Crystal Jack O lantern design.

Well, I am starting a little late but I need to get on a Halloween project. Favorite time of the year so what better time to build my first more advanced light project? Next step along the weird ambient fog generators and huge fountains with animated water jets path. I got this quartz I wanted to do something with and an opportunity to use it.

Just kinda working out the design of the face and body, how the crystals sit and how they are lit.

Got my quartz chunks laid out and drying, I soaked them for a while in vinegar to clean em up a little.

I will probably use something similar to the top right design if I can with the parts I got. Looks promising. I need to not overthink this as it's going to have to be fairly simple. No crazy mist generators or pumps or anything like that yet, just a bunch of lights I can animate mapped to numbers that let me know what one to do what to at what time to make the animations look right.

I think I can have a middle circular that will have one animation running and the outer will be a single series. They are ws2812s so I think I can get away with that (in this small of a project) Depending on if I want a single light per tooth or multiple lights per tooth I will need to figure out the wiring required. Given that I don't have a whole lot of hook up wire for this I may have to keep the number of lights limited in the face.

I think I have a fair layout for the crystals now. I'm using all but one of my larger chunks. I also do have a little sphere I could use and a pillar of obsidian too should I need something extra once I hit the building phase... like Wednesday? Tomorrow will be wiring tests and checking a few things out to get an idea where on each crystal I will install the lights that control their animations.

Ah, yes. Today's second task was to be continuing work on the frontend. I think I should instead set up a schedule so I can be more productive with multiple projects.

Worked out a little schedule in my notebook. Should be able to keep on track for the most part. There will be times where I will realize I need a tweak and when I do I should probably prioritize that over a lot of things. The schedule can make or break these projects.

Also I created an npc for the frontend, or at least the start of one. Based on two of my buds. One is a mantis and the other is a leopard gecko. I was informed that earlier on it sort of looked mantis-like so I leaned in a little and now I got a Mantilizard yakuza looking fucker for my game. Gonna be fun to figure out how to fit him/her/it into the art style. I don't really know what it is.

Well I need to be checking out now, gotta get some things done. At least I know how my light will look so I can start wiring it together and doing some tests. I need to grab a pi with headers on it tomorrow.

Well, yeah checking out.

Cheers.