I'm looking for advice and maybe even help for my costume prop idea. So for my birthday, my gf got me a fallout plasma rifle replica. It looks freaking awesome, but unfortunately doesn't make any sound or do anything when the trigger is pulled. So my idea is to grab the sound files from the game, add some cool light effects, and hopefully run it all through a cheap chinese knockoff arduino nano.
Here are some specifics I was thinking about,
Firing lights that dim/flash when the trigger is pulled
Idle lights that pulse (very basic)
Startup sounds when the gun is turned on
Idle sounds when the gun is on (could be as simple as a whir)
Firing sounds when the trigger is pulled
When I first came up with this idea it seemed reasonable, but I realized last night I have no clue how to get an arduino to play specific sounds with specific inputs. Similarly, the hardware I thought I'd need might not be what I actually need. If it comes down to it, I'd settle for just a shooting effect and sound which i think I can manage, but I really want to go all the way, which is why I'm seeking more experienced help.
Is this project feasible for a total noob and if so where do I begin?
To be honest, this project might be complicated. To store the sound files, you'd need something like a micro SD card shield. The light part is very easy (remember the resistors), but it might be difficult if you have to drill / cut / slice into your gun.
Arduino nano, DFMini MP3 board, all your LEDs (or if quite a few, get an LED strip of 2812 type, e.g. Neopixel) and a switch or two (for the trigger).
Start by doing one thing - like getting the leds to work or getting a sound to play. Get the other components to work all by themselves. When everything is working. Start combining the code together. This can sometimes be the challenging part. Check out the post "Doing several things at once" to see how to structure your code so you can run your lights, play your sound and monitor your trigger button without blocking your code.
The final thing will be to figure out how you are going to power this since it needs to be battery powered for a mobile toy gun. You will need to figure out how much current everything uses and size the battery appropriately. A lipo battery would probably be easiest.
Then you need to figure out how to mount all of this in/around your gun.
It's a good thing Halloween is several months away! Good luck!
+1 for DFPlayer Mini suggestion. Dead easy to use and very cheap. Can drive a small speaker directly. Just record your sounds effects in MP3 and save to a micro-SD card.
Don't use ws2812b strip, unless you are happy with the fixed 30/60/144 LEDs per metre separation. If not, buy the ws2812b on tiny PCBs, then you can solder up exactly as required.
Another tricky part is power. What types of battery can you fit inside? Forget PP3 9V batteries, utterly useless for this project. Maybe 3xAA or AAA NiMh rechargeables? 18650 size li-ion or LiPo pack, if you have or are prepared to buy a charger for them.
Another option for the power pack to to have a large-ish AA pack or something similar but have it in your costume pocket and then a wire down your sleeve to the blaster. Not entirely mobile, but maybe good enough and easier than trying to figure out how to fit it all inside.
Use a mobile phone power bank for battery, and you get the stable 5V you need for the WS2812B LEDs, the Arduino and the DF Player. Also easy to swap out for a fresh one, and to recharge it. Do mind that most el-cheapo made-in-China power banks are seriously overrrated in capacity...
With those components the project is pretty straightforward to implement.
When using LED strips (convenient and easy!) remember that you don't HAVE to use all of them... just leave the LEDs in parts that are you don't want lit off, the main issue is the ~1 mA per LED quiescent current. And if you have lots of them in a small enclosed space, and want to light them long time, remember to provide ventilation as they do run hot.