New Guide: Build a Shadow Box Internet Clock with NeoPixel Visualization

Check out the latest guide from Erin St. Blaine: build a custom shadow box with multiple paper layers. Add an Adafruit MagTag and a strip of NeoPixels to light it up with a beautiful color palette. This is a pretty magical project, but the real magic happens behind the scenes with MagTag’s wifi interface. The MagTag connects to a data feed that enables it to show a real-time clock. Each day at sunset and sunrise, the NeoPixels will slowly shift through a lovely sunset color palette before settling on a daytime animation in the morning or a night time starry sky animation after dark.

From the guide:

Make a custom shadow box with multiple paper layers, stacked within a frame lined with NeoPixels LED lights. The light shining between the layers creates a gorgeous colorful depth to your artwork.

This tutorial takes this art form a step further with the addition of a WiFi-enabled MagTag E-Ink display. The CircuitPython code connects to the internet over WiFi and receives a real time clock / calendar feed for your location and automatically sets the clock on the MagTag display.

The real magic happens with the NeoPixel visualization code. At sunrise each day your pixels will light up with a beautiful sunrise color palette. When day breaks, your pixels will transition to a lovely daytime color palette, and then fade through a sunset palette into a starry night as the sun sets.

It’s the perfect accessory for a Smart home – a custom, handmade piece of artwork that suits the room at any time of day.

Full tutorial: https://learn.adafruit.com/shadow-box-internet-clock-with-neopixel-visualization/


Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards

Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.

Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!

Join us every Wednesday night at 8pm ET for Ask an Engineer!

Join over 38,000+ makers on Adafruit’s Discord channels and be part of the community! http://adafru.it/discord

CircuitPython – The easiest way to program microcontrollers – CircuitPython.org


New Products – Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers! — New Products 11/15/2024 Featuring Adafruit bq25185 USB / DC / Solar Charger with 3.3V Buck Board! (Video)

Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Select Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: PyCon AU 2024 Talks, New Raspberry Pi Gear Available and More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi

EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey

Adafruit IoT Monthly — Halloween, WiLo, and more!

Maker Business – Adafruit Daily — The worlds largest car exporter: China

Electronics – Adafruit Daily — Are you grounded?

Get the only spam-free daily newsletter about wearables, running a "maker business", electronic tips and more! Subscribe at AdafruitDaily.com !



No Comments

No comments yet.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.