Glowscript is a simple yet powerful asynchronous multithreaded programming language for creating multilayered (superimposed) animations on smart LED strips, including DotStars and NeoPixels.
Features
A single glowscript program can run 256 independent animation threads and drive over 1000 LEDs.
LEDs can be grouped and assigned to multiple animation threads to create complex light patterns.
Animation z-ordering allows superimposed animations.
Timing instructions permit LED color changes as rapidly as every millisecond or as slowly as every month.
Color data compression reduces complex animations to a compact footprint.
Syntax
glowImmediate
| syntax | glowImmediate: [led1,led2,…] color |
| action | Instantly sets the color of the specified LEDs. |
| e.g. 1 | glowImmediate: [led5] green |
| e.g. 2 | glowImmediate: [led1,led2,led7] red |
glowRamp
| syntax | glowRamp: [led1,led2,…] color1 to color2 in timeDuration |
| action | Instantly sets color1 on the specified LEDs, then transitions color1 to color2 over the specified time duration. |
| e.g. 1 | glowRamp: [led15,led4] green to blue in 100ms |
| e.g. 2 | glowRamp: [led19] red to orange in 5s |
pause
| syntax | pause: duration |
| action | Pause current thread for the specified duration. Time units can be milli-seconds, seconds, minutes, hours, or ticks. Minimum pause duration is 1 millisecond. Maximum pause duration is 1080 hours (45 days). The pause duration must be a multiple of the device:tickIntervalMillisecs parameter value, which is the time interval between animation update cycles. |
| e.g. 1 | pause: 5ms |
| e.g. 2 | pause: 30s |
| e.g. 3 | pause: 20m |
| e.g. 4 | pause: 1h |
| e.g. 5 | pause: 40t |
here
| syntax | here: bookmarkName |
| action | Bookmark a location in the current function. |
| e.g. 1 | here: strobeStart |
goto
| syntax | goto: bookmarkName |
| action | Jump to a bookmark in the current function. |
| e.g. 1 | goto: strobeStart |
call
| syntax | call: @targetFunction |
| action | Synchronously runs the target function (current function pauses until the target function completes). |
| e.g. 1 | call: @redStrobeFunction |
repeat
| syntax | call: @targetFunction (repeat=N) |
| action | Synchronously runs the target function N times (current function pauses until all repetitions of the target function completes). Using the repeat parameter is optional. Minimum repeat value is 1 (same as omitting repeat parameter). Maximum repeat value is 2 billion. Repeat is used in conjuction with the call instruction. |
| e.g. 1 | call: @redStrobeFunction (repeat=50) |
callAsync
| syntax | callAsync: @targetFunc |
| action | Asynchronously runs the target function (current function continues immediately after launching the target function). The callAsync instruction can be nested at any level of your code. |
| e.g. 1 | callAsync: @blueStrobeFunc |
zOrder
| syntax | callAsync: @targetFunc (zOrder=N) |
| action | Asynchronously runs the target function with a z-order of N (current function continues immediately after launching the target function). When different animation functions act on the same LED(s), the function with the highest z-order controls the LED(s). If threads have the same z-order, then the last-launched thread wins. Z-order values do not need to be consecutive as the compiler uses them as relative values. Using the z-order parameter is optional. Minimum z-order value is 0 (same as omitting z-order parameter). Maximum z-order value is 1000. Z-order is used in conjuction with the callAsync instruction. |
| e.g. 1 | callAsync: @blueStrobeFunc (zOrder=2) |
| e.g. 2 | callAsync: @lightBeamFunc (zOrder=35) |
define
| syntax | define: alias='value' |
| action | Sets a user-friendly alias for the specified string value. This helps with readability and code-maintenance. |
| e.g. 1 | define: strobeLeds='[2,3,4,5,9]' |
| e.g. 2 | define: purple='(255,0,255,1)' |
Specifying LEDs
LEDs are specified by their numeric position from the start of the LED strip (i.e. 1,2,3 and so on) in the following format: [1,2,3] or [1-3] or [1,2-3]).
Specifying colors/brightness
A color is specified by its red value (0-255), green value (0-255), blue value (0-255), & brightness value (0-31) in the following format: (redVal, greenVal, blueVal, brightVal).
Case sensitivity
Glowscript is case-insensitive.
See animation samples for further usage examples.