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MoonLight Installation

Install Moonlight onto an ESP32 using the MoonLight Web installer

  • Step 1: Get an ESP32 or ESP32-S3 (preferred, support large setups and Live Scripts). Boards we use are ESP32 or ESP32-S3, but most of the ESP32 and ESP32-S3 boards will work. Get a WS2812 LED-strip or a LED-panel (preferred to see 2D effects). Connect the strip or panel to the board on a suitable pin (e.g. Pin 2 or 16).

  • Step 2: Connect an ESP32 via USB

  • Step 3: Go to the web installer: MoonLight Web Installer. The Web Installer works on Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge or similar browsers, not on Safari. Select your board, or if not listed, press others.

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  • Step 4: Connect to the board, then select Install MoonLight

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  • Step 5: Choose to erase the board first or not. Erase if you have a new board or want to start fresh. Do not erase if you want to update an existing MoonLight installation. Erase deletes all settings and requires to re-connect to WiFi.

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  • Step 6: Confirm and install

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  • Step 7: Optionally Press Logs and Console

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You can see the serial logging of the board. In case you see nothing you can press reset board, now you should see the logging.

  • Step 8: Make a WiFi connection to the board, it should present itself in the list of WiFi access points.

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  • Step 9: After connecting, MoonLight will show up in a web browser (all browsers supported). You will see this screen, select WiFi Station.

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  • Step 10: Enter your local WiFi network credentials:

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  • Step 11: Press Add Network and apply settings. After connecting to your normal WiFi network you will see this screen showing the new IP address of your MoonLight board. You need the IP address to connect to tge board. If you don't know the IP address of your board anymore you can go to step 3 and 4 and step 7 and check the IP address in the Serial logging. Advanced tip: Use ESP32Instances to discover the ESP32 nodes on your network (using nodeJS and html)

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  • Step 12: Go to your WiFi settings and connect to your local WiFi network and enter the IP address of your MoonLight board in a browser and go to MoonLight Editor. Add a layout Node by pressing the blue + button and select Panel 🚥. Scroll down to the Pin Control field and enter the pin number you connected the strip or panel to in Step 1. Add a driver node, FastLED driver is best to start with. Finally add an effect node. The monitor and a connected strip to the configured pin(s) should now show the effect.

  • That's it. You can now change effect nodes, or add nodes. For audio add the AudioSync node. Next steps
    • Go to MoonLigh Overview
    • press the ? in MoonLight to go directly to the relevant page