Step by step...
What I need to get done week by week.
This is similar to the circles of progress Neil originally explained as an approach to the Final Project. Thinking of it this was has made the entire endeavor much more doable and I highly recommend this was of thinking.
What tasks have been completed and what taks remain?
Completed
I have reasonably good code that is working in Arduino IDE that smoothly moves the neopixels from one color to the next.
I understand what kind of power source I will likely need (6amps, 5V).
I have a pretty decent iteration of the furniture done which I will use in the final project
I have one iteration of a potential poster done
Not Completed
I need to 3D model and print the spinning knob type thing that will go on the rotary encoder on top of the piece of furniture.
I need to actually make and program the board
I need to locate a power supply I can use in the meantime...
I need to make the video
I also need to make a new poster
What hasn't worked
The RGB color sceheme didn't work and therefore my initial code my the colors jump from one to the other
The first... 3 boards I made didn't hook up decently to the rotary encoder and I think I did they right think by pausing and trying it first with an Arduino
When I first made the piece of furniture, the first 3 passes with the router didn't work...
Waiting till the last minute also does not work!
What has worked?
The code I have now using the ACH color scheme allows for the colors on the neopixels to very smoothly transition through all the colors
My piece of furniture looks well made and kind of creative! I'm proud that I got as far as I did with it and I'd be excited to try and make it even cleaner... working through different feeds and speeds and maybe with a different wood or even entirely different material
I got the Arduino to work
I'm learning how to use KiCad and have a board design I think will work!?
What questions have been resolved?
Will I design something with multiple inputs or outputs or will I focus on one of each?
Will this be a part of functional furniture or be more a part of an igloo/chimney design?
Will I be able to create the right code for the color pattern I'm hoping for?
Do I have what it takes to make it through this?... though this is TBD but I'd like to think I'm getting there :)
What questions need to be resolved?
Whta CAD will I use to design the spinny think and how will it attach and what's the design even going to be?
How will I create the traces for the board from the schematic I have?
Will I add an additional 30 neo piexels to my current string of 23 and if so, will I find a power source to support that?
What will I include in my video?
Am I actually going to gradtuate in the shit show 2020 has become and will I be sane by the end of it? LOL!
Also, could I just hook up my project to a DC bench power supply? I'd rather use that then an actual power supply since the project will likely continue to morph after FabAcademy...? So what's the benefit of each?
What will happen when?
Today, I will update all documentation and build out my final prject page.
I will design by board and make sure I have right components to solder onto it
I will design my knob and choose the CAD software today
Tomorrow I will print it and will try to finish mold making and casting week
Tuesday, I will mill and solder the board... and try to program it?
At some point this week, I need to start and finish networking and communications week
I will start creating my video today...
Wednesday, I will update the poster...
What have you learned?
I think the question here is more so what haven't I learned. In the best of ways I now realize I am so out of my depths when it comes to most things electronics/physics/programming... and I have learned that if I know the right questions and the right people, I can figure nearly anything out. Knowing that is pretty empowering. Hindsight is 2020 and now that I'm so close to being done, there are so many things I think I would have approached differently and I'm beyond esxicted to support my own student's learning in this course and implement those ideas. I also think I'm just at the tip of the iceberg... being a part of FabAcademy has so much to do with learning new skills and understanding workflows of different machines... but I think it has even more to do with changing the world.. and being a part of that change in a meaningful way. I read Neil's book Designing Reality years ago which is what prompted me to initially be interested in this course and I don't know if the third digital revolution is necessarily what he thinks... but I do think we must change and this is one way we could. I also have to say, giving up felt so tempting so many times and I'm proud I'm still here regardless of if I make it through this cycle or not. I am putting my best foot forward and I will keep trying until I pass.