Wanting effect of moving golf ball or similar

[Golfer]

Hello

i am looking to create the effect of a golf ball flying thru the air and bouncing a couple times towards a green and flag light setup I have.  Standard chases are all the lights.  I am looking for a single light or pixel that runs the length of the ribbon or light strand.  I have a raspberry pi and can attempt an falcon player install or similar.  
just looking to see if anyone has tried a similar single light chase and how you did it???   Thanks in advance. 
brian

 

[k6ccc]

Are you doing this on a single string (or multiple strings functionally end to end), or are you doing this on a two dimensional prop sch as a matrix?

Fairly easy to do in either case, but the answer is different.

 

[Golfer]

I know I can try and program one of my LOR ribbons to do this but that is pricy for just an add on effect IMO.  So yes it would be a single string but wondering what less expensive option that might be available using a raspberry pi or maybe even a rgbic prefab from Amazon or something.  Nothing I have found allows for just one light or pixel to chase one end to the other, then repeat. .  They all want a group chase.   Was hoping I would find a way less than a $225 pixel controller.    Thanks!

[dibblejr]

27 minutes ago, Golfer said:

I know I can try and program one of my LOR ribbons to do this but that is pricy for just an add on effect IMO.  So yes it would be a single string but wondering what less expensive option that might be available using a raspberry pi or maybe even a rgbic prefab from Amazon or something.  Nothing I have found allows for just one light or pixel to chase one end to the other, then repeat. .  They all want a group chase.   Was hoping I would find a way less than a $225 pixel controller.    Thanks!

If you have an AC controller you could do this with multiple short strings of lights. I did a similar effect with mt snoopy red baron gun fight using my retired arch segments. I had them shooting from the plane and in the beginning they were elevated using T Postes ant cable. Eventually winding up in the grass where the viewers were parked. You could probably get by with strings of 5 bulbs like used in craft stores. White may not be terrible to find. Just mount them to Styrofoam balls or something.

Maybe that gives you some idea. Not sure the size you are looking for but knowing your background thinking . 

With 1 AC controller you could make 16 separate effects, bounces.

JR

[Golfer]

2 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

If you have an AC controller you could do this with multiple short strings of lights. I did a similar effect with mt snoopy red baron gun fight using my retired arch segments. I had them shooting from the plane and in the beginning they were elevated using T Postes ant cable. Eventually winding up in the grass where the viewers were parked. You could probably get by with strings of 5 bulbs like used in craft stores. White may not be terrible to find. Just mount them to Styrofoam balls or something.

Maybe that gives you some idea. Not sure the size you are looking for but knowing your background thinking . 

With 1 AC controller you could make 16 separate effects, bounces.

JR

Thanks JR.  if all goes as planned for next year I will have a free AC controller.  Will look a little deeper at this option too. 

[dibblejr]

2 minutes ago, Golfer said:

Thanks JR.  if all goes as planned for next year I will have a free AC controller.  Will look a little deeper at this option too. 

 

[canadianchristmas]

To add to my last post, you could also use your raspberry pi (I missed that part of the OP), but you might need a line driver/buffer IC like the 74HCT125N or something similar to boost the GPIO pin voltage enough to a usable data signal for the pixels. Alternatively you could just use a pre-built pixel pi hat of some sort from one of the many vendors that sell them.

One note about FPP though is that if your pi is not a 3 or greater I would recommend sticking with FPP releases before v5.xx. As the newer v5 releases are a lot more CPU intensive.