Some "flash on clash schemantics" for the new technologies...

[Novastar]

This is nothing of great import, but just some suggestions as we start seeing more "clash flash" options with new technologies in LEDs... and also some other notes:

* "Flash on clash / clash flash" terms... I say we start saying "FoC" since "CF" is already Crystal Focus, hahahah... it's not a big deal, but... might save time in explanations for saber threads/videos later on. Mainly for descriptions.

* Expressing what colors/setups are used for FoC... I suggest we start using CAPITALS for a "main blade" color description... and _lowercase_ for a clash flash. It might help people explain what they are doing with an LED setup--but do it easily too.

For example... if you're using an LED where you use three LED dies as your "main blade"... and a fourth as a clash... you might express it as such:

"GGGw" (Green, Green, Green for main blade... white FoC)

It's not the best example of course, since we don't even have that setup yet, but how about:

"GBr" (Green & Blue for main blade... red for the clash/flash)

"GGbr" (this is getting pretty obvious)

You could express it any way you like, if you'd rather keep "consistency" in the way they name the LED. The most obvious/common example would be "RGB". So you might be saying:

"I have an 'RgB' setup and I am planning to do xxxxx and then later I'll add yyyyyy... do you guys think zzzzzz???"

So of course that would still be a purple blade with a green/white flash...

I believe it might help everyone... as the year/years progress. RGB_ and these types of LEDs aren't "DIY saber commonplace" right NOW...

...but they will be. :) I can guarantee it. :cool:

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

Those are excellent suggestions Novastar...if we clarify terms now it will also mean fewer unnecessary questions from confuzzled noobs later...and the fewer of those the better eh? ;-)

FoC

GGw, RgBa

etc...sounds good...lets encourage this because I suspect you are right there will be more emphasis on colour mixed FoC options moving forward.

I do suggest we always keep RGB in that correct acronymic order-of-precedence [since it is familiar industry standard in other fields like TV] using capitals to indicate main LEDs and not rearrange it i.e. even if you are only using the red and blue dies for a purple still call it a RgB and not rearrange it to RBg: all the possible permutations could get confusing esp when you get up into quad die arrangements so I don't like GGbr instead of rGGb

[if you made an orange saber from a LEDEngin RGBA would you rearrange it to RAgb? Then noobs might start asking where or even mailing suppliers to buy a "LedEngin RAgb 10w" which of course they'd be told doesnt exist - too much potential for confuzzling the noobs imo].

I've seen people here and on FX sabers type RBG instead of RGB and it irks and vexes me mightily lol, lets stick to RGB please, or RgB, or as may apply rGB or RGb or RgBa or rGGb etc as applies but always in the red->green->blue->other precedence order...if that makes sense?

We can still indicate the FoC by using a hypenation...i.e. a LedEngin "RgBa/g-FoC" would be a LedEngin RGBA with the Red & Blue wired [for purple] for main and the green wired to Flash-on-Clash...or a "RgbA/b-FoC" would be a LedEngin RGBA with the Red & Amber wired [for orange] for main and the blue wired to Flash-on-Clash...does that make sense?

[Crystal Chambers]

totally..as soon I as can get some FoC going on I'm all over it.

I would love to see a ObiWon ANH with Bg FoC (I believe that would be an RGB minus the R depending on the LED type) so it would look like the fight scene with him and Vader.

[TroyO]

What about RGGB? Is it expressed as RGGB or RGBG? The former is as listed in the spec sheet, the latter makes a little more sense, IMHO. Since the second Green is a "bonus die" in a 4 up LED (IE.. all 4 on would not be white, it would still be a light green.) Although I guess as more color combos come out maybe the "Bonus die" won't be so obvious... IE, RRGG or RBAU (Red, Blue,Amber,UV) etc.

Hmmm, so all RGBs followed by remaining colors in Alpha order? (Because there's gotta be 6,8 and higher-up LED's on the way.)

RRGGBBAUW anyone? (Red, Red, Green, Green, Blue, Blue, Amber, Ultraviolet, White)

I also suggest a "long hand" version with apprx % for when we get to color mixing... a lack of a % means 100% by default...

R10,G,B40,a

(Red 10%,Green 100%,Blue 40% with amber FoC)

(% is a common denominator.. whereas "steps" or whatever will change depending on the driver.. some have 128, some 255, some 1023, etc.)

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

RGGB still works because it isn't violating the standard order of precedence: Rs then Gs then Bs then others.

The % system you suggest raises a good point but again there is already a standard nomenclature for RGB colour space mixing which is a 1-255 value for each colour system [you PC is using it to adjust colour on your monitor right now...so do digital TVs] so R is an expressed value between 1-255, Green also between 1-255, Blue too between 1-255...with those 3 values there are millions of precise colour possibilities definable EXACTLY

REAL "Viridian" for example is RGB 64, 130, 109 in standard RGB nomenclature...you can dial those into the "custom colour" option in MS Paint to see it for yourself.

As a Viridian fanatic someday I hope we get to 3 channel 1-255 true colour RGB mixing for sabers so someone can build a real Viridian one...as you can see by its precise values it would be impossibly precise to reliably repeatably 'dial in' with hand potentiometers

And if we ever do keeping RGB terminology straight to standard usages instead of mixing up the order of precedence will help.

[ARKM]

I like the lower case option for a die that's not being used and I also like the option that Onli-Won brought up that uses a slash "/" but I think it would be better to seperate the die being used for FoC from the rest, using said slash. I don't think we need that much info after the slash and don't think we need all 4 die being listed before the slash. So a RGBA LED, being used for a (somewhat) purple blade with the amber die being used for FoC, would look like RgB/A or RgB/a. Just a thought. I'm up for whatever.

[Novastar]

Mmm... I definitely didn't want to overly "geek out" on it, hahaha... :)

But the idea of having SOME kind of system (even if people don't "do it perfect") is good, IMHO.

I say do whatever order you like, although... yeah... if you REMEMBER that the "official, according-to-Hoyle-and-rulebooks-of-the-world" title of an LED is "RGGB" (which the LEDEngin is)... sure, sure. Stay with it.

But I don't see how GGrb or even GGbr would be confusing. Obviously... there are TWO greens... ONE blue... ONE red.

I don't care if people know PRECISELY what LED I'm using--in fact... maybe someday some company called "Ballzak LEDs" will do a "BGRG".... wheeee!!! LOL. Friggin' robbers. Ripped off LEDEngin, right? :)

Anyhow... at that point, there would be no such thing as CORRECT... it would be just... look... what are you doing? BG main + RG flash??? Errr wait... are they ALL on?!?!?

I simply say:

UPPER = main blade
_lower_ = secondary/FoC
______ = not used (??)

Or whatever. SOMEthing... but we don't need to go overkill. Uh... which it appears that...

ACK...

TOO LATE!!! [[[OVERKILL ACHIEVED...OVERKILL ACHIEVED...OVERKILL ACHIEVED...OVERKILL ACHIEVED...OVERKILL ACHIEVED...OVERKILL ACHIEVED...]]]

hahahhaha

[TroyO]

Well hell... if yer gonna kill it, you might as well kill it twice.... ;P

Some is good.
More is better.
Too much is just right!

[Rhyen Skytracker]

Does anyone know where I can get one of them RAgb LEDs at? LOL sorry, couldn't resist. hehehe.

I think this is a great idea, now the real problem will be to get everyone on board with it.

[Novastar]

Meh... it's really just for when "insider" geeks are talking about things, like:

"Ok, I bought the RGGB and wired it up as RGgb... but I noticed that with RGBA--if I do RGba I get a xxxxxx result and it's yyyyyy in comparison. The FoC seems to be more desirable when I do RGba anyhow. Does anyone have any thoughts? Should I just skip it and try for BArg on the RGBA instead? Just to see?"

Something like that. Imagine how many times you (otherwise) would have had to denote: "Red & Green for main blade and blue and amber together for flash on clash."