Hue Lightstrip Alternative For Home Theatre Ceiling?

[johnharris]

Our interior designer is creating Control4 home theatre ceiling similar to the attached image.  We just realized Hue LightStrips are too expensive - attaching quote to show many lightstrips we need.  Is there an alternative to Hue that is easy to setup and use with Control4?  Any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.  

Their quote:

       Activity         Service     Qty       Rate    Sales Ta    Amount    
2m unit               Lights:Phi    18          
                      Lights:Phi    18           
                      Lights:Phi     1           
one receptacle        Receptacle     9           
required per 2 strips                                                      
installing strips     Lights:Ins    18           
____________________________________________________________________________
                                     SubTotal:                     
                                 
                                     --------------------------------------

 

 

[malelan]

Check out the dmx thread

[msgreenf]

Or just use any ir controlled led strips. They are cheap on Amazon

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Conduct0r]

On 10/29/2016 at 4:18 PM, msgreenf said:

Or just use any ir controlled led strips. They are cheap on Amazon

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I'm actually trying to work on a similar project and have questions of my own. Sorry if I'm hijacking the thread. I have basic control via IR and found it was easy to integrate into scenes, but I'm now finding that I want to have direct control over the devices via the navigator. End game, I'd like to be able to go to the lighting area of either the navigator or the remote (sr-260), select the LEDs, and have control over intensity (brightness) and color. I'm fairly new to C4 programming, and have only figured out basic control via IR, creating a new (and shitty) driver, acting like a Cable Box with no connections. I'd like to learn how to create a new driver that puts the device in the correct place and have more integrated control. I know this is a very vague question, but I'm really only looking for a path to start researching. Do I need to learn LUA? The Driver Editor doesn't give me the option to create a lighting instrument, so I'm at a loss as to how I need to set up the device. Honestly, any little help would be greatly appreciated. 

[msgreenf]

I'm actually trying to work on a similar project and have questions of my own. Sorry if I'm hijacking the thread. I have basic control via IR and found it was easy to integrate into scenes, but I'm now finding that I want to have direct control over the devices via the navigator. End game, I'd like to be able to go to the lighting area of either the navigator or the remote (sr-260), select the LEDs, and have control over intensity (brightness) and color. I'm fairly new to C4 programming, and have only figured out basic control via IR, creating a new (and shitty) driver, acting like a Cable Box with no connections. I'd like to learn how to create a new driver that puts the device in the correct place and have more integrated control. I know this is a very vague question, but I'm really only looking for a path to start researching. Do I need to learn LUA? The Driver Editor doesn't give me the option to create a lighting instrument, so I'm at a loss as to how I need to set up the device. Honestly, any little help would be greatly appreciated. 

I would look at Alan's lighting ir driver

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Conduct0r]

7 minutes ago, msgreenf said:

I would look at Alan's lighting ir driver

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Yeah, the application seems to be correct, but I was actually hoping to use this opportunity as a learning experience. I know I could buy a generic lighting driver that could be molded into my application, but I was hoping to get some Hands-On experience with higher-level programming. I want to learn as much as I can. buying a pre-made driver seems like an easy way out. I have other projects that I'd like to create down the line, and I'd like to get familiar with programming. I appreciate your response. 

[Cyknight]

Problem is that lighting drivers are limited - ie you'd only get 4 dimmer bars, r,g,b and brightness. If that works with whatever controller you have, really depends on the controller.

 

As for building lighting drivers, going that 'deep' is a matter of going through the usual training/courses/instructions available through C4, and using either XML and/or DriverEditor.

I'd see if any of the current drivers are unencrypted - particularly anything in the online database.

22 minutes ago, Conduct0r said:

buying a pre-made driver seems like an easy way out

Silly - many of these drivers have weeks if not months of development into them. Estimate your cost of 2 months of not doing anything but writing that driver vs doing your usual job....

[msgreenf]

Problem is that lighting drivers are limited - ie you'd only get 4 dimmer bars, r,g,b and brightness. If that works with whatever controller you have, really depends on the controller.

 

As for building lighting drivers, going that 'deep' is a matter of going through the usual training/courses/instructions available through C4, and using either XML and/or DriverEditor.

I'd see if any of the current drivers are unencrypted - particularly anything in the online database.

Silly - many of these drivers have weeks if not months of development into them. Estimate your cost of 2 months of not doing anything but writing that driver vs doing your usual job....

I would like to lay tile but I know I would do a Shitty job...

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Cyknight]

3 hours ago, msgreenf said:

I would like to lay tile but I know I would do a Shitty job...

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I do great - though it's slower than a pro. If I had to do JUST the tile in my updated kitchen, the time involved for ME to do it (very well) and the loss of income from it vs me working that same period of time and paying a good tiler to get it done in half the time.........if not for several other reasons to want to do it myself, I wouldn't have.

 

 

Look if you want to do it for the challenge, the learning experience or for the satisfaction of accomplishment - all power to you. But reinventing what exists already (and you can get for a VERY reasonable price in this example) just because it's 'an easy way out' to buy something from a recognized pro as a reason in and of itself.....

 

[Cyknight]

In general to the thread by the way - consider the whole situation before you write off any solution.

If you are doing a one off request, tell them its HUE, because it will JUST WORK.

If you've some interest into doing it from time to time, you can do an IR premade setup, provided it fits the bill, or look at IR controlled 'basic' controllers and LED strips (know how to solder!!!) if it's short enough pieces.

If you are willing to invest in a bit of a learning curve, and believe there's a market for you to work your magic in - DMX is the way to go. DMX and LED lighting is NOT difficult in and of itself, but there's a fair bit of 'oh!' and 'ah!' along the way. Not to mention, if you can't solder....well it may be some time before your efficient in time use .

Also DMX isn't likely to save you money vs HUE for a single room small project. By the time you pay for the driver and/or the appropriate controller.....

If you're going into house wide RGB outdoor lighting and/or house wide cabinets, toekicks, counter and other accent lighting, and even low voltage potlights and so on (especially with dimming ability) - DMX is hard to beat.

 

There's a place for all the mentioned solutions.

[Matt Lowe]

@HouseLogix

 

has some new ip controllable LED lights 

 

https://www.houselogix.com/shop/rimikon

[Conduct0r]

On 12/11/2016 at 9:47 PM, Cyknight said:

elieve there's a market for you to work your magic in - DMX is the way to go. DMX and LED lighting is NOT difficult in and of itself, but there's a fair bit of 'oh!' and 'ah!' along the way. Not to mention, if you can't solder....well it may be some time before your efficient in time use .

Also DMX isn't likely to save you money vs HUE for a single room small project. By the time you pay for the driver and/or the appropriate controller.....

If you're going into house wide RGB outdoor lighting and/or house wide cabinets, toekicks, counter and other accent lighting, and even low voltage potlights and so on (especially with dimming ability) - DMX is hard to beat.

Thanks. This is exactly what I was looking for. I'm extremely familiar with DMX. I didn't know this option existed for Control4. I used to be a lighting tech working with moving lights, LED walls, and media servers. I used to program on a Hog III. I'm excited to start playing with this now. I think I'm on the right path. Thanks everyone!

 

[Matt Lowe]

Control4 also added a new great Experience button for RGB lighting. Each time you click the light it can change to different colors and the UI Icon even matches the current selected driver. I use it in my cinema for the tv back-lighting.