I think).

When I ran edit blade length from the new OS8 MENU_SPEC_TEMPLATE DefaultMenuSpec this is what I observe starting at blade length “one”:
without a blade:

the first pixel lights the crystal chamber, spins the motor & lights the first pixel of the hilt side PCB
the second and third pixels only spins the motor & light the second and third pixels of the hilt side PCB
the fourth to 8th pixel only light the fourth to 8th pixel of the hilt side PCB

with a blade:

the first pixel lights the crystal chamber, spins the motor & lights the first pixel of the blade
the second pixel only spins the motor & light the second pixel of the blade
the third pixel only spins the motor & light the third pixel of the blade
the fourth to 129th pixel only light the fourth to 129th pixel of the blade

So I was thinking to subblade the first 3 pixels (the glow of the crystal chamber is only controlled from the first pixel) the motor is activated by the first 3 pixels

I want to be able to dim the main blade without affecting the rotation speed of the exposed crystal chamber or the crystal chamber glow which is not that bright to begin with & the crystals colors are fixed, one is red the other is dark blue.

So I started with this:

BladeConfig blades[] = {
{ 0,  // my real blade, brightness at 100% ===
               WS281XBladePtr<129, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3>>(),
CONFIGARRAY(presets) },

{ 1,  // === Dim blade, brightness at 80% ===
DimBlade(80.0, WS281XBladePtr<129, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3> >()),
CONFIGARRAY(presets) },

{ 2,  // === Dim blade, brightness at 50% ===
DimBlade(50.0, WS281XBladePtr<129, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3> >()),
CONFIGARRAY(presets) },

{ 3,  // === Dim blade, brightness at 30% ===
DimBlade(30.0, WS281XBladePtr<129, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3> >()),
CONFIGARRAY(presets) },

};

Then I turned it into this:

BladeConfig blades[] = {

{ 0,  // my real blade, brightness at 100% ===
SubBlade(3, 128, WS281XBladePtr<129, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3>>()),
SubBlade(0, 2, NULL),CONFIGARRAY(presets) },

{ 1,  // === Dim blade, brightness at 80% ===
DimBlade(80.0, SubBlade(3, 128, WS281XBladePtr<129, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3>>())),
SubBlade(0, 2, NULL),CONFIGARRAY(presets) },

{ 2,  // === Dim blade, brightness at 50% ===
DimBlade(50.0, SubBlade(3, 128, WS281XBladePtr<129, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3>>())),
SubBlade(0, 2, NULL),CONFIGARRAY(presets) },

{ 3,  // === Dim blade, brightness at 30% ===
DimBlade(30.0,  SubBlade(3, 128, WS281XBladePtr<129, bladePin, Color8::GRB, PowerPINS<bladePowerPin2, bladePowerPin3>>())),
SubBlade(0, 2, NULL),CONFIGARRAY(presets) },

};

After adding a second blade style to all my presets and changing from NUM_BLADES 1 to NUM_BLADES 2

I now have a dim-able blade array, where the “main subblade” blade will dim and the crystal chamber will not dim.

Sabersense · August 22, 2025, 7:18am

Screenshot 2025-08-22 at 08.15.56