Introduction: LED Matrix Editor

By Software RnD
About: Software engineer

There are some ways how to store this kind of matrix in the Arduino code.

Like this:

byte image[] = {
    0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0,
    0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0,
    0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0,
    0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0,
    0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0,
    0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0,
    0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0,
    0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0
}

or this:

byte image[] = {
    0b00001000,
    0b00011000,
    0b00001000,
    0b00001000,
    0b00001000,
    0b00001000,
    0b00001000,
    0b00011100
}

but what if you going to make an animation from a large number of frames?

Step 1: LED Matrix Editor

LED Matrix Editor - the online tool for animating your matrix.

It looks very simple, but it has some handy features:

  • Online, free and safe. No additional software required.
  • Toggle LEDs using a mouse
  • Toggle a whole row or column by clicking the appropriate matrix's index
  • Shift the matrix Up, Down, Left or Right via the single click
  • Invert or Clear matrix
  • Collect matrices in the bottom pane and then reorder them using the Drag-and-Drop
  • Update images as well as insert new or delete existing
  • Save images as a C code for Arduino
  • Use browsing history and save images as a link or bookmark, so you never lost your creations

Step 2: LED Matrix Arduino Code

Make your animation and then put generated code into the your Arduino project:

Like here:

#include <LedControl.h>

const int DIN_PIN = 7;
const int CS_PIN = 6;
const int CLK_PIN = 5;
const uint64_t IMAGES[] = {
0x3e2222223e3e0808, 0x3e22223e3e2a0808, 0x3e223e3e2a2a0808, 0xbe3e3e2a2a2a0808,
0xbe223e3e2a2a0808, 0xbe22223e3e2a0808, 0xbe2222223e3e0808, 0xbe22223e3e2a0808,
0xbe223e3e2a2a0808, 0xbebe3e2a2a2a0808, 0xbea23e3e2a2a0808, 0xbea2223e3e2a0808,
0xbea222223e3e0808, 0xbea2223e3e2a0808, 0xbea23e3e2a2a0808, 0xbebebe2a2a2a0808,
0xbea2be3e2a2a0808, 0xbea2a23e3e2a0808, 0xbea2a2223e3e0808, 0xbea2a23e3e2a0808,
0xbea2be3e2a2a0808, 0xbebebeaa2a2a0808, 0xbea2bebe2a2a0808, 0xbea2a2be3e2a0808,
0xbea2a2a23e3e0808, 0xbea2a2be3e2a0808, 0xbea2bebe2a2a0808, 0xbebebeaaaa2a0808,
0xbea2bebeaa2a0808, 0xbea2a2bebe2a0808, 0xbea2a2a2be3e0808, 0xbea2a2bebe2a0808,
0xbea2bebeaa2a0808, 0xbebebeaaaaaa0808, 0xbea2bebeaaaa0808, 0xbea2a2bebeaa0808,
0xbea2a2a2bebe0808, 0xbea2a2a2a2be1c08, 0xbea2a2a2a2a21c1c, 0xbea2a2a2a222001c,
0xbea2a2a22222001c, 0xbea2a2222222001c, 0xbea222222222001c, 0xbe2222222222001c,
0x3e2222222222001c, 0x3e2222222222001c, 0x3e22222222221c1c, 0x3e222222223e1c08
};
const int IMAGES_LEN = sizeof(IMAGES) / sizeof(uint64_t);
LedControl display = LedControl(DIN_PIN, CLK_PIN, CS_PIN);
void setup() {
  display.clearDisplay(0);
  display.shutdown(0, false);
  display.setIntensity(0, 10);
}
void displayImage(uint64_t image) {
  for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
    byte row = (image >> i * 8) & 0xFF;
    for (int j = 0; j < 8; j++) {
      display.setLed(0, i, j, bitRead(row, j));
    }
  }
}
int i = 0;
void loop() {
  displayImage(IMAGES[i]);
  if (++i >= IMAGES_LEN ) {
    i = 0;
  }
  delay(100);
}

Step 3: LED Matrix Animation

Then connect Arduino and Matrix, upload code and have fun :-)