Building a green lightsaber blade with a white core?

[alessandra]

Hi! I initially started thinking about this topic in a thread over at the FX-Sabers forum, I just was wondering if anyone had any ideas about how to do this, or if it is even physically possible. It's just that lightsabers in the movies have a much lighter core and it's the edges that are colored. Your standard LED lightsaber will look that way in photos and videos because the center of the blade will overload the camera sensor, but the blade looks much flatter (single colored) in person. I really am interested in maybe capturing the sense of heat and radiating energy that having a white core would give to a green (or any color) blade!

My initial idea was to combine a LedEngin or Luxeon LED with a strip of LEDs in a pair of nested thin polycarb tubes like so:

The main problem here being that the light would still just combine to form a light green blade, with maybe a small bit of a white center. That's not even considering power and heat issues.

Anyhow, I just thought I'd cross-pollinate and see if anyone over here had any ideas on how this might be accomplished.

 

[Thibault]

Contact Erv', from plecterlabs !

 

[hyperdyne]

It might be doable, I looked into this years ago and threw around a couple ideas. One is to use an RGB and rapidly change the color to get both white and the other color to show, with some added diffusing.

My LED sabers do photograph very well, they look like they have a white core. In person they are brighter at the core and give a good representation. But they also throw out LOTS of ambient light, so they give a bathing glow of the main color. I prefer that, but opinions vary.

Pic speaks for itself:

Many Lux guys say I photoshop the pics, but that is patently false. No touch up at all!


BTW, last I checked Erv doesnt believe in LED strips. :lol

 

[Thibault]

You can have the same result with a luxeon, depending of the diffuser you are using !

And I don't think that your picture is photoshoped...
I have the same result with a parksaber.....

 

[cannibal869]

BTW, last I checked Erv doesnt believe in LED strips. :lol

Absolutely positively 100%.....



untrue.

He's currently developing a Crystal Focus for LED string sabers.
There's a thread about it over at FX sabers too. Prototypes are even being tested as we speak. :cool

 

[blip]

You might be able to do this with radial slits in the light tube. That way you get the direct white light at the centre, (where you can't see the sides of the radial blades), yet at the edges where the light is blocked and then reflected back, takes on the hue of the reflectors. Do you catch my drift?

Actually come to think of it, you could just print micro translucent green lines in a bit of clear film roll it and then insert it in between a white light source and a diffuser.

hang on a sec, I'll draw up a quick picture to show you what's going on with the light.

 

[blip]

 

[alessandra]

Thanks hyperdyne, blip - you've definitely given me some food for thought!

 

[Luke Warmwater]

Mutt may have been annoying but that's no reason to decapitate him.

 

[blip]

Is that a picture of Ben Burtt ^.

 

[cannibal869]

Hmm … that's an interesting idea actually.
Unfortunately where would one obtain such a thing? it would be like a polarizing filter then correct ( except the slits would be a green reflective material)

 

[blip]

Exactly you got it!
Not into sabers, so never made any, but reckon there are about five ways to produce this effect.
It will be trial and error to see which works the best.

The easiest way is to print small green lines on a clear strip of soft plastic, then roll it into a tube. As you look at the lines as they go round the curve of the tube, they should get closer togeather and then converge, AKA they become more green from your POV.

So rather than using reflection (as in the first inkling of an idea), the idea has progressed on to using filtration, digital printing and transparent green ink. (most digital inks are transparent).

 

[blip]

I'll do you a diagram later to show how it works, I'm in the middle of something at the moment. Also I'll explain alternative manufacturing ideas if you want to give it a try. :thumbsup

 

[hyperdyne]

Is that a picture of Ben Burtt ^.

Yes, that is Ben using one of my sabers. I was at Skywalker Sound showing him my newest additions. :thumbsup

Funny how LED strip sabers were basically shunned in the beginning, I was personally flipped off by the forums and the "other" builders. But now, ooooh they are the next best thing. Interesting twist on those who cast doubt originally. But I digress....

 

[alessandra]

I'll do you a diagram later to show how it works, I'm in the middle of something at the moment. Also I'll explain alternative manufacturing ideas if you want to give it a try. :thumbsup

That would be amazing! I definitely want to try making one! Thank you for such great ideas blip! If it works well I shall name it...blipblade.

 

[TheDisturbance]

Absolutely positively 100%.....



untrue.

He's currently developing a Crystal Focus for LED string sabers.
There's a thread about it over at FX sabers too. Prototypes are even being tested as we speak. :cool

:rolleyes
If you do the research you will find Erv have bashed the use of led strip many times. Pull up any discussion on Hyperblade vs "whatever" and you can see where Erv stood. Come to think of it. It may be hard to find the discussions. :lol Since saber forums have whitewashed most of the heated discussions. It's no mistake that he bashed led strip. YouTube videos may still have discussions on there that clearly show his stance on led strip. If he's doing an led strip now he's definitely a hypocrite.

Please don't take this the wrong way. It's understandable that you may not know the history of all of this if you have only recently got into the "working" saber world. I just want to testify the truth. Been personally attacked to many times and received a couple of threats to remain silent on this one.

 

[erv]

I don't think I ever bashed ledstrips but I'll be pleased to stand corrected if you can point us to some discussion you mention in your post.

I've indeed expressed opinions about ledstrip compared to single LED blade, most of it being context based (ie duel vs display). This is of course neither a way to come back to a discussion about it, nor a way to say that ledstrips are "inferior" or more fragile (it remains a matter of context IMO).

while you are researching, please also adjust your knowledge, as I made a ledstrip driver and sound board (CF based) 4 years ago, as presented in this video. Iti didn't show up last week from an opportunist (or worst) you describe me as.

Crystal Focus for Led strip at a glance.... - YouTube

I also own many (unmodified) MR sabers that I love very much.

As for where I "stand" : having a day job like many of us, and limited time, I chose to devote it to single LED sabers, that's correct. This rather than chasing several rabbits at once ; I prefer to do the job properly (that's how I work, as a research engineer).
I don't think *focusing* on one system makes me a ledstrips basher, it only shows a preference. CF-LS happening is the combination of having more time and popular demand, which I'm happy to respond to.

 

[Robiwon]

After selling off all my sabers except one custom machined stunt, I have been wanting to get back in with a new build. I have debated over an in hilt LED or doing a strip. I love the new FoC features on a few of the newest boards that are being sold. I have had a few Luxeon sabers. But, the super bright strip sabers like Hyperdyne and Makoto are also calling my name. I will never duel with one so I want to go with an awesome first impression, and that is brightness! The brighter the blade the whiter the core effect you get, so that ties in to the OP question.

 

[TheDisturbance]

Hi alessandra,

Private message me. I have some ideas that I would like to run by you of some possible solutions. I don't want to make it public here, because Erv may claim it as if he originated it. Like our wireless saber system which he has bashed before, but I digress. :behave

 

[Iggy]

Hi alessandra,

Private message me. I have some ideas that I would like to run by you of some possible solutions. I don't want to make it public here, because Erv may claim it as if he originated it. Like our wireless saber system which he has bashed before, but I digress. :behave

WOW. Those are some harsh words. Better be careful where you are stepping since something smells bad. The ideas being tossed around are interesting. I like the retraction effects of string blades, but I prefer to be able to easily take the blade out without having some sort of prong plug.