StarBase and StarLight v0.6.0 have been released, release info and bins here:
StarBase and StarLight are 2 spin-off products from WLED and WLED MoonModules. They are software components which run on ESP32 microcontrollers. We use the ESP32 microcontroller as it is very low cost and very high performant.
StarBase is everything but lights and StarLights is StarBase plus lights. StarBase can be used for any ESP32 based project. Both systems can be seen as library superglue. StarBase uses libraries like AsyncWebServer, ArduinoJson and ESPLiveScript. StarLight uses FastLED, Physical LED driver and Virtual LED Driver. By this they are standalone products which can be deployed and run directly on an ESP32. StarBase can be seen as what Windows was for MSDos, it’s currently Windows 95 🙂.
Both products have seen the light in 2024. Aim is to publish a new release about every month. Starting with 0.1.0 we are now at 0.6.0. WLED is now at version 0.15.0 so this gives also an indication of maturity of Star: they are still early life products. But we are catching up with WLED 🙂.
So why start a big project like this? The reason is we need a very efficient and maintainable system to further develop the ideas we had and were very hard to implement in WLED. Examples are 3D light fixtures, syncing lots of devices, extending the UI, unspaghetti the code to understand it, old stuff (like the esp8266) which gotten in the way and so on. So we took the usermod / module concept and grouped everything in modules, added a variable model to it and used Object Oriented programming concepts to communicate between variables, modules, the web based user interface, the ESP32 and its file system. This makes adding a new module as straightforward as possible.
This is what we did in 2024:
v0.1.0 - Lucky Star (June 9)
- StarBase: StarLink (Sync groups, dashboard, time sync), HA
- StarLight: Effects: Noisemeter, noise2D. Fixture generator (Curtain, Glorb), Preview, ESP32-S3, sharedData
v0.2.0 - Stairway to heaven (July 20)
- StarBase: Gyro, var events, loop20ms, Live Scripts, file edit, new ui (WIP)
- StarLight: Effects; Rubik’s cube, Game of life, Flow, LaserGEQ. Mapping, Projections, Physical LED driver
v0.3.0 - Running up that hill (August 19)
- StarBase: HTML Live Server in VSCode
-
StarLight: Effects: StarField, Mario. Projections: Scrolling, Acceleration, Checkerboard, Rotation, Blending, Layers
v0.4.0 - The night comes down (October 14)
- StarBase: Class Variable, variable pointers, Ethernet, var.onLoop1s
-
StarLight: Effects: Praxis. ArtNet
v0.5.0 - StarLight (November 5)
- StarBase: Multiple Live Scripts, Live Scripts list in UI
-
StarLight. Effects: paintBrush, VU-meter. Projections: Mirror. Support up to 16384 pixels!!, 1-byte preview, Live Fixtures, Virtual LED Driver
v0.6.0 - Out of control (December 19)
- StarBase: Presets, Stack 16K, cpu performance, safe mode
-
StarLight: Effects: Fire. Projections: rippleYZ. Live Fixture / Virtual LED Driver setup
Contributors are NetMindz, TroyHacks, Softhack, LostHope, Brandon502/WildCats08, FlavourDynamics / Monsoono, HPWit, AaronAverill and lots of people especially on discord helped. Worth mentioning is the cooperation with HPWit. He made 2 tremendous products:
- ESPLiveScripts: compile and run scripts directly without rebooting or updating firmware.
- I2SClocklessLedDriver (Physical LED driver) and I2SClocklessVirtualLedDriver (virtual LED driver). Alternative to FastLED LED driver allowing for multiple data connections to LED displays and very high frame rates.
Live Scripts are in StarBase (see the blink example). Live Effects, Live Fixtures, Physical LED drivers and Virtual LED Drivers are in StarLight.
Above list is by no means complete and by no means are they finished functionalities. There is a lot to talk about, a lot to document (StarDocs) and a lot to further develop. So that’s for 2025 🙂.
A few other topics for 2025:
- New user interface: planned for a long time, slow progress although this is needed for wider acceptance of StarBase and StarLight.
-
Live effects and projections. Live effects ready for the masses since 0.6.0. Will be used for 3D effects on Cube202020. Projections are going to be chained. Also Live Projections planned.
Cube202020:
- Live fixtures, Physical LED driver and Virtual LED Driver. Needed for large and very large installations, allows for much higher frame rates.
- Art installations and Semi professional DIY
- Art-Net, DMX and Midi controllers. Allow Star to be part of theater / DJ / VJ and lighting software setups. Unity to art-net partner project started for GPU intense/ shader effects, Kinect etc
- Best buying guide: share hardware we use and that works to make it easier to build working setups
- MoonModules PCB and Control box: standard components to build safe and reliable hardware accepted in professional setups
Proof of concepts for MM PCB and Control box:
So for sure 2025 will be absolutely amazing !!
You are more than welcome to join the project. We need developers (C++ and web), effect builders, documenters, testers, and users. Contact us on Discord/StarLight.
Happy holidays 🎄🥂🎇💫!, Ewoud