Win Boblight for Windows (install and configure)
#1
Ok. First things first.
I'm assuming you already followed the Adalight tutorial on creating the actual hardware.
This is located here: http://learn.adafruit.com/adalight-diy-a...v-lighting

Follow it completely.
This configuration doesn't require some special LEDSTREAM firmware. It uses the one the Adalight tutorial uses, along with the standard WS8201 LEDs.

This tutorial is for Boblight on Windows 7 64 bit.
My particular XBMC setup is as follows: XBMC Frodo Alpha 6, running Aeon MQ4 Skin.
I can't guarantee this guide will work if you are using any other combination of OS/software versions. I don't claim that it will, though I expect it "should".
I just can't say 100%.

Now. Onward and upward.
This configuration is for a 100 LED, Adalight setup on a 55" wall mounted television.
Light 1 starts on the bottom center of the TV, and goes clockwise around ending at 100 right next to Light 1. ( See 100_LED_adalight_grid.jpg in boblightd.zip for reference. )

Step One.
Download this http://www.filedropper.com/boblightd for all the required files.
Extract the entire folder to C:\ Final path should like this: "C:\boblightd\"

Step Two.
Copy the file: "C:\boblightd\boblightd.bat" to your desktop. (Once you have it all configured and running properly, you'll likely want to put this in your windows startup folder for autolaunch on reboot, along with your XBMC startup.

Step Three.
Open the file: "C:\boblightd\boblight.conf" using whatever text editor you choose. ( Notepad, wordpad, etc) If you are following the same setup as me, (I.e 55" tv, 100 LED adalight in the same configuration as the "100_LED_adalight_grid.jpg" shows) the ONLY thing you need to change in this file is "Line 7" that reads: "output". In my case, my arduino was running on "com3". You'll know what this should be from the Adalight tutorial. This should always read "/dev/xxx" whatever your "com" is. Don't just replace the entire line and write: "com3"...it won't work. (Example: /dev/com3 or /dev/com6 ) That's all you need to change here for now, you can play around with various other options LATER, once we get it working. Save the file, you're done!

* If you have different LED requirements (I.e 25, 50, 75 LED strings) I'll post the changes needed below in the "Other Settings" section.

Step Four.
Launch XBMC, and install the Boblight add-on. It's located in the All Add-Ons section, under "Services". Quit XBMC after you've installed, and enabled the Boblight add-on.

Step Five.
Run the "Boblightd.bat" file on your desktop. Your lights should cycle through the primary colors, then go out. On your desktop, you'll see a DOS box with text in it. This is the Boblight Daemon running. DO NOT CLOSE IT. You can easily leave it up, as Xbmc will cover it, or alternatively, you can simply minimize it.

Step Six. The MOMENT OF TRUTH.
Launch Xbmc. If everything is working correctly, your LED array just went psychadelic..groooovy man. Congratulations! You've just done in about 10 minutes, what took everyone else many, MANY frustrating hours, days...or weeks. You're welcome! =P
There are many settings to play around with now. I'll just go into what I started with.

In Xbmc under Boblight add-on configuration:

Code:
General - all defaults

Movie -
Preset -Custom
Speed - 50.00
Autospeed - 0.00
Interpolation - off
Saturation - 3.00
Value - 1.50
Threshold - 40.00

Now, those are just where I started at. They seem like a great jumping off point. I'm sure you'll find something that works better, or maybe not. I just wanted to add them in there.
Also, I made the following changes to my boblight.conf file under the [color] sections. I found a user that said these colors were professionally calibrated by him, and decided to try them. I must say, they are beautiful.

Code:
red adjustments:
gamma - 2.0
adjust - 0.65

green adjustments:
gamma - 2.0
adjust - 1.0

blue adjustments:
gamma - 2.1
adjust - 0.7

Be default, all those settings are 1.0 just change them to the numbers I included, and save the file. Obviously, make sure boblightd and Xbmc are closed before making these, or any changes to your boblight.conf file. Restart boblightd, then Xbmc to view the changes made. I'm not saying these are the be all, end all settings, so feel free to experiment. Make a copy of your working one first though! That way if you bork something up too bad, you can recover.

[ Other Settings ]
Here's the breakdown of the conf file as I've learned it.
For our purposes, [global] should NEVER be touched.
The only settings that need to be changed in [device] is "output".
The "channels" option is how many LEDs in your Adalight, multiplied by RGB (R(1)+G(1)+B(1)=3) Example: 3 x 100 LEDs =300. 3 x 50 LEDs = 150.
The "prefix" option is very important. This can be figured out using the following code in the Processing application:

Code:
int N_LEDS = 128; // Max of 65536

void setup()
{
  byte[] buffer = new byte[6];

  noLoop();

  // A special header / magic word is expected by the corresponding LED
  // streaming code running on the Arduino.  This only needs to be initialized
  // once because the number of LEDs remains constant:
  buffer[0] = 'A';                                // Magic word
  buffer[1] = 'd';
  buffer[2] = 'a';
  buffer[3] = byte((N_LEDS - 1) >> 8);            // LED count high byte
  buffer[4] = byte((N_LEDS - 1) & 0xff);          // LED count low byte
  buffer[5] = byte(buffer[3] ^ buffer[4] ^ 0x55); // Checksum


print("Prefix for "+N_LEDS+" LEDS: ");
for(byte b : buffer)
   print(" "+hex(b));

exit();
}

Or, as the values don't change, and most LED strings come in 25 or 50 light strings, I'll include here the most common "prefix" values here:

25 LEDs - 41 64 61 00 18 4D
50 LEDs - 41 64 61 00 31 64
75 LEDs - 41 64 61 00 4A 1F
100 LEDs - 41 64 61 00 63 36
125 LEDs - 41 64 61 00 7C 29

Any more, or odd ball LED amounts, and you'll have to run the above code in the Processing application.
Don't forget. If you have a different amount of LEDs than this guide uses, you need to change BOTH the "channels" AND "prefix" values in the [device] section.
Next, we have [color]. We've kind of already covered this, but they are your primary RGB values that are used in your setup. Here, you can tweak to your hearts content. I personally love the colors I get using the previously mentioned settings, but go nuts! This is your project!

Finally, we have the [light] section.

This is where we tell boblight WHERE our lights are in the array. If you are following this guide to the "T", nothing should ever be changed here on out. If however, you have different LED number requirements, this MUST be changed, along with the changes you made to the "channels" and "prefix" values you made under the [device] section.

If changes are required, the following website is of IMMENSE help. It will get you the values you need for this section, REALLY quick.

http://sanya.tarhelyszolgaltato.eu/

The site is simple. Follow it, and once you verify with the test image that it matches the Adalight array you built and installed on your TV, simply scroll to the bottom of the page, and under the "boblight conf" area, click "Select all". Copy this text, erase all the [light] data in YOUR boblight.conf file and paste your copied code from the website into your boblight.conf file. Double check you made your changes to "channels" and "prefix" under the [device] section to match ( getting tired of hearing this? Good. Because this is where your success or failure usually comes from )save the file, and relaunch everything to test.

That's it guys. Hopefully I explained this all to make it really simple. Because, "technically" it IS simple. The problem is, there isn't any real tried and true info on the Windows configuration of boblight, until now. I hope. I'd like to thank everyone for the bits and pieces they gave me to get this thing finally working, but as I literally turned the internet upside down piecing this all together, the only names I remember are "Specterx", and "TurboDiesel". Many thanks guys.

Additional Information

LEDStream for LPD6803 chip based LED strings:
https://github.com/Hilbert70/LEDStream
(note: I cannot promise this tutorial will work with LPD6803 based LED Adalight)
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#2
Better add it to the wiki instead of a forum thread Smile
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#3
(2012-11-21, 21:14)Martijn Wrote: Better add it to the wiki instead of a forum thread Smile

Ok tried it, but the formatting is a nightmare. Don't have the time to get it right. LOL
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#4
Looks great!

Here is one thing to add for people unfortunate enough to have LPD6803 chips on their LEDs. They will need to use this LEDstream.

https://github.com/Hilbert70/LEDStream


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#5
(2012-11-21, 22:23)Specterx Wrote: Looks great!

Here is one thing to add for people unfortunate enough to have LPD6803 chips on their LEDs. They will need to use this LEDstream.

https://github.com/Hilbert70/LEDStream

Added Specterx! Thanks for that!
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#6
Got some unfinished addon laying around that automatically creates the whole config file.
Got tired of writing it by hand so created a script. Saved me a couple of times already so I didn't have to rewrite 90 LEDS . Maybe I'll finish it someday
Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting, read this first
Interested in seeing some YouTube videos about Kodi? Go here and subscribe
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#7
Nice tutorial man ... great job! Smile
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#8
clarify the format of the comport string with an examle. This is where the most windows users struggled. As of your tutorial for com3 it could read /dev/3 or /dev/com3 or /dev/xxx (haha yep users will try that too cause you made 3 "X"'s for com3 Wink ).
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#9
(2012-11-22, 00:32)Memphiz Wrote: clarify the format of the comport string with an examle. This is where the most windows users struggled. As of your tutorial for com3 it could read /dev/3 or /dev/com3 or /dev/xxx (haha yep users will try that too cause you made 3 "X"'s for com3 Wink ).

Good point Memphiz. I thought I covered that, but an example should REALLY cover that base. Tongue
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#10
@quixand
Nice guide and thanks for the configuration examples.
My previous settings did what i wanted but the settings mentioned here are more close to reality (color adjustment gamma and adjust).

In other topic someone asked if this was for LPD6803 leds but you stated that they were for WS2801 leds. (from dealextreme?)
Maybe good idea to mention this in startpost?
Atleast the settings work perfect on my official Adalight WS2801 led strings

I also addapted settings for XBMC Boblight but for me the colors were not bright enough so I lowered the Threshold to 30 but don't think i'm going to tweak more than that for now.
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#11
(2012-11-22, 15:38)schumi2004 Wrote: @quixand
Nice guide and thanks for the configuration examples.
My previous settings did what i wanted but the settings mentioned here are more close to reality (color adjustment gamma and adjust).

In other topic someone asked if this was for LPD6803 leds but you stated that they were for WS2801 leds. (from dealextreme?)
Maybe good idea to mention this in startpost?
Atleast the settings work perfect on my official Adalight WS2801 led strings

I also addapted settings for XBMC Boblight but for me the colors were not bright enough so I lowered the Threshold to 30 but don't think i'm going to tweak more than that for now.

Thanks Schumi2004, and duly noted. I made the changes to make mention at the start of the guide that these were WE2801 LEDs. Like I said originally, I assumed the reader made an Adalight from their tutorials, and they use the WS2801 and only those LEDs to make the Adalight. But, you can never be too cautious in a tutorial. LOL

As for the lights, I actually got them off ebay. In the end, I suppose I spent the same amount as the dealextreme ones have free shipping. Adafruits prices are INSANE on these lights IMHO.
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#12
I got myself a good deal local for official Adalights Wink

For what's it worth, i got some ambilight sample videos for users to try.
(My favorite is the Philips one, Polka is fun also)

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0huu20c1v99h635/FIoNlR9mEE
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#13
Awesome videos Schumi2004, I too enjoyed the Philips and Polka the best.

Thanks for those!
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#14
The boblightd dl link is down could you reupload it?
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#15
is there anywhere else to DL the boblightd files as the included link http://www.filedropper.com/boblightd doesn't seem to work
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Boblight for Windows (install and configure)2