The Glow Cloud
![20170401_213559.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FV0/41KS/J0X5D6MV/FV041KSJ0X5D6MV.jpg&filename=20170401_213559.jpg)
This is my take on the famous Pinterest light up cloud vamped up to be more colorful!
Materials used:
-Pillow Stuffing
-Thin sticks
-Adafruit Gemma (or microcontroller of your choice)
-Adafruit NeoPixel Ring - 16 x 5050 RGB LED with Integrated Drivers
-Adafruit 3xAAA Battery Holder w/ On/Off Switch
-Styrofoam ball
-Clear thread / fishing line
-Exacto Knife
-Hot glue sticks
-Hot glue gun
-Adhesive Velcro
- 22AWG solid core wire
-Soldering Iron/ Solder
Solder the Neopixel Ring to Gemma
![Screen Shot 2017-04-03 at 10.08.43 AM.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F5D/5PEB/J0X5DCML/F5D5PEBJ0X5DCML.png&filename=Screen Shot 2017-04-03 at 10.08.43 AM.png)
The connections from the Neopixel ring to the Gemma are as follows:
VCC: VOUT
IN: A1
GND: GND
Secure Gemma and the Neopixel Ring in the Styrofoam Ball
![20170401_072812_001.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FXF/N2VC/J0X5D5S9/FXFN2VCJ0X5D5S9.jpg&filename=20170401_072812_001.jpg)
Cut a dent that fits Gemma and the Neopixel ring comfortably into the styrofoam ball to glue down.
Stab Sticks Into the Styrofoam Ball
![20170401_074026.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FA6/YK1P/J0X5D66Z/FA6YK1PJ0X5D66Z.jpg&filename=20170401_074026.jpg)
![20170401_073427.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FPB/FBGJ/J0X5D5W6/FPBFBGJJ0X5D5W6.jpg&filename=20170401_073427.jpg)
![20170401_073944.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FQD/R7UK/J0X5D60P/FQDR7UKJ0X5D60P.jpg&filename=20170401_073944.jpg)
This will help stack cotton on the ball to give the cloud a "fluffy appearance".
Place glue at the intersection on the stick and the ball to ensure the sticks won't fall off later on.
Cut a Hole for the Batteries to Fit Snuggly Into
![20170401_075424.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F96/EKMK/J0X5D6DB/F96EKMKJ0X5D6DB.jpg&filename=20170401_075424.jpg)
Secure the batteries into the styrofoam ball then use adhesive velcro to lock them in !
Begin to Form the Shape of Your Cloud!
![20170401_080350.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FFB/TIVE/J0X5D6H8/FFBTIVEJ0X5D6H8.jpg&filename=20170401_080350.jpg)
Glue down the pillow stuffing onto the styrofoam ball until the sticks are fully covered.
This process of mostly trial and error!
Upload Your Code to the Cloud :)
![20170401_085831.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F5L/3TQW/J0X5D6JP/F5L3TQWJ0X5D6JP.jpg&filename=20170401_085831.jpg)
Add the Adafruit Neopixel Library to the Arduino IDE from here:
Upload the flufflyCloudTiny Arduino file posted bellow to your Gemma for a nice rainbow effect to the lights.
*If the code does not compile try the file on my github: Click Here
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h> #define PIN 1 // Parameter 1 = number of pixels in strip // Parameter 2 = Arduino pin number (most are valid) // Parameter 3 = pixel type flags, add together as needed: // NEO_RGBW Pixels are wired for RGBW bitstream (NeoPixel RGBW products) Adafruit_NeoPixel strip = Adafruit_NeoPixel(16, PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800); void setup() { strip.begin(); strip.show(); // Initialize all pixels to 'off' } void loop() { // Some example procedures showing how to display to the pixels: colorWipe(strip.Color(100, 0, 0), 50); // Red colorWipe(strip.Color(0, 100, 0), 50); // Green colorWipe(strip.Color(0, 0, 100), 50); // Blue rainbow(20); rainbowCycle(20); } // Fill the dots one after the other with a color void colorWipe(uint32_t c, uint8_t wait) { for(uint16_t i=0; i<strip.numPixels(); i++) { strip.setPixelColor(i, c); strip.show(); delay(wait); } } void rainbow(uint8_t wait) { uint16_t i, j; for(j=0; j<256; j++) { for(i=0; i<strip.numPixels(); i++){ strip.setPixelColor(i,Wheel((i+j) & 255)); } strip.show(); delay(wait); } } // Slightly different, this makes the rainbow equally distributed throughout void rainbowCycle(uint8_t wait) { uint16_t i, j; for(j=0; j<256*5; j++) { // 5 cycles of all colors on wheel for(i=0; i< strip.numPixels(); i++) { strip.setPixelColor(i, Wheel(((i * 256 / strip.numPixels()) + j) & 255)); } strip.show(); delay(wait); } } // Input a value 0 to 255 to get a color value. // The colours are a transition r - g - b - back to r. uint32_t Wheel(byte WheelPos) { WheelPos = 255 - WheelPos; if(WheelPos < 85) { return strip.Color(255 - WheelPos * 3, 0, WheelPos * 3); } if(WheelPos < 170) { WheelPos -= 85; return strip.Color(0, WheelPos * 3, 255 - WheelPos * 3); } WheelPos -= 170; return strip.Color(WheelPos * 3, 255 - WheelPos * 3, 0); }
Downloads
Hang Up the Glow Cloud
![17634562_1739878769637372_4692990059734002665_n.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F9S/2MM2/J0X5DD3Y/F9S2MM2J0X5DD3Y.jpg&filename=17634562_1739878769637372_4692990059734002665_n.jpg)
Tie the fishing line to one of the sticks and secure the knot with hot glue.
Get a thumbtack and hang it up wherever !