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[on:]

I hope this is the correct place to post this.

I plan on getting a LoLShield for my Arduino, and I have downloaded the libraries and looked at the examples, but I don't see anywhere where I can see a clear explanation of all the commands included in the library and how to use them.

All it has are the examples, and they aren't very helpful in understanding exactly how I can use the shield myself, aside from just running examples.

[Reply #1 on:]

Got a link to this device? How about the libraries you are talking about?

[Reply #2 on:]

how I can use the shield myself

What do you want to use the shield for? Have you an applicationin mind? The examples must give you an idea of what can be done with it. You can use your imagination for an application:
- make a game of pong
- use it as a equalizer -> 2x7 channels 9 levels wow!
- make some radar
- 9x14 fonttester
- http://jimmieprodgers.com/kits/lolshield/

If you have this idea what to make, then you start thinking how to accomplish this

[Reply #3 on:]

@ PaulS:  I think robtillaart's link is right.

@ robtillaart:  The examples include a Pong game, but I plan on making a game of Snake.  I wrote the game in BASIC for my calculator, and now I want to make it for the Arduino.  But what I was asking is for basically a list of available commands from the library.  I'm sure the examples work and can show me what is possible, but they don't explain the individual commands and how they are used.  I want a systematic explanation the way this library is explained: http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/Bounce.

[Reply #4 on:]

As far as I know nobody has written such documentation yet.

What function call(s) of the library is/are  not understood?

If I look at the names of the functions in http://code.google.com/p/lolshield/source/browse/trunk/lib/Charliplexing.h and know they are defined in the context of a led-matrix they almost explain themselves.  So?

(read a bit about the LoL shield)
The basic thing you can do is set a led on or off, that is exactly what you want for snake. Which leds make up the head / tail of the snake as these are the leds that need to flip(). For Snake you will also need the status of the leds to detect the snake eating itself or one of those thingies the snake eats. This collision detection is not in the lib so you could add that yourself or ask Jimmie to do it for you or define a "shadow matrix" that holds the state of all leds. I guess the pong example needs collision detection too so you might distill it out that code.

[Reply #5 on:]

Thanks robtillaart.  I guess no one really has made such a tutorial.  I had the idea already of a "shadow matrix" as you call it so I know exactly what you're talking about.  But I just wonder how they expect to sell this device and such if they don't show people how to use their library.  But I will try my best to extract the meaning of the calls from their couple of examples.

[Reply #6 on:]

But I just wonder how they expect to sell this device

I have the same question with so many products in life ....