Lego Lighting braindump (for Rochester Maker Faire 2021)

For this year's Rochester Maker Faire, I'm going to be showing off a couple things related to lighting up Lego stuff.  This post is just meant to show where I am with the two things (for now) that I'll be showing off and what's left to do.  This year, I will be showing off stuff in the "dark room". I've wanted to do something back there for a while, and without Interlock or RLUG exhibiting this year, and at Dan's suggestion, it seemed like a perfect time to do it!

Spaceship Earth lit with LEDs

This one is setting up an "SS Micro" Arduino (my favorite 'ardy form factor) to drive a handful of tiny neopixels to simulate the nighttime illumination of Spaceship Earth in EPCOT.  This is based on @BenBuildsLego's EPCOT design.  Buy his instructions, they're great!

Currently, I have everything as seen above.  The model is essentially complete, and the arduino code is written with a LED strand "scene" concept.  I've started to add a few transitions to go between scenes, randomize them, etc.  Here's the current TODO list for it:

• Add illumination for Mickey
• Add illumination (and update the baseplates) for the fountain to be lit up
• More decoration around SSE
• Redo the wiring to be less conspicuous - replace the servo wiring with kynar/wire wrap wire
• New version of the light mounts?

Now, that all said, everything as it is now is sufficient to be exhibited, the above are all icing. :D

Projection Mapping on the Mini Disney Castle

After seeing this done with the fullsized castle, I had to do it for myself on my "Mini Disney Castle", set #40478.  I tried it with the same source video, and it has promising results. There are a few issues with it that I can fix by Maker Faire.

• The proportions differ a little from the real Cinderella castle slightly, and do not include the side walls.  
• I need to buy a second MDC and use it for parts to adjust the model to fit the one in the video properly.
• Until they're back in stock, I can mock up the additions using Lego elements I already have.
• Video needs to be edited
• about 70% through, there's a slight jostling where everything shifts by a few pixels
• There is no fadeout at the end, so that needs to be done
• or remove the fadein from the beginning so it just runs forever.
• Playback device needs to be figured out. 
• Perhaps a Pi connected directly to the DLP, that launches OMXPlayer or VLC on boot, with looping?
• Need to figure out a good tabletop + back screen system that's easily reproducable rather than the quick test seen in the photo above.  
• I need to be able to just plop everything down at MakerFaire without needing to spend lots of time to tweak things endlessly.
• The geometries need to be 100% figured out and perfected before then.
• Try my other DLPs for best fit
• The above is with my Dell Short-Throw projector, which means it can be closer, and the background will be larger, which is really nice
• The BenQ projectors might have better results though and need to be tested.
• Perhaps figure out all of the geometries for both projectors and bring one as a backup, since they're all self-refurbed anyway.  (leave the backup(s) in the car)