ProtoTracer: 3D Rendering and Animation Engine

This project is a real-time 3D rendering and animation engine designed for use on the Teensy 4.0. It supports 64x32 HUB75 panels, as well as a custom panel design based on WS2812b LEDs.

Before startint this project, it is highly recommended that you have experience with other microcontroller projects first. This is not a simple or easy project to complete, and support can only be provided for issues with the base project, not with your specific setup. If you are looking for a simple, easy solution, please consider:

• Huidu WF-1
  • 🗸 RGB, works with HUB75 panels
  • 🗸 Easy Wi-Fi configuration, quick setup with an app
  • ❌ Only shows static images, GIFs, and slideshows
  • ❌ Can't react to things like buttons or sensors
• MAX7219-based Protogen Designs
  • 🗸 Very cheap, readily available on Amazon / alternatives
  • 🗸 Can use an Arduino Nano or similar as a controller
  • 🗸 Interactive (depending on the controller firmware)
  • 🗸 Uses less power than HUB75-based designs
  • ❌ Single color, pixels can only be on or off
  • ❌ Lots of soldering required to connect the panels together

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

These are the most commonly asked questions about the project

Will this project work on a Raspberry Pi?

• No, this project will not run on a Raspberry Pi.

Will this project work on an ESP32?

• No, this project will not run on an ESP32.

Will this project work on an Arduino Nano/Uno/Mega?

• No, this project will not run on an Arduino.

Demonstration:

As a quick way to showcase the capabilities of this software, here is a demo showing a live rendering of a rotating and textured .OBJ file:

Recommended platform requirements:

• Teensy 4.0 microcontroller
• 2x 64x32 HUB75 panels
• SmartMatrix V4 LED Shield or ProtoController V2 (coming soon)

This codebase has been tested a Teensy 4.0 (2000 triangle scene with a 4,096 pixel matrix).

Usage:

The following links give a detailed description on how to import files, set up controllers, manipulate objects, and render to displays:

• Creating a controller
• Using an existing controller
• Creating an animation
  • Adding (.OBJ) objects with UV maps
  • Adding (.FBX) objects with blend shapes
  • Adding image materials
  • Adding gif materials
  • Creating a shader material
  • Modifying 3D objects
  • Keyframing animations

Questions?

Any recommendations on additional information to add can be requested in the discussions tab. If you have additional questions, feel free to ask in my Discord server. Please note that help can only be provided for the base project, and not for problems with your specific setup.

Contributing:

Pull requests are very welcome. Any issues found should be reported first to open a discussion. Any recommendations can be requested in the discussions tab. For contributing, please follow the following steps:

• Fork the repository on GitHub.
• Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some YourFeature').
• Push to the branch (git push origin main).
• Submit a pull request through the GitHub website.

If you would like to help me keep this project going, any support on Patreon would be greatly appreciated: https://www.patreon.com/coelacant1

License Agreement:

For this project, AGPL-3.0 is used for licensing as a means to make sure any contributions or usage of the software can benefit the community. If you use and modify this software for a product, you must make the modified code readily available as per the license agreement.