This is my first project ever involving programming. Save for a website when I was a teenager. But I can websurf, read and type.
The goal is to have a 24 hour day condensed into a 24 minute period. Two strips of 2815 with approximately 400 LED’s each that will do the same thing. 10 foot wide table requires 2 strips to illuminate it. 30 LEDs/meter and this reaches from one end of the slot car track to the other with some sloping to make sure the shadows happen.
I’ll start at noon and either turn lights off individually or have a “sun” travel across the strips. I’ll decide on that once something works.
From what I’ve gathered so far I just need an ESP32 and a playlist of five programs. I’d like this to be a push button start so that I can sync it with the start of a race which seems to require a push button module that seems to be plug in play.
I know the app allows changes that will make most of my sun programming easy. Wiping can be controlled and a “sun” can be chosen but I’m unsure of starting point in the strip and how slowly it can move.
I’ve been pulling my hair out trying to get other microcontrollers to work, this sounds too easy. What am I missing?
Lastly, I’d like this to be self dependent. Once programmed I’ll put the ESP32 on the ceiling between the LED strips and run a cord down the wall for my button. No phone. No app. Just a light switch to activate the lights and a button once the race starts to begin the simulation. Is this part possible? Every article or video I’ve found keeps talking about WiFi.