RGB Animator

What You See in the Main Window

1. Action List
This is a list of the animations you have created (called “actions”). Click an action once to select it. The selected action is the one that will run when you press Execute.

2. Status Display
Shows the most recent message from the skill (for example: started, stopped, running action name, etc.). If something isn’t working, check here first.

3. Execute / Stop Buttons
Execute runs the currently selected action.
Stop immediately stops an action that is running (very useful if you enabled looping).

4. Board Settings Button
Opens a pop-up where you can:

• Change the skill title (the name shown on the control in ARC).
• Select the EZ-B board index (which EZ-B to use if you have more than one connected).

Actions Screen (Numbered Items)

1. Action List
Shows all actions you’ve created. Select an action here to edit its frames.

2. Frame List
Shows frames for the currently selected action. Frames play from top to bottom.

• Loop checkbox (above the frame list): when enabled, the animation repeats until you press Stop.
• Beginner tip: Leave looping off while testing, then turn it on once you like the animation.

3. Pause Drop-down
Sets the delay between frames (how long a frame stays on screen before the next frame). Range is 0–5000 ms in steps of 100 ms.

• Right-click to type a custom value (5000 or below).
• Example: 200 ms makes a quick animation; 1000 ms makes a slow “blink” style animation.

4. Transition Checkbox
When enabled, the skill will fade (transition) from the current frame to the next frame instead of switching instantly.

5. Transition Drop-down
Sets how long the transition fade lasts (0–5000 ms). Right-click to type a custom value (5000 or below).

6. Cursor (LED Selection)
The cursor(s) select which LED(s) you are editing. The selected LED squares are the ones affected by the color sliders.

• You can select multiple LEDs at once to set several LEDs to the same color quickly.
• The cursor color updates to show the combined RGB value you’re creating.

7. LED Display (18 LEDs)
This is a visual map of the 18 RGB LEDs in their physical order on the RGB Eyes board. Each square represents one LED and shows its current color for the selected frame.

8. Red / Green / Blue Sliders
Use these to mix colors for the selected LED(s):

• Higher red = more red
• Higher green = more green
• Higher blue = more blue
• Example: Red + Green = Yellow, Red + Blue = Purple, all three high = White.

9. Unselect All Button
Clears all selected LEDs (removes all cursors). Use this when you want to start a new selection.

10. Frame Management Buttons
Tools to edit the frame list:

• Add a new frame
• Duplicate the selected frame (great for making small changes between frames)
• Remove a frame
• Move Up / Down to change playback order

11. Action Management Buttons
Add a new action or remove an existing action from the Action List.

Settings Screen (What Each Option Does)

1. Animator Start Script
This ARC script runs automatically every time you execute any action in this skill. Use it for things like setting robot states, playing a sound, or logging information.

2. Animator Stop Script
This ARC script runs when an action is stopped or when it finishes. Use it to reset variables, turn off lights, or trigger the next behavior.

3. Variable Fields
These variables show what the animator is currently doing:

• Current action name/index
• Current frame
• Status (running or stopped)

4. I2C Address Field
The I2C address is like the device’s “ID” on the I2C bus. The RGB Eyes use a single-byte address. You only need to change this if you plan to use more than one RGB Eyes device on the same I2C bus.

5. Current I2C Address Field
The address the device is using right now (the “from” address).

6. New I2C Address Field
The address you want the device to switch to (the “to” address).

7. Change Address Button
Sends the command that updates the RGB Eyes hardware to the new I2C address.

1. Add the skill to your project:
   In ARC, go to Project → Add Skill → I2C → RGB Animator.
2. Confirm hardware is connected:
   Make sure the RGB Eyes are connected to the EZ-B I2C interface and powered on.
3. Create an action:
   Open Configuration and, on the Actions tab, click Add under Action Management to create a new action (for example: “Blink”, “Happy”, or “Rainbow”).
4. Add frames to your action:
   Click Add Frame a few times. Think of each frame as one “pose” for the LED colors.
5. Set LED colors for each frame:
   Click one or more LED squares (the 18 black squares) to select them, then adjust the R/G/B sliders. The RGB Eyes update in real time so you can immediately see your changes.
6. Set timing (optional):
   Choose a Pause between frames. Turn on Transition if you want a smooth fade and set the transition time.
7. Test your animation:
   Go back to the Main window, select your action in the Action List, and press Execute. Press Stop to interrupt (especially if looping is enabled).