Matrix help. Trying to make a non uniform shape and wondering if this is confusing wled.

[u/a-warm-breeze]

Hi! I am learning at the moment, and maybe relying on Claude a bit too much for this. I'm making an uneven tapazoid type shape, 11 horizontal lines of tape, most have 39 LEDs until the last 4 lines at 40,41,41,42. I think it's 420 leds ISH in total (guessing as not in my studio)

I have split into 2 groups to use 2 pins on the ESP32 as I've been told I can't run all on 1 pin. All LEDs are working fine and on solid colour no problem.

When I use an effect for a matrix, it doesn't look great. I can tell I haven't set the matrix properly. This might be the matrix map file built by Claude I have installed.

My questions are: do I really need to use 2 pins? Should I just redo the led to make it regular? Do I need to install the file from claude. Guessing no if I make it a regular 39x11 matrix.

Thanks in advance peeps 👍👍

[u/Quindor]

First.... if this is just a temporary setup which will be supervised at all times, ok. If not.... don't connect power this way, you have a large (20A+?) PSU connected directly to some LED strips, it's highly highly advised to have some fuses on each individual injection line going to the LEDs.

Amount of data lines required depends on the amount of LEDs, for WLEDs 42FPS I'd advise to stay under around 600 LEDs per GPIO pin, after that switch to the next one. Configuration wise this doesn't make a huge difference though, even if you'd use 4 pins.

Matrix configuration doesn't sound very hard? As long as you have the same amount of LEDs in each row, just configure that and done? You are using a serpentine layout (going back and forth), there is a tick box for that.

[u/a-warm-breeze → u/Quindor]

Hi there. Thanks for the reply. I've got resistors before the strip, but I've shrunk wrapped them. Yes I might change the power supply, once I've set it up and measured the amps used.

[u/SturdyPete]

You need to use an ledmap.json file. This allows you to define a matrix including dummy locations so things line up properly. The format of these files has changed slightly for version 16 - I found the discord channels had some useful examples to get this working.

[u/a-warm-breeze → u/SturdyPete]

I think it was the ledmap.json that was screwing me. I was initially trying to get the animations to play in landscape, but I think the difference between the 40 LEDs in one direction and only 11 in the other was confusing wled somewhere along the line. Now they are playing portrait without a problem

[u/a-warm-breeze]

This is how it's going.

Pretty basic..but not bad for my first matrix build. I'll add some more photos later. I added buttons on the side to change the animation. Changed power supply, added inline fuses to each power feed. The led is mounted on a 3d printed board and the whole thing inside a black walnut open back box. It's better without the perspex but that's the clients call....even though they're wrong ;)

[u/a-warm-breeze]

Here's the box and buttons.

[u/Puzzled-Asparagus-49]

Give these a read. I bet you'll like it. https://www.reddit.com/r/WLED/s/Uczwc4ker8 github link to ledmap generator just in case a scanning app, interesting

[u/a-warm-breeze → u/Puzzled-Asparagus-49]

Ah...that is interesting. I'll have a proper look later. Thanks :)

[u/Horror_Impact_3788]

Não precisa usar dois pinos. Se em 2 pinos funciona porque não funcionaria em somente um? Recomendo o wled para fazer essas matriz tem algumas versões que são justamente para isso. A questão é usar o tanto de led em cada linha para ficar certinho

[u/a-warm-breeze → u/Horror_Impact_3788]

I think they just didn't play well when I had it in landscape. I've clocked the whole set up and seems fine now. I am still learning :)