Software

Status Report: It’s done :)

After the last package arrived all work was done within less than 24 hours. Take some 24 hours more and even the software is working. (Trust me, making a .exe to a Windows service and run it with admin privileges automatically is not that simple…) The Multitouchvista HID-driver is running in background after automatic logon, started by the task-scheduler (taskschd.exe). The Reactivision software is started from the Autostart-folder, so –sadly- it’s always visible, but the user may toggle the frame equalizer. I got some other software installed as well, e.g.: Firefox 4 Beta, Internet Explorer 9 Beta, Winamp, Windows Live Essentials 2011, VLC, Windows Home Server Connector …and a x64 driver for a low-cost webcam (presently without infrared blocker) ..and some more, of course. Also I changed the Windows Logon-Screen-background with a tool called BackgroundChanger to some self-made image. Below is the table as seen by the webcam: While the…

UI

Frustrated Total Internal Reflection II (EN)

Twitter is over capacity, so .. lets go. After a giant discussion on the colors (4days) of the table we’ve decided to make it look like alder (Erle). But before covering the table with the foil we had to spray it black on the inside. (both together took about two days of diaphoretic work…) Last week I explained the new FTIR modification in the simple version—so here’s the extreme (complicated) one: Basically this is a lot like the simple one, but it’s a lot prettier. But there’s a high price we had to pay for the better look: Drilling holes in a specific angle into a ~1/2” or ~1.5cm piece of acrylic is very tough. Anyway—we did it and glued 96 LEDs in there. (a few days later—today—when everything was wired we noticed that 8 LEDs remained dark b/c they were inverted. It took about 2hours to fix this >.<)…

UI

Frustrated Total Internal Reflection I (EN)

Hooray! The test arrangement for ‘getting the IR into the acrylic from below to get an FTIR-effect’ works. In theory this is how it looks like: The silicone enables the light to travel into the acrylic.. and in reallife.. :/ Place the LEDs with a foam/polystyrene-mount in a flat angle (~30°) on the acrylic and glue them with some transparent silicone (I got some for 7.30€). (the yellow –thing- is from a non-permanent marker…) A few minutes later you can wire the LEDs and turn them and your camera on: Your hand gets lightened up by the LEDs, so place a ‘Hunt for Red October’-DVD-Case in front of them. (turn your head to find Sean Connery in the images ) We get beautiful blobs – even through the 5mm 7D006 projection acrylic   All this is done by 8 LEDs. Planned are 48 each side/96 total. Though it is much…

UI

Frustrated Total Internal Reflection I (DE)

Es ist geschafft. Der Testaufbau zum Einkoppeln des Infrarotlichts in die Scheibe zur Erzeugung eines FTIR-Effekts funktioniert. In der Theorie sieht das so aus: An der Grezschicht zwischen Silikon und Plexiglas wird der kritische Winkel für die Totalreflexion verringert und das Licht kann diese passieren. Auf der Gegenüberliegenden Seite der Plexiglasscheibe bleibt der kritische Winkel unverändert und das flach auftreffende Licht wird reflektiert. Dort wo ein Finger die Oberfläche berührt ist der kritische Winkel ebenfalls verringert und das Licht passiert in den Finger hinein, wo es stark gestreut wird –> Der Finger leuchtet infrarot und wird von der Kamera gesehen. und in der Praxis… :/ Die LEDs werden mit einer Schaumstoff/Styrophor-Halterung in einem flachen Winkel (~30°) auf die Plexiglasscheibe fixiert. Anschließend wird ein großer Tropfen transparentes Silikon (300ml 7.30€) vor der LED aufgebracht und diese hineingesteckt. (das Gelbe kommt von einem wasserlöslichen Folienstift…) Nachdem das Silikon angetrocknet ist werden die…