TinyScreen instructions for noobs

[mikezoo]

Hey there,

I recently bought the TinyScreen basic kit and I am super excited to get into it.

I am trying to follow the instructions from this site here, but I ve ran into some confusing roadblocks.

http://www.hackster.io/tbatey_tiny-circuits/tinyscreen-animated-and-static-images

Now, mind you I have a very limited skillset with coding. While I am eager to learn more, my daily abilities in coding/scripting is limited to copying/pasting .mel and python scripts between 3d applications.

Question: I am unsure how to use the provided convert.sh file with cygwin/imageMagick. I dont often use the command prompt so I don't know what commands are being inputted to set the directory and run the provided files with a .gif file.

One more question. Any microSD card’s would any of you recommend?

Thanks everyone, really appreciate it.

[MARKESys]

I'm also relatively new to the Arduino platform, although I've been programming embedded systems for a long time.  I've been trying to get any of the demo programs for the TinyScreen to work, and always run into problems with libraries not found (first TinyScreen.h, then font.h).

When I first powered up the TinyScreen stack, it was running the demo program just fine.  I then successfully loaded the example "Blink" sketch (which of course erased the TinyScreen demo), so I now have a slowly-flashing yellow LED and a random display because the LCD isn't initialized.

I downloaded the "TinyCircuits-TinyScreen_Lib-master" zip file, so I think I have all the necessary libraries, but how do I get the sketch to find them?  (Incidentally, I'm not using CodeBender, since I frequently am without Internet access when working in the field - I always attempt to use only local resources (applications and data).)
~~

[Tony Batey]

mikezoo,
when changing the directories the cd command is being used. When the conversion happens the command used is
" ./convert.sh color.gif "  without the quotes. If you are running on Windows you need to use Cygwin due to a conflict between windows and Imagemagik commands. Another thing to note, is if you are using the video player ino, you need to specify the file you want to read while the video menu ino looks at all the files on your SD card.

MARKESys,
The link here should be able to help out when installing new libraries. I manually install them so in order for the IDE to see them I have to restart it. http://www.arduino.cc/en/guide/libraries

Hope this helps!

[mikezoo]

Thanks Tony!

I haven't had the time to experiment lately, but I'll give it a go this weekend.

Another question though. Why do I have to get an SD card? Cant I just get the video player to read the files from my computer? If I do need an SD card/adapter which one would work for this purpose?

Thanks!

[MARKESys]

Thanks for responding, Tony.  The library location seems to be in a weird place, though:

In file included from TinyScreen_Demo.ino:21:0:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\libraries\TinyCircuits/TinyScreen.h:62:18: fatal error: font.h: No such file or directory
 #include "font.h"
                  ^

Once I put the TinyCircuits library there, NameTag and Demo compiled just fine.  For some reason, FlappyBirds would not compile - the progress bar would advance about 75%, then hang.  (The IDE didn't crash or lock up; it just wouldn't finish compiling.)  Not a problem, though - the Demo code has all I need for now.

Is there any way to change the default library location?  I'd much rather have it in my user files area, both to avoid requiring administrative privileges to change it, and so that it will be correctly handled by my back-up strategy.  I changed the "Sketchbook location" under preferences, but this didn't seem to have any effect.
~~

UPDATE!  It turns out that the <Sketchbook location> path includes a "libraries" folder that is searched as well as the one in the Arduino installation folder, but changes/additions to this aren't detected until the IDE is re-started. (Tony, you alluded to this in your earlier post.)  I removed the TinyCircuits library from the Arduino installation folder ("\Program Files 9x86)..."), but left it in the user files Arduino location, and after re-starting the IDE the TinyScreen sketches compile just fine.

I still don't know whats wrong with FlappyBirds, though...
~~

[Tony Batey]

Mike,
The Video menu and video player ino's on codebender both pull data from an SD card to save flash memory space on the TinyDuino. You could send the data to the screen through the serial interface, however the data might not be transferred fast
enough to display smooth videos, however I don't know for sure since I have not tried it yet.
You can use any MicroSD card and SD adapter you want, they all work with our microSD shield.

MARKESys,
Good to hear the library installation worked! As for the FlappyBirds we have been having a bit of trouble with the newest
update to the Arduino IDE. Could you let me now what FlappyBird ino you are using as well as what version of the IDE you
have? There are a few other sketches that use the same type of video buffering here https://codebender.cc/sketch:118328
and here https://codebender.cc/sketch:102072 .

Hope this helps!

Tony

[MARKESys]

Hi, Tony,

The Arduino IDE I'm using is 1.6.4; the TinyScreen .cpp file in the FlappyBirds directory is "TinyScreen.cpp - Last modified 28 April 2015".  I don't see any date-stamp on the FlappyBirds .ino file (obviously, the file date is that of when I downloaded it) - let me know where I can get this for you...
~~