Hello, guys...

Well, a lot of you may recognize me from CPL. My name is Chuck Knight, and I am trying to do something special with LASERS for my Church's Vacation Bible School. I've got more than a few ideas, especially since I have been a LASER and optics geek since I was kid.

My current plan is to use a simple spirograph generator for this year, and build a full multi-colored X-Y scanner (stepper based) with blanking for next year. But, I'm having some trouble finding programming software that will work with the parallel port. Unlike I usually do, I'm trying to get started EARLY, this time.

-- Chuck Knight

Sounds like a great idea, takes lots of photos and let me know how it goes!

There has GOT to be someone on here that knows something about the lasershow type software....

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys. I appreciate it.

Always nice to see that others approve of my plans. BUT, it would be nice if anyone knew how to program a LASER show. If you could share some tips with me, it would be greatly appreciated. Never done it, before...and I haven't even built the hardware, yet.

What specs should the motors have? I mean, how many degrees of movement, and at what rate of speed? My intention is to use 3.5" floppy steppers, since they have a built in controller board. I literally need to feed them step and direction information, and they'll do their thing.

-- Chuck Knight

Ooooo - Chuck - have you been over to photonlexicon.com yet ? Tehy are REALLY into shows there....

Hello,

First off, I wish you good luck.

Secondly, I would try and get in touch with the people who created laser pong. I am not sure if that was on here, or CPF, but they made a pong game that you could play on a blackboard, for instance, with a laser projector.

Someone will have the link...I don't know where to find it.

Yeah, I just want to do something relatively special for the kids at Vacation Bible School. Wowing my preacher and the parents is just an added benefit!

I figure that kids raised on CMT and MTV aren't going to be wowed by crepe paper and felt...gotta' do something a bit more fun. And, since this year's theme is a circus theme...well, LASERs, fireworks, etc are appropriate!

Thanks for the encouragement!

-- Chuck Knight

Welcome to the forum Chuck

Glad you made it over here, Chuck ! I hope someone here can help out !
Guys (and gals) this is a neat project he has come up with - I will be sebding him a 5mw Greenie (My FIRST green laser ever !) to assist him along his path - If he needs mirrors, whatever else I can toss his way to help out - he's good peeps in my book for doing this for kids...SO, with that being said - if anyone can help him out - knowledge, some equipment (when WAS the last time I messed with that 5mw laser, anyways ?) or advice - chip in and help this guy out !

Greg

I'm all for helping out too so anything you need from the UK just send me a message

try

hxxp://spt06.chez-alice.fr/00/lasers.htm

hxxp://lasershs.com/

hxxp://hackaday.com/2007/05/14/fun-with-lasers/

google pangolin

the first link will probably be all you need

That second one...the spirograph -- case fans and front surfaced mirrors, is exactly what I've got in the works.

Next year (yes, I plan at least 2 years in advance) I intend to introduce a full X-Y scanner, PC control, etc. But, this year, I'm keeping it simpler.

Unless, of course, anyone has a nice set of galvos just lying around. ;-)

Seriously, I have several floppy steppers (the stepper interface and driver is taken care of by the floppy's electronics) and I'm going to try the X-Y thing. If it works, it'll be a great effect...if not, it'll be a fun experiment. My primary concern is the programming, as only 1 or 2 programs support parallel port output, and usually to a parallel interfaced DAC. I was just going to hard code movements, based on steps.

Does this sound like a reasonable approach (Church budget, but I'm a creative and somewhat ambitious lighting/set designer) for me to take?

-- Chuck Knight

I htink it is reasonable - but for the full on scanner effects, you may have to plan two years out....that stuff is NOT cheap ! I am donating whatever I can think of that you will need, but I do not have any galvos at all, much less any I could give away. I am kinda stuck in the same boat as you - but times will change, I am positive we will see some good things come out of your project. You had BETTER post up any pics and vids you can get of your shows - no matter HOW cheesy you may think it is...I wanna see it ! And make sure to have someone "pan" the crowd, too....I wanna see the little faces of hte all the kids light up brighter than your laser show !